Mike Thrasher, of Mike Thrasher Presents, might be the only guy in town who could bring in a show like this: Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus, Necrophagist, Unmerciful, and Brain Drill.

 You know 'em, you love 'em. Cannibal Corpse. From backyard wrestlers to the religious right, who can't appreciate the subtlety of classics like "Fucked with a Knife" and "Blood Drenched Execution"? Cannibal Corpse are the granddaddies of death metal, though they've almost defined their own genre: "splattercore." In the news: Rob Barrett, alumnus of The Bleeding and Vile, returns to fill the vacancy left by founding guitarist Jack Owen. Owen originally moved on to concentrate on his other band Adrift, but is now playing with Deicide.

If there is one band that is as widely imitated as Cannibal Corpse, it's Dying Fetus. Heavy like concrete, the Maryland natives ushered in a new era of technicality and groove for the metal underground. Widely denounced by black metal fans and other idiots as too "hiphoppy," singer/guitarist John Gallagher persevered with relentless touring despite being abandoned by the rest of the band, leading the Fetus to the forefront of modern death metal. Their next album, as yet untitled, is slated for an early 2007 release.

Necrophagist was here at Rock n Roll Pizza just a few months ago. Maybe they'll play the same songs. Maybe they'll play them in the exact same order. Who gives a fuck?! I would watch these guys every week for a year. Necrophagist is out on the radical edge of technical metal. Led by the intensity of frontman Muhammed Suiçmez, Necrophagist are brain and brawn, like Bruce Lee, but alive.

Putting a cover of Suffocation's "Catatonia" on your first album takes guts. But Topeka's Unmerciful pull it off, and faster than the original, so I guess they've got more than just guts. Born of Origin lineage, Unmerciful got a running start in the death metal game, so it's no surprise that they're on this tour less than three months after the release of their debut, Unmercifully Beaten. Trivia: Origin/Unmerciful guitarist/vocalist Jeremy Turner filled in on tour after Jack Owen left Cannibal.

Fitting right in with the silly name crowd, West Coast boys Brain Drill also dropped their debut, The Parasites, this year. After some initial lineup instability, founding shredder Dylan Ruskin assembled a powerhouse cadre of musicians: faster-blaster Marco Pitruzzella (Vile, Vital Remains), cookie monster Andre Cornejo, and new bassist Jeff Hughell. Pitruzzella is already drum throne royalty, up there with Flo Mounier or Derek Roddy, and it's only a matter of time before the rest of the guys share his notoriety. Brain Drill is fast. Must see to believe.