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In the wake of their newest album ‘Deprecipice’, Mastiff embarked on their most recent UK tour alongside other acts and friends of theirs from all across the UK extreme metal and death metal scene.
First up on the bill, Yersin, a three-piece from Sunderland that genuinely deserved a higher place on the bill. Very engaging, very heavy and when being described as extreme metal, they’re not far off.
Next up was Tymvos, locals throughout the Edinburgh death metal scene. Massive riffs of pure doom rattled throughout the small stone pub as the band performed material from their newest EP ‘World of Abominations’, and their 2021 release, ‘Devoured (Feed them to the Rats)’. What a title! It was nice to see such friendly feedback from the crowd for these guys as they gave the set their all.
Next up were Iron Altar. The atmosphere completely changed when these guys came onto the stage. From the vocalist practically emerging into the lower floor and seducing half the crowd with guttural sounds of growl infused rage, to the bassist’s dog-like stance, staring the audience down like a Rottweiler on speed, it was a metal stand off between the band and windmills that nearly chopped the band’s vocalist in half. As he climbed back upon the stage, the remaining crowd departed the slim brick exposed walls, leaving us to ponder another trip to the bar. Absolutely mental set.
An hour later, and the last performance of the night belonged to none other than the anticipated Mastiff. When their lead singer walked out adorning a Taylor Swift ‘Folklore’ t-shirt, it was evident that they were here meaning business. (We love a good cross-over) Pop goes death metal anyone?
Stepping out briefly, upon entering back into the room there was no space whatsoever, we clearly knew who the audience were here for. Being described to us by a gentleman at the bar as “melt the flesh right off your body” kind of heavy, it’s safe to say Mastiff lived far up to expectations. Gravelly screams and cut-throat drops ended the night as we removed our ear plugs and left in single file. It’s impressive and also quite humbling to observe the sheer positivity within many metal communities, especially the death metal scene. The lineup truly served as a night of showing what certain acts of the scene have brewing and we genuinely look forward to what they have coming up next. Taylor Swift (death metal version)?
Words: Zoe Parker-Forest
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