I used to live in Enschede some 20 years ago. At that time, the club Atak was in Enschede. The Neigbouring Hengelo had a club too, called Metropool. Things were simple these days. The old Atak got closed down, a new Atak was build – much larger. And if I’m not mistaken Metropool also got a new building. Then the shit hit the fan and Atak went bankrupt and eventually Metropool started to run Atak too and apparently now uses the name Metropool as well. Confusing as hell as there are now multiple Metropools in the region. Anyway, I re-visited my Alma Mater for a gig of Pungent Stench (or properly Martin Schirenc plays Pungent Stench).

Mouflon was the first band playing. A Dutch band named after a sheep, doesn’t sound very death-metal-like. They play a bit of doom / death metal, leaning more towards death metal. Generally simple and rather generic songs. Not bad, but nothing great either.

Carnation is Belgian band death metal band. The singer came on stage covered in (fake) blood – welcome to the 90s sorts of. Musically, the sound a lot like Swedish death metal, especially Dismember. The Entombed cover song Supposed to Rot confirmed it. Even though it wasn’t played all that convincing. The melodic tremolo riffs sounded quite good, and I heard a couple of cool bass lines. Maybe a band to check out on album some time.

Pungent Stench started a little later than planned. But eventually they started off with the chugging riff of Extreme Deformity. And they would play all of their iconic debut album For God Your Soul, For Me Your Flesh. Unfortunately the gig was interrupted by power issues on stage cutting off the guitar sound three times, even though they were resolved kind of quickly, it was annoying as hell. Never the less it was great to hear these old songs, with their weird riffs and awkward lyrics live. After the rather slow A Small Lunch they played four more songs, Shrunken and Mummified Bitch off the second album, Dead Body Love off the split with Disharmonic Orchestra, Fuck Bizarre off Club Mondo Bizarre and the bluesy Viva La Muerta. Pretty great gig despite the troubles with the power.