What could honestly be better? Seeing Ingested in tiny venue in East London or seeing Ingested joined by nine other upcoming acts. Soon I saw the lineup for this show I was buzzing for it and in aftermath of it I can easily say that was of the best shows I’ve seen in London in a very long time. 9 hours of pure extreme metal and slam in a sold-out venue has made the Tone Management Showcase my top show of the year so far. Hosted by Embedded Promotions this show was impeccably brilliant from start to finish. When talking to the promoter after the show he described it as “The show was good. Great turn-out and all of the bands played excellently. Really happy about the success of the evening and it was great to see a whole bunch of mates coming and new faces supporting underground music. It sometimes can be quite different putting on events, you

have to make sure that everything runs on time and not only this, there is a whole of financial stress that goes into it. Putting your own money down and expecting to make it back tickets. However, promoting these events means a lot to me. Music is passion and I really want to help underground bands get the exposure that they so deserve, Eventually im hoping to promote bigger shows in bigger venues. Music is everything.”

The show kicked off with Depravity who delivered a crushing set of “Heavy Hardcore” and defined the standard of things to come for the rest of the event. And, even so early in the day the masses turned out to support these guys and got the pit going. Next to slay the stage was “Technical Deathcore” outfit Nycosia who delivered an impressive set and engaged the crowd with their experimental take of the sub-genre. A Night in The Abyss kept the “Deathcore” vibe going but one of the seriously cool things about this band is that they inject “Blackened Tech Death” into their music which not many “Deathcore” bands do. This set was brutally savage and unlike the previous bands A Night in The Abyss created a real sense of atmosphere with their music that engaged the crowd and left them wanting more. Next in line was Exeter based Drifted who kept the “Deathcore” bulldozer churning with their incredibly heavy breakdowns that got everyone in the crowd bouncing. The fifth band to devastate the stage was London’s very own Harbinger. It’s only been a few years since this band formed and began playing shows but this performance proved that they are growing from strength to strength. They have cultivated a compelling sound that consolidates a high amount technicality, heaviness and sheer brutality. Next to lay waste on the Birthdays stage was Oxford based “Death Metal” group A Trust Unclean. They delivered a relentless and non-stop spine-chilling train ride of a live set. A Trust Unclean’s diverse ability to inculcate the most savagely punishing breakdowns with groove filled bouncy riffs gave this performance a sinister and brutal edge.

Now, it was time to up the antics with the 7th band of the day; Abhorrent Decimation. However, this wasn’t any normal set for the band as they were playing “The Pardoner” in its full entirety. The sheer brute force of Abhorrent Decimation is very comparable to a lot of savage bands within the scene but it’s when they perform live that you get a real vibe that these guys mean business and will certainly go International in a matter of no time. Abhorrent Decimation proved to be a lot more than just a studio band with this set and their presence, stagecraft and constant demand for more from the ecstatic crowd really did show how passionate and proud they are to be a band.

Since the doors opened for this event and Abhorrent Decimation’s set ending, something brutally sinister was brewing in the venue and growing more and more demonic as each minute passed until it was eventually poised to break out in the form of Osiah. The sheer precision of the instrumentation during this live set made it undeniably the best “Deathcore” set of the event. Osiah are a band that have studied and practiced their art; the monstrous blast beats, savage vocals and the guitars were so synchronised that you would be forgiven to the fact that they were playing live. What really injected the unexpected with this set was the frequent shifts in tempo changes together with the punching drums, melodic guitar riffs and atmospheric dynamics that allowed Osiah to create a hellish soundscape for the crowd.

And now, the time had come for the band that everyone had been waiting for; Ingested. This band have been slaying the international scene for quite some time now and are one of the most savage “Death Metal” acts to arise out of the United Kingdom for some time. And, for the band to choose London as their destination to launch their new album couldn’t have been a more welcomed choice by their fans. Prior to this show the band described this release as “After a three year wait we’ve finally completed our newest album ‘The Level Above Human’. Bands often say the usual clichés that their newest is their best, but this is hands down the most perfect slab of “Death Metal” we have ever created.” Much like many bands of this genre, Ingested’s live sound could be perceived as threatening, violent and aggressive but this set permeated with the power of a thermonuclear explosion. Every single track the band played they put 110% into their stage

presence and interacted the crowd at every moment they could. When it comes to this genre of music, it’s generally easy to know what to expect from a show in terms of aesthetical formula. However, Ingested really went the extra mile during this set and presented an impressive display of technicality. This band do an impeccable job at mixing things up during their sets and unlike other slam bands there wasn’t a major amount of repetition. Throughout their onslaught was a well-balanced distribution of melody, riffs and blast beats. The most important thing about this performance was the aesthetical atmosphere and the band created. It was an impeccable example that “Extreme Metal” can be so melodic, atmospheric and savagely brutal all at the same time.

All in all, there isn’t a single thing that let this show down. The line-up was perfectly crafted and the show’s execution was exercised perfectly. One thing that this show has proven is that London is now for the taking by Embedded Promotions.

FULL LINE UP Depravity: 1:15PM – 1:45PM
Nycosia: 2:00PM – 2:30PM
A Night in The Abyss: 2:45PM – 3:15PM
Drifted: 3:30PM – 4:00PM
Harbinger: 4:15PM – 4:45PM
A Trust Unclean: 5:00PM – 5:30PM
Abhorrent Decimation: 6:00PM – 6:45PM
Osiah: 7:15PM – 8:00PM
Ingested: 8:30PM – 9:30PM

This review is the property of Lloyd Parkinson and Metal Gods TV. It is strictly prohibited to copy any part of this review, unless you have both of the parties’ permission, or are the band/record label/PR company in question. Failure to adhere to these instructions will be considered as Plagiarism and you will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

---