Back at our favourite former Grindhouse cinema for a top bill on a freezing cold evening. Thankfully the train strikes don’t seem to have had a huge impact, as the show has sold out and it’s already packed as local support band De Profundis set to warm us up. They have had a good year and it is the first time they are playing new material from latest album ‘The Corruption Of Virtue’ to a live audience. One could expect nervousness and a few mistakes but not here in the slightest.

Setting things up with ‘Martyrs’ there is on the one hand a bellicose and gruff death metal band led by the imposing figure of Craig Land but on the other is underlaying thick bass twang shining through with undeniable guitar flourishes and precise technicality. Listening carefully there’s some fusion fuelled licks that wouldn’t be out of place in a jazz band and there’s plenty of spice about the instrumentation.

New songs like ‘Ritual Cannibalism’ both thunder as well as swoop and plummet delivering a meaty feast. These new songs go down well ‘Weaponised Rape’ has a furious tenacity behind its snarly chops, there’s a fiery screaming solo, the weight of a band like Origin and dare I say even a bit of funk?

‘Religious Cancer’ speaks for itself, there is an evident message of disgust behind the songs and as they power and gurgle towards the end of the sharp and savage set, they must have won over some new friends tonight.

It’s a double headliner tonight and for whatever reason Sigh are up first having thankfully managed to get here all the way from Japan. It’s been ages since they last played in the UK at Damnation Festival in 2008 and shows from them are sparse enough as it is. I’ll never forget the 1st London gig at The George Robey back around 1995 when they had ninja roadies booting divers off the stage. Truth is, with the amount of musicians multi-nationally involved on recent album ‘Shiki’ I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Things quickly became clear, we had a drummer with stuck up peroxide hair looking like he had escaped from a Takashi Miike film, guitarist Nozomu Wakai who had gone the full Onibaba complete with samurai sword and a robed Mirai on bass and vocals (Dr Mikannibal was sorely missed). Its stripped down for sure but as ‘Kuroi Kage’ takes form the sound is certainly thick and full bodied. At the front I could practically feel every strum. The sword is wielded, the grooves are hit and the rasps are vicious and snarly.

With a large array of material amassed over the years everyone was no doubt hoping for some old favourites and we were whipped back in time to 97 with ‘Hail Horror Hail.’ This thrash laden stew of mania and haunting upbeat melodicism certainly went down sweetly with the old guard. Psyche weirdness tripped a few over the edge, (not for the first time in this building’s storied career) in the form of ‘Mayonaka no Kaii.’ Jaws dropped again at how the hell they managed to do this as a trio, but the economy of it had no bearing on just how good it was. After a solo, what I assume was a bible is set on fire, someone should have probably explained to Mirai about the energy crisis we are having, poor lad has to stay warm somehow!

It’s all going off, a bout of operatic vocals, some chamber music all whilst trying to attend to bodily functions, get beer and work one’s way around the labyrinth of stairs in the venue. A good vantage point is found overlooking the stage to take it all in. Visually with songs about corpses crying and the ‘Soul Grave’ you just have to close your eyes to be transported off to a strange place, suicide forests with gibbets solemnly swaying to the orchestral movements within them.

Grim symphonies abound and it’s a manic churning canvas of chaos. Unfortunately, even with extended set time and a rousing ‘Me-Devil’ it has to end at some point and it does with Mirai saluting the UK and telling us we are responsible for all this in the first place and not the Norwegians. Perfect cue to end things with a cover of Black Metal by Venom. Another absolutely unforgettable performance from the masters of the macabre.

“Let’s get down to it like we mean it” declares a beaming Dave Hunt as Anaal Nathrakh Unleash their weaponry turning us into human mincemeat in the process. Tonight though it’s not a normal show and the frontman takes time to explain that as far as the band are concerned the future is uncertain and it is not an impossibility that this could be their very last performance. The reason for this is due to co-founding member Mick Kenney’s business taking off so well in the USA that he simply cannot take eyes off the ball there and commit to the band.

The observant will have noticed that Dave has gathered the cream of London devilry and oiled up (ooh err) members of Akercocke and Voices to decimate along with him; something they have no problems doing. We have a Dave at the front and one at the back, master-blaster Mr Gray delivering the flattening backbone to tracks like ‘Submission Is For The Weak’ as Sam Loynes and Dan Abela joust around on the right side of the stage.

This self-described experiment quickly turns into one of well-mannered violence, the dance-floor does not need much of an excuse to go all out and it’s not long before the bodies start to tumble over the top. It might be a bit of a war but there’s no forgetting its victims ‘Forward’ a testament to Wilfred Owen and the folly of driving people into human fodder.

Things move from poetry to pure adrenaline as we are treated to a couple of numbers from last album ‘Endarkenment.’ These give the vocalist plenty of opportunity to hit the high notes and engage in his inner Rob Halford although thankfully there is no hurling pig’s heads with cocks in its eyes into the melee. From above everything is far from shit, even the busy security at the front of the stage are caught up and smiling at the sheer enthusiasm of the crowd. It’s pure brutal bliss all round baby!

We Forge towards a long gone sunset, everything becomes a blur as we head to an unwritten future. There’s no need for an encore, just a boot leaving an indelible print on the face as final judgement is served by ‘Do Not Speak.’ Considering the response to this rammed show it would be inconceivable for Anaal Nathrakh not to continue in one form or another even if it means taking some time out for now. Fingers crossed they will be back again crying havoc like the dogs of war that they truly are.

Pete Woods