LIVE FROM THE PIT: Bodysnatcher, Ingested, Psycho-Frame and Big Ass Truck
- Katie Edwards
- Mar 18
- 4 min read
On Friday night, Birmingham's Asylum, renowned for hosting the infamous Total Uprawr, welcomed a night dedicated to deathcore as part of The Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home Tour. With doors opening after 6pm, fans steadily filtered through the venue, many stopping first at the sprawling merch tables before gathering around the stage. The lineup, featuring BIG ASS TRUCK, PSYCHO-FRAME, INGESTED, and main event BODYSNATCHER, promised an evening of uncompromising mayhem and the Birmingham crowd arrived ready to throw themselves straight into it.
Opening the night were BIG ASS TRUCK, who wasted little time igniting the room. Despite being the first band on stage, they immediately had bodies moving across the floor. Frontman, Abel Abarca, delivered a commanding performance, pacing the stage and urging the crowd into action while the rest of the band locked into their parts with near surgical precision.
The pit sprang to life quickly as heads began moving in unison throughout the venue. A standout moment arrived with the opening notes of Bunkbed, which had the crowd audibly roaring before the breakdown had even landed. When it did, the reaction was instant. The following track only escalated things further as the crowd heated up, chanting the lines right back at the stage, turning the room into pep rally. BIG ASS TRUCK ensured their brief but impactful appearance set the tone for the rest of the evening.
Next up were American deathcore collective PSYCHO-FRAME, who took the growing energy in the room and pushed it even further. Featuring two vocalists sharing the spotlight, the band brought a chaotic tag-team assault of gutturals and piercing screams that kept the audience locked in from the outset. Both frontmen moved constantly across the stage, jumping, headbanging, and unleashing piercing screams that cut through the venue’s thick atmosphere.
By the time Blueprint To Idle Genocide arrived as the second track, the room had noticeably filled out and the energy had climbed another notch. A circle pit quickly formed as the band demanded movement, with bodies spinning across the floor while others threw themselves into the fray. Between songs, one of the vocalists grinned and declared that “this could be the best show of our lives,” a moment that only seemed to further ignite the already enthusiastic crowd.
Encouraging constant participation, the duo ordered the audience to jump on command and welcomed any brave souls willing to attempt a crowd surf. While only one determined participant successfully made it over the barrier, the effort was met with cheers from both the band and the crowd. With relentless motion on stage and a barrage of scratchy screams and guttural delivery, PSYCHO-FRAME left the room buzzing and desperate for more.
If the temperature had been steadily rising throughout the evening, INGESTED ensured things reached boiling point. The Manchester death metal heavyweights delivered a crushing performance that felt both ferocious and controlled. Stepping in on vocal duties for the tour, was Adam Mercer of DEATHSTROKE, who immediately proved more than capable of commanding the stage.
From the moment the band launched into their opening tracks, the pit erupted once again. Mercer delivered cavernous gutturals that thundered through the venue, matching the band’s dense wall of riffs with ease. Behind him, the guitarists and bassist whipped their long hair in unison, headbanging through each punishing section while also contributing backing growls that thickened the already weighty sound.
The set dipped into older material from the band’s catalogue, drawing a loud response from longtime fans in the crowd. A major highlight arrived with Impending Dominance, introduced as a personal favourite and delivered with crushing precision. Its groove-driven aggression carried a familiar intensity, sending the Birmingham audience into another frenzy of movement. By the time INGESTED wrapped up, the room had transformed into a furnace of sweat and anticipation.
Finally, the moment the crowd had been waiting for arrived as BODYSNATCHER stepped onto the stage. With the venue now completely packed and the air thick with heat, the Florida outfit wasted no time launching into The Maker, instantly sending the pit into chaos.
The band delivered exactly the kind of uncompromising performance that has cemented BODYSNATCHER as one of the most destructive forces in modern deathcore. Each crushing breakdown sparked another wave of movement across the floor as the audience responded with relentless energy. Tracks such as Wired For Destruction drew some of the loudest reactions of the night, with circle pits, headbanging, and the occasional crowd surfer adding to the already volatile atmosphere.
By the time the final notes rang out, Asylum had become a sweat-soaked battleground of movement and noise. Every band on the bill had played their part in pushing the energy higher, but BODYSNATCHER ensured the night ended at its most ferocious point. The Birmingham crowd left thoroughly battered - a fitting end to a night that proved just how ferocious modern deathcore can be in a room like Asylum.
Words and photos: Katie Edwards
Comments