A Sunday night in Camden can be a quiet affair, but quiet barely made a mark on describing this particular Sunday. First up were Between The Screams, an experimental Hardcore Metal band who produce switchblade riffs and synths capable of putting a chill up the most hardened metal backbone its just a shame the crowd weren’t as enthusiastic as the music.

Unfortunately the same can’t be said for the next band up of Haunting of Leica, who have only been around less than a year, but make it completely obvious that tonight, they really can’t be bothered. A lack of audience is hard to deal with at the best of times and technical problems aren’t bound to put that winning shine on your night but for a band who are trying to focus on a sound that conveys eccentric Grind roots, this band can’t afford to look bored on stage.

Dead Existence shortly followed, thankfully with a much more conscious effort than that of their predecessors. Angry clawing vocals teamed with epic, gutsy guitars meant Dead Existence nailed Doom Metal delicacies like “Sworn Bastards” and “Road to Stagnation” which stirred the crowd from a slumber like status.

Last but far from least were the Swiss metal underdogs, Kruger. Silencing the crowd with an initial monastery introduction, the bomb then exploded. Kruger burst into life, possessed by their music they served up an enormous helping of raging riffs and subhuman roars. Vocalist Reno, transformed the venue and its audience from tired and miserable to being mesmerized by this monolithic performance. Kruger may not always come across on record, but live their sets are a truly magical example of how to turn a performance in a miniature bar, with a miniature audience, into a gig that looked and sounded like it was being performed to thousands.

Reviewed by Lucy Carroll
Photography by Rachel Avon Ryder