After a ritualistic visit to the pub for a swift pint it was off to the wonderful venue that is the Colchester Arts Centre. Basically the venue is an old church, which as you can imagine makes for insane sound and a generally stunning setting. Probably also worth noting before getting on with the music is that the bar here is also well stocked with good drinks at fair prices. Anyway that’s somewhat beside the point, we’re here for music, so let’s crack on.

Up first and playing to a decent sized crowd were local lads Jøtnarr. I’ve seen these guys plenty of times but they always put on a great show. Their snappy, crushingly heavy brand of Extreme Metal is eclectic. Bringing in notes of Doom, Black and Death Metal, an all-round worthy local opener for a show like this. The crowd whilst somewhat still seemed to be enjoying it too. The occasional bang of the head or raised fist would indicate that the band might have won over a few new fans that night and rightly so.

Coming next were the Netherlands based Deathcore quartet Distant. Now if you’ve ever read any of my reviews you’d know that Deathcore isn’t really my biggest love. However when it’s done well I’ve got a lot of time for it. I was fully prepared to dislike Distant having listened to the odd snippet here and there prior to the show, but honestly I stand corrected. The band had some huge energy as one might expect from an upcoming Deathcore force but it seemed to pay off. The crowd were going pretty mental, possibly more mental than for Suffocation. That said they’re a band that are likely to draw a younger crowd, so naturally their fans probably have more energy than someone like me who’s knees constantly hurt. Their sound was huge with some walloping breakdowns and very Travis Ryan inspired vocals. Seriously though I can see myself listening to these guys again, in fact I’d be very willing to see a headline set, potentially even at the same venue.

Now what we all went for, the mighty kings of Death Metal, and innovators of Slam, Suffocation. Of course the band is now lacking a certain Frank Mullen but the chops remained ever present. Ricky Myers of Disgorge fame headed up the vocals and honestly, he did a stellar job. Terrance Hobbs naturally shredded up the guitar too, giving off the odd Tech Death flare here and there, as well as bringing those iconic and devastating Slams. I can say for sure that my arm is hurting a lot from Slamming those hammers and chopping like a maniac. The set-list was pretty career spanning with a good dollop of new album bangers thrown in. The crowd certainly seemed tamer at points but then again it harks back to my prior point of Distant and a younger audience. I’d hasten to presume that most Suffocation fans are of an older demographic and probably don’t want to pit hard or at all on a Wednesday night. However, at times the room kicked off, especially when the classic bangers came in. Some big highlights being Pierced From Within and of course that finale of Liege Of Inveracity followed by Infecting The Crypts. You best believe that at those moments I was stomping around the pit like a Caveman praising the gods of Slam. Truly it was a fantastic night of beers, friends and incredible music, it’s what it’s all about. Honestly it was a privilege to see such legends in a small venue too, Suffocation have certainly still got it and this new era is very exciting.

Review George Caley

Photos: Heather Caley