Death metal.. but not as we know it

Death metal band Unfathomable Ruination are to perform in an airtight, soundproof box in their hometown of London as part of a unique art installation.

The five-piece will squeeze into the box outside the Gherkin in the capital until they run out of air.

Members of the public will be able to see them, but won’t hear a thing. The idea is the brainchild of Portuguese artist Joao Onofre, who has called the project Box Sized DIE.

The work has toured throughout Europe, with a local band invited to perform in each city. The City Of London website says: “The box is soundproofed, determining and restricting the performance’s duration to the length of time in which the oxygen is expended.

“Outside the cube, viewers observe its strange vibrations, only viewing the band’s entrance and exit to the performance space.”

On their Facebook page, the band joke: “Because breathing is mainstream whilst playing complicated music. Bets are welcome on who will be the first member to perish without oxygen.”

The exhibition will be in place, with the band performing, from Wednesday to Friday at 6pm between Thursday, July 3, and Wednesday, August 1.

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.