The evening commenced with Mélancolia (5) Australia’s rising purveyors of sonic horror. Their unique blend of melodic blackened deathcore, infused with industrial goth and nü-metal elements, created an oppressive yet immersive atmosphere.
Frontman Alex Hill was a force of nature, his vocal delivery alternating between cavernous growls and blood-curdling shrieks—often accompanied by an unpredictable spray of spit, making him a hazard for photographers braving the pit.
Guitarists Joshua Taafe and Billy Morris built walls of haunting, cinematic distortion, while drummer Mason Page drove the chaos forward with unrelenting precision.
Tracks from their debut album HissThroughRottenTeeth translated into sheer terror live, wrapping the venue in a thick, suffocating darkness.
Next to seize the stage was Carcosa (6), the Vancouver-based deathcore quartet whose sheer stage presence was enough to rattle the foundations of The Asylum. From the opening riff, they commanded the crowd, whipping the room into a frenzy with devastating breakdowns and searing technicality.
Next to seize the stage was Carcosa (6), the Vancouver-based deathcore quartet whose sheer stage presence was enough to rattle the foundations of The Asylum. From the opening riff, they commanded the crowd, whipping the room into a frenzy with devastating breakdowns and searing technicality.
Their performance was tight, ferocious, and delivered with the kind of confidence that only comes from a band firmly in their prime. Every breakdown hit like a sledgehammer, every riff sent shockwaves through the pit, and by the time they finished their set, it was clear they’d won over every deathcore fan in the building.
Massachusetts death metal/crust outfit Fuming Mouth (8) were next, bringing a different kind of raw, unfiltered aggression to the night. Frontman Mark Whelan, a survivor in every sense of the word, unleashed a primal fury that embodied the sheer catharsis of their music.
Massachusetts death metal/crust outfit Fuming Mouth (8) were next, bringing a different kind of raw, unfiltered aggression to the night. Frontman Mark Whelan, a survivor in every sense of the word, unleashed a primal fury that embodied the sheer catharsis of their music.
Tracks from Last Day Of Sun, recorded with Converge’s Kurt Ballou, were performed with a raw, almost punk-like intensity, while bassist Patrick Merson and drummer Keith Goldoni reinforced their crushing sound with relentless low-end power. Their performance was more than just a set—it was a testament to resilience, rage, and the unbreakable spirit of extreme music.
Then came AngelMaker (8), a seven-piece deathcore powerhouse from North Vancouver, British Columbia. Their dual-vocalist approach—courtesy of Mike Greenwood and Johnny Ciardullo—set them apart from the rest of the lineup, offering a dynamic interplay between guttural lows and piercing highs that cut through the chaos.
The sheer weight of their sound, bolstered by Colton Bennett and Matt Perrin on guitars, and an unrelenting rhythm section featuring Jesse Price on drums and Cole Rideout on bass, made for a performance that was both technically impressive and brutally heavy.
Their orchestral and melodic flourishes added a unique cinematic depth, elevating tracks from their latest self-titled album into crushing, immersive soundscapes. The crowd responded in kind, with circle pits erupting at every turn.
Finally, Suffocation (9) took the stage, and the energy in the room instantly shifted. Since their formation in 1988, the New York legends have defined and redefined brutal technical death metal, and tonight was no exception. The band launched into a set packed with career-spanning devastation, each riff played with surgical precision, each blast beat delivered like a gunshot to the skull.
Finally, Suffocation (9) took the stage, and the energy in the room instantly shifted. Since their formation in 1988, the New York legends have defined and redefined brutal technical death metal, and tonight was no exception. The band launched into a set packed with career-spanning devastation, each riff played with surgical precision, each blast beat delivered like a gunshot to the skull.
The guttural vocals, the unrelenting speed, the pit that barely stopped moving—it was a masterclass in death metal brutality. Suffocation have nothing left to prove, yet they still perform like they have everything to prove, and that is why they remain one of the most revered acts in extreme music.
From Mélancolia’s suffocating darkness to Suffocation’s unrelenting assault, the night was a celebration of all things heavy. The Asylum proved once again why it’s one of Birmingham’s best venues for metal, and for those in attendance, this was one for the books.
From Mélancolia’s suffocating darkness to Suffocation’s unrelenting assault, the night was a celebration of all things heavy. The Asylum proved once again why it’s one of Birmingham’s best venues for metal, and for those in attendance, this was one for the books.
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