Continuing a packed concert season, controversial Polish death metallers Decapitated stormed the stage with Septicflesh, Kataklysm, and Allegaeon at Calgary’s Back Alley Nightclub earlier last week. While the venue left a few things to be desired, each band in the lineup left fans with exactly what they came for – a solid night with some top-tier international death metal acts.
We’ve collaborated with Metal-Rules.com to photograph and review the event. Check out the photo recap here, and head over to Metal-Rules.com for the full review!
American technical-melodic death metal outfit Allegaeon kicked off the night. Having headlined at Dickens Pub just shy of a year ago, the band performed a brief six-song set featuring tracks from the past ten years and Iridescent, brand new single from their upcoming release with Metal Blade Records. Vocalist Ezra Haynes, who re-joined the band in 2023, used his familiar charisma and intense stage presence to energize the already-crowded venue:
Fellow canucks and Juno award winners Kataklysm were next on the bill, performing a slightly longer set. Shrouded in darkness and minimal back-lighting, they began their set with Goliath and followed through with some of their most well-known tracks dating from their 2006 release In the Arms of Devastation to 2023’s Goliath (and everything in between). Like Allegaeon, Kataklysm have made their Canadian tour circuit through Calgary several times in the past – their last visit to Calgary was a headlining tour in 2016, so fans were ready for another round.
Greek metal titans Septicflesh were third on the docket, and a highly anticipated act – following their incredibly powerful 2020 live album Infernus Sinfonica MMXIX featuring a live symphony orchestra, expectations were high (barring the fact that we weren’t expecting a live orchestra), and the room’s energy at this point of the night was palpable. Just as on their live album, the set began with Portrait of a Headless Man. While stage banners obscured the view of Krimh’s elaborate drum configuration from anywhere but directly in front of it, his impressive performance was a clear highlight of the set and could be heard in the mix. Just as in Kataklysm’s set, lighting appeared to be a challenge (or perhaps a creative choice), making it challenging to see the band members’ performance. Vocalist Seth Siro Anton channelled his inner demon to produce deep, intense gutturals that complemented their symphonic and metal sounds in equal measure.
Last but not least, controversial Polish death metallers Decapitated topped off the night on their first visit to Calgary in more than a decade. This tour is their first in North America since their 2017 arrest in the US and widespread controversy following some serious allegations (you’ll have to Google it to dive down that rabbit-hole). Notably, between this and the untimely 2007 passing of founding drummer Vitek, Decapitated have since made a strong comeback and held a strong, influential presence in modern death metal – it could be readily felt in their stage performance and overwhelmingly positive reception of their latest album Cancer Culture.
Overall, this night had a solid lineup that undoubtedly pleased Calgary’s growing death metal fanbase. We hope to see these bands perform in venues with more sensible configurations for metal shows – there’s not much else to criticize about this stacked lineup of seasoned professionals in the international metal scene!
Check out the full review here!
SETLIST: Decapitated
SETLIST: Septicflesh
SETLIST: Kataklysm
SETLIST: Allegaeon
