Posted on December 31 2023
This year has been nothing short of stellar for us, witnessing the band grow stronger both as musicians and friends. We kicked off the year with a bang playing the "Diabolical Conquest" album in its entirety at the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest, an honor that was made even more memorable with the exceptional skills of Ruston Grosse (Death Strike, EX-Master, and more) stepping in for the show – you truly killed it, Ruston!
In May, we embarked on a surreal journey at the Carolina Chainsaw Massacre Fest 2, supporting the legendary Possessed and Exciter, among other phenomenal bands and horror legends. Right on the heels of that adventure, we flew to Brazil for a headlining tour with the amazing Crypta. Touring with Crypta was an absolute pleasure, they were super cool to tour with. The Brazilian tour was particularly special as we shared the stage with incredible bands like Mutilator, Dorsal Atlântica, Troops of Doom, Vazio, and many more. We then returned to Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Mexico with our friends in Deicide and Kataklysm, and Colombia to play the Tattoo Music Fest. It was fantastic reconnecting with our longtime friends and making new ones along the way! Chamuco Productions killed it again; thank you for your unwavering dedication!
As summer rolled in, we returned to Europe for an awesome festival run and some unforgettable headlining dates. Returning to the UK was a delight, and the energy from our shows there was absolutely electrifying. Alongside the headlining gigs, we had the privilege of playing at some fantastic festivals including Pitfest, Metal Magic Fest, In Flammen Open Air, Injure Grind Attack Fest, and Enter the Eternal Fire. The overwhelming response from the European run has left us eagerly anticipating our return in 2024.
Adding another milestone to our journey, we had the honor of playing in Dubai for the first time ever. The experience was truly special as it marked our debut in the Middle East. A massive shoutout to Metal East Records and Joscene Events for orchestrating this unique night – they are indeed contributing something extraordinary to the Middle East metal scene.
Next up, we had our return to Australia, and it was just incredible. All the shows were packed and just insane. We also got to play in Tasmania for the first time. Again, we were able to meet some longtime friends and also so many new cool bands and Incantation supporters. Thanks to Marty and Bleed Records for making it an exciting and fulfilling experience.
August saw the release of our new album "Unholy Deification," and we are so grateful to once again feel your amazing support. We are really proud of the album, and we are so happy you guys are digging it too. We put so much work into it, and we are so happy with the way it turned out. Besides that, we are truly honored to have graced the cover of Decibel Magazine, and we want to express our sincere appreciation.
The first stop of our new album world tour took us to Cord AK and the Field of the Dead 2 Fest in October. Heath and The Heathen House Productions have something special going on over there. It was truly a unique experience. Keep an eye out for this fest; it's really something special for the metal scene in the South.
After our incredible experience in Cord AK, we played Hell and Heaven fest in Mexico. What can I say? It was utterly amazing. Mexico is like our home away from home. It was so cool to play at such an awesome fest. We got to hang out with our friends in Asphyx and Belphegor and so many other good bands. Our hotel was pretty much to hang out for half the bands on the fest. So it made for a real fun hang.
Finally, we embarked our first co-headlining North American tour for the "Unholy Deification" album with our brothers in Suffocation. Joining us on this epic journey were Skeletal Remains and Stabbing, our good friends, making it an incredibly memorable tour. It stands out as one of the most enjoyable experiences we've had on the road, and we eagerly anticipate future tours with everyone. The tour was a massive success. You guys showed up in full force; every night
was a rager. We appreciate you guys so much because without all you death bangers there was no way we could do this, so thanks to you sick fucks, haha. During the tour, some unfortunate situations came up, leading to Dan Vadim Von, who was playing bass for us on tour since 2022, leaving midway due to other commitments. So midway through the tour, we asked Brian Rush from Skeletal Remains to fill in on bass, and he incredibly learned the whole set within a week,
before you know it, he was totally killing it. Brian is an amazing bass player and a very cool dude. We are very happy to have had you a part of the live onslaught every night. We look forward to working with you again someday. In short, thank you very much, Brian!
As we bid farewell to 2023, we're filled with gratitude for the incredible memories and the unwavering support from our friends and fans worldwide. A huge thanks to management, all the booking agents, our road crew, everyone behind the scenes, Relapse Records, and everyone that had a part in making 2023 one of our best years ever. Thank you for being a part of this remarkable journey!
Here's to an even more epic 2024!