The Japanese grindcore band hit the road with Sanguisugabogg, Vomit Forth and Gates to Hell on the North American Incisions Tour.
Nashville’s The End, one of the few remaining independent music venues in the city, is packed to capacity on a recent Saturday night. On the dusk-caked rafters of the diminutive space, a single fan struggles to spin. A pitiful and futile attempt at relief from the sweltering temperatures inside.
It’s the fifth night of the North American Incisions Tour 2023, headlined by Sanguisugabogg with support from Vomit Forth, Gates to Hell, Deterioration and Kruelty. The latter join the tour all the way from Tokyo, Japan in support of their latest record, Untopia, released earlier this year.
There was a palpable excitement for the Japanese outfit among the crowd. While Sanguisugabogg and Vomit Forth were well represented, each had played in Music City within the last year. Many were eager to see firsthand how gnarly and brutal Kruelty were going to be live.
Kruelty have been making a name for themselves in the underground since 2017, combining frenetic, grindcore stylings with elements of death metal and a dash of hardcore. It’s allowed them to hop on bills with bands from all of those styles without ever feeling out of place.
“Nashville, what the fuck is up!” guitarist and vocalist Zuma said to start their set. “We are Kruelty, from Tokyo, Japan! Who’s ready for us? Who is ready for us?! Show me where to go!” They kicked their six-song set off with “Unknown Nightmare” which immediately sent heads banging, following it up with Untopia’s second track “Harder Than Before.”
Over the next 30 minutes they hit cuts from both their albums as well as a track from their split with Terminal Nation last year. The grooves were impossible to ignore, held down by the impressive rhythm section of drummer Mani and bassist SE7 and capped off by Zuma and fellow guitarist MCD’s violent, chainsaw tone.
The crowd responded in kind, slamming into each other for the entire set and stopping only to two-step when appropriate. A few people even got spit out onto the outdoor patio, thanks to the unfortunate placement of the door.
Though still early into the trek, the bands are riding high from the first few sets of shows, and take the stage in Nashville to a sold out crowd. With over 200 people crammed into the tiny space with the mid-July Tennessee heat blazing outside, it wouldn’t be surprising to learn the thermometer inside tickled close to triple digits.
“Yo, it was insanely hot, haha,” Kruelty guitarist and vocalist Zuma said. “The room was tiny so I can understand that easily, though. People had good energy and vibes. I’m pretty sure the show was a killer!”
Indeed, despite the heat the crowd did not stand still. Sweat, limbs, shoes, hats and bodies flew early and often. Vomit Forth even managed to successfully orchestrate a wall of death, which essentially included everyone in the venue whether they liked it or not. But it goes to show the bands are on stage to shred and have a good time, and the crowd was happy to oblige.
“It’s been crazy!” Zuma said of the first few dates of the tour. “I believe the last time [we toured America] was right after the pandemic started to get slower, so some of the shows didn’t have a good number of people, so we’re truly happy that we have been able to play in front of kinda big number of them!
The Incisions tour is Kruelty’s first North American tour since early in 2022, where they hit only half as many cities as they’ll do this summer. The prospect of going to places they’ve never been before and playing to brand new people excites them greatly, even if they’re already sick of American fast food.
“[Our favorite memory from the tour so far is] definitely that we played six shows with Deterioration. They’re so sick. Duo grindcore band with down tuned guitars but no toms on drums? Crazy. Mad respect to them. Hopefully we can play together with them soon.”
Deterioration ended their run on the tour the next night in St. Louis. The rest of the bands carry on until Dead Body joins them for a quartet of shows at the very end. Kruelty and Sanguisugabogg will also make an appearance and LA’s Sound and Fury festival, quickly becoming one of the more legendary hardcore festivals in the country.
“I’m very looking forward to see God’s Hate and Kommand,” Zuma said about the bands on the bill. “Especially Kommand on Sound and Fury is crazy to me since I don’t think they’re hardcore guys as far as I know. I’m very curious to see how their set will go. I’m sure they’re gonna rule though!”
For now though, Kruelty rages across North America. They’ll hit Canada and the Pacific Northwest at the end of July before making their appearance at Sound and Fury, and working their way back east to wrap up the tour in upstate New York.
The remaining dates of the North American Incisions Tour 2023, featuring Sanguisugabogg Vomit Forth, Gates to Hell, Deterioration and Kruelty can be found below.
North American Incisions Tour w/ Sanguisugabogg, Vomit Forth, Gates To Hell and Kruelty
regional support from Deterioration * and Deadbody ^
7/27/2023 The Holland Project – Reno, NV
7/28/2023 Full Circle Brewery – Fresno, CA
7/29/2023 Cornerstone – Berkeley, CA
7/30/2023 Sound And Fury Festival @ Exposition Park, Los Angeles, CA
7/31/2023 Eagle Aerie Hall – Las Vegas, NV
8/02/2023 House Of Rock – Corpus Christi, TX
8/03/2023 Chelsea’s Live – Baton Rouge, LA
8/04/2023 The Handlebar – Pensacola, FL
8/05/2023 The Conduit – Orlando, FL
8/06/2023 1904 Music Hall – Jacksonville, FL
8/08/2023 New Brookland Tavern – Columbia, SC
8/09/2023 Motorco Music Hall – Durham, NC
8/10/2023 House Of Independents – Asbury Park, NJ ^
8/11/2023 Amityville Music Hall – Amityville, NY ^
8/12/2023 Webster Underground – Hartford, CT ^
8/13/2023 Empire Underground – Albany, NY ^
End Tour
8/14/2023 Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA w/ Outer Heaven, Goetia
8/15/2023 Metro – Baltimore, MD w/ Firestarter, Gradual Slip, Morbideity, Immersed In Pain
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