Hailing from the Flemish town of Heist-op-den-Berg, Carnation was born from a passion for the old school death metal of the 80s and early 90s. They exploded onto the death metal scene with their maiden EP ‘Cemetery of the Insane’ (2015). Frenzied touring enabled them to hone their chops and took them to far-flung countries such as Brazil and Japan. Their hard work paid off when they were snatched up by French major label Season of Mist, who unleashed their full-length debut ‘Chapel of Abhorrence’ in the summer of 2018: an impressive slab of old school death metal bathed in a despondent, brooding atmosphere. The occasional thrash and black metal snippets are bound to bring a smile to any metal veteran’s lips and the booming guttural roars of frontman Simon Duson invariably make the hair on your neck stand on end. Be sure to check out their memorable ‘Live at Asakusa Deathfest’ recording from 2017 or the COVID-era live studio recording ‘The Galaxy Sessions’, both of which document Carnation at their bludgeoning best. If we’re lucky they may even throw in a few cuts from their upcoming third studio album ‘Cursed Mortality’. Whichever the case: brace for impact when one of Belgium’s premier death metal outfits takes the stage! #GMM23
