Manchester’s legendary death metal and slam festival celebrated its 10th and final edition with two days of exclusive performances, ridiculous riffs, and slammy chaos.

After a decade of hosting some of the most brutal talent across Manchester and Liverpool venues, UK Slam Fest bowed out in style with a stacked lineup featuring rare UK exclusives and enough gutturals to shake the foundations of The Bread Shed.

Day One

Somerset’s three-piece Eproctophilic Necrophile kicked things off with groovy goregrind, inflatable crocodiles, and threats of “eating Tory skin.” The chatty, confident frontman had the crowd in stitches, and their cover of Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’ was both excellent and hilarious, a perfect start.

Worship the Pestilence came all the way from Bolivia (via Ireland) with the battle cry “We are here to spread disease!” Their massive chugging riffs and brutal vocals delivered classic death metal excellence, spearing eardrums with precision.

This year’s party band came in the form of Austria’s Seii Taishogun, making their UK debut in Pokémon kigurumis. Fusing party beats with brutal riffs and vocals, channeling Mad Capsule Markets vibes, they showered the crowd with giant inflatable balloons. The mashup madness went down a storm.

Scottish powerhouses Scordatura brought the riffs without much chat, which was fine because the music spoke volumes. Tighter and heavier than their 2018 Slam Fest appearance, vocalist Daryl (also of Party Cannon) showcased impressive range in a super heavy, accomplished set.

The energy peaked when New York’s Malignancy took the stage for their first UK show since 2017, a festival exclusive that had the crowd buzzing. Spanning their entire career with tracks like ‘Interuterine Cannibalism’, ‘Rotten Seed’, and ‘Xenotransplantation’, the band delivered top-notch brutality and banter courtesy of frontman Danny Nelson.

Day Two

Two-piece Hacked Up opened Saturday with a sound bigger than their lineup suggested. Despite the vocalist also handling drums, their slammy riffs got hardcore dancers moving immediately, the perfect warm-up.

Spinal Fluid played their debut show and didn’t show a hint of nerves. The five-piece from Manchester/Liverpool delivered groovy slam with dual vocalists, hip-hop influences, and crushing breakdowns. A PeelingFlesh cover sealed the deal, these guys are ones to watch.

Hartlepool’s Ovulating Cadaver brought inflatable seagulls (naturally) and bass drops that vibrated through the venue. Manchester scene regulars who keep improving, they were on top form with riffs, banter, and gutturals galore.

Chainsaw Castration have been crushing since their return last year. Fast, energetic, and a real wall of noise, guitarist Jack became a sequinned disco ball of destruction. Introducing the experimental ‘Skin Prison’ with “This is about being a f*ggot and being true to yourself,” Jack—a proud trans woman—received a huge roar from the crowd. The scene’s acceptance and inclusivity was on full display.

London’s Dygora were the weekend’s discovery. Their serious flow, rap vibes, and super groovy brutality had the crowd going mental. Frontman Omar’s relentless gutturals and rap delivery, backed by a tight-knit band, earned them a new fan in me.

Liverpool’s Exhumation absolutely smashed it. Vocalist Chris (also in Crepitation) displayed incredible range, from rumbling gutturals to insane highs, cementing his status as one of the UK’s best extreme vocalists. Brutal, groovy, and extremely slammy, they inspired circle pits and excellent crowd interaction with Chris hitting the pit himself.

Manchester’s Visions of Disfigurement played last year’s excellent ‘Vile Mutation’ in full. Despite a recent lineup swap seeing vocalist Dan and guitarist Tom switch roles, their relentless brutality remained unmatched. The change only made them more polished, and hearing one of 2024’s best releases live was a real pleasure.

Local legends Crepitation performed their seminal ‘Violence of the Slams’ in full, complete with special guests. Original vocalist Chris Butterworth stepped in, and ex-vocalist Mark Pearce (of Amputated) joined for a superb rendition of ‘Equine Phallic Impalement’. With their goregrind-infused slam, ridiculous song titles, and nothing but weeps, beeps, gurgles, and snorts, they had the crowd absolutely bonkers.

Minnesota’s Incinerate brought tech-death fury to the UK for the first time since forming in 1998. Despite nearly three decades in the game, they matched the energy of bands half their age. Blending old-school and modern death metal flavours, they pulverised the venue, the crowd who’d never seen them live were lapping it up.

Headliners Goregasm closed the festival with another UK exclusive, their first show here since 2011. The death metal titans were as brutal as it gets, with fast, heavy riffs and groovy breakdowns that made the audience violent. Vocalist Damien brought incredible energy and smart-mouthed banter between tracks, while circle pits erupted constantly. It felt special, high energy crowd, tight band, top-notch vibes.

The UK Slam Fest crew delivered a blinder of a weekend. Though this marks the final Slam Fest as organisers move on to other things, they left on a high. With strong local slam promoters emerging, the scene is in safe hands, more slams are guaranteed.