CARNIFEX
OCEANO
THE DOME, LONDON
OCEANO’S [5] dynamically limited but hyper-brutal deathcore proves enjoyable enough, but before they have a chance to build up a head of steam, the power cuts out, leaving the band shuffling awkwardly around the stage. All thoughts of that disappointment end when
CARNIFEX [7] bound on. They’re one of the few bands from this scene who appear to not only care about having visual dynamics, but who nail it, too. There’s more than a touch of gothic noir and horror flair as Scott Lewis conducts his band like a Dani Filth leading a Sons Of Anarchy chapter. As the set progresses, it’s clear their best material is the latter, more complex, songs from 2016’s Slow Death. It bodes well for their future recorded output but leads to a slightly disjointed set, although the classic Lie To My Face still sounds inhumanly massive. Carnifex are on the verge of stepping up a notch or two, but they’re not quite there yet.
STEPHEN HILL