NUCLEAR THERMALS: DYING FETUS & 200 STAB WOUNDS DETONATE NORTHCOTE THEATRE WORDS BY MARK, PICS BY DAN MCKAY
NUCLEAR THERMALS: DYING FETUS & 200 STAB WOUNDS DETONATE NORTHCOTE THEATRE
WORDS BY MARK, PICS BY DAN MCKAY
Northcote Theatre, Melbourne | December 7, 2025
There's something primal about death metal done right—a visceral communion between band and crowd that transcends mere performance. Tonight at the Northcote Theatre, two bands operating at opposite ends of the death metal timeline proved exactly why this genre continues to pulverise everything in its path.
ASHEN: PERTH'S FINEST BRING THE DEVASTATION
Kicking off the night, Perth's Ashen proved exactly why the West Australian death metal scene continues to produce some of the country's most uncompromising bands. With Joel from Allocer stepping up on vocal duties, there was an immediate intensity that set the tone for the entire evening.
His presence brought a different energy to Ashen's already formidable sound—a rawness that complemented their precise, crushing approach to death metal.
What struck me about Ashen's set was their refusal to simply play opening band. These aren't newcomers padding out a lineup—they're a fully realised death metal entity with their own identity.
The Perth crew delivered a masterclass in dynamics, knowing exactly when to throttle back before unleashing hell again.
https://linktr.ee/Ashendeath
200 STAB WOUNDS: THE NEW GUARD ARRIVES
I'll admit, I walked in sceptical. 200 Stab Wounds represents that newer wave of death metal—the TikTok generation discovering Suffocation and Mortician for the first time. But fuck me, these Cleveland maniacs came to dismantle that narrative with extreme prejudice.
From the opening assault of "Hands of Eternity," it was clear this wasn't going to be some Spotify playlist come to life. The confidence radiating from the stage was palpable—not the cocky posturing of kids playing dress-up, but the genuine authority of a band that knows exactly what they are.
When they tore into "Masters of Morbidity" and "Drilling Your Head," the room became a seething mass of bodies, the kind of chaos that makes venue owners nervous and metalheads grin.
What sets 200 Stab Wounds apart from their peers is their refusal to choose between old school worship and modern brutality. Tracks like "Skin Milk/Tow Rope Around the Throat" and "Defiled Gestation" showcase a band that understands the HM-2 buzzsaw aesthetic isn't a gimmick—it's a weapon.
The grinding, oppressive weight of "Gross Abuse" could've been ripped from a lost Autopsy session, while "Parricide" demonstrated their ability to inject hardcore-influenced grooves into the carnage without diluting the brutality.
By the time "She Was Already Dead" closed their set, any pretension about them being "just another revival band" had been thoroughly annihilated. This is a band that gets it—death metal as a living, breathing entity rather than a museum piece.
DYING FETUS: LEGENDS NEED A WARM-UP TOO
Here's the thing about Dying Fetus—they're one of those rare bands that have been absolutely crucial to death metal's evolution for three decades. The technical precision, the groove-laden brutality, the way they seamlessly blend grindcore's intensity with death metal's crushing weight and hardcore's street-level aggression. They're untouchable. Which made their first few songs tonight slightly... perplexing.
Don't get me wrong—"Schematics" and "Unbridled Fury" were executed with the surgical precision you'd expect. But something felt restrained, as if the band was still finding their footing. Maybe it was the mix settling in, maybe they were reading the room, but it wasn't until about four songs deep that the true Dying Fetus—the one that's been perfecting this formula since Purification Through Violence—fully materialised. You could disagree, but honesty, despite legend status is the best approach. And hey, Dying Fetus settling in; is more crushing than most Death Metal bands hitting their absolute peak.
Jesus Christ. THAT'S when it happened. That iconic opening riff, that groove that sounds like industrial machinery achieving sentience and choosing violence—the entire venue erupted. This was the nuclear thermal event we came for. The mosh pit transformed into something almost ritualistic, bodies moving in synchronised destruction. From that moment forward, Dying Fetus were utterly unstoppable.
The setlist was a masterclass in crowd decimation: "From Womb to Waste" and "Beaten Into Submission" showcased their signature slam-groove hybrid that influenced an entire generation. "Kill Your Mother, Rape Your Dog" reminded everyone why shock value and musical sophistication aren't mutually exclusive. The grinding nihilism of "Into the Cesspool" and "Wrong One to Fuck With" hit like cement mixers full of broken glass.
When they dropped "Your Treachery Will Die With You" and "Grotesque Impalement," the old-school heads in the crowd lost their collective minds. These deep cuts prove that Dying Fetus' entire catalogue is weaponised audio, not just the singles. "Praise the Lord (Opium of the Masses)" closed the night with its sardonic title and absolutely punishing execution—a perfect summation of what makes this band so vital.
THE VERDICT
From Ashen's Perth-powered devastation to 200 Stab Wounds' new-guard confidence, culminating in Dying Fetus' masterful display of death metal dominance, this was a night that showcased the genre's full spectrum. Three bands, three different approaches, one unified mission: total sonic annihilation.
Death metal isn't dead. Not even close. And nights like this prove it's still evolving, still crushing, still absolutely necessary.
Rating: 9/10
—Three bands, zero mercy.
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