Live Review: Dying Fetus / Goatwhore / Malevolence / Fallujah @ Manchester Sound Control 21/11/14

Yet again, another stacked bill rolled through Manchester. This time, the bill was heavy…very heavy. Consisting of Fallujah, Malevolence, Goatwhore and Dying Fetus, the crowd was treated to a great array of styles, sub genres, riffs and all round greatness!

Kicking off the bill were five piece Bay Area natives, Fallujah. Having previously seen this band, I was looking forward to seeing how they had improved since their last and only trip to the greatest city in the North! From the off, the band set their stall out; with brutal vocals and some hefty guitar work, the sound system in Manchester’s Sound Control was tested to the limit. With the confrontational style of Alex Hoffman leading the bands charge, the atmospheric and serene guitar passages that the band moved to either side of the brutality really added an interesting layer to their sound. The band warmed the already fairly large crowd, well.  



Representing the UK on an American heavy bill were Sheffield shredders, Malevolence. Their bio reads to the effect of ‘a bastard hybrid of Pantera, Biohazard, Hatebreed, Life of Agony and Lamb Of God.’ It is hard to disagree with this statement. The band are young and still learning their trade, however, they had plenty of fans in the crowd on a rainy Friday night in Manchester. Carrying on from the exuberance shown by Fallujah in involving the crowd, Malevolence took the fight to the crowd. There was plenty of action in the mosh pit, where people lapped up plenty of the bands groove/sludge laden riffs. Another fine turn by a band on the ascendency. The bands 2013 debut, ‘Reign of Suffering’ is well worth a listen; hopefully there will be more to come from this band in the future. 

Whilst the more youthful portion of the bill worked the crowd well, the veteran half of the night was simply astonishing. Goatwhore went about their business in amazing fashion. Without stopping to breathe in between songs, the band tore through a mesmerising set littered with all kinds of heavy metal influences. With ex-Acid Bath guitarist Sammy Duet giving a master class in using the guitar, vocalist, L. Ben Falgoust II snarled through the bands set, peering, pointing and goading the crowd. Again, the pit in front the stage was a maelstrom of bodies flying around with the crowd giving their all for the bands set. The material from the bands 2014 release, ‘Constricting the Rage of the Merciless’, fitted well with the varied selections from the bands past. A monstrous highlight of the whole night was the bands run through of ‘Apocalyptic Havok’, with the band encouraging the audience to pump their fists like they were watching Judas Priest in 1984!

Goatwhore could have headlined the bill for the evenings show with no problems at all; however that accolade was left to the legendary Dying Fetus. Death Metal is certainly an acquired taste; if you’re going to get involved with the genre, Dying Fetus should be your go-to band. The Maryland trio, fronted by singer/guitarist John Gallagher, are as uncompromising as they come. Some twenty plus years into their career, the band has been enjoying plenty of success on the back of their latest album, ‘Reign Supreme’. For the show in Manchester, the band plucked plenty of tracks from their 2012 release, as well as tracks from their seven strong back catalogue. ‘One Shot, One Kill’ had the crowd firmly on the bands side early doors, with ‘Subjected to a Beating’ from the bands latest release, showcasing the bands longevity. A three song encore closed out by ‘Your Treachery Will Die With You’ ensured the congregated metal masses went home more than happy.

Words by: Dominic Walsh