Concert review: Gorepig, plus a local metal showcase feat. Sever the Weak, Immortal Corpse, Sacrifice the Sacred, & Fumare | 07.29.25, Red Flag (with photo gallery)

Photo of Gorepig’s Cody Lambert by Katie Pinkston

It was a regular Tuesday night and the air was thick. I’m talking you’re walking through thick soup. It felt like the gates of Hell had cracked open. While waiting in line to get into Red Flag, I overheard one of the local band members joking (I think?) with us in line. “First person to bring us a tooth from the pit gets a free shirt,” he said. Half of me laughed. The other half wasn’t so sure it was a joke. I’ve seen things.

The doors opened at 6:30pm, and as I stepped inside, the air shifted. It wasn’t just the A/C, though that did offer some blessed relief from this brutal heatwave. What I felt was something else. An eerie certainty deep in my chest. I was in the right place, at the right time.

But before we dive into the squealing, swine-fueled chaos that was the headliner, I want to give a shout out to the local bands who opened the show. They did an excellent job tenderizing the crowd for the main course, I mean headliner. The night kicked off with Sever the Weak, Immortal Corpse, Sacrifice the Sacred, and Fumare.

Sever the Weak is a five-piece death metal band that knows how to command a stage. The drums were so tight and fast that, had I not been photographing them, I’d have assumed they were using a backing track.

Immortal Corpse, around since 1992, brought serious old-school death metal energy. Think spine-on-the-mic-stand hardcore. No really there was a spine on the mic stand, so I knew they meant business. These guys don’t mess around and clearly know how to work a crowd.

Sacrifice the Sacred, a deathcore band formed in 2021, brought modern brutality. What’s the difference between deathcore and death metal? I’m so glad you asked. Deathcore is a subgenre that is a combination of death metal and metal core. But Katie, what’s metalcore? That’s a conversation for another time. All you need to know is their bassist was a total vibe. He wore a bucket hat and backpack onstage the entire time. What was in the backpack?

Fumare closed out the locals, and according to their Facebook, this was their debut show. And holy hell, they crushed it. Their long, luxurious hair was flying like no tomorrow, and their energy was incredible. I’m keeping my eye on them.

All of these bands are worth your time. Support the local scene!

Now for the main course.

Hailing from the mysterious land of Jonesboro, Arkansas, Gorepig chose St. Louis to kick off their Hell and Back Tour. (Fitting, since STL is famous for BBQ.)

I’ve been a fan ever since I heard “Father Hog” about three years ago. It starts with a sample from Peppa Pig and then immediately slams you face first into the trough. From that moment, I was hooked. If you haven’t listened to Gorepig yet, you’re missing out. If you asked me what songs of theirs to listen to, I’d say, “Start with “Father Hog,” then “Pigsty,” and then “Way of the Tusk.” Or you could just listen to all of them like a good little piggy.

Their sound is pure, feral punishment, a beautiful blend of early 2000s nu-metal and brutal deathcore, with a side of piggy puns. Gorepig doesn’t just demand your attention. They devour it.

Their set was filthy in the best way. And to top it all off, they’re genuinely the NICEST people. There’s something special about meeting a band you love, getting to photograph their show, and realizing they’re kind and humble. 10/10, highly recommend seeing them live.

To every other city on the Hell and Back tour: you’re about to be slaughtered, and you’re going to love it. | Katie Pinkston