Infected Rain and Butcher Babies Bring High-Energy Metal to Manchester Club Academy [Photos]

If you were ever looking for a night of relentlessly heavy, high-energy metal, you’d be hard pushed to beat the one-two punch of an Infected Rain and Butcher Babies double-header. Having toured extensively together over the years and built a loyal following, particularly in Manchester, the bands were welcomed to Club Academy by a packed, rabid crowd for this leg of Infected Rain’s ‘Mutation Phase’ tour.

Lithuania’s Black Spikes opened proceedings with a deliciously dark and intense set that earned them a host of new fans, which was clear to see from the line that formed at the merch stand after their set. With a batch of epic and heavy tunes, a masked guitarist and a mid-show ribbon twirling act, they introduced themselves to the crowd in style and warrant further investigation.

It is strange to witness Butcher Babies without Carla Harvey, but Heidi was always the explosion of pure energy that got the crowds bouncing and pits circling, and her stage presence alone gets the job done. Launching straight into “Backstreets of Tennessee” and “Red Thunder,” with a flurry of headbanging and metal growls, the impact was instantaneous. “Monsters Ball” took things up yet another notch, and later, with Heidi jumping into the crowd so they could form a circle pit around her, as the band played their trademark crushing riffs, the metal vibes were at maximum level.

Taking a brief pause, Heidi delivered a deeply personal message, thanking the “metal family” for saving her life during her darkest moments, and the sincerity of that connection was palpable. A Butcher Babies set isn’t just heavy; it’s genuinely life-affirming, and among the most fun you can have on your feet.

Headliners Infected Rain, led by the enigmatic Lena Scissorhands, are simply on another level. The Moldovan outfit have spent years honing their craft on the road, building a devoted fanbase drawn to their intensity and emotional depth. With an upgraded production, they delivered a headline performance worthy of far bigger stages, yet, in the intimate confines of Club Academy, it felt even more powerful.

With new music fitting perfectly in the setlist and the likes of their latest single “Stranger” landing emphatically, they can do nothing wrong.

Between Lena and Vadim, the stage becomes a flurry of hair and energy with dreads flying everywhere, and the pummelling undercurrent of bass and drums provides a killer bed for them to play off. Bringing back Heidi for a fantastic duet of “The Realm of Chaos” was an unforgettable moment that showed two best friends having the time of their lives. Two powerful women showing how beautiful and impactful metal can be.

Exactly what Infected Rain are mutating into isn’t entirely clear yet, but like Station from Bill and Ted, they’re morphing into something bigger, bolder, and undeniably epic. Whatever comes next, they’ve earned every bit of it.