Tortured Demon / The Old Cold Store / Nottingham
A trip into Nottingham tonight to catch rising stars of the thrashcore genre Tortured Demon on their UK run of shows. A packed bill with three supports awaits ! The show is part of their ‘Apocalypse’ UK Tour to promote their forthcoming third album, which is expected to release in early 2027. Their recently released single Apocalypse gave us the first taste of what to expect on the new album.
First up are Nottingham locals Zamok. A short but intense set they deliver some fine thrash/death metal, which has a distinctly prog edge to it. The four piece work well off each other and have a few fans in of their own tonight, who help the early atmosphere no end.
Setlist
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Next up are Danish death metal band Pustulant Flesh. This is their first ever tour and they are no slouches ! The intensity is amped up to max right from the off. The atmosphere takes a darker turn from Zamok, the riffs heavier and faster from Mike Dalsgaard Clemmensen and Daniel Bror Ditlevsen whilst Emil Mariendal Petersen rips out some gut churning bass lines. The vocals are deep and guttural as they rip through a set comprising of tracks like Cadaver Creation and Gutfucked Beyond the Point of Bleeding, the intense Maggots in your Skin and set closer Beyond Lobotomy.
There’s an aggression to their sound and it went down with the locals who were headbanding along. Visceral and intense…. A thorough good and energetic performance.
Setlist
Fecal Explosion
Cadaver Creation
Gutfucked Beyond the Point of Bleeding
Rev Up the Saw (Revel in Gore)
Dodsangst
Visions of Sanity
March of the Ravenous Dead
Maggots in your Skin
Beyond Lobotomy
Next up are Unburier. Another heavy set but a more technical focus combining elements of both death metal and thrash. With Ben Champion and Blake Hibberd on guitar there is a depth and richness to their sound.
The two guitarists work well together and create some dynamic melody sections, that support and elevate the effect of the growling vocals delivered with great power that lie above them. The double-kick drumming helps to make their sound even heavier, and the breakdowns are beautifully structured and illicit an immediate reaction from the crowd every time.
I really enjoyed Continuum and Abyssal Uncertainty as did the crowd and a small pit developed. Unburier deliver – keeping a balance between the raw energy of death metal and the technical skills of thrash.
A thoroughly enjoyable set.
Setlist
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Continuum
Abyssal Uncertainty
The Voidflare
Survive the Vermin
Structured Genocide
Harmonious Absolutes
And now it’s time for tonights headliners - Tortured Demon. Formed in 2018 in Oldham by brothers Jacob Parkinson and Joe Parkinson they have been touring and building a solid reputation on the British thrash metal scene. Their recent signing to BLKIIBLK Records could be an important milestone in their musical journey.
Kicking off the set with Conflict of Interest they set out their stall right from the off, with it’s fast pace relentless guitars. It’s followed by Virtual Death and Disfavour which keep the intensity levels high, with their unique style of thrash, based around sharp guitar riffs and intense arrangements packed with sonic variation which keeps it interesting.
Next up is their latest single Apocalypse which for me was one of the highlights of the night. It’s has some fantastic heavy breakdowns in it which deliver a punch. The intensity doesn’t drop as they rip through State Your Intentions and Tear Your World Apart both showcasing the direction the band are heading with their sound.
The drew to a close with Rise of the Lifeless which is perfect as a set closer, as it unleashes a wave of fast thrash at us, the guitars driving us through to the shows inevitable conclusion.
Tortured Demon were outstanding. They showed a maturity beyond their years and are clearly on a trajectory to greater things. On tonight’s showing, the third album, when it finally sees the light of day in early 2027, should be a new marker on their journey and hopefully a springboard to greater things.
No doubt following the album’s release, there will be an album launch tour…. And this will be one NOT to miss !
Setlist
Conflict of Interest
Virtual Death
Disfavour
The Invasion
Apocalypse - latest
State Your Intentions
Tear Your World Apart
Global Threat
Oppressed
In Desperation's Grip
An Empire Condemned
Rise of the Lifeless
