For the love of Gore….For the love of Fulci. Known as “The Godfather of Gore”, renowned Italian film director and screenwriter Lucio Fulci has shaped the cinema and film world via an ingenious vision. Despite expanding into spaghetti westerns and comedies, Lucio Fulci was best known for his horror and giallo thrillers. Who can forget the impact of “City of the Living Dead”, “Zombi 2”, “The House by the Cemetery”, or “White Fang”? The dedication to the craft and work for nearly five decades has inspired many and has resulted in a prodigious legacy.
There are no bounds to the tales of inspiration, focusing on the landscapes of what we deem as art. Fulci, a death metal band greatly inspired by the work of Lucio Fulci, is no exception and has paved their way into the genre, incorporating an unconventional yet promising production under the banner of grotesque artistry.
On August 9th, 2024, via 20 Buck Spin, Fulci released a new album titled “Duck Face Killings”, a tribute to the film “The New York Ripper”.
In January 2025, Fulcicon, a special two-day event commemorating the work and art of Lucio Fulci, was held in Milan, Italy. For the first time, Fulci presented their new album with a live set, which included a trailer screening of “Duck Face Killings”, directed by Domenico Montixi.
With the success of Fulcicon, in March 2025, it was announced that Fulci would bring the Italian giallo death metal experience to the United States with a quick week-long tour run in May, with Ohioan death metal band Mutilation Barbecue joining as support.
Each date of this tour had different opening bands depending on the particular city. This review is based on the Worcester, MA tour date, which took place at The Palladium Upstairs. New England-based bands, Kryptosporidium and Survive The Sun, were the opening bands of this show.
Kryptosporidium: An extreme up-and-coming metal band based in Lewiston, ME. Below is a short video showcasing some of the songs they performed and their style. The video was created by Metal Track Mind.
Survive The Sun: A melodic deathcore band from Boston, MA. The band announced they would release a debut EP in the coming year. Survive The Sun also features members of Berklee College of Music alumni. Some notable singles performed include “Forging The Nemesis” and “The Minds in Which They Feast”.
As openers, both Kryptosporidium and Survive The Sun showcased the uniqueness of the metal scene in New England. While the show started at 7 p.m. sharp, many fans were in attendance, showing their allegiance and support. It was amazing to witness both bands’ deep connection with the crowd from the start of each set. The backing and loyalty of the community are the cornerstone.
Mutilation Barbecue
Based in Cleveland, OH, Mutilation Barbecue was the direct support for the whole tour. Within the past five years, many death metal bands have emerged from Ohio with a groovy yet brutal death metal style. Bands such as Mutilatred, 200 Stab Wounds, and Sanguisugabogg come to mind. On March 29th, 2024, the band released their debut full-length album, “Amalgamations of Gore” via Maggot Stomp. Before the start of the tour, it was announced that Tristan Wright would replace Mutilation Barbecue’s original vocalist, Chris.
From the start of their set, the band showcased a new level of dynamics and vibrancy in terms of energy and drive, especially present in their new frontman, Tristan. Some notable tracks performed include “Lady Next Door”, “Hive Mind Homicide”, and “Amalgamation Of Gore/Skin Display”, all of which are from their debut full-length release. The drumming style of Harrison Good drew a lot of attention, pairing perfectly with the delightful riffs. The audience responded gratifyingly, and everyone was ready to welcome Fulci.
Fulci
Storytelling is an art form, and it doesn’t solely originate from having a vision. What better way to amplify the vision than to capture the experience firsthand? To set the scene, while the audience was waiting for Fulci to perform, we received an introduction from Domenico, Fulci’s guitarist. The audience witnessed the release of the trailer “Duck Face Killings” for the first time on American soil. A montage of pertinent and thrilling scenes from the film “The New York Ripper” was plastered on the screen above, with “Glass”, a track greatly inspired by “Voices from Beyond”, playing in the background and intensifying the suspense. Fulci has arrived, and we’re just getting started!
We continue with the tracks “Rotten Apple” and “Human Scalp Collection”, lyrically detailing the atrocities and mind of a sadistic killer. Using blue lighting as a color scheme also added to the uneasiness in the room. One can’t forget the repulsive and hideous duck quacking noises echoing in the distance, “Is this a dream”?
Other noteworthy tracks performed include “Lonely Hearts”, “Nightmare”, “Tomb”, “Apocalypse Zombie”, and “Eye Full of Maggots”. As the show ended, the pulsating and bewitching instrumental “Lo Squartatore” left the audience in a trance, which segwayed into the track “Stabbed, Gutted, and Loved” as a finish. Witnessing the live action of the band’s performance paired with the gruesome and hair-raising Lucio Fulci film scenes playing in the background felt like a tug of war between reality and fiction. The band Fulci not only personifies and embodies the scenic and surreal work of Lucio Fulci, but the deep psychological and emotional connections run deep. He lives…Fulci lives.
