Live Review: Cannibal Corpse – European Tour 2024 – Roundhouse, London

Cannibal Corpse have been at the forefront of the Death Metal scene for decades so when they sold out London’s iconic Roundhouse, we knew we would be in for a treat! With support from Municipal Waste, Immolation, and Schizophrenia, the evening promised to be a celebration of both old school and modern Death Metal!

The night kicked off with Belgian Death-Thrashers Schizophrenia, who wasted no time making their presence felt. Known for their tight, hard-hitting performances, they brought an energy that set the perfect tone for the evening. Their fierce and technically superb mix of Death and Thrash Metal was undeniable, showing off a band that’s quickly making waves in the underground scene. Schizophrenia are a band destined for bigger things, and tonight’s performance proved it. Fast, relentless, and sharp as a razor, these guys are working hard, touring hard, and playing harder—there’s no doubt their growth will be immense.

Next up was Immolation, veterans of Death Metal who delivered a punishing yet intricate set. As always, their dark, ominous sound paired perfectly with the precision and aggression they’ve spent decades honing. Though it would’ve been great to see them higher on the bill, they made every minute count. Tracks like ‘Into Everlasting Fire’ roared through the venue, showcasing the band’s mastery of both brutality and atmosphere. Immolation remains one of the most consistent and reliable acts in Death Metal, with their live performances every bit as powerful as their recorded work.

Municipal Waste came next, injecting a burst of punk-infused Thrash energy into the night. From the moment they hit the stage, it was chaos. Circle pits, stage diving, and crowd surfers dominated the room, as the band’s high-octane riffs and infectious hooks whipped the audience into a frenzy. Municipal Waste has built a reputation on their energetic, wild live shows, and tonight was no exception. Their set was pure, unfiltered fun, giving the crowd the adrenaline boost they needed for the night’s headliner.

Cannibal Corpse took the stage to close out the night with their signature brand of skull-crushing Death Metal. Despite being down a man with Eric Rutan absent, the band didn’t miss a beat. Kicking off with ‘Blood Blind’, they unleashed a relentless barrage of classics and new tracks alike. The set was a well-crafted journey through their brutal discography, including favourites like ‘Scourge of Iron’, ‘Fucked With a Knife’, and the thunderous ‘Hammer Smashed Face’, which had the crowd in an absolute frenzy.

Throughout the night, Cannibal Corpse delivered exactly what the audience came for—raw, unrelenting brutality. Tracks like ‘Inhumane Harvest’ and ‘Chaos Horrific’ showed the band is as strong as ever with their newer material, while older gems like ‘Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead’ and ‘Pit of Zombies’ reminded fans why this band has been at the top of the Death Metal world for decades. Corpsegrinder’s vocals were as monstrous as ever, and Rob Barrett’s crushing guitar work held the set together with ferocious precision. The night closed with a brutal one-two punch: ‘Stripped, Raped and Strangled’ followed by the iconic ‘Hammer Smashed Face’, leaving the crowd thoroughly decimated.

It was a night filled with metallic excellence, each band bringing their own brand of intensity to the stage. From the precision of Immolation to the party-starting thrash of Municipal Waste, and finally the relentless brutality of Cannibal Corpse, the evening was a testament to the power of live extreme metal. For fans, this was a night that will be remembered long after the final note rang out—a celebration of the heavy, the fast, and the unapologetically extreme.