Witness the ‘Malignant Perfection’ of Chaos and Carnage

April 26, 2025 – The Chaos and Carnage Tour returned to San Antonio this past weekend, championing its sixth iteration. With a revolving lineup each year, the pressure to one-up last year’s tour is a never ending battle; One that Chaos and Carnage keeps winning. Last year featured such acts as Cattle Decapitation, Carnifex, Rivers of Nihil, and Humanity’s Last Breath. Well, folks, I can confirm that Chaos and Carnage has upped the stakes this year, and to be honest, I’m not sure how they’ll beat it next year. With such touring acts as Corpse Pile, Vomit Forth, Undeath, Ne Obliviscaris, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Cradle of Filth, and Dying Fetus, there was no room for mediocre metal. Even the local openers – Blight feeder, Nevallum, Fluxus Mortis, and Scars of the Flesh – ripped the audience wide open and left no scraps. Let’s relive the night.

Barely ten minutes after the doors opened, local deathcore outfit, Blightfeeder, opened the wound and summoned the chaos on the Rock Box stage. Out of all of the openers, this was the one I was the least familiar with, but I was quickly impressed. Their new song, “Where the Lost Ones Weep” sounds fantastic live. With a tech-death sort of flair, Blightfeeder stirred the pot, and and were a great sound for the early crowd to walk into.

Houston-based brutal slamming death metal darlings, Corpse Pile, were the introduction to the main stage. Corpse Pile’s set was defined by some of the grimiest guttural vocals I’ve ever heard, a bass tone that sounded like elevator cables crashing together, and a snare drum that sounded like machine gun fire during blast beats. It was gnarly, but a warm introduction to the evening.

Corpse Pile Gallery:

Melo-death act, Nevallum, was the next band to play the Rock Box stage. I’d seen (and covered) Nevallum before, and I knew I was in for a treat. I love their presence. Low stage energy be damned, when the house told them to start their set, the entire band jumped into it by shredding out some of my favorite songs from their discography, slamming and jumping and going berserk. Nevallum command a sort of respect to the stage that I admire deeply. I’ll see them anytime I get the chance.

Nevallum Gallery:

The coolest dudes of the night played next: Vomit Forth. I brought my buddy Michael to see the show. He had a good time, but he’s not a metalhead, and so some of the appreciation and general excitement for the ethos of the event went right over his head. He hung out in the Rock Box room for a lot of the show, hiding form mosh pits and crowdkillers, and just generally having a chill time. In this time, he got to meet the dudes from Vomit Forth at their merch table – all of whom adored his Dragon Ball Z shirt, and immediately hit it off with him. They took photos with him and even recreated a Dragon Ball moment on video with him. They’re really great guys off stage. On stage, however, they’re possibly the scariest group you’ll ever see perform in front of you. Vomit Forth’s intensity is so sharp that it felt like the riffs were skinning me alive as I paced the barricade, snapping pics of the bands as they played a solid setlist of
filthy songs.

Vomit Forth Gallery:

Fluxus Mortis played the Rock Box stage next. Fluxus Mortis is good old fashioned black metal, and some of the best you’ll ever hear. Taking obvious influence from such groups as Bathory, they have a wicked sound – and perfect look – that intimidates and commands any audience they play in front of. Randy’s vocals are perfect for their sound. Probably not the best band to take your religious friends to go see, but if you’re into the kind of band that would write a song titled “Blasphemy Sex Magick” then Fluxus Mortis is for you.

Fluxus Mortis Gallery:

The first time I saw Undeath was February of 2023 at that very same venue. They opened for Thy Art Is Murder, the same show where I got myself whooped pretty bad during Kublai Khan’s set and had to sit in the handicap section. Not only was it my first time going to a show by myself, but it was also my first time at that venue. I took some pics of them as I stood against the barricade and watched in awe at the sheer brutality that was taking place before me. Fast forward a good two years later, and Undeath was playing that very same venue, that very same stage, and playing a few of those very same songs. I’d be wasting my time if I didn’t tell you that they sounded even better than they did two years ago, and their new songs are gems.

