Live Review: Cryptopsy bring Decibel Magazine Tour chaos to Los Angeles – 5/12/2026
One of the best problems to have in Los Angeles, CA, is when two or more great shows are happening on the same random Tuesday night. On May 12th, 2026, Canadian Death metal band Cryptopsy was headlining at the Belasco, while Finland’s black metal band Oranssi Pazuzu was playing in Highland Park. For this reason, and because it was a weekday, Cryptopsy had an average crowd rather than being sold out. This Los Angeles show was about midway through the Decibel Magazine Tour, which featured support by Necrot, Spirit Adrift, and Blood Monolith. On a very sad note, the original tour lineup consisted of Italian brutal death metal band Fulci, who couldn’t get their Visa approved on time, and this was because the US is full of shit, not to mention money hungry, in the worst possible ways. Fulci was just here in the US not too long ago, and they deserved that slot, which would have offered them more than twenty minutes of set time. This issue could spark another article entirely, but it must at least be acknowledged because it is affecting many overseas bands in unfair ways. Culture is everything, and fuck anyone who doesn’t understand the importance of allowing foreigners into our country to share their music among other beautiful subjects.
On to the show: Blood Monolith is a very recently formed death metal band featuring members of Nails, Undeath, Ulthar, and Genocide Pact. They had an entire thirty minutes of set time, and their brutal death was a perfect setup for the night to come. The future is plentiful for these dudes and dudettes for sure. Their female drummer set off some great gunshot blast beats throughout their heavy set, and overall, they dressed to impress with their brand of death metal. Next up, in place of Fulci, were Texas locals Spirit Adrift. While they are more rooted in melodic doom metal and stoner rock, they appeased the audience by having a blast. Sometimes mixing up the genres is a blessing in disguise.
The evening’s direct support came from Oakland-based death metal band Necrot. These dudes carry speed and some thrash elements that enhance their death metal. They have gotten better and better over the years, and started out great. They played hits from five different albums, and none fell short. Frontman Luca Indrio carries a brutal hair-whipping energy that sets him apart from the masses. Their latest album from 2024, Lifeless Birth, is as badass as ever and bodes well in a live setting. It is highly recommended to see these guys live, and soon they may even be headlining their own tour.
As for Canadian tech and brutal death metal band Cryptopsy, they broke onto the stage with their hour-long set full of life. Vocalist Matt McGachy has a unique vocal range that can switch from the deep, guttural Cannibal Corpse-style death metal to an almost black-metal style of harsh,higher-pitched vocals. It’s just one of the most entertaining elements of this band. The band dates back to 1988 under a different name, but this current lineup seems to give them a run for their money, as they all work pretty well as a team. The Belasco Theater has become a pretty familiar haunt for the LA metal scene, with no complaints really. Besides the crazy drink prices and slight acoustic issues on the ground floor, it is a good space to work with. The large outdoor patio, which fits an extra merch booth or two and serves as a hub for stage equipment, is a nice bonus. There really is not much more to say about this show other than, if you weren’t there, you missed out. However, if you attended Oranssi Pazuzu instead, you can’t be blamed, since you still made a decent choice, since they rarely come to the US. Stay metal and tune into the next show review! There are plenty of good heavy metal shows coming up this spring and summer.
