Kontusion return to Richmond on Dec. 1 with Hedonist and Skeksis at Bandito's

A year after opening their East Coast run here, the death metal duo is back for a Tuesday night bill.

Last December, Kontusion started an East Coast tour in Richmond. This December, they're coming back. The death metal band plays Bandito's on Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 8 p.m., with Hedonist and Skeksis on the bill.

The date was announced last Monday, Nov. 2, and tickets are through OpenDate. Kontusion usually headline rooms of around 150, so this is a close-up show, and a Tuesday night in a small room is exactly where a band like this does its best work.

Some background for anyone new to them. Kontusion are a death metal duo with hardcore roots, as Scene Point Blank put it when they first surfaced. The band was started in 2020 by guitarist and vocalist Mark Bronzino, a New Jersey hardcore-punk veteran, with drummer Chris Moore, according to Next Mosh. Their debut full-length, *Insatiable Lust for Death*, is out on Profound Lore Records, a label with a strong reputation in underground metal.

The Richmond connection is recent. When Kontusion announced their December 2025 East Coast run, the first date was Dec. 3, 2025 at Fuzzy Cactus here in Richmond, and the tour wrapped in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 14, per Stormblast. On those shows, the duo filled out the stage with live players: Paul Wright of Oxygen Destroyer on bass and Shar Clay of Death File Red on second guitar. Whether the same lineup comes along this time isn't announced, but a two-piece that tours with a full band is a good sign they care about how it sounds in the room.

Booking a return date within a year says something about how the first one went. Bands at this level don't come back to a city that didn't show up.

Hedonist and Skeksis fill out the bill, which makes it a three-band night for a single ticket. With an 8 p.m. start, it should wrap up early enough that a Tuesday doesn't wreck your Wednesday.

Richmond has a reputation as a heavy-music town that punches above its weight, and shows like this are a big part of why: a touring band with a respected label behind them, a couple of openers, a small room, and a crowd that knows what it's there for. If you missed them at Fuzzy Cactus last year, this is your second chance. If you were there, you already know.

Tuesday, Dec. 1, Bandito's, 8 p.m.

Sources: Scene Point Blank: Kontusion — death metal duo with hardcore roots (scenepointblank.com); Next Mosh: Kontusion confirm East Coast tour dates (nextmosh.com); Stormblast: Kontusion announces East Coast December tour dates (stormblastmag.com); Sentient Ruin: Kontusion (sentientruin.com); JamBase listing (jambase.com)