I’m willing to bet that the hallowed grounds of Merthyr Tydfil’s town hall have never seen the likes of tonight’s guests, Liverpudlian death metal legends Carcass. Now known as the Redhouse Cymru, the 120+ year old building’s renovation in 2014 is going to get its first serious test tonight as the Bloody Blighty tour comes to a south Wales town not particularly renowned for its extreme metal scene. That could all change after tonight, though, as a sold-out crowd descend upon the Redhouse’s main hall in time for tour support Conjurer.

The Warwickshire four-piece bring their A-game tonight, in the somewhat off-brand confines of a hall basking in sunshine through its glass ceiling. Culling their set in the most part from last year’s mighty Pathos record, Conjurer’s intense mix of death and doom metal sometimes veers into Meshuggah territory, and will have gained them a few more fans tonight. As much as the show’s almost regal setting makes this a surreal experience, everybody seems to have a drink in hand, without a queue for the bar or toilets to be seen – and now it’s time for Carcass.

The early 90s was a fine time to be part of the Earache Records family, with bands like Napalm Death, Cathedral, Brutal Truth, Bolt Thrower and Carcass themselves all churning out career-defining albums. And as tonight’s headliners dive straight into Buried Dreams from 1993’s Heartwork, I’m reminded how much Carcass really pushed the boundaries in death metal at the time, with massive grooves that wouldn’t be out of place in the modern hardcore scene. The first real action in the crowd comes with Incarnated Solvent Abuse, and as frontman Jeff Walker wields his bass over audience members’ heads, the band look as fresh and focused as ever.

The setlist is clearly set to please: the band cover most of their catalogue, going back as far as 1991’s Symphonies Of Sickness with Exhume To Consume and Ruptured In Purulence, though sadly neglecting their debut LP Reek Of Putrefaction. The secret weapon in the Carcass arsenal is guitarist Bill Steer – with his long, flowing hair in a constant spin, he looks equally comfortable playing brutal death metal or peeling off beautiful solos. His mastery of the guitar gives the four-piece a massive advantage over their peers, as Black Star and Rotting In The Free World attest to.

A special amount of energy is purposely held back by partakers of the pit, yet fully unleashed when fan favourite Heartwork crashes in, as a sea of arms and legs ensure the security team earn their money tonight. The band leave us with a particularly brutal parting gift in the shape of the awesome 316L Grade Surgical Steel. An immense performance in unique surroundings, tonight felt a little bit special.

Carcass + Conjurer, Redhouse Cymru, Merthyr Tydfil, Wed 31 May

words CHRIS ANDREWS