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Crypta Casts Shades Of Sorrow Over London In A Sold Out Tufnell Park Dome

Across the Summer, Europe was in the grip of a heatwave that saw shops selling out of electric fans, wild fires, government alerts and British boomers insisting that the 1976 heatwave was worse, as if they expected praise for living through it. These conditions can make it difficult to want to do anything, but when you know Brazilian death metal juggernaut Crypta is coming to London, you'll brave the heat and inevitable sun burn to make that show. As it turns out, I wasn't the only one with this attitude, as the show, taking place Downstairs at The Dome, the smaller section of the Tufnell Park Dome, was sold out, with rabid fans eager to see the band perform their final headline show of their "Shades Of Sorrow" tour.

As always, fans had more than one band to enjoy tonight and first up was Milton Keynes thrashers Must Kill. They've been working hard in the underground since 2018, but it was only in September of last year that they released their debut album, "Condemned To Torture." There were a few people in attendance wearing their merch and rightly so, as the quartet have crafted a fine take on the thrash metal style. Must Kill are very technically proficient which always helps, especially when it comes to thrash, and they avoid the trap of the 2000s thrash revival, where far too many bands were nothing more than carbon copies of their 80s heroes. In fact, I was so impressed while watching them that I thought, "These guys could be the first stars of British thrash since Evile," and I hope they can achieve that kind of success. They won't change the way you think about the genre or anything like that, but they offer something a bit fresher than you might expect, which is always welcome.

In terms of expectations, I had none when it came to the next group, Corpsing. This was purely because I wasn't familiar with them, but one could tell straight away that they were veterans. As a live act, I thought they were absolutely fantastic. Corpsing boasts an energy and a sense of chaos usually found among the best grind and hardcore bands, helped along massively by frontman Levi Le Blanc, who was one of the most unique vocalists I've seen in a while. Not so much via his vocal delivery, which was devastatingly low, but through his general mannerisms and crowd work. He got the crowd very excited for Crypta and talked about how much it meant to be on a bill where the men were supporting women and how people from all different backgrounds were together to enjoy metal. If you like absolutely filthy death metal, give them a listen, but better yet, if you're in London, or anywhere in the UK where they're playing, go and see them, because you won't forget seeing Corpsing.

Finally, almost eleven years to the day since vocalist/bassist Fernanda Lira made her performing debut in Britain as part of Nervosa, it was time for Crypta to take to the stage. The venue was already so hot that condensation was dripping from the ceiling, but once they launched into "The Outsider," it was hot as Hell and we were all happy to burn. Lira's trademark demonic facial expressions were on display right away, adding to the intensity of the tunes, as the four musicians mercilessly pummeled the Dome. Pits finally broke out too, as the band continued to focus on their sophomore album "Shades Of Sorrow," this time in the form of "Lullaby For The Forsaken." While it was their second album that comprised much of the setlist, it wasn't as heavily leaned on as the first time I saw the band, two years ago in Bristol, where every song was played.

Case in point, the third song on offer was "Death Arcana," one of the fan favourites from their debut album, "Echoes Of The Soul," followed by what feels like a performance of the single, "I Resign." Something that has always drawn fans to Crypta, as that people can see how much fun they're having on stage, and it always feels like they're just as appreciative of the crowd coming out to see them as we are to receive them, a statement often said by fans but not always felt. The more the band enjoyed themselves, the more the crowd fed off of it and we ate like Henry VIII as the show hit us with more storming songs like "The Other Side Of Anger" and "Stronghold," before a second helping of their first album arrived via "Under The Black Wings."

Despite how long they'd been on stage, it felt like the show was over too soon, as at Fernanda Lira's urging, the crowd showed their appreciation for new member Victoria Villareal, touring drummer Cierra White and the crew that had worked so hard to make their tour such a success. As longtime fans might expect, the show drew to a close with "From The Ashes," and fans left in great spirits, still cheering as they entered the tube station, eagerly awaiting the return of Crypta and the promise of new music to come.