Melbourne Dethfest - Review 22nd July @ Bendigo Hotel, Melb VIC
Melbourne Dethfest
Bendigo Hotel, Melbourne VIC
July 22, 2023
Featuring: Exhumed, King Parrot, Choof, Carcinoid, Resistance, Munitions, Nephalem, Tongue Scum, Vexation and Carnal Viscera.
Unbeknownst to the hipsters frolicking around Melbourne’s inner east on Saturday, July 22nd, there was something abhorrent festering in Collingwood’s recesses. Dwelling within the crypt of the Bendigo Hotel, an insidious entity was primed to resurface and unleash itself upon the city. After fervent anticipation from the town’s extreme metal degenerates (myself included amongst these ranks), the time had come for Melbourne’s Dethfest to rise again from it’s sonic graveyard - the 2023 instalment headlined by US gore metal titans Exhumed, and our very own thrash/grind heroes, King Parrot.
Following the success that was last year’s inaugural event (showcasing acts such as StarGazer and Faceless Burial), it would have been sacrilege not to stage an encore for this sinister conclave. And no surprises, this year’s sold-out bill came once again loaded with some of the finest local talent that Australia has to offer, complementing our international arrivals.
On the ‘Blood Stage’, the twin guitar onslaught of Carnal Viscera delivered a ferocious dose of unfiltered death metal, replete with lyrical themes that will likely hinder their prospects of finding conventional employment. Amidst the setlist, we were treated to a cover version of Bloodbath’s, ‘Eaten’, and news of an impending 7-inch split with Choof (who were to play later that night). Upstairs on the ‘Skin Stage’, Vexation proceeded to belt us over the head with a barrage of riff-driven, groove-infused thrash/death. The bass in particular, stood out prominently, exhibiting lead-like qualities at points during their songs. Back downstairs, the trio of Tongue Scum diced up concise, impactful slices of grind. Their relentless series of abrupt pauses and explosive bursts left little room to catch one’s breath, propelled forward by drumming that was mechanical in precision.
The metallic tour de force that is Munitions dazzled with a masterclass in extreme metal guitar work. Their playing, enriched with a low end reminiscent of dredging through swamp, contrasted by crystal clear highs, was as tight as a straight jacket. This all before Carcinoid immersed us in a nightmarish, doom-laden ambience that was simultaneously atmospheric, and claustrophobic. Then, with a dexterous flick of the switch, the band capably transitioned into more solid, ‘meat and potatoes’ style riffing. Choof on the other hand, discarded all finesse in favour of pure, unadulterated chaos. It was difficult to predict what structure was at risk of collapsing first; the floor, ceiling or the building itself. In a scene suggestive of a riot, bodies collided like molecules in an unstable chemical reaction.
Before embarking on their upcoming US tour, where they are scheduled to play shows with the likes of Pantera, Lamb of God and Weedeater, our hometown miscreants King Parrot greased the wheels by serving up one of their final aural assaults on domestic shores. The shirt of Slatts Everyday ceremonially came off, and the lads launched into an hour of ear-shredding carnage. From beginning to end, the venue’s energy sustained maniacal levels, as King Parrot fed their insatiable audience with an assortment of sonic earworms. Predictably, the mood reached fever pitch whenever a track from debut, Bite Your Head Off came on, notably the tracks ‘Bozo’, ‘Dead End’ and 'Shit On The Liver'.
Fresh off the autopsy table with their latest album To the Dead, Exhumed were surgically primed to sharpen the hacksaw, and slash their way through a blistering set that featured songs spanning their entire legendary catalogue. Leading with ‘Drained of Color’ and ‘Rank and Defiled’ from the new record, Matt Harvey’s purveyors of all things grotesque administered a musical butchering for the memory bank. Exhumed’s performance was virtuosic, wonderfully distasteful, but above all else, uproariously fun. And to cap it all, their chainsaw-wielding mascot paraded around in full blood-soaked attire, elevating and enhancing the aesthetic of Exhumed classics, including ‘Limb from Limb’ and closing number, ‘Open The Abscess’ (medleyed together with KISS' ‘Detroit Rock City’).
The underground is, and always will be, the beating heart of heavy music. If Dethfest 2023 is anything to go by, it is a clear indication that extreme metal in Melbourne is very much alive and thriving.
Review by Alex Burgess @alex.n.burgess
