The Black Dahlia Murder w/ After The Burial, Carnifex, Rivers of Nihil, and Undeath | Up From The Sewer Tour | Photos + Review

The Black Dahlia Murder Returns To California With A Bang Selling Out The Belasco

Date: September 18th, 2021

Venue: The Belasco in Los Angeles, CA

The Black Dahlia Murder is a band I constantly see live whenever they come through Southern California. As one of the staples of the melodic death metal genre, they are continually one-upping themselves with each record, staying true to who they are musically but constantly grinding like the madmen they are. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, a lot of their touring surrounding their newest album, “Verminous,” was put on hold, and in such, this is their first tour back after all of the chaos. Unsurprisingly, the tour sold out like crazy, with over two-thirds of the dates being completely sold out, with the others close to selling out as well. Not only did The Black Dahlia Murder play quite a stacked setlist, but they brought along a beastly lineup of bands. The supporting lineup consisted of After The Burial, Carnifex, Rivers of Nihil, and Undeath. With a lineup this stacked, it was no wonder why the Los Angeles date was the first on the tour to sell out.

Undeath from Rochester, New York, was the first up to the stage. Coining themselves as “skull-crushing death metal,” it is no wonder why this is the perfect term to describe these guys. Their music is HEAVY. I had to bold that word because it needed emphasis.  With a gritty barebones sound similar to staple bands of the death metal genre like Dying Fetus, Nile, Cannibal Corpse, and more, this brutal death metal style set them apart from the rest of the bands on this lineup. Their vocalist Alexander Jones did a great job of crowd management. He owned that whole stage with his’ distinct vocals that you can tell have a slight black metal influence. Bassist Tommy Wall spanked that bass to give it those deep thick tones pumping through and prominent throughout Undeath’s sound. Guitarists Jared Welch and Kyle Beam add the riffage, really adding that gritty sound that pays homage to the death metal greats that came before them. The final member that closes out the band’s lineup is their drummer Matt Browning, who plays those stank beats with precision. When listening to the band’s album and witnessing their live set, I also feel a slight thrash vibe in their music, prominent throughout the brutal death metal genre. That gritty edge was showcased on their debut album “Lesions of a Different Kind,” released in 2020 via Prosthetic Records. They played 3 songs from this release, 1 song from their 2019 independent EP “Sentient Autolysis,” and one unreleased song that I, unfortunately, do not know the name of. Overall, these guys were a great way to start out the show and really set the stage for those to come with their high energy and brutal riffs.

SETLIST

1. Enhancing the Dead
2. (Unknown)
3. Acidic Twilight Visions
4. Chained to a Reeking Rotted Body
5. Lesions of a Different Kind

The next band up was the ever so talented Rivers of Nihil from Reading, Pennsylvania. I first saw Rivers of Nihil back in 2018 when they opened for Thy Art Is Murder and Dying Fetus, and I already thought they were great then. But boy have they risen in my ranks since then. Initially, the band’s style was very much in line with the rest of those in the technical death metal genre: fast-paced, heavy, and riffy. However, as the band found their groove and started experimenting, they started moving more into the realm of progressive metal, mixing in clean vocals, and creating a cinematic style within their music. With their new record, The Work, just weeks away from debuting to the world, we as the audience were lucky to hear two of the new songs live, those being “Clean” and “Focus.” Within the new songs, you can really hear the power of vocalist Jake Dieffenbach and bassist/clean vocalist Adam Biggs’ voices. The new songs, along with the songs from their 2018 release “Where The Owls Know My Name,” have a lot of dynamics. But it seems that Jake and Adam have a good number of trade-offs in terms of vocals with The Work. They were the only band at the show to have clean vocals, and the change really felt needed as their set was well-rounded, and I couldn’t hold back a smile underneath my mask. Drummer Jared Klein is an absolute beast behind the kit, and my eyes always go to him because some of the technical parts he plays blow me away. Guitarists Brody Uttley and Jon Topore help create the atmosphere with their melodic instrumentals, paired with Uttley’s lead guitar solos and hooks. Honestly, Rivers of Nihil continue to get better and better every time I see them, and they constantly blow away any expectations I had prior. I cannot wait to see where this band goes with the release of “The Work,” which came out in 2021 via Metal Blade Records. You MUST all check out this band and see live if you have not yet done so.

