Today saw the third edition of the Death All Day all dayers focusing on underground extreme metal. It is the first to be held in Manchester though as the previous two have been held at Boom in Leeds. Local deathsters Foetal Juice have been on every edition so far and are also playing today as are veteran crust punks Extinction Of Mankind, who I watched a few times in the nineties but haven't seen for over twenty years
Skabs are the first band I manage to catch. They play crust punk with a heavy d-beat/Discharge influence. The vocals are harsh and high pitched which suits the music and suitably conveys their rage. When they play at their very top speed, it gets a bit messy. They are better when they slow it down a fraction as it is much more powerful. They also draw inspiration from Mötörhead as many bands of this style do. They are potent but I wish they were tighter as they would be more impressive. It is still enjoyable though. The guitarist tries to start a pit at one point but it is a feeble attempt to be honest.
Yersin's guitar sound is immense. With just guitar, drums and vocals, it needs to be but they sound colossal despite the minimal set up. The guitar tone is like a combination of HM-2 worship and the sludgy sound achieved by bands such Big Business, and as a result their sound is a mix of death metal and doomy noise. Imagine Entombed jamming with Big Business but whatever it is, it completely works. The guitarist, Robert, is excellent, and I'm amazed at the sound he manages to conjure from his instrument. The drummer, Chris, is the who brings it all together whilst the vocalist Chris Storey is intense with a rough voice which occasionally ventures into death territories. 'The Scythe Is Remorseless' is like Big Business gone crust punk but that filthy guitar tone adds a layer of grime to everything they play. Excellent stuff.
Vaticinal Rites play furious old school death metal with a slight technical edge. The band look like a mix of old school and new school death metal but that isn't really reflected in their sound and I find myself reminded of Massacre. The singer Marcus has a set of lungs on him and is an imposing presence. The band are really tight and this makes their brand of death metal punchy and impactful. They are always heavy with plenty of riffs to headbang to, and there is no let up in their attack. There are touches of new bands like Gatecreeper or Frozen Soul too but like those bands, this is a newer yet faithful take on old school death metal. Songs such as 'Plead For Termination' have plenty of crushing breakdowns. There are many different influences present; a touch of Nile here, a sprinkling of Death there, even a little touch of 'Seasons In The Abyss' era Slayer but it is all incorporated in a way that feels fresh and exciting.
During the line check before their set, Putrid Offal seem like four ordinary old metalheads but when they return for their performance they are transformed. Wearing bloody lab coats and gurning with their tongues stuck out, they play to the crowd like the veterans they are. Gore obsessed with a touch of grind to their sound, they are heavily influenced by pre-'Heartwork' Carcass. The guitarist does his best to get the crowd involved, although it isn't entirely successful. 'Purulent Cold' starts off with a great mid-paced groove which soon gives way to blasting which is powerful as hell. The rampaging 'Boning Hall' is designed to inflict serious damage whilst 'Ribcage Blues' is an ultra short blast of death-grind. The double kick fuelled 'Barber Butcher' absolutely crushes, and 'Necrotic Mutilation' is a lightning fast blur too. 'Sanguis In Oris' is technical and chaotic with a neat danceable beat. 'Meat Stall' is another track that has a strong Carcass influence. The band are very tight and put on a show like true veterans. The intro and mid-section of 'Rotted Flesh' stomps like Godzilla. Way more fun than I expected.
Foetal Juice's gabba techno intro track surprisingly gets the crowd going, which is a great sign. The guitars sound sharp and serrated whilst the bass sounds tar thick. It's a proper in your face sound and it suits their dynamic old school death metal to a tee. Their sound is buoyant, uptempo and, dare I say, accessible. It's been fairly subdued crowd wise so far but these guys help to bring the pits. 'Take Your Face For A Shit' is classic death metal perfectly executed. They are great at marrying well defined riffs with some blindingly fast blasting and face melting intensity. The singer Derek has a good range with some low end growling and a high pitched scream, and he has power in both. 'Two Bongs Don't Make A Right' is as furious as it is short. Foetal Juice seem to get better every time you watch them. A triumph.
The crowd thins out a bit for Extinction Of Mankind which is a shame. It's been a long time since I last saw them but they are largely the same although the personnel has changed a bit from what I can tell. They still play driving metallic crust punk with incisive guitars and a pounding drumbeat. Tortured Demon's Jacob Parkinson joins the band on stage at one point. Ste's vocals are yobbish and delivered with a bug-eyed intensity. Foetal Juice are a hard act to follow and Extinction Of Mankind don't quite manage it. They're a good band but it has been such a great day where good has been the minimum requirement.
Extinction Of Mankind ***
Foetal Juice *****
Putrid Offal ****
Vaticinal Rites ****
Yersin ****
Skabs ***
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