DMC Brewery is a very heavy metal enterprise, a northern microbrewery known for infusing its alcoholic ginger beer with Carolina Reapers, and owner Giuseppe is a dyed-in-the-wool metaller. Situated underneath the railway arches in the centre of Leeds, this venue is as DIY as it gets and is one of the hidden jewels in the crown of Leeds’ alternative music and beer scene. Tonight, it’s playing host to metal royalty as Paulo Jnr of Sepultura brings his Cultura Tres band to Leeds. But first, we have some supporting action.
A spirited northern dose of northern doom rock greets us Tonight as Sabbat Wolf opens proceedings in this tiny 65-cap venue for what promises to be the most up-close gig you’ll ever get with a member of Sepultura unless you were living in Sao Paulo in the mid-eighties. Female-fronted Yorkshire metal is the order of the day, and Sabbat Wolf’s enthusiastic performance gets the room warmed up nicely.
Sathamel bring a blackened death blast next that sounds suitably grimy in this subterranean setting and delivers plenty of delicious dirt with its clanging bass and blast beat-fuelled rage. Their frostbitten riffing has a distinct Swedish gnarliness that will satisfy the most bloodthirsty of headbangers. It’s a triumphant set that should keep the merch stall busy, judging by the horns held aloft and the enthusiastic headbanging down the front.
Then, it comes time for the headliners. Cultura Tres are undoubtedly very Sepultura-esque at times, but the classic kind, the Chaos AD era shit-kicking punky hardcore influence, is deeply embedded in some of the band’s performance, and this is a perfect setting for it. This is a very special night with an air of once-in-a-lifetime exclusivity about it. The band is delivering the kind of hungry performance that turns the clock back thirty years, and fans of Paulo’s “other band” should definitely go and see Cultura Tres at the next available opportunity! This would be a satisfactory performance in any setting and there’s an added deeper classic metal angle in their arsenal that changes this up from side project curio.
The youthful band membership also helps with the general energy onstage and these guys are truly having the time of their lives being in the UK, as heartfelt thanks are delivered and killer cuts from their Camino De Brujos album are rained down on the sweaty throng. Then comes a big surprise: the song that started this thing we called metal and contains what remains (in our opinion) the heaviest riff of all time, Black Sabbath, is covered as a thank you to the UK from these Latin firebrands, this is a touch of class! Next up is a track called The Smell Of Death, and right on cue, the fella in front of us drops a “silent and deadly” Tonight is full of surprises, good and bad, it seems! The track is a ripper, though!
As the band bows out, everyone here is grinning. Is it because Paulo Jr. visited a tiny heavy metal microbrewery with his band? To be honest, after a while, we forgot he was there and just enjoyed a ripping new band on their own terms.
That being said, they encore with Sepultura’s Territory and tear the roof off.
There is no point in not playing your ace card, is there?
Review By George Miller – https://www.facebook.com/oneflamemedia
Photos By: Thomas Hazlehurst
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