Disentomb
17th August 2019
Neck Of The Woods, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Matt Henry Mendonca.
Saturday night saw a change of scene for an unmissable trans-tasman death metal line-up, as a horde of black-clad punters made their way down into the bowels of Neck of the Woods; an abhorrent feast of brutality ready and waiting.
Finishing their three night New Zealand tour in Auckland, Brisbane death metallers Disentomb were being supported by some of the best that New Zealand has to offer; local crew, and fairly recent creation Parasitic Infestation with the devastating Liam Hand on vocals opening the evening’s proceedings and proving live why their recently released debut single ‘Extraterrestrial Gastropod’ is so goddamn killer.
Card carrying veterans of the death metal scene, Horrendous Disfigurement (from Napier) who over the last nine years have supported such international acts as Marduk, Gorguts, Carcass and Napalm Death were next to lay down some serious ferocity, paving the way for the highly anticipated set from Carnal.
Having dropped their debut album Lecherous Acts of Hedonism at the end of April, fans were chomping at the bit to hear some of the crushing new material live, the four piece not disappointing as they smashed out ‘Embedded with Spores’; those who want to get a more up close and personal look at the insanely fast finger work of lead guitarist Jesse Critchley on his BC Rich guitar well advised to check out his playthrough of the track on YouTube.
The new venue space proved to be beneficial for those fans who wanted to get the pit going, the aggressive vocals of Daniel Birrell driving them on through more of their new material such as the obliterating ‘Uncontrollable Circumstances of Masochism’ and the crushing ‘Traumatic Sexual Servitude’ which has to win the award for one of the sickest titles on the album.
Barely loosening their grip on the audience’s necks for more than a second, Leon Milnes continued with his barbaric drumming that defied the laws of human capability, as Daniel Fyfe delivered bass lines that underwrote the pummelling lower ends of the scale. Throwing in a little of their older material, the face-smashing ‘Teratogen’ from their 2012 EP Morbid Desires – which at just under two minutes – ripped out the carotid artery of those down front and left them bleeding on the floor, their faces twisted with maniacal grins of pleasure and horns raised to the ceiling.
But the set was all about showcasing Lecherous Acts of Hedonism, ‘Overgrowth of Habitual Mutilations’ bringing the set to a close and providing the only blood-soaked evidence anyone would need of why they should be purchasing this monstrously savage album immediately.
Brisbane based band Disentomb (formed from the remnants of Cadaverine) have released three albums during their ten-year reign, including their latest The Decaying Light; their on-stage performances seeing them secure support slots with international heavyweights such as Dying Fetus, Cannibal Corpse and Napalm Death. It’s been a few years since they last stormed their way across New Zealand soil, the band and especially lead vocalist Jordan Phillip expressing their gratitude for such a solid turnout of support.
If the audience wanted a set of chaotic, abrasive death metal, unrelenting in its mission to batter its listeners into the ground, then Disentomb were the band to do it. Clawing at the air as if ravenously tearing the flesh from a rotting corpse, Phillip’s led the charge with undeniable ruthlessness, periodically pausing to demand that the audience create a circle pit or to remind them that they were all sick cunts in his book for being there in the first place.
Those who know their work cannot deny that their 2014 album Misery was a masterpiece of cacophonous darkness, frenetic guitar riffs laid down by Jake Wilkes satisfying true lovers of brutal death metal. Acknowledging this fact, the four piece included tracks such as ‘Pyres built from their Severed Wings’, ‘Vultures Descend’ and ‘Chthonic Gateways’ into their set, the pit down front slamming against the wall of sadistic atrocity spewing from the stage.
The audience roared in agreement as Jordan Phillip spoke of how good the Australian and New Zealand Death Metal scene currently is, his jibes about the kiwis not winning the rugby answered by someone calling out the score of the ongoing game, Phillip humorously admitting defeat.
Giving everyone a taste of their latest material, ‘Droning Monoliths’ assassinated the crowd and Phillip’s oesophagus as he admitted to having a “small puke on stage” straight afterward. The fact that he then laughed it off and continued to tear his fans a new one emphatically proving that Disentomb are the real deal.
A heartfelt dedication to Ben Mulchin of Valhalla Touring, who without the New Zealand metal community would be left wanting, was made in the form of ‘Abominations Created Through Divinity’ the breakdown one of the best of the evening as it snapped vertebrates left, right and centre; Disentomb doing away with the premise of the encore and instead once again expressing their gratitude which was met with a wall of horns and raucous applause, ‘The Decaying Light’, title track from their cataclysmic latest release all that was needed to be said.
The Australasian death metal scene is indeed the best it ever has been, so get amongst it.
Were you there at Neck Of The Woods for this brutal death metal gig? Or have you seen Disentombed perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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