CELESTIAL SANCTUARY

CRUELTY/ZETRA

THE BLACK HEART, LONDON

Few things say ‘Christmas’ more than corpsepainted, space-age synth rock, so it makes sense. The screens and silver stalagmites onstage make the duo an intergalactic spectacle, while their beats remain danceable throughout their 30 minutes. don’t want you to dance, though. Instead, their hardcore lacerates with beatdown after beatdown. The Brummies demand “a tribute of blood” and their acolytes indulge them with a pit as violent as any ritual sacrifice. , meanwhile, have clearly worshipped at the altar of Bolt Thrower and early Paradise Lost to manifest their blistering OSDM. Although the quartet claim to be at the forefront of the ‘New Wave Of British Death Metal, their muddy guitar tone, hulking grooves and Karl-Willettslike grunts lurch back to the genre’s infancy. Heads bang immediately, then aggravates the pace to get the Black Heart circle-pitting. Not even an impromptu encore of songs they’ve already played can mellow the mood; it’s a strong testament to the addictiveness of these newcomers’ riffs. “Death metal!” frontman Tomás Cronin howls before departing the stage, leaving you to enjoy your new Christmas present: neck cramp.