M'Lou Elkins
CHAOS & CARNAGE 2025
Dying Fetus and Cradle of Filth
w/ Fleshgod Apocalypse, Ne Obliviscaris, Vomit Forth, Corpse Pile, Undeath
5/8/25 – Crofoot Complex – Pontiac, MI
©David Jones
For the first time in the annals of sonic devastation, two towering forces of extreme metal, Dying Fetus and Cradle of Filth, unleashed hell together as co-headliners of the 2025 CHAOS & CARNAGE TOUR. This wasn’t just a tour, it was an all-out warzone with a battalion of heavyweights joining the charge: Fleshgod Apocalypse, bringing their symphonic death metal grandeur; Ne Obliviscaris, known for their progressive and melodic intricacies; Undeath, delivering old-school death metal brutality; Vomit Forth, with their relentless hardcore-infused death metal assault; and Corpse Pile, adding their raw, unfiltered aggression to the mix.
Now six years deep into its reign, CHAOS & CARNAGE has solidified its place as a blood-soaked altar to both the gods of heavy music and the next generation of sonic annihilators. Past editions have summoned the likes of Whitechapel, Carnifex, Suicide Silence, Cattle Decapitation, Lorna Shore, Humanity’s Last Breath, Aborted, and more, turning venues across the country into moshing battlegrounds and sweat-drenched monuments to metal’s most extreme. This year? Louder. Heavier. Meaner. And absolutely unforgettable.
On Thursday, May 8th, the CHAOS & CARNAGE tour tore through the Crofoot Complex in Pontiac, Michigan, leaving a trail of flailing limbs and sweaty bodies in its wake. As it was held at the Crofoot ballroom, a two-level complex with three different rooms, some of the finest death metal bands in Michigan also offered their support, since this tour gave the chance to some locals. That’s always a beautiful thing.
From the first band onward, the pit was a flowing mass of people moving back and forth and being tossed around like rag dolls. The breakdowns were crushing; the squealing guitars were satisfying on the ears, and the guttural screams savaged the Crofoot.
From the first guttural roar to the last blasted beat, Undeath’s set was a relentless assault of old-school death metal brutality, drenched in sweat, blood, and breakdowns.
The pit erupted the moment they hit the stage, and there was no let-up, just wave after wave of crushing riffs and feral energy. Undeath proved once again why they’re one of the most vital forces in the modern death metal scene.
Corpse Pile delivered one of the most savage sets of the Chaos & Carnage Tour 2025, turning the venue into a warzone of slams, squeals, and sheer sonic violence. Their guttural onslaught and crushing breakdowns had the crowd in a frenzy, with bodies flying, heads banging, and the pit swirling like a vortex of, well, chaos.
It was raw, filthy, and gloriously heavy, exactly what you’d hope for from one of the underground’s most unhinged slam death acts. Corpse Pile didn’t just play, they obliterated.
Vomit Forth brought a devastating level of heaviness to the stage, delivering a set that felt like getting hit by a freight train made of concrete riffs and relentless blast beats. Their sound was suffocating in the best way: dense, aggressive, and unrelenting from start to finish. There wasn’t anything super complex about this band, just brutal screams, skull-crushing breakdowns, and a heaviness about them that never let up.
The crowd reacted accordingly, with nonstop moshing and a pit that seemed to open wider with every drop. Vomit Forth proved they’re not just heavy, they’re crushing, and they left the venue in absolute ruin.
Ne Obliviscaris, on the other hand, were anything but simple death metal. The solemn sounds of a violin were pleasant on the ears, and man could their violinist Tim Charles play. He stunned the crowd with an incredibly impressive violin solo, which was quite captivating.
These guys are an Australian Progressive Metal band from Melbourne, and they were awesome. From the heavy breakdowns, the sounds of the violin penetrating through the screaming guitars and the brutal screams of their front man, James Dorton, these guys are so impressive.
Check out the Ne Obliviscaris concert photos below:
They also had a melodic sense about them, as not only is Tim the violinist, but he also provided clean vocals, which swept the audience away.
The moshing didn’t stop the entire night; sweaty bodies colliding with one another in a violent frenzy. Fleshgod Apocalypse took the room by storm with their melodic blend of opera and metal. Symphonic metal is an amazing subgenre, and Fleshgod are some of the best at it. They are a metal band from Italy, and their opera singer, Veronica, was incredible. But that doesn’t detract from how heavy this band is at its roots, sweeping the audience into a fray.
Around this time was when the deluge of crowd surfers started flowing, cascading over the barricade and being caught by security. It was a constant fray of people, and it was amazing to see.
Cradle of Filth was the biggest surprise of the night. They were fantastic. The crowd surfing didn’t stop for them either. They opened their set with “Nemesis” off of Nemphetamine, followed by “The Principle of Evil Made Flesh.” There were huge fans of the band hanging out at the barricade, screaming the words of the songs back to frontman, Dani Filth. The band also wore costumes; one of the guitarists was dressed as Pinhead, from the horror film “Hellraiser”.
They crushed it; a combination of black metal and gothic metal, with the stylings of symphonic metal, which had been exhibited from some of the other bands before Cradle crushed the stage.
Finally, Dying Fetus took the stage in a glow of red and green lights that bathed the stage. Crushing breakdowns were traded for blast beats from the double kick drum of their drummer Trey Williams. The energy didn’t die down. It became exacerbated as Dying Fetus played just straight-up death metal.
Incoherent vocal patterns mixed with guitar solos and frenetic drumming created an energetic atmosphere of crowd surfing and moshing to end a glorious night of heavy music.
CHAOS & CARNAGE 2025 wasn’t about trends or nostalgia. It was about power, presence, and pushing the boundaries of extreme music. For fans lucky enough to be in the pit, it was a masterclass in brutality from some of the heaviest hitters in the game.
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