SETLIST

1. The Silent Life
2. Focus
3. Clean
4. Sand Baptism
5. Where The Owls Know My Name

The third band up to the stage was Carnifex from San Diego, CA. Carnifex has been one of the leading deathcore bands for quite some time, being one of the genre’s founders. Coming hot off the release of their newest album, “Graveside Confessions,” out now via Nuclear Blast Records, I was stoked to hear how the new songs would sound live. The lead singles from the record “Pray For Peace” and the title track “Graveyard Confessions” sounded epic and translated very well live. The band started their set with the title track from their 2019 record, “World War X,” and also played some of the band’s most famous songs, “Slit Wrist Savior” and “Lie To My Face,” which the band re-recorded for the new album “Graveside Confessions.” The band closed out the set with the title track from their 2010 album “Hell Chose Me,” which got the crowd wild. From the start of the set to the end, I was stoked.

As usual, the band had their large lit-up pentagrams, but they also had a bright lighting setup on stage with many strobing lights that were very well lit and timed. Vocalist Scott Ian Lewis is an absolute beast on stage, genuinely taking every inch in and captivating the crowd. Carnifex was one of the first death metal bands I got into, which came with their 2016 album “Slow Death.” What drew me straight in was the symphonic backing, along with Scott’s vocals. Something evident in Carnifex’s music is just how intricate and technical their drumming parts are, and that is all courtesy of the ever so talented Shawn Cameron on drums. This dude is an absolute beast and truly has me in awe when I hear how fast some of his parts are. A significant change from the last time I saw Carnifex to now is the band going from having two guitarists down to one. Still, guitarist Cory Arford did not disappoint in the slightest. He absolutely killed it on those leads and shredded it on that stage. Closing out the band’s lineup is Fred Calderon, who provides the headbangs and the deep tones from his bass. Bass, in my opinion, is the most underrated instrument when it comes to bands. To me, the bass is one of the most essential, as it adds some of the deeper undertones that can really bring the music to the next level, and Fred does that very well. All in all, Carnifex is an absolutely insane band to see live and is very consistent when it comes to theatrics and musicianship.

SETLIST

1. World War X
2. Pray For Peace
3. Slit Wrist Savior
4. Graveside Confessions
5. Lie To My Face
6. Hell Chose Me

Up next as direct support was the ever so talented band After The Burial from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Unfortunately, vocalist Anthony Notarmaso became sick on tour and lost his voice. The band continued on and played instrumentally, which the crowd went WILD for. After the Burial is a very technical band instrumentally. Thanks to their odd time signatures, guitar tones, and fast pacing, the band is well known in the progressive metal genre, constantly teetering between metalcore and deathcore territory. Having the instrumentals showcased in the forefront was an absolutely incredible sight and audible experience. Guitarist Trent Hafdahl was on full display. His leads and backing vocal parts were at the forefront of the band’s performance. They had beautifully timed and strobed lighting that added to the overall experience and performance. The crowd went wild when the band started the set with the fan-favorite song “Lost In The Static.” During the next song, “In Flux,” I couldn’t help but really tune in to bass player Adrian Oropeza. Adrian is really vibing on stage, with his headbanging and downtuned bass tones really adding the grit and djenty sound that the band is known for. Dan Carle closes out the band’s rhythm section, and he is by far one of the most on-point and technical drummers in the progressive metal scene, not missing a beat. I especially noticed it during the third song in the set, “Collapse.” After I left the photo pit, I got to see just how nuts the crowd was going. With a moshpit about twice the size as it was prior, they were absolutely mesmerized by the technicality and prowess the band showcased. During the lead single “Behold The Crown,” from the band’s 2019 album “Evergreen,” released via Sumerian Records, I especially saw this energy from the crowd with one of the fastest and most violent circle pits of the night. The band played two more songs before closing out their incredible set, those songs being “Exist, Exist,” and “A Wolf Among Ravens.” I am incredibly proud of these guys for trooping on through their vocalist being sick. Them playing instrumentally was incredible and wowed the whole audience in attendance.

SETLIST

1. Lost In The Static
2. In Flux
3. Collapse
4. Behold The Crown
5. Exist, Exist
6. A Wolf Among Ravens