Norfolk, Virginia – Gore metal masters Exhumed return to the Taphouse for the second time in just over a year bringing with them a punishing lineup including Portland, Oregon’s Vitriol, New England’s Escuela Grind and New York City’s Castrator.
Appropriately named, Castrator is a four piece female death metal band playing classic New York death metal in the style of Suffocation or Immolation. Their set consisted mostly of songs from their July 22nd effort Defiled In Oblivion. The crowd was very pleased with what they heard. Give these ladies a listen when you get a chance, I think you will like them as well.
Castrator SETLIST
Tormented By Atrocities
Inquisition Sins
Befoul My Existence
Dawa Of Yousafzi
Purge The Rotten
Countess Bathory (Venom cover)
Sinister Mind
Escuela Grind was selected to be the replacement for the black metal band Hulder who had to drop off the tour for medical reasons. While some of us were disappointed by Hulder dropping, Escuela Grind is more than a worthy replacement. Led by vocalist Katerina Economou, the band takes you on a anger fueled journey at hypersonic speeds. Touring in support of their second album Memory Theater, released on September 30th, they brought the insanity with a set that gave the crowd a reason to mosh. I spoke to Katerina briefly after the set and told her that I liked the karate chops she does on stage, borrowed from Suffocation’s former lead singer Frank Mullen and that she reminds me of a woman who used to sing for a crust punk band in Richmond who used to start her own moshpits. If you have never seen Escuela Grind, you should. Even if you don’t like grindcore or powerviolence, go and see them!!!
After seeing Escuela Grind, you would think most bands would pack it in, not Vitriol. They replaced the fast pace with skull crushing technical death metal riffage that reminds me of Nile or Narcotic Wasteland. Guitarist Kyle Rasmussen broke a string and during the guitar change the mosh pit picked up the pace. Kyle later commented that if all he had to do was break a string to get a pit, he would have done it sooner. If you haven’t heard Vitriol before, check them out, you won’t be disappointed.
Chainsaw Guy came out and teased the front row with a beverage before Exhumed took the stage and started tearing things up. Touring in support of their October 21st release To The Dead, the band brings the well known sights and sounds with a few surprises that I think you should experience live rather than for me to spoil it for you.
This was a fun show to see and hear live, all of the bands kicked major ass and are having as much fun as the crowd is. If you have the chance to catch this tour package, do so.
Exhumed SETLIST
Drained of Color
Rank and Defiled
Defenders of the Grave
Ravenous Cadavers
Playing With Fear
Carbonized
Coins Upon the Eyes
Limb from Limb
Utter Mutilation of Your Corpse
Open the Abscess
Living After Midnight (Judas Priest cover)
The tour runs through December 17th with the last stop in Oakland, California. Big thanks to the Taphouse Grill for hosting underground metal shows.
Show Date: Wednesday, November 30, 2022
