Written by:	omne metallum
Published:	April 27, 2025
Event:	Vio-lence: 35th Anniversary UK & Ireland Tour 2025
Location:	Underworld, London, United Kingdom

I don't consider myself a religious man by any means, but I do find myself celebrating Easter time, not only for the ability to consume countless hot cross buns without question, but for added bonus that many bands take advantage of the bank holiday to go out on tour. Much like when I saw Devin Townsend twice in one weekend three(?!) years ago, this year I would also have two gigs in quick succession over Easter time. So, while many are cracking open Easter eggs, I was off to London to crack open some beers and get caught in the mosh.

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Vio-lence – The Underworld, 17/04/2025




First up, one of my most anticipated gigs in the first quarter of the year: Vio-lence were returning to the UK, and had roped Exhorder in to join them. Labelling this run of shows as "Oppressing The Masses For 35 Years", the emphasis was on the band's unfairly overlooked (damned by having to follow up Eternal Nightmare) sophomore effort. While I was just happy to see Vio-lence again after Bloodstock the other year, the chance to hear some rarer tracks added to an already exciting occasion.

Well, after having the next 4 days off, me and my compatriots decided to take advantage of the additional sobriety time, I mean, bank holiday and drink in moderation/excess. The theme of tonight's set was 'skip the first two songs, the sound engineer won't turn up until the third', each band having to contend with hindered beginnings awash in drums and low in everything else. While things did eventually pick up, it did sour proceedings given the lengthy changeover times.

Kuarzar 19:30-20:00





Kicking off proceedings were Paraguayan thrashers Kauazar, who were making their UK debut after tearing up South America. While the band made a bland start thanks to a poor mix, the sound improved just in time for them to dedicate the following song to the child victims of a government-sanctioned massacre by five thousand slaves... Happy Easter everyone. Still, it was a shame that the mix let the band down, as they were enthusiastic to be here and to be playing to a packed room who were curious of their sonic wares.

Well, at least I can say I saw a band from Paraguay.

Kuarzar setlist:

01. Hybrid Power
02. Obscure & Violent
03. The Truth Of Reality
04. Silence
05. Machete Che Pope (Acosta Ñu)
06. Kuriju

Exhorder 20:20-21:00




After what was unfortunately a mixed start to proceedings thanks to poor mixing, things looked to be on the up, as 'the band that should have had Pantera's success but instead have to make do with being a footnote in the history of metal' Exhorder took to the stage. Whether Trump's terms for minimising tariffs extended to influencing which band members would be allowed to enter the UK, the group were a man short; however, it emerged that the one man who had amassed more firepower than a Rammstein show, Pat O'Brien, had been allowed to enter the UK and consequently play guitar with Exhorder. While the show again started off on a poor note with only drums being fully audible, things ironically picked up just as I had retreated to the bar for refreshments as the humidity spiked. Much like Jack Perry, I was amazed the venue now allowed the use of real glass to be taken into the crowd area, and it was then that Exhorder's frenetic performance was matched with a good quality mix.

Mixing classics with newer cuts, the set breezed by in a mix of humidity, hits and beer, with several highlights such as "Year Of The Goat" showing that the band's recent releases contain songs that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the usual classics like "Slaughter In The Vatican" and "Death In Vain".

Exhorder setlist:

01. Slaughter In The Vatican
02. Unforgiven
03. Death In Vain
04. Year Of The Goat
05. The Tale Of Unsound Minds
06. Exhorder
07. Desecrator

Vio-lence 21:30-23:00




After an extended break that allowed attendees to emerge from the humid viewing area and be met by staff who said turning on the air conditioning was 'out of their hands', what constituted Vio-lence emerged on stage ready to make their UK concert debut (festival appearances aside). Now, to my knowledge anyway, the band hadn't named the replacement for the departed Phil Demmel (marking one of the few bands he isn't currently a part of - the man seems to be going for the record for most supergroups joined), it was a literal ‘who’s who’ of figuring out who was on stage beside Sean Killian, who was the only person on stage who actually played on the album *coughtributeactcough*.

With the extended changeover not marking an immediate improvement in the mix, it was an equally inauspicious start until the band kicked into "I Profit", at which point the mix finally clicked. With Killian also highlighting the heat inside the venue (although wearing a zipped up hoodie on stage may have played a part, Sean), the band played to a crowd eager to mosh but quickly draining of energy, thanks to the continued refusal to utilise the air conditioning units (I get it’s only April and you want to sell more drinks and minimise the energy bill, but when the band on stage are also complaining, the hints should have been heeded Underworld).




Still, why the tour wasn't announced as simply playing Oppressing The Masses in full, I don't know, for that is what they did, plus three other choice cuts from Eternal Nightmare. The tour should go some way to elevating what is an overlooked gem of an album, as hearing it live breathed so much more into tracks like "Engulfed By Flames" and the title track; with searing fretwork coupled with powerful drums, it was the perfect showcase of thrash at its best.

Vio-lence setlist:

01. Liquid Courage
02. Subterfuge
03. I Profit
04. Engulfed By Flames
05. Officer Nice
06. Mentally Afflicted
07. Phobophobia
08. Serial Killer
09. Eternal Nightmare
10. Oppressing The Masses
11. Kill On Command
12. Calling In The Coroner
13. World In A World

Still, it was mixed blessings when the show ended, as it meant the night of thrash was over, but leaving the venue into the cold night air was a euphoric feeling indeed. While initial poor sound and stifling humidity did detract from the experience, once the bands got up and running, the quality of the music and performance more than compensated.

