Venue downgrade: two words combined to strike fear into the hearts of musicians and fans alike. Conversely, it can be spun around as providing a more intimate show with genuine human connection! Also, this isn’t a knock on the quality of the lineup; a trifecta of Death Metal destruction, spearheaded by crushing Canadian force Kataklysm! They returned to the UK for the Freedom Or Death tour, returning after a blistering Sophie stage headline set at Bloodstock Open Air in August 2025. I know; I was there! Though two bands who weren’t on that lineup joined Kataklysm tonight; Polish juggernauts Vader, and Norwegian bruisers Blood Red Throne. Also, is a downgrade from Manchester’s Academy 2 to Club Academy REALLY that bad?
Blood Red Throne (BRT)
Do you ever just see a band and think they were just born to be on stage? My thoughts when BRT opened up things tonight. Characterised by a slower more marauding flavour of Death Metal (think early Cannibal Corpse), the sound engineers tonight produced a supremely clean mix whilst compromising none of that grotesque savagery that have made BRT a respected name in the European Extreme Metal circuit. Despite this frosty exterior, each member came across as jovial, fun loving, and clearly not taking themselves too seriously, which was more than endearing to us. Talk about setting the standard for the rest of the show!
https://www.facebook.com/BloodRedThroneOfficial
Vader
Polish Death Metal titans Vader were up next. Nearly every Polish Metal fan in the city had turned up to this and they surged forward to gain the optimal viewing spot. Many others wanted an even better spot as they made sure the security staff were kept busy as they went airborne and over the barrier! Despite his frosty stoic exterior, frontman Piotr could not hide his admiration for this. He could say more in one stare than others could say in a 5 minute monologue. Talk about star power! Much like BRT, Vader’s mix was supreme!
I feared for the safety of my ear drums, being right at the barrier, but everything cut through crystal clear. Just as well. I had waited 19 years to finally see the band, so you can imagine my excitement when some songs that I discovered as a teenager made their way into the set; ‘This Is The War’ and ‘God Is Dead’ namely! A major bucket list band ticked off!
https://www.facebook.com/vader
Kataklysm
Either the crowd had thinned, or there was less urgency to be at the front for Kataklysm. Nonetheless, it was time for the headline act. Being at the barrier – like at Bloodstock – made for about as intimate an experience as it could get. How only one guitar, bass and drums can deliver such painful and devastating ferocity is genuinely something else! Over 30 years as a band has meant that they’ve had time to hone their craft and polish their sound to near perfection, as we could see tonight. Spearheaded by Maurizio Iacono, he also could not contain his admiration for the crowd tonight and his joy at being back in Manchester after so long, to which he added “I’m not gonna talk much and we’ll just play”. And play they did!
As you’d expect, songs from the latest release made their way into the setlist, including ‘Rabbit Hole’ and ‘Narcissist’. My personal highlight came with ‘Taking The World By Storm’, another song I loved in my teenage years. While it had deviated from the original studio recording, it was still a special moment for me.
Speaking of special moments. For those familiar with Kataklysm know what it is when ‘As I Slither’ plays. The band incite human sacrifices to go into the air and over the barrier in a stream of crowd surfers like water gushing down a waterfall! Me being at the front meant I nearly lost my glasses in the chaos of it all. Time to retreat to safety near the back. Here, I could see one of the biggest paradoxes of all time; Maurizio talking about tonight being a safe space while bodies crashed into each other like human dodgems in the pit. You wouldn’t think it was a Sunday night either!
https://www.facebook.com/kataklysm
So, while the venue may have been downgraded, the quality of the night certainly was not at all. If anything, this may well be the gig of the year for me!
Setlist:
- Soul Destroyer
- Thy Serpents Tongue
- Goliath
- Die as a King
- Prevail
- Taking the World by Storm
- At the Edge of the World
- The Rabbit Hole
- Drum Solo
- The Resurrected
- In Shadows & Dust
- As I Slither
- Bringer of Vengeance
- Crippled & Broken
- Narcissist
- The Black Sheep
- Elevate
Words by Oli Gonzalez, Photos by Rob Lindesay @rock.the.lens
