Winnipeg's The Park Theatre was transformed into a brutal metal battleground on October 16, 2024, as the Necromanteum USA & Canada Part 2 Tour rolled through the city, led by deathcore titans Carnifex. The evening featured an unrelenting lineup of extreme metal acts, with opening sets by Heavy//Hitter, Organectomy, Mental Cruelty, and Cryptopsy, culminating in a devastating headlining performance by Carnifex.
Heavy//Hitter kicked things off, laying the groundwork for the night’s brutality. Despite still being a relatively underground act, their set was packed with the kind of intensity that could easily match the veterans on the bill. They opened with an unreleased track that immediately grabbed the audience’s attention, followed by the crushing "Paved In Blood." Another new song kept the energy high before they launched into "Waste Of Life" and "No Mercy, No Remorse." Their finale included the unreleased “Heaven’s Gate” and the groovy "Wall of Wax," leaving the crowd primed for what was to come.
Organectomy. Photos by Kay Arnal.
Organectomy, hailing from New Zealand, brought their signature brand of brutal death metal. Opening with "Congrete," they hit the audience with a barrage of guttural growls, blast beats, and down-tuned riffs. The set was unrelenting, with highlights like "The Third Mutation" and "Plague Mouth" showcasing their slamming brutality. "Corpsethrone" and the crushing "Tracheal Hanging" intensified the pit, and by the time they closed with the apocalyptic "Entropic Decay," the audience was left gasping for breath.
Mental Cruelty. Photos by Kay Arnal.
Germany’s Mental Cruelty took the stage next, delivering a symphonic blackened deathcore onslaught. Their setlist, filled with tracks like "Midtvinter" and "Obsessis a Daemonio," blended haunting atmospheres with punishing breakdowns. "King ov Fire" and "Forgotten Kings" stirred up some of the nights most violent mosh pits, and "Nordlys" showcased their atmospheric side, adding eerie, orchestral elements to their brutal sound. They closed their set with "Symphony of a Dying Star," a sonic journey that left the crowd in awe of their ferocity and musicianship.
Cryptopsy. Photos by Kay Arnal.
Finally, Carnifex took the stage, enveloping the venue in a dark, ominous atmosphere. They opened with "Torn in Two" from their latest album Necromanteum, a slow-burning yet ferocious introduction that led into the fan-favourite "Graveside Confessions." From there, the crowd was thrown into the abyss with "Dark Days" and the title track "Necromanteum," with Scott Ian Lewis' growls echoing through the venue like a death knell.
The brutality didn’t let up as the band powered through "Slit Wrist Savior" and the crushing "Crowned in Everblack." As the crowd erupted into a sea of headbanging, "Lie to My Face" unleashed a ferocious wave of energy, turning the pit into a chaotic vortex. The haunting "Heaven and Hell All at Once" added a more melodic yet darkly atmospheric touch, allowing brief moments of eerie calm before diving back into the maelstrom with "Dark Heart Ceremony."
Carnifex. Photos by Kay Arnal.
Carnifex’s set was as relentless as it was cathartic. By the time they reached the brutal closer "Drown Me in Blood," the audience had been through a whirlwind of raw emotion and sheer heaviness. The synergy between the band and the crowd was electric, with every breakdown and blast beat met with roars of approval and a frenzied pit.
The night was a celebration of extreme metal in all its forms, from the slamming brutality of Organectomy to the blackened deathcore of Mental Cruelty, the technical mastery of Cryptopsy, and the deathcore veterans Carnifex. Winnipeg’s metal fans were treated to a night they won’t soon forget—The Park Theatre may never be the same.