Live Review: Napalm Death - Anarchy Brew Co, Newcastle
6th February 2024
Support: Pig Destroyer, Primitive Man, Wormrot
Words: Drew McCarthy
Photos: Martin Hingley
In my experience of going to gigs, there have not been many like this one where the venue is already rammed before the opening band have even taken to the stage.
Kicking off the proceedings tonight were Wormrot, who walked on at precisely 6.30pm and before the band had even struck a chord, a pit opened up, half an hour of pulverising & obliterating grindcore followed. While obviously being incredibly heavy, did in some parts have a kind of groove to it, almost akin to a band like The Mars Volta and even though there did seem to be a problem with the sound levels at times, it did not take anything away from the ferocity of their performance.
Primitive Man were next up and delivered an atmospheric and absolutely crushing dose of doom metal to the assembled throng. It felt at times like being enveloped by absolute darkness, but also had what I could only describe as having a somewhat transcendent quality to it. Primitive Man were also the only band out of the four that were on tonight that I had previously seen perform live, when they played The Star & Shadow Cinema in Newcastle back in 2022 and even though they impressed me greatly two years ago, tonight they honestly surpassed my expectations.
Pig Destroyer with their sludgy, almost primordial, take on metal were the main support of the evening and I definitely think that they were one of the best bands that I have ever seen on any stage at any venue that I have ever been to. Their command of the crowd was amazing and every person in the venue seemed to be very much invested in what they were watching. The crowd surfing and almost venue wide circle pit did not stop until the band members had left the stage.
Napalm Death made their triumphant return to the North East tonight, the last time they were in Newcastle in March of last year. It was my first ever time seeing them and they tore the venue apart. Starting with the title track of the album 'From Enslavement to Obliteration', their setlist encompassed the entirety of their over forty year career as a band. Tracks come and go thick and fast as every person in the crowd seems awestruck by the sheer brutality of the songs, it was however not until 'Scum', that all hell truly broke loose and the cover of 'Nazi Punks Fuck Off' by Dead Kennedys was very well received.
I would go as far as to say, that this was probably not just the best gig that I have ever been to at Anarchy Brew Co. but also one of the best gigs that I have ever been to in Newcastle. If any of these bands come to your city, do yourself a favour and make the effort to go and watch them.
Photo credits: Martin Hingley Photography
