The titans of Death Metal rolled through Calgary at the Palace Theatre on their Violence Unimagined tour with Dark Funeral, Immolation, and Black Anvil.For the uninitiated, Cannibal Corpse is one of those bands that has a massive legacy behind them, being one of the forefathers of the genre known as Death Metal. Formed in 1998 in Buffalo, New York – 15 albums into their career, they are touring their latest release, titled “Violence Unimagined”.

This was a tricky night to shoot. Front lighting was almost non-existent… So detailed, crisp shots were nearly impossible. But on a plus note, they ended up fitting the gritty theme of the bands partaking in the evening’s destructive festivities.

Opening the night was Black Anvil, a New York based black metal outfit. Fans were treated to 6 cuts from their newest offering, Regenesis. While black metal isn’t really my cup of tea, Black Anvil put on a poignant, furious performance that left me in awe. They’ve since become part of my regular rotation. Raw and blistering, with riffs that are catchy as hell. Looking forward to catching these guys next time through.

 

Immolation was next, and I’ve seen them a handful of times over the years. Always a band that delivers a top notch performance, their 10-song set was heavily focused on their newest album, “Acts of God”, with them playing 6 tracks from the February release. They don’t move around a whole lot, but guitarist Robert Vigna has an incredible ferocity while playing that is impossible to look away from.

 

A band like Dark Funeral typically needs no introduction. Having formed during the second wave of Black Metal, hailing from Stockholm, Sweden – Lord Ahriman is the sole founding member, with most of the current lineup having joined between 2014-2017. I was initially taken aback when they walked out, at just how BIG these dudes are. An imposing force, and their set showed exactly why their career longevity and success has been very well earned. Their set covered a bit more ground than the others, but still featured 3 songs from their newest album, “We Are The Apocalypse”.

 

Then… All hell broke loose. The Undisputed KINGS of Death Metal; Cannibal Corpse – launched into a frenzied 90 minute set spanning their entire 15-album career, minus selections from Gore Obsessed, and Gallery of Suicide. Offering tastes of new and old, Cannibal proved why they are the de-facto top of the food chain when it comes to extreme music. From the first notes of “Scourge of Iron”, the band headbanged and thrashed their way through 18 songs with an unrelenting energy. Alex Webster, Erik Rutan, and Rob Barrett are absolute masters of their instruments, with Webster and Rutan’s hair flying during every song. The real spectacle though is watching George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – a man with a menacing stature, who violently whips his hair around during the whole set. He’s got to have the most insane neck muscles. I’ve seen Corpse 8 or 9 times now (maybe more), and while the boys are starting to look a little older, don’t let that fool you – they are still a total powerhouse unit. Unfortunately, Edmonton was skipped this time around so I know a lot of people were bummed who couldn’t make the trip. Let’s hope they come back soon, because I can never get enough.

 

Setlist:

Scourge of Iron
The Time to Kill Is Now
Inhumane Harvest
Code of the Slashers
Fucked With a Knife
The Wretched Spawn
Gutted
Kill or Become
I Cum Blood
Evisceration Plague
Death Walking Terror
Condemnation Contagion
Necrogenic Resurrection
Unleashing the Bloodthirsty
Devoured by Vermin
A Skull Full of Maggots
Stripped, Raped and Strangled
Hammer Smashed Face