Napal Death returned to shake Argentina
A raw, visceral, and relentless night unfolded on Friday, December 5th, when the legendary NAPALM DEATH, absolute pioneers of Grindcore and standard-bearers of sonic chaos, returned to Buenos Aires to unleash an avalanche of noise, fury, and social awareness. The chosen venue: Uniclub, transformed into a blazing cauldron where there was no respite for anyone.
The first onslaught of the night came courtesy of MANGER CADAVRE, a Brazilian band
tasked with raising the curtain with a corrosive mix of Hardcore Punk and Death Metal.
From the first chords, they made it clear they weren’t there to go unnoticed: razor-sharp riffs, an incendiary attitude, and a performance that shook the audience, who, as they continued
entering the venue, responded with raised fists and a warm, genuine respect.
Next up was MEDIUM, the local representation of dark chaos, who enveloped us
in a dense and charged atmosphere. Their sound, marked by somber textures and hints of Black Metal, immersed the audience in a trance that built the perfect atmosphere, preparing the ground for the inevitable: the devastating return of the British band. Napalm Death, for many, the cornerstone of Grindcore worldwide, burst onto the scene, unleashing chaos as only they can. More than forty years of experience and seventeen albums under their belt seemed impossible to condense into a single night, but the British band defied all logic: they invoked material from almost every era, traversing decades of rage, politics, and distortion. The setlist was a direct punch to the gut: around 24 songs that swept through time like a shredding machine. The band cruised relentlessly through eras and sounds, unleashing anthems like “Silence Is Deafening,” “Lowpoint,” “Smash a Single Digit,” “Contagion,” “Resentment Always Simmers,” “Amoral,” “Retreat to Nowhere,” “Social Sterility,” “Dead,” “Suffer the Children,” “On the Brink of Extinction,” and “Cold Forgiveness,” among many other classics that shook the Uniclub floor.
To top it all off, Napalm Death decided to plunge their fist into the very roots of the genre: the anthems of the legendary Scum (1987). The band unleashed fury with the title track, followed by the rabid “Control” and the infamous “& You Suffer”—those four seconds that are now a universal treasure of chaos. But before the crushing finale with “Siege of Power,” the band ignited the social spark with their classic Dead Kennedys cover, “Nazi Punks Fuck Off,” provoking a collective explosion that confirmed that at Uniclub, there were no spectators, but rather accomplices in a sonic battle. The closing was a human whirlwind: constant moshing, bodies flying from the stage, and a sea of unleashed fans. Every jump was a declaration, every shove a celebration of experiencing Grindcore firsthand. The night wasn’t just a concert; it was a raw, physical, and memorable experience, the kind that leaves your ears ringing and your heart pounding to the rhythm of the distortion.
Photos by Carlos Daly Aurenty
Review Luis Pucheta
Produced Noiseground