Gama Bomb – 299, 19/04/2025




After the lesson in violence that... well, Vio-lence had tutored my eardrums in, a 24-hour interim was needed; before I knew it, I was back in London for yet another dose of thrash, courtesy of the best band to come out of Ireland not named Thin Lizzy... House Of Pain! ... oh, Everlast couldn't make it, so I guess Gama Bomb will do.

Tonight provided another chance to have some high-speed fun, and that's exactly what Gama Bomb know how to deliver. Whether the promoter or band decided to aim higher than usual this time around, the show was originally slated for the 600-capacity The Dome, the band's largest headlining show in London yet. Come the week of the show, however, it was downgraded to the small room at the 229, with a cap of 150. It was unfortunate that the band couldn't push onto larger venues, but for me personally, the venue change was far more convenient, and made for a far more intimate experience.

Bangover 19:30-20:00




With the crowd yet to fully assemble, tonight's openers Bangover were left with the unenviable task of warming up the fifty (I counted) of us who had arrived early.

Still, while Gama Bomb may be considered a budget Municipal Waste, then Bangover are the budget Gama Bomb. This was not a bad thing, as Bangover highlighted a potential that their upcoming sophomore album could reach, with new cuts intertwined alongside fun tracks like "Close Encounters Of The Thrash Kind". The highlight was the (unfortunately) relevant "Thrashional Rail", which was a solid track.

With the shortest member of the band highlighting the rather small size of the stage by nearly hitting the ceiling by bouncing, it shone a light on just how intimate tonight's surroundings were for both band and audience. As their set consisted of five tracks, it was over far too soon, though it was long enough for the band to leave a positive impression on a venue that had been slowly filling up throughout.

Bangover setlist:

01. Close Encounters Of The Thrash Kind
02. Blood, Sweat & Beers
03. Thrashional Rail
04. The Texas Chainsaw Thrashacre
05. Hibernation Devastation

Raised By Owls 20:15-21:00




The lone band to not play thrash this week, Raised By Owls instead mix grindcore with comedy to fun results. Taking the title of funniest band of the week (it was a close run between them and Vio-lence, but when the Owls brought out Mr Blobby on stage dual-wielding double-ended dildos, they just edged it), Raised By Owls were worth the price of admission themselves, just for the humour value alone. With the venue now filling out nicely, Fowler acted as a compere as well as front man, the band including a mid-set game show that, in the words of the singer, was the result of what happens when you ask a grindcore band to do a 45-minute set; it proved to be comedic gold, with a first round headbanging competition, a second round of 'grindcore karaoke' and culminating in the final round, the best Barney Greenway dance competition, aka ‘pretend to be attacked by a horde of invisible wasps’.

With solid renditions of their grindcore comedy (grindomey?), it was 45 minutes well spent. As the band signed off with a great cover of Limp Bizkit's "Break Stuff", with none over than the Nookie monster accompanying, the band came off to loud cheers and applause.




Raised By Owls setlist:

01. Satanists On T’ Yorkshire Moors
02. Strictly Come Danzig
03. Ainsley Harriott Advises You To Give Your Meat A Good Ol’ Rub
04. Going For A Pint With Corpsegrinder
05. I Honestly Thought OSDM Was A Sex Thing
06. You Suffer
07. Dance Like Barney Greenway
08. I’m Sorry I Wore A Dying Fetus T-Shirt To Your Baby’s Gender Reveal Party
09. The Dark And Twisted Realm In Which Fred Durst Resides
10. Break Stuff

Gama Bomb 21:15-22:45




If the venue downgrade was disheartening for tonight's headliners Gama Bomb, then it didn't show, with the band putting on a full throttle show that some acts reserve for high-profile concerts. Hitting the stage after a small introduction, they launched into a whirlwind of riffs and lyrics about schlocky sci-fi films, aka classic Gama Bomb songs. Byrne was often found in the crowd, and he led the band through a set that took in all eras of their discography, with a smile and dad jokes aplenty.

From setlist staples "Zombie Blood Nightmare" to new (as new as you can get, given the EP was only released the day before) material "Necronomicon Automaton" that slotted in with ease, Gama Bomb tore through the set with near note perfection, which meant my personal favourite of the band's output was reinforced thanks to its thunderous performance ("666teen"). While faint sounds of the band in the bigger venue upstairs (ska gang The Death Of Guitar Pop) drifted in during the gaps in between songs, Gama Bomb would quickly kick into the next track after some small talk and jokes, so that the audience were not tempted to wonder off upstairs. With Gama Bomb getting the only crowd surfer of the night, it nearly ended in disaster, as a dropped cable from the ceiling was hanging extremely close to said surfer’s foot, nearly causing a trip hazard...on the ceiling.




Gama Bomb setlist:

01. Slam Anthem
02. Egyptron
03. Electric Pentacle
04. 666teen
05. Speed Funeral
06. Rusted Gold
07. Give Me Leather
08. OCP
09. Sea Savage
10. We Respect You
11. Necronomicon Automaton
12. Living Dead In Beverly Hills
13. Zombie Blood Nightmare
14. Three Witches
15. Bring Out The Monster
16. Thrashoholic
17. She’s Not My Mother, Toodd
18. Miami Supercops
19. Terrorscope
20. If I Should Fall From Grace With God
21. Ninja Untouchables
22. Untouchable Glory

It was with the only cuts from Untouchable Glory sounding the end of the show, that an extended Easter weekend of thrash came to a conclusion, and it was time to go home, and find out if a bunny had robbed a chocolate chicken of its unborn children and handed them out to the species at the top of the food chain as some form of sacrifice to keep us satiated for another year.

Happy Easter, and good thrashin'.