The Ulcerate live performance was nothing short of a sonic onslaught, a masterclass in technical death metal that left the audience in awe.
The New Zealand trio—Michael Hoggard, Jamie Saint Merat, and Paul Kelland—delivered a quite satisfactory show Thursday night in Copenhagen’s Pumpehuset. The band visited the Copenhagen venue for the first time in a few years (if I remember correctly, they played in Pumpehuset back in 2022), and back then the show was held on the small stage. This time, to my surprise, the big room of Pumpehuset was quite packed and eager to have fun.
The show started with the French industrial band Fange. Their performance was good, but many attendees seemed shy about getting closer to the stage. Extremely productive with 4 albums in the past 5 years, this quartet introduced their newest studio effort, “Purulences”. The band performed the new album in almost its entirety, delivering songs sung in French such as “Cavalier Seul”, “Sans Conviction”, “Mortes Promesses”, “Grand-Guignol” and “Juste Cruel”. The slow-paced compositions echoed in the walls of Pumpehuset, where the pace felt like a dragging walk into someone’s impending doom.
It was just a few minutes after 22h00, when all the lights were shut down, only with the light shining on the huge red banner with the cover of the band’s latest album ‘Cutting the Throat of God’. The band entered the stage and took their spots, with Paul Kelland (vocalist and bass) and Michael Hoggard (guitar) standing on separate ends of the stage, both cloaked in darkness. Ulcerate started on a high note with the opening track of the latest record, ‘To Flow Through Ashen Hearts’, melancholic and atmospheric sounds shattered the ambience in the venue. The band maintained the dark atmosphere throughout the whole show, with the setlist constructed mostly around the latest record. One thing I have noted during the gig is how perfectly in-synced percussion and bass is, taking into consideration the fact that I have not noticed any eye contact between the band members. Generally, Ulcerate’s live presence is something to behold. The tightness, how colossally massive they sound while maintaining all the details in the drums and dissonant wave-like guitar riffs. Outstanding performance – with precision complex drumming, intricate guitar work, and guttural vocals that seem to rise from some deep, underground place – would be the best description of what we have experienced. If you ever get the chance to witness them live – be prepared for an experience that will stay in your head for some time.
Special thanks to Ulcerate and 3-Nation.
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