December 2nd, 2023
Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
Photos By: Kim Baarda & Blake Mossey
Words By: Jason Deaville
CASTRATOR
Born as an international project based in New York City with members from Mexico, Norway, Sweden, Colombia, and the US, Castrator have existed since 2013. Unfortunately, the band hasn’t been very active on the recorded front (with one demo, EP, and full-length released in that time). Last year, the band released their debut full-length Defiled In Oblivion to great fan-fare. As a result, the band have been far more active over the last several months, culminating in the opening spot on the Cattle Decapitation, Immolation, and Sanguisugabogg tour.
Castrator hit the stage in Toronto to a sizeable crowd who definitely were showing the band some appreciation. A pit formed a few songs in and didn’t let up for the rest of the set. The band’s mix of old-school death metal and contemporary death metal turned out to be the perfect fit for the rest of the night’s performances. A killer, high-energy set that certainly garnered the band some new fans on this night.
Setlist
Tormented By Atrocities
Forsaken And Deprived
Inquisition Sins
Dawa Of Yousafzai
Befoul My Existence
Sinister Mind
Tyrant’s Verdict
Countess Bathory
SANGUISUGABOGG
Colombus, Ohio nonsensically-named death metallers Sanguisugabogg are riding a wave of praise and interest in the world of extreme metal. Everywhere you look, the gaboggs are sure to be there. In fact, I have a sneaky suspicion that many in attendance tonight were there specifically to see these guys. Not that Cattle and Immolation didn’t pull a ton of people, but both bands have made Toronto priority over the last year, with several stops each in the city.
Sanguisugabogg proved tonight what all the hype is about… a class act that marries brutal/slam-inspired death metal with a tongue firmly planted in cheek. The guys definitely know how to control the stage, giving us a mesmerizing and fun performance. Definitely catch these guys if you get a chance.
Setlist
Black Market Vasectomy
Face Ripped Off
Pissed
A Lesson In Savagery
Permanently Fucked
Mortal Admonishment
Necrosexual Deviant
Dead As Shit
IMMOLATION
New York death metal legends Immolation never fail to blow minds from the stage. At this point, they have absolutely perfected their craft and watching them is a lesson in the mastery of showmanship and technical execution. Having hit Toronto three times in the last year, the crowd was quite in tune with what the band were laying down, which was a nice mix of classic material and material from the last couple of albums. It’s incredible to see such a young crowd so into a band that has been kicking around for four decades. It gives hope for the future of death metal!
Setlist
And The Flames Wept
All That Awaits Us
The Age Of No Light
Dawn Of Possession
Once Ordained
When The Jackals Come
Let The Darkness In
Abandoned
An Act Of God
Higher Coward
Epiphany
CATTLE DECAPITATION
As the reigning kings of vegan-inspired death/grind, the boys in Cattle Decapitation have grown larger-than-life over the last several years, becoming a headlining band. This is testament to how much work the band puts into their craft. As one of the hardest-working bands in extreme metal, especially on the live front, Cattle Decap have earned every single accolade.
Tonight, the guys were on fire, delivering a vicious onslaught of songs that comprised nearly their entire catalog of recorded material. The crowd responded in kind, sending body over body over the security gate at the front of the stage (nearly taking out the handful of brave photographers who were holding their ground). All in all, an incredible performance that would be hard to top!
Setlist
Terrasitic Adaptation
We Eat Our Young
Scourge Of The Offspring
Dead Set On Suicide
The Storm Upstairs
Bring Back The Plague
Finish Them
Solastalgia
A Photic Doom
Vulturous
Time’s Cruel Curtain
Pacific Grim
