ABORT Magazine™

Live Review: Behemoth w/ Watain and Guests, April 21st 2012 – The Rickshaw Theatre Vancouver B.C.

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photos – Scott Alexander)
(Top/Bottom: Behemoth)

Live Review: Behemoth with Watain, The Devil’s Blood, In Solitude
Saturday, April 21st 2012
The Rickshaw Theatre

Last Saturday was indeed one for celebration. Not only was it the 5th annual Record Store Day, which celebrates independent music merchants across the globe, but also the arrival of the Decibel Magazine Tour. The magazine’s first sponsored tour certainly out did itself, showcasing four of Europe’s superlative metal groups from a diverse selection of genres and countries: Swedish dark-rockers In Solitude; Dutch prog-occultists The Devil’s Blood; Kings of Swedish Black Metal, Watain; and lastly Poland’s undisputed blackened-death over-lords, Behemoth.

Despite the almost ludicrously early start, the Rickshaw had filled up considerably by the time In Solitude took the stage. Starting with “We Were Never Here” from their critically acclaimed 2011 album The World, The Flesh, The Devil, the group lit things up properly with their fiery brand of ‘70s-styled power metal. Musically and thematically borrowing elements from Mercyful Fate, they also demonstrated some Iggy Pop-ish stage antics courtesy of frontman Pelle Ahman who periodically drove the microphone into his forehead as he thrashed around. Sticking mostly to material from The World… they finished their brief set with “Witches Sabbath” from their self-titled record.

After a very short intermission, The Devil’s Blood took the stage, every one of the member’s faces adorned with a mask of dripping blood. Beginning with “On the Wings of Gloria” from The Thousand Fold Epicenter, their set was a trance inducing, solo infested ritual straight through. Aside from her grandiose gestures, Farida was motionless as she sang right until she abruptly left the stage to let the band’s whopping three guitar players riff and pick a seven minute outro, leaving the audience bloodthirsty for more.

The theater was approaching capacity by the time Watain made their much anticipated appearance, setting a strongly dark atmosphere with logo-emblazoned war flags and inverted cross torches. A throng of horns greeted them as they stormed the stage, blazing into “Malfeitor” from 2010’s Lawless Darkness, generating the first pit of the night. Outspoken frontman Erik Danielsson had the crowd chanting along to “Stellarvore” from ‘07s Sworn to the Dark as he grasped the stage-side flames. Dedicating “Total Funeral” to Vancouver black metal legends Blasphemy (who were in attendance), the fellow blasphemers whipped the crowd into frenzy before finishing their set with the pummeling “Serpent’s Chalice”.

Behemoth were up last and this being the band’s first tour through North America since vocalist/guitarist Nergal’s diagnosis and subsequent triumph over leukemia, it was inspiring for all present to see him hit the stage. Opening with the devastating one-two punch of Evangelion’s “Ov Fire and the Void” and “Demigod” there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that when Nergal yelled “We have returned!” upon the songs completion, he was absolutely right. Watching him run around stage and play his heart out, it was hard to believe that last year he was on death’s door. As if to punctuate this he shouted “It feels good to be alive!” and then appropriately played “Conquer All”. Running through a diverse selection from their extensive catalogue of blackened death metal crushers, the band were unrelenting in their energetic performance. After a solid set, Nergal thanked the audience saying “Stay strong! Hail Satan!” before returning to stage, first in a bloody crown of thorns and then in his trademark battle helmet for a two song encore.

It was an impressive display of diabolic heavy metal at its finest from some of Europe’s best acts going. Though it will be hard to match, one can only hope next year’s tour is even better.

Setlist:

Ov Fire and the Void
Demigod
Moonspell
Conquer All
1000 Plagues
Alas
The Seed ov I
Decade of Therion
At the Left Hand ov God
Slaves Shall Serve
Chant for Exkaton
23
Lucifer

Watain

BEHEMOTH

By: Coleman

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