LIVE REVIEW: Deathrite @ The Black Heart, London
German natives DEATHRITE much like the wide array of underground talent that pass through the doors of The Black Heart descended on an otherwise gloomy Monday night to deliver an evening that was nothing short of surprising. Many may have still been corpse- like, defeated by the weekend and the pending winter tissue season but those who weren’t were found creeping through to Camden, ordering their rounds. The Black Heart possess a special talent to lure in crowds on a weekday night are testament to one thing above all others; whether you are a headliner of a 10 man show or on your way to becoming a Wembley Stadium sellout, all are equal in the dungeon that is The Black Heart. With that, the doors were opened, the beverages flowed and what remained to be determined was whether these bands could be at all better than the idea of being curled up on a sofa, suffering a tea and biscuit intoxication.
BODY HARVEST or as they were once known VYRAL were the first to hit the stage. A four piece death metal mob first erupted into the music scene back in their hometown Bristol, supporting ANAAL NATHRAKH in 2012. Since then, the band has gained considerable interest from their debut and sophomore album efforts allowing them to get further exposure and tours alongside the likes of HIDEOUS DIVINITY and VITAL REMAINS. Whilst years of intensive gigging may have given them a promising resume, it would be far too extreme to determine these guys a success. Their performance at times did hint with promising vocals and aggressive drumming that you couldn’t help but pay attention to, the sound overall however just did not carry enough substance and sadly failed to present the audience with something that has not yet been heard before. Speed never has nor ever will outweigh quality.
Rating: 5/10
LIVE BURIAL a name that will be better known in Newcastle than in London was the second act to brave the night. Without much effort the band was quick to spice up the all death metal bill with in your face uncensored old school sounding death/doom menace. Whilst at first listen the sound appears to be your typical aggression fuelled primitive affair, what stands out as the set progresses are the fuzzy toned, down-tuned guitars that echo a clear doom metal influence. Whilst vocalist Jamie Brown does possess an intriguing element in his vocal range, the rest of the members are largely overshadowed by his maniac-like tone and overall stage presence. Frontman aside, various tracks from Forced Back to Life showcase the true essence of death metal; rawness and rage with a sprinkle of splatter, blood and self-destruction lyrics in the mix.
Rating: 6/10
SKELETHAL hailing from the now finally existent French death metal scene were the penultimate act of the night. Offering a twist on the old school MASSACRE-era sounds through releases such as Of the Depths… the band blasted through their set in high speed and massive riff shredding fashion. Whilst classified as a death metal band, there were some definite moments were elements of thrash with SODOM-like riffs creeping in for good measure. SKELETHAL being a band that works best with delivering pure rage fuelled entertainment with minimal progression seem like one of those bands that have no specific agenda to break boundaries nor to be overly innovative in their compositions. While this may essentially be their downfall, what they lack in their creativity they make up for with
their overall entertainment value. In short, just the right amount of heavy.
Rating: 7/10
To begin introducing DEATHRITE would require first and foremost a mention on the air of old school class that these German natives blew into The Black Heart. In appearance alone, this band had an element of 70s rockstar swag paired with a sound that effortlessly lived up to their image. Having been patiently building their sound under the radar the band got its well deserved break upon signing with Century Media back in 2018 and releasing Nightmares Reign. With some respected support slots and heightened intrigue that followed their name, DEATHRITE certainly don’t feel like newcomers nor amateurs in any way.
Perhaps the majority of the success formula is built on the effortless allure of the lead singer Tony Heinrich who in between chatting to the locals reigned down the nightmare-inducing vocals on stage. Dynamic with plenty of punch there was a distinctive edge in his vocal style many times resembling a late-Fenriz of DARKTHRONE vocal grit. Unsurprisingly, drummer Stefan Heinz was not lacking skill either, relentlessly pounding his way through the set in a vibe that can only be compared to an aggressive performance from a completely shitfaced Nicke of ENTOMBED.
Whilst not overly melodic in their music nor experimental as some keyboard warriors have previously deemed, these things are quickly forgotten about as the band’s true selling point is the delivery of their catalogue live; apt to send even the toughest crowds into a sweet delirium. For anyone tired of sprawling past the many generic, riff recycled and sterile guitar and drum sounds of MORBID ANGEL clones, DEATHRITE offer a solid alternative.
Rating: 9/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in London from Karolina Janikunaite here:
