Live Review: Infected Rain - Club Academy, Manchester
27th March 2025
Support: Butcher Babies, Black Spikes
Words: Oli Gonzalez
Photos: Manny Manson
Friday 27th March. The Mutation Phase. We’re not talking about some post-apocalyptic disaster either. No, on this night, the west met the west, North America combined with Eastern Europe as Moldova’s Infected Rain combined forces with the USA based Butcher Babies for a stunning co-headline package that rolled through the UK and Manchester on this night. They would be joined by another rising talent from Eastern Europe, with Lithuania’s Black Spikes selected as the evening’s opening act.
After descending the stairs into the bowels of Manchester’s Club Academy, you could sense it was pay for many with the huge queue already forming at the merch stand, and quantity of two pinters being dispensed by the bar staff. A few Butcher Babies t-shirts amongst the crowd gave an indication of who the bigger draw for the evening was. A prompt turn around from doors to the opening set meant there wasn’t much time to take in the surroundings…
…with no warning or notice, Black Spikes stormed onto stage and burst straight into their set, forcing everybody in the venue to abruptly end their conversations and set their focus on the stage. Hailing from Lithuania, Black Spikes had earned a reputation already in the early stages of their career. A reputation for forging an ambitious expansive sound that spans multiple genres! Their set demonstrated this wide variety of genres, from good old fashioned sludge through to modern post metal with electronic elements. A chaotic combination that can frankly sound like an atmospheric pile of gloop with a bad mix… and that’s sadly what it sounded like at first, with the drums and bass being far too dominant and lead vocalist Agni being drowned out of the mix. Though their choreography and stage outfits were absolutely on point; a visual extension of their vast musically creative reserves!
The sound engineers sprinkled some magic on the sound desk, and with the rhythm section becoming less overpowering and the subtle melodic and immersive atmospheric elements beginning to shine in the mix, allowing this to become a much more enjoyable listening experience. Even if too many people were talking through the quieter ambient sections and eliminating that opportunity to become fully immersed. Perhaps this wasn’t the right crowd for Black Spikes tonight. Though you feel they would be right at home on Damnation Festival or in the Yokhai stage at ArcTanGent.
After a fairly sharp turn around, Butcher Babies took to the stage. No ring lights could be seen (if you know, you know). The North American four piece felt like a big step up with a huge sound and stage presence oozing in supreme confidence! After all, they had a lot to be confident about, especially with the legions of their fans in attendance, sporting their merch and singing along to their songs. Their sound followed a rather typical yet well executed pattern of blistering heavy verses that blended into soaring anthemic choruses. All made possible by lead vocalist Heidi who demonstrated supreme versatility in her heavier growls or cleans.
It was an older crowd, so a full blown pit may not have been on the bingo card for tonight. Though the movement and the energy in the crowd made you sense that something was going off, like a pan of water slowly simmering into a raging boil. Then ‘Sincerity’ came. The boiling point. The pit opened! An injection of energy the night needed. We’ve seen some crazy circle pits at this venue recently and the one we saw tonight was right up there with the best. We’ve also since some wholesome moments from musicians talking about their music and the underlying sentiments. Moments like when Heidi spoke of her demons and challenges that inspired the writing of ‘Since December’, a moment where she was not the fierce and commanding frontwoman, but rather vulnerable, endearing, and human to us. A solid and genuine performance that surely would have won over many newbies and casuals tonight.
After that solid Butcher Babies performance, any band would have a hard time following up. Would Moldova’s Infected Rain be up for the task? It felt as though the crowd had thinned out, though those who had stayed were treated to the sound of a rising force from the east of Europe. A sound that expertly mixed precise technicality with underlining savage modern metal edge (think Jinjer).
There was an enhanced visual display throughout the set too with strobe lights, smoke machines, and on screen video packages to compliment the music. Frontwoman Lena worked the crowd well, at one point encouraging everybody in the room to momentarily crouch down and leap up again in a feat that surely ended up in a few bad knees and bad backs for the older crowd. An older crowd who seemed more content with standing back and absorbing the vibes of the night rather than throwing their bodies into the pit once again.
The promise of a mixed set with older classics as well as a brand new unreleased song made was delivered, making the set feel more special. Though the set highlight came with a vocal duet with Butcher Babies vocalist Heidi returning to the stage for a song. Whilst the energy in the room may not have reached that of the night’s co-headliners, Infected Rain left Manchester with their reputation and stock intact.
Photo Credit: Manny Manson
