19 June 2026 – The Tivoli, Brisbane – words by Alessandro Ambrosi – pictures by Bec Harbour
What’s better than the weekend? Starting it with some of the finest death and slam metal acts of the past decade.
Sanguisugabogg have embarked on a sold-out Australian tour, joined by fellow Americans PeelingFlesh and Melbourne’s own Gutless for a night of monolithic riffs and unrelenting brutality.
Formed in Columbus, Ohio, Sanguisugabogg emerged from the underground metal scene and quickly gained attention for blending old-school death metal influences with modern slam and hardcore elements. Since their debut, the band has built a dedicated following through energetic live performances and critically acclaimed releases such as Tortured Whole and Homicidal Ecstasy.
PeelingFlesh, hailing from Oklahoma, have gained recognition for their distinctive fusion of brutal slam death metal, hardcore energy and hip-hop-inspired samples. Their sound combines crushing breakdowns, guttural vocals and relentless groove, creating a style that is both punishingly heavy and uniquely accessible within the world of extreme music. Their ability to balance old-school slam brutality with contemporary influences has helped them stand out among a new generation of heavy bands.
Gutless are an Australian death metal band from Melbourne. Formed in 2018, they quickly established themselves within the underground extreme metal scene through relentless riffs, punishing rhythms and an uncompromising dedication to the raw spirit of classic death metal. Drawing influence from the genre’s early pioneers, their sound combines crushing heaviness with a dark, visceral atmosphere that captures death metal at its most primal.
Gutless – Tivoli – photos by Bec Harbour
Gutless wasted no time establishing their presence, taking the stage to the piercing sound of an air raid siren as deep red lights cast an ominous glow across the venue. The Melbourne four-piece immediately launched into a savage display of death metal, delivering punishing riffs and monstrous vocals that had heads moving from the opening moments.
Rather than breaking the momentum with introductions, the band let the music and visuals do the talking. Unsettling spoken-word samples filled the gaps between songs, further enhancing the dark atmosphere.
‘Carnivorous Flesh’, together with ‘Evil Incarnate’, featuring a great intro taken from the prison interview with infamous serial killer Richard Kuklinski and ‘Boiled Alive’ were drawn from their debut EP Mass Extinction. The band also delivered a selection of tracks from their most recent full-length release, High Impact Violence.
Driven by thunderous drumming, rapid-fire blast beats and crushing distortion, the set inspired nonstop action in the circle pit as fans hurled themselves around the floor. Gutless proved the perfect choice to open the night, igniting the sold-out room and leaving a lasting impression on those experiencing the band for the first time.
Up next was PeelingFlesh. The Oklahoma outfit walked on stage with the swagger of a Cypress Hill-meets-Korn crew before proceeding to deliver what I can only describe as a devastating barrage of Slam Metal 101.
PeelingFlesh – Tivoli – photos by Bec Harbour
People were still filing into the already packed venue when the band kicked things off. Hip-hop samples, pig squeals, guttural growls and impossibly heavy instrumentation combined to create a wall of sound that instantly grabbed the crowd’s attention.
The audience was locked in from the start. ‘Candy Coated Corpse’ opened with a Mexican-style trumpet intro before exploding into another barrage of breakdowns, while ‘Perc 3000’ quickly became the crowd-surfing anthem of the set. A constant stream of bodies sailed over the barricade, keeping security busy catching patrons.
‘No Custer Shit’ reached back into the band’s older material before things ramped up again on the fifth track, which began with handclaps and a Latin-inspired “uno, dos, tres, cuatro” count before detonating into one of the heaviest moments of the night.
The entire set showcased PeelingFlesh’s trademark fusion of hip-hop and slam. During ‘Shoot 2 Kill’, the crowd threw their hands up and down in unison, fully embracing the groove-driven chorus that perfectly blended rap influences with crushing metal breakdowns.
PeelingFlesh – Tivoli – photos by Bec Harbour
The middle section of the set featured three songs from the band’s upcoming album. Despite being unreleased, the new material was met with enthusiasm and fit seamlessly alongside the established favourites, suggesting fans have plenty to look forward to when the record arrives.
After the new tracks, the band dedicated the next song to DJ Screw, with vocalist Damonteal Harris sporting a ‘Rest In Peace’ shirt in tribute. The dedication highlighted one of the defining aspects of PeelingFlesh’s identity: their willingness to wear their hip-hop influences proudly while still delivering some of the most punishing music in modern extreme metal.
The band closed with one final assault of crushing riffs, relentless grooves and nonstop crowd movement. By the end of the set, the floor was drenched in sweat, security had worked overtime dealing with crowd surfers, and PeelingFlesh had firmly established themselves as one of the most entertaining live acts I’ve seen.
If the room felt crowded throughout the night, it somehow became even more suffocating by the time Sanguisugabogg emerged. There was no dramatic blackout or theatrical entrance; the four-piece simply walked on stage to a wall of anticipation and immediately got down to business.
‘Rotted Entanglement’ opened proceedings and, from the first note, the moshpit was in full flight. Cody Davidson’s guitar work tore through the venue atop a barrage of drums, while Devin Swank’s cavernous vocals commanded horns in the air from every corner of the room. There would be little respite from there.
Sanguisugabogg – Tivoli – photos by Bec Harbour
‘Feeding for Bloodshed’ followed with a vicious combination of dissonant blasts and rapid-fire passages that bordered on hardcore aggression, all while retaining the band’s trademark slam-laden heaviness. The pit responded accordingly, surging forward with every tempo shift.
Before launching into ‘Skin Cushion’, the band briefly highlighted the track’s absurd premise — killing people and turning them into furniture, before the song’s crushing grooves quickly returned everyone to violence.
Tracks from Hideous Aftermath landed particularly hard. ‘Ritual of Autophagia’ sparked the first major wave of crowd surfers, somehow generating even more chaos than the earlier pit eruptions during PeelingFlesh’s set.
Later, ‘Felony Abuse of a Corpse’ was dedicated to PeelingFlesh, with Damonteal Harris appearing on stage to recreate his guest performance from the studio recording. When the song accelerated midway through, a second circle pit immediately opened and spun wildly across the front of the venue.
Sanguisugabogg – Tivoli – photos by Bec Harbour
Between songs, Swank’s sense of humour provided brief moments of relief. A running joke about Australian accents and the way locals say “no” (“nourgh”) drew plenty of laughs, while the band’s appreciation for Australia was made clear, describing it as one of their favourite places to tour.
A crowd request for a shoey was swiftly shut down when Swank admitted he doesn’t drink alcohol, joking that maybe chocolate milk could work, though it probably wouldn’t end well.
The brutality resumed with ‘Face Ripped Off’, followed by ‘Abhorrent Contraception’ and ‘Mortal Admonishment’, each serving as another lesson in savagery.
‘Dragged by a Truck’ felt exactly as advertised, delivering a blunt-force impact that rattled the room and left bodies colliding in every direction.
Sanguisugabogg – Tivoli – photos by Bec Harbour
By the time the unmistakable opening of ‘Dead as Shit’ arrived, the crowd had one final explosion left in reserve. The slower, crushing introduction gave way to the song’s signature d-beat “tupa-tupa” charge, triggering one last collective mosh.
And with that, the night was over.
I’m sure a lot of people woke up sore the next morning, but that’s the price to pay for an incredibly entertaining and fun night of brutality.
