Report

A Cold Day In Hell: Frozen Soul Rocks The Underworld In London

So far this year, we've covered gigs headlined by Cabal and Baest, two bands with plenty of heaviness to offer. This week is no exception, as Frozen Soul, one of the fastest rising death metal groups in America, returned to European shores for a headlining tour in support of their latest record, "Glacial Domination," which more than lives up to the title. They weren't alone either, as they brought some stellar support along with them for the ride who were all eager to impress and crush crowds in equal measure. Tonight, it was time for Frozen Soul's first headlining performance at The Underworld, one of the most notable venues in Camden (and there's plenty to choose from,) which has hosted many of metal's most beloved names.

Kicking things off with a little bit of local flavour, London death metal squadron Overthrow got things underway. They certainly looked the part and the music was no different, boasting a real meaty sound reminiscent of the genre's heyday. Songs like "Ruptured Nebula" and "Lords Of Xibalba," really demonstrated how menacing death metal can be and did a good job of grabbing the interest of concert goers who weren't too familiar with the group. In addition to their own material, the band finished with a rendition of the Cannibal Corpse classic, "Hammer Smashed Face," perhaps a daring thing to do but the crowd loved it and Overthrow pulled it off very well. A solid opening act which is well worth your time if you get the opportunity to see them for yourself.

Following Overthrow, we have the outsiders of the tour, Foreseen. The Finnish quintet blends thrash, punk and death n' roll perfectly to create a really catchy sound and from the first note to the last, exudes energy and mayhem. Still promoting their 2022 album, "Untamed Force," Foreseen commanded attention immediately with their aggressive sound that, while different from the other three bands on the bill, fit in perfectly. Frontman Mirko Nummelin did a fantastic job, skulking around the stage like a predator looking for the next kill, while the rest of the band performed with absolute precision, (though why the bassist felt need to move around like Angus Young is beyond me.) If you're a fan of Cro-Mags, Discharge, Agnostic Front or even early Exodus, then Foreseen will be right up your street.

We all know what they say about everything being bigger than Texas and apparently the death metal scene is large enough that Europe should be treated to two bands from the area. Not only were the crowd here to see the headliners, but the rapidly rising Denton outfit Creeping Death were in town too. It's easy to see why more and more people are talking about Creeping Death as they immediately throw all their weight into the music, which is suitably heavy as anything.

With their second album, "Boundless Domain" less than a year old, it was no surprise that this was where most of the setlist was drawn from, with no less than five songs picked from the sophomore release, including the title track, which opened the performance. Popular single "Intestinal Wrap" followed, with "The Common Breed," "Vitrified Earth" and "Creators Turned Into Prey" also selected from the latest release. Creeping Death has a superb stage presence and really endear themselves to the audience. Frozen Soul and Baest may be two of the most popular young bands flying the old school death metal flag, but Creeping Death are ready to join them on the front lines.

Finally, we come to the evening's headliners, Frozen Soul. It's been less than a year since Frozen Soul were last in London but their popularity has clearly increased since then, considering they packed out a larger venue than before. The crowd couldn't get enough of the Texan death metal juggernaut, who split the setlist 50/50 between their debut album, "Crypt Of Ice" and latest full length, "Glacial Domination." The show began with a selection of newer material, opening with "Invisible Tormentor," before the excellent "Arsenal Of War," was dedicated to the memory of vocalist Chad Green's brother Corey, who tragically passed away last year. Chad Green himself is an excellent frontman, getting the audience to relate to him and discussing the importance of mental health, while also amping the crowd up for more death metal.

The onslaught of metal continued, with such cuts as "Merciless," "Encased In Ice" and "Arctic Stranglehold" all providing a biting chill. The five piece have their theme and it works really well for them, helping them stand apart from other bands in their field and giving the audience something more to hold on to, plus it never reaches parody standard like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Batman & Robin. After finishing their regular set with the title track from their debut, "Crypt Of Ice," the band returned to the stage and following a discussion with the crowd about who the heaviest band in the world is, launched into a cover of "Witches Coven" by New York death metal institution Mortician. They did a brilliant job of it too and left the stage to the Foreigner classic, "Cold As Ice," leaving fans absolutely thrilled by the display of death metal might they'd just witnessed. Never miss Frozen Soul live.