For myself and many others, The Star & Garter is the last true cesspit in Manchester in which Death Metal can thrive. It is gritty, it is unhinged, it is claustrophobic, it is wonderful. Tonight bill pits 3 of the finest Death/Black Metal acts that can be found parading a venue this small and as a result, the 150/200 strong capacity were in for a night of absolute violence and intensity. 

Iron Tomb were giving the job of getting the night off to an aggressive start. Despite only having four songs released, Iron Tomb didn’t mess about when it came to showing the Star & Garter what they were made of. Energetic Death Metal was the name of the game here, showcasing a crash course into how to do this genre, and most importantly do it well. The drums were intense, flirting about with blast beats, half time, exceptional use of the bass pedal, all whilst ensuring the flow of music didn’t once give the audience time to breathe and get themselves together. What this meant is that the rest of the band had full license to add some colour (ironic considering the Black Metal influences), creating a cacophony of sound that was as much technical as it was outright disgusting. Vocally, I was reminded of Nergal, with rough yet completely controlled gutturals that sounded massive, especially with subtle uses reverb to provide that touch of atmosphere that Behemoth are renowned for. For an opening act with very few releases under their belt, Iron Tomb are a great example of Death Metal being in safe hands.

Second and main support Celestial Sanctuary ensured that the energy that was started with Iron Tomb did not once dwindle. Much like Iron Tomb, the structuring of their songs took the audience on a Death Metal rollercoaster, ticking all of the boxes that one would expect to find in such a genre of music. Despite this, the formula never seemed outdated, the songs never sound similar, and the ability of each member of this band was remarkable. One only has to listen to their 2021 release, “Soul Diminished”, to understand what this band are about, the most striking aspect for me upon multiple listens was their epic use of backing vocals. On record, I was reminded a lot of Nile, with the band’s 4 members providing a chorus of vocals which to the unassuming would seem like a choir of 10’s of people, not just 4 guys. On stage however, the impact & nuance of these backing vocals didn’t hit the same, however that would be more down to the narrow and compact nature of the Star & Garter not allowing the vocals to travel as well as a more spaced out and wider venue such as Rebellion would do. What this did mean for the sound, however, was that it hugely emphasised the sheer power coming from the band even if at some points those finer details were undecipherable. Sometimes however, Death Metal can just be about how the music makes you feel, as opposed to cherry picking individual aspects of a band's sound and Celestial Sanctuary, by their time 30-minute set finished, made It feel like I'd been absolutely smacked in the jaw. Sometimes, that’s just what it’s all about, and I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Despite being a new listener of Undeath, to say that tonight's headliner has a cult following would be an understatement. Before the band even played a single note, the front of the stage opened, and the sold-out crowd of the Star & Garter was ready for violence. What first struck me about Undeath is that they aren’t your run of the mill Death Metal outfit. Vocalist Alex Jones conducts himself with this natural swagger that adds a level of cool in a genre that is surrounded by guys with long hair just standing and playing. It was this instant first impression that turned me from an unassuming spectator to a fully invested fan. 

Undeath also presented their tracks with a dimension that can’t be found listening to them through headphones. There was this almost Hardcore-esque element about their performance that diverted them from their usual death metal sound. I may be wrong but I believe this may have been down to Jones’s vocal delivery. At times evoked a sense of being at a hip-hop show, which when the menu consists of Death Metal sounds completely and utterly absurd. What I mean by this is that the intonation of syllables had this free-flowing way about it in a way that perfectly matched the rhythm of each individual track as opposed to the music and vocals being two separate entities as is often the case when it comes to death metal. I could be miles off, and this could be the hip-hop fan in me trying to find something that wasn’t there; however, as a listening experience, it was fantastic and ensured that Undeath presented something unique to the table that leaves me remembering individual songs as a result. Vocals aside, credit must be given to the rest of the band. They were trying things entirely unique to their contemporaries. Each individual element had its own personality, and if listened to in isolation, it would be hard to believe that they were all members of the same band. All these individual parts came together in blissful harmony to create a sound that was every bit innovative as it was brutal. 

Everything about this set was sublime. It was intense, it was passionate, and it evoked a sheer sense of euphoria and response that almost certainly ensured that Undeath were made for stages bigger than this. On the contrary, it would be a bittersweet thing to see Undeath perform in bigger venues, as venues like Star & Garter are the setting which bands like Undeath thrive. They created this almost underground fight club feel that transported those in attendance to a land in which all laws of the land are left at the door. This could prove to be a career defining tour for Undeath, and Manchester made sure the band knew it. 

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!

Undeath, Celestial Sanctuary, Iron Tomb