Undeath Gallery:

Closing the Rock Box stage for the night, the homies in Scars of the Flesh played their blend of blackened death metal for the growing crowd that had the event center packed from wall to wall. Kobey Lange, vocalist of Scars of the Flesh, and Cerebral Desecration, is a local legend with pipes that knock down a building. Collyn Rios – of Black Jackal fame, the San Antonio rockers who got invited to Hell’s Heroes this year – took his seat behind the drums, and with full cooperation of the whole band, they buried that audience in rubble. Scars of the Flesh were a perfect choice to end the evening local lineup.

Scars of the Flesh Gallery:

And so, with all eyes focused on the main stage now, Australian experimental orchestral group, Ne Obliviscaris, appeared from the hazy stage with violin in hand. They only had about forty-five minutes of set time; So naturally the band only played four songs. Ne Oblivisacris does not believe in the existence of short songs. It worked out great for the photographers who were abiding by the “ first three, no flash rule”, since the first three songs lasted about thirty-two minutes, but I honestly wish I could have experienced the performance from an aisle seat in a traditional concert hall. This year’s Chaos and Carnage was backed by bands that would perform so well in seated venues. It’s an opinion that may be charged in blasphemy, but nonetheless, Ne Obliviscaris would kill in a concert hall.

Ne Oblivisacris Gallery:

Fleshgod Apocalypse’s signature sound of operatic metal is outstanding. A traditional metal band backed by a pianist slamming away on a grand piano, and a classically trained operatic soprano is really special in and of itself – but to add corpse paint and candelabras and full costumes for everyone is to commit to the bit in ways that I’ve been obsessed with ever since. Fleshgod Apocalypse is a band I was intrigued by for a while, but now I’m obsessed.

Fleshgod Apocalypse Gallery:

My personal heroes of the evening, Cradle of Filth, walked out to the Hellraiser theme song. As an English major – and someone who fixates on lyrics and poetic devices – I’ve always had great respect for Dani Filth’s lyricism and use of language. His tone is majestic, his words always connect to such beautiful syntax, and the stories he’s able to tell are magnificent. I’ve listened to them since high school, and now, a decade later, I got to bask in the perfection that is Cradle of Filth. Playing songs from their album “Midian” which celebrates an anniversary this year, and their newest release “Screaming of the Valkyries”, their short and sweet setlist was one that was full of really great material. It made my night.

Cradle of Filth Gallery:

Finally, the death metal legends in Dying Fetus crumbled the rest of the building down with their smashing, visceral sound. Dying Fetus is a band I don’t particularly love, but I can’t deny that they have a certain sound that’s as addictive as signature death metal sounds can get. Something about that drumming is wild, anxious, and frantic. To be honest, with the way that crowd was moving, I’d be scared to be in a Dying Fetus pit. I’m not sure if the name Dying Fetus ells you anything, but they enjoy extremes. Harder music, deeper riffs, more violent crowds, and that’s precisely what they got.

Dying Fetus Gallery:

Overall, Chaos and Carnage 2025 was a massive success. From the touring acts to the local bands, to all of the really cool people who came up to me and started talking to me about ZRockR and their favorite sets, it was a genuinely great night for a metalhead such as myself. Next years iteration will be just as glorious, but for now, check and see if they’re coming to you! Chaos and Carnage is still burning a path through the US right now, so don’t miss it!

Remaining Dates:
05/01 New York, NY @ Palladium Times Square
05/02 Richmond, VA @ The National
05/03 Reading, PA @ Reverb
05/04 Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
05/06 Montreal, QC CAN @ L’Olympia
05/07 Toronto, ONT CAN @ Rebel
05/08 Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot
05/09 Chicago, IL @ Radius
05/10 Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
05/12 Wichita, KS @ TempleLive
05/14 Denver, CO @ Fillmore

PHOTO CREDIT: Live photos by Liam Tennant for ZRockR Magazine – (c) 2025 – All Rights Reserved.