Venom Inc, Krisiun, Hate, Ater – Bread Shed, Manchester 25/04/2025

Genre-defining. It’s a term thrown around a little too often nowadays. However, tonight featured multiple veteran acts within the realms of extreme metal who meet this definition. Krisiun, who have carved their own path of destruction from their native Brazil and acquired legions of fans worldwide, whilst Hate have taken more of a backroad passage in a career that has still seen them land significant slots in almost every festival worth playing at globally. Venom Inc., however, needs little introduction. With roots in the 1980s (whether in the original or current guise), the band has influenced countless musicians globally with their innovative approach to metal and going to places no band had dared to before. Tonight, they would ride into Manchester alongside the aforementioned acts in a well-rounded and solid package. One that you’d suspect would have had people queuing around the venue. Well, sadly not, as things seemed sparse and oddly quiet for a Friday night. Maybe the combination of it being the end of the month, straight after Easter holidays, and other acts playing nearby had an impact. In either case, this afforded some time to check out the venue itself for one of the first metal gigs here for a long time. Speaking to boss John revealed some interesting plans for the decor and infrastructure of this impressive little venue (more of which will be revealed in time). After a visit to the merch stand and bar, it was almost time for the opening act at a very early time of 6.30.

 

Ater

Having stumbled across their blistering effort “Somber” just over a year ago, I was very excited to finally see how this would translate to a live setting. It was everything I expected and more. Perhaps being the odd one tonight in the sense of having only formed within recent years, the Chilean act take an impressive modern twist on the extreme metal genre, utilising elements of djent and deathcore (especially in the guitar/bass tones and overall production) to spice up the already solid blackened death metal foundations they’ve set. Despite being only a three-piece band, they sounded larger and fuller than any other band on the bill. They’re new kids on the block, in the grand scheme of things, and this innovative approach speaks to a hunger and drive to set themselves apart in this fiercely competitive industry. Sadly, the early doors and set time meant that the attendance was a little sparse, which seemingly affected the band’s confidence and overall stage presence. They sound and look the part, though, so I’m sure if they continue on the path they’re forging, they’ll play to larger crowds than they deserve.

 

Hate

My introduction to the Polish blackened death metal act came in February 2023, just 1 mile or so away at the other side of Manchester city center, where they levelled the Rebellion venue. I’m sure they had similar merciless intent this evening and came armed with new singles from a soon-to-be-released new album, which I binged healthily in the days leading up to this night. However, something felt a bit off at first, especially given a 10-minute delay to their start time and their sound being too muddy at first. Both of which could be attributed to a reported late arrival to the venue and missed sound check, having played in Belgium only the day before. Though things started to click, and the venue started to fill up more. More heads were banging, horns raised in the air, and a much welcome injection of energy into the night. A bit of magic dust was sprinkled onto the mixing desk, and things sounded much sharper. The Bread Shed started to headbang in unison to the likes of ‘The Wolf Queen’ and ‘Erebos’, and you could see friends shouting “these are sick” to one another, or words to that effect. It felt as though their set was over way too soon and ended just as they were building some momentum. An adequate sound check and sufficient prep time would have likely resulted in that carnage I witnessed 2 years ago on the other side of the city.

 

Krisiun

Time for things to get personal, especially given that I had first heard arguably their biggest hit, ‘Blood Of Lions’, via the power of YouTube 9 years ago, yet had never seen the band perform in the flesh. This would be my chance, though. There was similar buzz and anticipation amongst the crowd as others had parked themselves at the barrier or at other optimal viewing spots long before the band had played a note. And when that first note came, it was met with cheers and roars from the Bread Shed crowd, which was now starting to fill to a more respectable level. They may have been seeing the Brazilians play for the 1st, 2nd, or 12th time across their lucrative 3-decade career. Krisiun made all these years count. No fancy gimmicks or pandering to the crowd. Just good ol’ fashioned riffs and grooves rooted in a traditional death metal style. Everything about the performance felt clinical and polished, yet never just going through the motions. And yes, they did close the set with ‘Blood Of Lions’. Those in attendance may have heard a little squeal of joy in the crowd. That was me. I’m not sorry.

 

Venom Inc

Time for the main event. Those lurking at the back of the venue had ventured forward, and much more Venom Inc. merch was visible. Old, young, and all genders; it was a mixed crowd, which is a testament to the band’s legacy and ability to stay relevant after years of hitting the stage.

The temporarily erected curtain dropped after the band’s line check and was met with a suitable crowd roar. The sadistically high wall of amplifiers struck fear into me, given the potential for sonic

Armageddon and the dismantling of eardrums in such a small area. Though Venom Inc. has been around for long enough. They know their sound inside out and know how to get the best out of their gear. They sounded fierce up there, but never overwhelming or too crushing, especially as I decided to take refuge in one of the raised platforms towards the fringes of the venue. Just as well, it wasn’t long before the pits opened! It was early, and would the tiring audience with plenty of older heads be able to maintain this energy? It didn’t seem so, as naturally fatigue kicked in, and it was time to simply stand back and witness a seminal act do what they do best.

Though Tony Dolan et al didn’t let any momentum slide and maintained a blistering pace that musicians half their age would be proud of. The set was 60 minutes or so in, and we all needed some liquid refreshment in the form of a bottle of Jack Daniels, which had been handed to and distributed amongst the crowd by the band themselves. This is where we started to see some classic Venom tracks: ‘Time To Die’, ‘Countess Bathory’, and of course ‘Black Metal’. This was enough to send our pit warriors from earlier back into their natural habitat and crash into each other again like testosterone-fuelled rams! A last hurrah before things mercifully came to a close at nigh on 11 pm. A solid finish to a well-rounded evening.