Live Review: Cattle Decapitation and Shadow of Intent – Terrasitic Reconquest Tour at Electric Brixton (30/01/2025)

Nearly a year since they last played London, Cattle Decapitation are back with their Terrasitic Reconquest tour at Electric Brixton. With countrymen, and co headliner, Shadow of Intent in tow, along with support from Revocation and Vulvodynia, this is an intense line up packed with quality and brutality.

When I saw Cattle Decapitation in March 2024, it was for their Terrasite Over Europe tour, in support of their 2023 release, Terrasite. That album has done really well for them though I imagine this is getting close to the end of the Terrasite push. Still, here we are another year later with them now playing at a venue with double the capacity of the last show at the O2 Islington Academy. Electric Brixton is pretty full as well, though that can also be put down in part to the strength of the bands on the tour, especially the very popular Shadow of Intent.

Cattle Decapitation Terrasitic Reconquest Tour

Electric Brixton is really good venue too, offering multiple levels, multiple bars and multiple toilets. The sound and lights are good and there are plenty of spots to grab a good view of the stage. Kudos also to the security teams there who look on the ball, but also warmly welcome you in, wishing you to have a great night. It’s only real issue is that it is in Brixton which, for us, is a bit of a trek from the South East corner of London. For a show like this, it’s worth the journey.

As often happens with a midweek show though, work commitments mean we can’t always arrive by the time doors open, and the first band is on so we do miss out on seeing Vulvodynia. It’s not the end of the world though – they are a great band but some of us did see them play with Ingested just a few weeks back at The Underworld in Camden. Read that review, here.

So we do enter when Revocation are playing and get to see pretty much their whole set and I left very impressed for the most part. Plenty of groove and big meaty riffs pound out of the speakers while snarling death metal vocals hit with impact. The melodic edge to the band is welcome, with some really neat guitar solos. The band have a good energy about them, and the crowd are into it with mosh pits breaking out as Revocation get further into their set. That’s what the bigger bands want from the warm up acts and Revocation delivered, even if, by the end of their set, there was a little bit of repetitiveness starting to creep in.

Cattle Decapitation Terrasitic Reconquest Tour Revocation

No such comments for Shadow of Intent who were also clearly a big ticket seller for this night of the Terrasitic Reconquest tour as every part of the venue swelled with crowds when they took to the stage. This was a first time seeing them for me but it took less than 30 seconds to see why they are such a big draw as their symphonic deathcore sounds took over Brixton. I loved the symphonic tint to the band which led to some quite epic, almost power metal styled intros but when the metal came, it came hard.

Cattle Decapitation Terrasitic Reconquest Tour Shadow of Intent1

The vocalist was an absolute beast delivering one of the best live vocal performances I have seen in a long time. Musically crushing, impactful and even a tad emotional, you could not take your eyes off of them. Every head banged, mosh pits expanded and descend into chaos with a constant stream of crowd surfers making their way overhead. I was blown away. They were amazing and just for a moment, I was worried they may have stolen the show. Worried because I love Cattle Decapitation and don’t want them to be second best.

Cattle Decapitation Terrasitic Reconquest Tour Shadow of Intent2

I needn’t have feared though because Cattle Decapitation are old hats at this and of course they delivered. Bringing their typical non nonsense approach to the Terrasitic Reconquest tour, Travis Ryan stalks the stage like a mad man and delivers an immense vocal performance. Immense drums and riffs rain down in a chaotic start where after the intro we jump straight into The Prophets of Loss, then We Eat Our Young. While a few people may have left or stepped back after Shadow of Intent, not many have and the pit now consumes a large portion of the standing area.

Cattle Decapitation Terrasitic Reconquest Tour band2

With a focus on their modern style, mainly Monolith of Inhumanity, Death Atlas and Terrasite, we get banger after banger with just a few words in between songs. Mostly they were just Travis shouting “London fucking England” but we get the sentiment and appreciate them as much as they say they appreciate us. How about this for a selection of immense tracks, one after the other though. Scourge of the Offspring, then Bring Back the Plague then One Day Closer to the End of the World, then Dead End Residents and Solastalgia.

Cattle Decapitation Terrasitic Reconquest Tour band

Imagine being this extreme a band but having a collection of songs like that you can churn out that are brutally heavy, yet catchy and groovy and, you kind of want to song along to them. At least try to sing, I guess. The band go back a little bit for Forced Gender Reassignment but sensibly cut the song short when they notice someone get hurt in the pit. They get going again closing the show out with A Living, Breathing Piece of Defecating Meat – that’s a lovely title, then Plagueborne and finally Death Atlas.

It’s a relentless set, as is their style, with no real time to take it all in as they just keep hitting you with the next assaulting track leaving you feeling sonically battered and bruised, but damn grateful and appreciative of the quality they deliver.

Do yourself a favour and make sure you catch one of the dates on the Terrasitic Reconquest tour. These are 4 amazing bands, all in the zone, delivering an amazing night of extreme and technical death metal. Don’t miss out.

Cattle Decapitation Terrasitic Reconquest Tour Poster




Author

  • Owner/Editor/Writer/YouTuber - Heavy Metal and reading, two things I have always loved so they are the two areas you will find most of my reviews. Post apocalyptic is my jam and I always have a book on the go and have for decades now. From a metal perspective, age has softened my inadequacies and I now operate with an open mind, loving many bands from many sub genres but having a particular admiration for the UK underground scene. In my other time, when not focused on Dad duties and work, I try to support the craft beer movement by drinking as much of it as I can and you will also find me out on the streets, walking. I love walking, I love exploring new places and snapping nature photos as I go.

Cattle Decapitation and Shadow of Intent - Terrasitic Reconquest Tour at Electric Brixton (30/01/2025)
  • Cattle Decapitation - 9/10
    9/10
  • Shadow of Intent - 9/10
    9/10
  • Revocation - 7.5/10
    7.5/10
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