CANNIBAL CORPSE Turns Texas into a “Pit of Zombies”

If you’re the kind of person who can fill in the blank to the famous preamble – “this next song is about shooting blood from your…” then you may want to stick around because this one’s for you. That’s right, if you hadn’t guessed it already (or read the title of the article) we’re talking about the reigning death metal titans in CANNIBAL CORPSE and their infliction of chaos upon the Aztec Theatre this past week, with friends and co-performers Fulci, Full of Hell, and Municipal Waste! Continuing their North American Fall 2025 Tour, the lineup was brutal, the moshing was some of the best the city’s ever seen, and the memories will live on forever. ZRockR Magazine was lucky enough to be invited along for the ride, so let’s get into it.

The night began with Italian death metal act, Fulci, slicing the silence in the air wide open with a knife. Named after Italy’s very own godfather of gore – Lucio Fulci – the band opened their set with beloved track, “Apocalypse Zombie” from their album “Tropical Sun” before descending into giallo-slasher madness, hitting their latest singles from their 2024 album, “Duck Faced Killings”. With a projector behind them looping grisly clips from the best and most notorious of Lucio Fulci’s films, the band really took their horror movie gimmick and exploded it all over the crowd. Nothing says death metal like watching a the eyeball-splinter scene from Zombie (1979).

Maryland’s finest grindcore band, Full of Hell, took second place in the lineup, executing a set that was somehow modest, tinnitus-inducing, ambient, and flesh-searing all at the same time. Full of Hell was, admittedly, a bit of an odd one out, with their history of collaborating with shoegaze bands, their love of hardcore, and their deep roots centered in avant-garde noise and industrial projects, but they really let the pit simmer as they nailed their absolutely brain-shredding set. The moshing really started to take off, too, especially as the band hit their most famous track, “Crawling Back to God.” Between the feedback, the shrill screams, the beyond-insane drumming, and the wicked guitar tone, one could say that the audience had been reduced to nothing but a “Pile of Dead Horses”… then again, that wouldn’t really make a whole lot of sense.

Municipal Waste is so notorious that security doubled in size as the band began to set up for their hour of power – and let me tell you, it was some of the craziest, wildest, most party-rockin’ mischief I’ve seen in a hot minute. From enticing moshers to rush the VIP lounge area and mosh on the sofas, encouraging patrons to jump from the balcony for a free t-shirt (an obvious joke), having – what must have been – a record breaking amount of crowd surfing, and even getting in a little trouble for nearly having the handicap section trampled by hardcore dancers, there was not a single down moment the whole set. The most notorious and influential thrash band of the 2000s, Municipal Waste has seen its lineup changes over the past twenty-five years, but one thing remains consistent: Municipal Waste brings the party, you just gotta bring the moves.

Finally, it was time to welcome the kings, the titans, the unbeatable gods of gore-music, the dukes of death metal, the ultimate champions themselves, CANNIBAL CORPSE, back to San Antonio for their first headlining show since 2023. Opening the pit with the hit single, “Blood Blind”, from their last album, “Chaos Horrific”, the band needed no fancy walkout or introduction. After the pit-practice that the other bands offered, it was certified go-time for the crowd. Just check out this insane setlist:

Blood Blind
Scourge of Iron
Inhumane Harvest
Death Walking Terror
Disposal of the Body
The Wretched Spawn
Summoned for Sacrifice
Pit of Zombies
Evisceration Plague
Disfigured
Condemnation Contagion
Chaos Horrific
I Cum Blood
Unleashing the Bloodthirsty
Stripped, Raped and Strangled
Hammer Smashed Face

In terms of Cannibal Corpse setlists, it doesn’t get much more solid than this. Notorious,
beloved, there are few bands like Cannibal Corpse who can truly rise above the mainstream line
in such a brutal genre and still stay true to their roots, giving all of their love and attention to
their fans and keeping the whole night as fun and wild as it was. ZRockR is honored to have
been there to cover it for them.

If YOU want in on the insanity, check out the remaining tour dates down below and be sure to
join in on the insanity!

10/12/2025 Mars Music Hall – Huntsville, AL
10/14/2025 The Ritz – Raleigh, NC
10/15/2025 The National – Richmond, VA
10/17/2025 The Paramount – Long Island, NY
10/18/2025 Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ
10/19/2025 The Fillmore – Silver Spring, MD
10/21/2025 The Norva – Norfolk, VA
10/22/2025 The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC

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