Slaughter to Prevail / O2 Academy / Birmingham
Amazingly, I last saw Slaughter to Prevail almost exactly two years ago at the O2 Academy in Bristol on 16th January 2024. A night I’ll never forget for its impressive and brutal performance and I promised myself I’d see them again as soon as possible. I’d already got my own ticket just in case my media request was unsuccessful and here I was at the doors of the O2 Academy in Birmingham on the 18th January 2026 for round two – the Winter Grizzly Tour (2 years and 2 days later lol).
Doors are early tonight, as there are four (excellent) bands on the bill.
First up on stage are English deathcore band Annotations of an Autopsy. Formed in 2006 in Lowestoft, Suffolk, they released their debut EP “Welcome to Sludge City” in 2007. After releasing two studio albums, “Before the Throne of Infection” in 2008, and “The Reign of Darkness” in 2010, the band officially parted ways. However in 2018, they reformed and in 2019 dropped a new EP “World of Sludge”.
Annotations of an Autopsy are Steve Regan (vocals), Nath Applegate (bass), Neil Hayward (drums), Sean Mason (guitar) and Al Commons (guitar).
Annotations of an Autopsy stepped up to the mic and set the bar high delivering a short but brutal set. The academy is pretty packed right from the off and the crowd revel in the ferocity of their guttural vocals, and heavy breakdowns. This is the first time I believe they’ve played live since 2019 and they didn’t disappoint blasting through the four song set.
Setlist (part)
Gore Gore Gadget
Welcome to Sludge City
Next up are American deathcore band Suicide Silence from California. Formed in 2002, they released their debut album “The Cleansing” in 2007, and in 2009 they were awarded the Revolver Golden God award for "Best New Talent". They’ve gone on to release seven albums so far, the most recent being the brilliant “Remember... You Must Die” released in 2023. Cited as a big influence by none other than tonight’s headliners, Slaughter to Prevail.
Suicide Silence are Mark Heylmun (guitar), Dan Kenny (bass), Hernan "Eddie" Hermida (vocals) and Ernie Iniguez (drums).
The stage is set and Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody rings out from the speakers, causing an impromptu sing along as the band step out onto the stage. They open their set with
Unanswered which start a tidal wave of incessant sound which the Birmingham audience lap up, as the bodies start riding the hands over towards the stage. It seems non-stop, wave after wave as they rip through their set ferociously. The bass in particular is so deep and powerful, you can feel it rippling through your body – nice !
Suicide Silence deliver in ever sense, fast pounding rythym and brutal riffs, there is an intensity and ruthlessness to the performance.
Brutal in e very sense, its going to be hard to top !
Setlist
Unanswered
Wake Up
Fuck Everything
Love Me to Death
Disengage
You Only Live Once
No Pity for a Coward
The O2 Academy is packed now, as American death metal legends Dying Fetus hit the stage. Formed back in Maryland back in 1991, they have gone through a number of line up changes, with just John Gallagher (on vocals and guitar) remaining from the original line up. Her’s joined by Sean Beasley on bass and Trey Williams on drums.
To date Dying Fetus have released nine studio albums from their 1996 debut “Purification Through Violence” to 2023’s “Make Them Beg for Death”.
Like Suicide Silence before, as the lights drop, the PA rings out with something you wouldn’t expect as YMCA ringhs out. I’m not sure there’s a finer sight that thousands of metal heads all with their arms raised, not with the devils horns, b ut signing out the letters Y. M. C. A…..
The red lights fire up and out step the three band members.
Dying Fetus are minimalist on stage. Just three of them, in the dark red light, static at the mic stands….. but boy…. Don’t let that fool you…… as they sonically dismantle the audience with first track In The Trenches. It is pure, simple and intense death metal, at its finest.
The set is a great mix of tracks from across their back catalogue, or it would have if disaster didn’t strike. Part way through their set, the shouts ring out and the band stop and call security. Someone is down in the pit. Conscious, we hope they are ok and are making a full recovery. The fans were amazing, quick to rally round and get help as quickly as possible.
Once safe to do so, Dying Fetus finish off their reduced set and they continue to deliver an absolute masterclass, whipping the crowd into a frenzy.
Setlist
In the Trenches
Unbridled Fury
Wrong One to Fuck With
Into the Cesspool
Grotesque Impalement
Praise the Lord (Opium of the Masses)
The night could end right here, and I’d go home happy, but there’s one more to come. A longer break to install the stage set for tonight’s headliners Slaughter to Prevail.
Formed in Yekaterinburg, Russia in 2014 but now based in Orlando, Florida, United States, the band has gone through a number of personnel changes over the years, with Alex Terrible (vocals) and British guitarist Jack Simmons the only constant members. They are joined by Dmitry Mamedov (guitar), Mike Petrov (bass), and Evgeny Novikov (drums).
Slaughter to Prevail dropped their debut EP “Chapters of Misery” in 2015, followed by their first studio album “Misery Sermon” in 2017. Their second studio album “Kostolom”, was released in 2021, and they released their third studio album, “Grizzly” in the summer of 2025.
The stage set has a high, long riser along the front, with a row of lights on top, sitting slightly further back on either side are two more risers for the guitarists and a rear riser with the drum kit on it. Towering over the drum riser is a giant inflatable grizzly bear, bearing it’s teeth out towards the audience.
As the lights drop, to the joy of the Birmingham audience, Black Sabbath rings out as the band step out into the smoke, in their iconic demonic masks. Alex Terrible, shirtless and covered in tattoos jumps onto the riser as they explode into life.
There is something about a Slaughter to Prevail live show. Alex is an incredible performer, and he holds the crowds attention in the palm of his hand. His iconic, deep and incredibly loud guttural vocals command your attention, and the audience, the whole audience respond - moving, front to back, side to side. It’s infectious !
Jack and Dmitry stand atop their risers, whilst Mike on bass prowls around the stage menacingly, at times joining Alex on the front riser.
They rip through the set delivering fantastic performances of hits like Banditos and Russian Grizzly in America.
Highlight for me has to be Viking which has one of the most powerful and visceral vocal performances around in deathcore.
Part way through, there is a break, the sound seems to drop off and after a short period of silence, boos and confusion, everything is sorted and the set continues. The break doesn’t affect the crowd one bit and they are moshing right from the get-go. Just as well, as Alex commands them to part in what has become a staple of any Slaughter to Prevail show, a wall of death. You can feel the anticipation in the air, all breathing in unison, waiting…. For the command from Alex. As he roars the crowd drive together in a maelstrom of arms and bodies.
The set just zips by, with baba Yaga and Conflict being big hits with the crowd. It doesn’t matter to them if sung in English or Russian, the effect on them is the same.
The guitar riffs are brutal and intense throughout, the drums pound in our ears, and the whole things builds to a big frenetic, chaotic conclusion with the intense Demolisher.
Alex Terrible has a unique and mesmerising talent, with the intensity and depth of his guttural growls, that hold you transfixed. But Slaughter to Prevail are so so much more, they are skilled and entertaining, and create an intense experience, you just have to experience it yourself to fully understand.
Slaughter to Prevail don’t disappoint. The academy is a hot sticky mess by the end, the crowd have nothing left to give as they stream out into the refreshing, cool rainy night.
Setlist
Bonebreaker
Banditos
Russian Grizzly in America
Viking
I’m Dead
Babayka
Bratva
Koschei
Baba Yaga
Conflict
Kid of Darkness
Behelit
Demolisher
An incredible night of some of the best, most intense deathcore around. There’s talk online of a joint Slaughter to Prevail and Lorna Shore tour…….. We wait for more news with bated breath !
