Sanguisugabogg
Sanguisugabogg, Peeling Flesh and Gutless live at Magnet House, Perth | 12 June 2026
When you catch public transport to a metal gig, it is quite fun to sus out the metalheads catching the train. As arriving to Magnet House felt like that. A journey into metalhead safari, and a novel way to find your way to a venue. Not unlike following a trail of ants back to their nest in your back garden. As getting there was a simple matter of following the small throng of black tees and Nordic Viking hair to Sanguissugabogg’s Perth show on their 2026 Australian Tour.
Gutless were the first act of the night. And their sound was an assault on the senses. Walking into the venue, the sheer amount of air pressure from the drums meant a brief adjustment to the constant barrage of loud music. Like climbing to altitude on a long-haul flight (in 5 milliseconds).
If there is one thing about the Perth metal scene, loyal punters always show up for their favorite band. With a sizeable crowd already forming for Gutless. It was a tight squeeze, with a circle pit forming within 5-minutes of the gig starting. This meant hugging the periphery and trying to avoid getting pulled over the event horizon of the manic metalheads spinning around and around. Gutless has it all: machine-gun drums, guttural grunts and screams, and gratuitous power chords. There were plenty of devil horns, and headbanging. With punters thrashing about in the circle pit to frothing death metal.
American Slam Death Metal group PeelingFlesh were undeniably fun. With lead vocalist
Damonteal Harris whipping up punters into a frenzy, encouraging punters to crowd surf throughout the set. Seeing adults crowd surf is a joy unto itself, as the way a body calmly across the crowd is not unlike a baby being delivered in hospital. With the bouncer in the pit delivering the adult metalhead over the barriers like a doctor takes the baby outside the uterus.
PeelingFlesh’s interludes between tracks featured soundbites from Blaxploitation movies. With their sound also featuring an interesting mixture of hip-hop sampling. Combined with the gore and visceral lyrics of death metal. Showcasing that there can be fun and party in decay, PeelingFlesh kept the night going, with metal heads continuing to headbang their way to heavy metal Valhalla.
With a brief exodus between sets from punters who were eager to have a cigarette outside, and others wanting to chuck a piss (a sizeable queue forming outside the men’s toilets. unthinkable!). Sanguisugabogg were a band that gave punters a run for their money. Their name translated as meaning ‘leech’ and ‘toilet’. It really signposted the bands penchant for gore and everything atrocious about reality. From killing babies to getting dragged by a truck.
Namedropping local gym Snap Fitness. Lead vocalist Devin Swank expressed gratitude for the hospitality given by Perth metal fans. Having skipped the city on their last Australian tour, and being told to pencil the Western Australian city in.
Like the sets from before. There was an active flurry of circle pits, hilarious merch being worn in the form of a murderous Bluey t-shirt. As well as moments where the orange ceiling lights would decend upon the band and crowd of punters moshing below. In a scene reminiscent of a killing floor. Despite the allusions to death and destruction in the music. The love and appreciation for death metal music at this gig was very much alive.
Review by Joe Wilson
Photography by Adrian Thomson
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