Alcatraz Line up: 2023

If ever a genre is described as ‘tongue-in-cheek death metal’ we can tell you right now which band will be its main exponent. For over a quarter century, the Belgian death mongers in Serial Butcher have been spewing the most brutal death metal with the goriest lyrics as the icing on the blood-oozing cake. It’s all wink-wink nudge-nudge, of course - or what did you expect with song titles as ‘Sadistic Spare Parts Surgery’, ‘Rusty Lawnmowing Massacre’, ‘Fresh Frozen Females’ or ‘Worm Buffet’ off their most recent album ‘Brute Force Lobotomy’? And then there’s popular favourite ‘Reduced to a Sausage’ and the accompanying video shot in the local abattoir… The butchers themselves have earned their stripes on the extreme metal scene in such illustrious bands as Aborted, Emeth, Moker and Ectopia. Raw and mercilessly pounding hooks and blasts are the least you can expect. Long-time vocalist Kurt ‘Monie’ Termonia recently stepped down, with Carrion’s Sven Van Severen stepping in as his permanent replacement.