LIVE REVIEW: Aversions Crown @ Satan’s Hollow, Manchester

AVERSIONS CROWN have quite the impressive history. The Australian deathcore outfit originally gained popularity with their second full album, Tyrant, however they have soared further since their 2017 release, Xenocide. Bringing in fresh-blood vocalist Mark Poida, the band are currently on a mission of world domination with shows worldwide. Add the up-and-coming new stars of death metal, VENOM PRISON to the bill, and you have a line-up that’s too strong to miss out on. We caught AVERSIONS CROWN’s show in Satan’s Hollow in Manchester, with VENOM PRISON, and VISIONS OF DISFIGUREMENT and THIS IS TURIN also supporting them.

Hailing from Chester, black-death-tech hybrid THIS IS TURIN break the silence and open up tonight’s show. Being a band that have received numerous awards, including Manchester’s own Metal to the Masses award, and opening for such a strong set of bands, there was a sizeable amount of pressure on them. However, immediately THIS IS TURIN captured the audience’s attention with their blend of black metal-esque vocals from Darryl, accompanied by ferocious riffs from Hayden and Davey made for a powerful start. The most memorable part of THIS IS TURIN’s material live is how it fluctuates from a barrage of heavy riffs and harsh vocals, to melodic sections that soothe the pallet in between the madness. Additionally, Darryl announced halfway through the set that their drummer had only a few hours before the show to rehearse the entire set, which was unnoticeable as he delivered every beat and performed incredibly well. While the set could have been tighter in places, it was a powerful and enthusiastic start to the night.

Rating: 7/10

Next up on the bill are VISIONS OF DISFIGUREMENT, who offer some brutal death/slam to the night’s mix. A seemingly curious fit to the bill, however one of Manchester’s finest underground bands were bound to go down well with the crowd. Performing signature tracks such as Clitsnipper sent the fans familiar with their material into an uproar, and those who were otherwise unfamiliar were definitely appreciative. Vocalist Dan’s gutturals, whilst breaking on the rare occasion, were excellent and provided the brutality required to create a blood-pumping atmosphere backed up by guitarist Corn Church and ferocious drum action from Ben. Adam performed well on bass, and VISIONS OF DISFIGUREMENT also offered several new tracks for the crowd, currently entitled New Song 1 and New Song 2, which gave a solid taste of what’s to come from Manchester’s brutal death stars. Overall, their set was mostly tight and well done, and was an appropriate warm up for VENOM PRISON.

Rating: 8/10

Prior to their performance on the main stage of Bloodstock Festival the upcoming weekend, there is a lot of pressure on VENOM PRISON to perform at the high standard that won them their Golden Gods award. Wasting no time to introduce themselves, they delve into their album, Animus. For a band who have been in the spotlight for a relatively short time and have quickly risen to the top in death metal, VENOM PRISON brought an incredibly powerful and polished performance. Vocalist Larissa Stupar dominated the small stage, making use of the limited space to enhance their set. Corrode the Black Sun is an example of how the ferocity portrayed in the studio is amplified in a live format. It’s easy to see how VENOM PRISON have gained so much popularity in recent months, and they are clearly one of the most impressive death metal acts to grace the scene at this moment in time.

Rating: 10/10

With the success of their latest album, Xenocide, the Australian outfit AVERSIONS CROWN had plenty of strong material to dig into at this show. Primarily playing material off the aforementioned record, including Prismatic Abyss. A standout component of AVERSIONS CROWN’s set was Mark’s engagement with the crowd throughout. Talking in between songs and cracking jokes before encouraging circle pits made everyone feel involved, thus creating a significantly more enjoyable atmosphere. Material from Tyrant, including Hollow Planet amplified how well Mark fits into the band as he brings his new vocal twists, making the songs his own. Technical guitar work and crushing riffs from Chris Cougan and Kevin Butler, accompanied by Jayden Mason on the drums made for a performance that can fully justify their dominance in the deathcore scene. All round, each band exceeded expectations and delivered incredibly powerful and tight performances, making it a night that shook Manchester’s underground. The use of Satan’s Hollow allowed for a significantly more intimate experience and enhanced the atmosphere, which more bands should definitely take advantage of in the future.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of AVERSIONS CROWN and VENOM PRISON in Manchester from Christopher Ryan Photography here: