Report

Rotten Sound Ushers In Incineration Fest 2024 With Escuela Grind And Skinflint

From the Rolling Stones to Iron Maiden, sometimes the most exciting gigs take place in a London pub. So it was this past Friday, when in anticipation of Incineration Fest happening the following day, the event put on a pre-party, featuring some of the most ferocious music going. Hosting this fiesta was The Black Heart, an essential pub for all headbangers in Britain to check out, which features a performance space upstairs and has welcomed such bands as Baest, Mastiff, Bulletboys and Electric Eel Shock in recent months.

Kicking off the evening was Skinflint, who has made the journey from Botswana to be here tonight. Indeed, the band were so excited to be performing in England for the first time, that I noticed (and spoke to) two members thanking those in attendance for coming early to see them. Such gratitude will only make people like you even more and so it was that when they took to the stage, metal fans were delighted to welcome them. Playing a style of metal which draws more from the traditional than the tempo and temper of grindcore, they were perhaps a little out of place tonight, but their enthusiasm, as well as genuinely good music made them very endearing. Frontman Giuseppe Sbrana had the decency to explain some of the subjects and words to the audience, who all seemed interested in these topics that are completely new to most of them and when twinned with some great tunes, it becomes all the more intriguing to do some research on Tswana culture afterwards. A really enjoyable set and I think I speak for everyone who witnessed it when I say that Skinflint is welcome back in London anytime.

Up next, one of the most controversial bands going today, Escuela Grind. Having seen them last year opening for Napalm Death in Bristol (a performance that earned them my pick for Best Live Band,) I was really looking forward to seeing them support another iconic grind band tonight. I obviously wasn't the only one as the place became notably busier for their show. Sure enough, the quartet stormed the stage with all the intensity and fury that first earned them so much attention and the Black Heart went off like a firework. They tore through the new single "Always Watching You," as well other fresh material from their "DDEEAATTHHMMEETTAALL" EP, released in January, with the intensity one has come to expect.

Vocalist Katerina Economou keeps things moving at break neck speed by hyping up the crowd, though speaking of stage banter, my enjoyment of the set was hampered a little by the drummer constantly mocking the English accent and singing "London Bridge Is Falling Down" at one point. British fans are usually happy to see American acts but there'll always be some who turn on them when the band starts saying dumb shit like, "'ello mates! 'Bo'lle o' wa'er!" Cultural insults aside though, this was an exciting set from a band who continues to defy critics and gatekeepers.

At last we come to the evening's headliners, Rotten Sound, from the Finnish city of Vaasa. Unquestionably, the band are the premier grindcore act from their country, and with their latest album, "Apocalypse," the veterans have added another worthy string to their bow. For many fans, the current tour is the first time they've heard these new songs live and if the London show is anything to go by, they've been going down a storm. The set began a little early as the quartet completed their soundcheck fifteen minutes before the scheduled beginning, so decided to just get underway rather than wait.

With eight full length albums under their belts, plus numerous EPs, there's plenty for Rotten Sound to choose and so they gave the crowd a healthy selection from across their catalogue, all delivered with vicious precision. Keijo Niinimaa was in fine voice as he roared out thirty years worth of grind and once again, the audience went into an absolute frenzy. The tightly packed room could barely contain the sonic extremity which flowed from the stage. Rotten Sound has been carving a legacy for themselves since their first EPs in 1995 and in 2024, they're as brutal as ever, delivering commentary on social issues packaged with some of the best grindcore music to ever be released. What's more, they're even more impressive live, with good crowd interaction and making any venue feel intimate. They remain an essential watch for any self-respecting fan of grindcore.