DEATH, DOOM, AND DEFIANCE: BLACK JESUS ALBUM LAUNCH DESTROYS MELBOURNE Slaughterfield / Pissbolt / Jalang / Black Jesus / Carcinoid

 

DEATH, DOOM, AND DEFIANCE: BLACK JESUS ALBUM LAUNCH DESTROYS MELBOURNE

Slaughterfield / Pissbolt / Jalang / Black Jesus / Carcinoid
The Tote, 17.1.26
Review and Pics by Mark J.

You know those nights where the lineup just clicks? This Black Jesus album launch had that written all over it—five bands covering everything from death-thrash to suffocating doom. However, honestly, what happened exceeded even the hype. Every band fed off each other's energy until the whole thing turned into this absolute vortex of brutality.

SLAUGHTERFIELD opened up and immediately set the bar ridiculously high. Here's the thing—this was only their third show. Third. Most bands are still figuring out their stage positions at show three, but these guys played like they'd been touring for years.

That early Kreator influence is undeniable, that savage German thrash DNA runs deep, but they're pulling equally from peak death metal. Early Possessed's rabid intensity meets Morbid Angel's cosmic heaviness, and somehow it just works.

But here's what separates them from your typical worship band: the songs actually stick with you. These aren't just fast riffs because fast riffs are cool—every track has hooks that burrow into your brain while still maintaining that bone-crushing weight.

The lead vocalist owns the stage completely, but those group backing vocals elevate everything. They add this massive, almost anthemic quality that makes already devastating songs hit even harder.

Genuinely one of the most exciting new bands I've seen in ages. When that debut album drops, people need to pay attention.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569583371480

PISSBOLT—full disclosure, I missed most of their set because I had to bail for camera batteries (yeah, playing photographer and reviewer simultaneously was maybe not my brightest idea). Luckily Dan McKay saved the day by sending me his phone pics that I slightly edited. What a guy, eh, playing a show and still capturing the magic.

But I've caught them plenty of times, and my mates filled me in: sludgy, gritty, filthy as ever. They live in this perfect space between abrasive grindsludge and thrashy death grind, just relentless and psychotic. One of Melbourne's finest, no question.

https://www.facebook.com/pissboltfukrz

JALANG absolutely blindsided a lot of the metalheads who'd never heard them before. By the end of the first song, people were hooked.

This is fast paced and political d-beat/crust hardcore that cuts like a razor—they've been refining this approach for years, back to the Lai days. What makes Jalang so devastatingly great is that they'll destroy your ears while actually having something important to say; and be dancey at the same time.

This current lineup feels locked in like never before. 

Alda's jaw-dropping vocal delivery and the assured way she engages the crowd is just untouchable—fierce, intelligent, commanding the room with raw power. And Tiff's riffs? Absolutely insane. Plus a rhymn section any band would kill for. But beyond the musicianship, Jalang brought real political discourse to their set, calling out the shit that needs calling out. 

Easily one of Australia's best punk bands.

Ever!!!

https://www.facebook.com/jalangdbeat

https://www.instagram.com/jalang_dbeat/

BLACK JESUS hit the stage next, an absolute Melbourne death metal staple since 2008, with more recently; our usual photographer Sir Dan on second guitar.

Nearly two decades of lineup changes and scene shifts, but they keep delivering outstanding albums and crushing live shows. 

Their quarrelsome sound is brisk and pugnacious Death Metal with thrash elements, but it's got this hardcore directness in the songwriting—every song hits like a fist to the face.

Dan McKay joining the lineup definitely added a fresh dimension. His playing ranges from Randy Rhoads-style flash to Trey Azagthoth chaos, and you can tell he's having a blast up there.

Like the previous guitarists onboard, he brings his own flavour to an already deadly sound. The guy was both entertaining and devastatingly proficient.

The band was locked tight. Adrian drives the whole thing vocally and on guitar, and that dual vocal attack backing him (and fierce as fuck drums/bass) just amplifies everything.

Their new violent album Onwards To Slaughter  is legitimately some of their best work, and they delivered it with all the energy, nastiness, and sheer heaviness you'd hope for. Also appreciated them joining Jalang in crucifying racists and political dickheads—always good when bands actually take a stand.

https://www.facebook.com/TheTrueBlackJesus

https://blackjesussaves.bandcamp.com/album/onwards-to-slaughter

CARCINOID closed everything out, and fuck, what a way to end the night. They've had their share of lineup changes, too, especially vocalists, but this current roster is hands down their strongest.

That savage blend of brutish death metal and doom with groove creates something genuinely evil—like being dragged under by waves of sonic pain.

Look, Carcinoid aren't just one of the best bands to watch live, they're one of the best bands to photograph. 

There's zero showpony bullshit, no posturing or manufactured theatrics—just complete dedication to being as heavy and suffocating as possible. 

They're so deep into each performance, so committed to the crushing weight of their sound, that you can feel it radiating off the stage. From behind the lens, you see these moments of pure intensity, bodies locked into the groove, faces contorted by the sheer effort of channelling that kind of sonic punishment.

And here's the thing about their approach to heaviness—there's groove underpinning all that unrelenting, sombre aggression. The riffs are genuinely catchy, the songs are solid from start to finish, and somehow that mix of doom and death metal becomes almost sublime. It's punishing, yeah, but there's also this strange, meditative quality to it. Almost relaxing in how completely it envelops you, how thoroughly it dominates the space. You just surrender to it.

Their set tonight was pure perfection. Heavy, ominous, absolutely suffocating in the best possible way. Stage divers were launching into a massive pit, bodies everywhere, the whole room moving as one organism while Carcinoid ground everything down to atoms. Every member was completely locked in, delivering world-standard death-doom that could hold its own on any international stage. Seriously, this band operates at a level that transcends the local scene.

We need a new album from them immediately. Not just because the material deserves proper documentation, but because more people need to experience what Carcinoid are doing. 

They capped what was already an incredible night with a performance that left everyone simultaneously destroyed and completely elevated. That's the mark of a truly exceptional band—leaving you physically wrecked but spiritually satisfied, crushed but craving more.

https://www.facebook.com/CarcinoidDeathDoom

https://www.instagram.com/carcinoidband/

Five bands, zero weak performances, important political messaging, and a room full of people who got absolutely levelled by some of Melbourne's best extreme music. This is what the underground should be. If you were there, you will always remember this killer night and if you weren't sucks to be you..lol.