Exhumed and Gatecreeper played ONCE – 11/13

Arizona death metal crew Gatecreeper and California death-grinders Exhumed brought their co-headlining campaign to ONCE last week with Necrot and Judiciary. 

Wednesday nights don’t get much more ear-splitting and blood-soaked than this. Fresh off the respective releases of Horror and Deserted, Relapse label-mates Exhumed and Gatecreeper served up a range of horrifying sonic delights to a rabid Somerville crowd. While the latter kept things straightforward and brutalizing, the former leaned hard into their gore-hungry, 80s slasher aesthetic with TVs looping classic horror trailers and an auxiliary member wielding implements of destruction (does it seem safe to spray that many sparks into the audience? Not my problem pal) amid the riffing carnage.

Old school death metal worshippers Necrot were well-matched in the direct support slot, and Texas hardcore thrashers Judiciary got the early arrivers moving despite being the odd men out on the bill, genre-wise.

Check out galleries of all four bands below.