Weed-themed old school death metal act Cannabis Corpse are always a treat. I saw them two years ago at the Magasin 4 venue in Brussels for the promotion of their 2017 record ‘Left hand Pass’, and they kicked butt. Back then, they still played with Ray Suhy on guitars, but he’s left the band to focus on his endeavors with Six Feet Under. It seems Cannabis Corpse haven’t yet deemed fit to replace him as they now consist of just three dudes, who have recently released a new record, hilariously entitled ‘Nug So Vile’ (review right here). Naturally they embarked on another promotional tour for this new stomper, taking along the intriguing Withered, and gracing us with a stop in the CINEMA venue in Aalst, Belgium, with local support from Carrion and Carnation.

Carrion (***1/2)

The first spot of the night was supposed to be held by Belgium’s own thrashing Schizophrenia, but they couldn’t make it due to medical reasons. In walks East-Flanders-based modern death metal act Carrion. A bombshell of an opener, these local lads played a heavy and tight groovy set. I thought they could’ve used a little more appreciation from the audience. It’s never easy being the opener of the night, but even here it struck me the reactions were underwhelming. The music’s great, well-played, and brought with the necessary energy and conviction, so come on, people, recognize local talent! The only thing Carrion lacks is a little presentation, which is something bands underestimate all too often. Sure, music is the main focus, but if you don’t put up the show to go with it, it will fall flat when you’re playing bigger venues like this one. I say this because I see enormous potential here, which I truly want to see evolve.

Set list:
In The End, There Is Only Death
Mutilation Supreme
Revelation Of The Dead
Gingergrind
Torment Defiled Sanity

Withered (****)

Now this was an interesting band for Cannabis Corpse to take along on a tour. I hadn’t heard of black/death unit Withered before today, and it seems I’ve been missing out. These Atlantans bring us a fascinating set of said genre with some doom thrown in as well. The show had me headbanging one moment, and shoegazing the next. Due to its atmospheric nature, it stood out a little from tonight’s other performances. The music is harsh, honest and emotion-laden. I especially enjoyed the vocal play between singer/guitarist Dan Caycedo‘s high-pitch shrieks and the old-school bellows from singer/guitarist Mike Thompson.

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