Ulthar and Wake played O’Brien’s – 4/10

West Coast death metal crew Ulthar and Canadian grinders Wake topped a deafening Wednesday night at O’Brien’s. 

Sometimes the degree of sonic punishment that the walls of a venue the size of O’Brien’s can withstand is genuinely impressive, and this four-band bill certainly put the structural integrity of the tiny Harvard Ave. bar to the test last month.

Bay Area trio Ulthar, who released their debut full-length Cosmovore last year, showcased death metal as twisty and ominous as its Lovecraftian theming would suggest. Wake, who also had a 2018 standout with the brutalizing Misery Rites, effectively conjured the void with a raging set of their blackened death-grind. And rounding out the night were solid sets from Cain Corso – a Richmond-area supergroup of sorts with ties to Inter Arma and KEN Mode – and locals Garroted.

See photos of all the chaos below.