Alcatraz Line up: 2017, 2019

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. Carnation is synonymous with pure and unadulterated death metal – fans of the early Florida death metal scene will eat this shit up. Carnation burst upon the death metal scene with their maiden EP ‘Cemetery of the Insane’ (2015). An intensive touring schedule honed their live skills and took them to far-flung countries such as Brazil and Japan. Their hard work paid off when the French major label Season of Mist signed them in early 2018 and unleashed their full-length debut ‘Chapel of Abhorrence’ in the summer: an impressive slab of old school death metal that exudes a desolate, 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 your hackles rise. In spite of the ungodly hour, they played their first Alcatraz set in 2017 to an overflowing Swamp, which in itself is an amazing feat. Just check out their memorable ‘Live at Asakusa Deathfest’ recording from 2017 that documents Carnation at their blistering best. Brace yourselves for a death metal onslaught by one of Belgium’s leading metal bands!