Hyperdontia, Kassogtha & Murge

The show begins at 8pm on the dot. Murge is first on stage; the band from Lausanne opens their set with a short intro sample, followed by „The Silent Truth,“ one of the songs off their so far only release, a self-titled EP they’ve shared with the world in 2021. But more might be on the horizon—half of their set list consists of new material. And it’s definitely something to look forward to: Murge manages to combine technicality, brutality, and surprising dynamism, building upon their earlier material.

After a short pause, it was Kassogtha’s turn. The Geneva-based band is currently preparing for the release of their newest album and promoting it across the French-speaking part of Switzerland, including here, at the Amalgame. It’s their first time playing in Yverdon, but they are by no means unknown here—and they were able to count on the loyal support of their fans in the first row, who welcomed them on stage with loud cheering. Not to mention their quite busy live schedule, which makes them basically unavoidable in the local Death Metal scene—personally, this is the fifth time I’ve seen them in the last two years and the third time as a photographer. As always, Kassogtha delivered a great show with a lot of movement—their nearly entirely wireless setup helps a lot here. The audience matches the energy and starts a small moshpit.

The monitors wander back on stage, and it’s Hyperdontia’s turn. The band is celebrating their newest EP „Dormant Scourge“ with the „Scourge across Europe“ tour. Despite it being the namesake of their tour, they only include one of the two songs from the short EP in their live set. Otherwise, the audience gets to enjoy a selection of other recently released songs, like those from their 2024 album „Harvest of Malevolence.“ For the first song, they go back even further in time and play „Majesty“ off their first album, „Nexus of Teeth.“ From the beginning, Hyperdontia convinces with crushing riffs. The only downside: it was almost impossible to even see the band for the most part. They were mainly illuminated with strobes from the back of the stage, and combined with a thick layer of smoke, one’s best option was to simply close the eyes and listen. Not having to shield your eyes still makes for a better experience, though. Even though I would have loved to stay until the end, I had to leave a bit early for my last connection back home—and the lights made it a bit easier to say goodbye. Still, a successful show, and a very well-attended one for a Thursday. And—it was nice to, for once, have not one, but two bands on stage that feature women.