Live Review: Cannibal Corpse, Hour Of Penance

If the long-haired black-clad hordes spotted along George Street hadn’t been your first clue, then it was probably the queue that stretched around and down the alley next to The Metro that really sent home the message that some of metal’s gnarliest, darkest purveyors were due on stage.

Italian doom-meisters Hour Of Pennance are clearly enjoying their second Australian tour, having built quite a substantial audience who turned out early to catch their show. The well-rehearsed four-piece kicked off a tight, precision-controlled set with a very tasty drum solo, quickly generated the headbanging and got the fists pumping in the air on Para-Dogma.

Incestuous: Dynasty Of One got the punters to open up a circle and Regicide inspired the first lighter aloft I’ve seen at a gig in quite some time. Other HOP highlights snapped up eagerly by the crowd included Incontrovertible Doctrine, Forging The Crowns and new number, Resurgence Of The Empire. Sage to say that if death metal’s your thing – and they’ve got the staying power – expect this band to carve out a much larger turf in dark hearts and minds everywhere.

Cannibal Corpse appeared on stage amid blue light and concerted chanting. Without a word the five-piece struck the first notes and the pit went off. The mayhem and headbanging unleashed on stage, led by vocalist George ‘Corpsegrinder’ Fisher, ignited the frenzy that swept through the venue.

There was little respite as the set wore on; brief pauses to berate the audience, towel down and rehydrate.

Stuff was chucked, surfers crested the crash barrier, shirts came off and the Corpse boys presented a show that Fisher says veered from “speed to old school” as well as healthy scattering of new numbers alongside signature numbers – I Cum Blood and Fucked With A Knife among them – dedicated to “all of the women out there” – and Sadistic Embodiment, which had chants ringing through the venue and fists in the air.

Despite the band’s reputation for refusing to play encores, Fisher relented, following the show’s last song, Hammer Smashed Face, with crowd favourite, Devoured By Vermin.