Watain + Abbath + Tribulation + Bolzer
@ Troxy, London
Unfortunately I was unable to get to Troxy in East London in time to witness Polish band, Bolzer open for the almighty Swedes: But from the feedback that my photographer and fellow revellers shared, the show was fantastic and Bolzer had the crowd revved up the way a decent black metal band from central Europe can do, so I give them all the credit my fellow metalheads offered at the time.
Once I arrived, the first thing that struck me was the venue of choice. Troxy, located in London’s Limehouse is a venue I’ve never been to in the decade I’ve spent going to metal gigs. I would compare it fondly to the O2 Forum in Kentish Town given its 1930s architecture and theatre-esque setup. But most of all, was the excellent sound that worked lovingly in favour for the bands who blew us away in one hefty audible barrage.
First up was Tribulation, Sweden’s premier gothic black metal outfit spreading gloomy tales of vampires, ghouls and ghosts through the finest of Scandinavian music.
As I mentioned, the sound was on point and these four men from Arvika, dressed like beings who had just arisen from some dirt filled coffins, enacted an audible rapture that had the crowd amassing right up against the stage with a fair deal of headbanging occurring.
Tribulation are a band I have followed since they first played Incineration Festival nearly a decade ago and I can safely say they have gone from strength to strength. Their vampiric performance that involved them moving around the stage like bats flying through a belfry set the scene for the delightful horrors the following bands had in store for them.
Whilst Tribulation were not as fast or guttural as the guys who followed, their demonic repertoire summoned the harshest of hexes that drew the crowd into a frenzy that a night filled with live black metal requires. I can think of no better band to open such a show for me and I applaud them well.
It was Norway’s turn next on the bill with a man who has spent over 30 years giving the metal world some of the most memorable, ground-breaking and hilarious black metal that has solidified his country in place on the extreme metal map. Abbath – the legend whom I was pleased to see back on the road given a number of problems he has faced in recent years.
Even though I prefer his work with Immortal much more to his solo career, you can count on Abbath to put on a decent show and there was nothing short of excellence in his extremely entertaining performance. What made me happy was his inclusion of several Immortal classics and the band he’d assembled gave the best classic black metal onslaught a man of his musical calibre can create. ‘In My Kingdom Cold’ had everyone around me happy and jovial with some great movements in the crowd’s inner sanctum.
Abbath is the maestro who brought black metal into an arena setting with his larger than life approach to the genre and he still has all the right talents needed to give the world the best anyone could expect from him. By the time the final note of ‘Withstand the Fall of Time’ rang out, I felt I’d stepped back in time to Bloodstock 2011 where I witnessed Abbath and the rest of Immortal giving the UK the best in Norway’s greatest cultural export. An excellent attack from a general of musical strategy and well done again to Abbath for returning to music after a long battle with his demons. Great job good sir.
By now the whole place was heaving with metalheads who had travelled from far and wide for the headliners who have worked well over the decades to give Sweden the black metal fortitude it rightfully deserves. Watain, an act known for the over-the-top theatrics and heavily catchy riffs were primed and ready for action.
Said theatrics were nothing short of spectacular for the towering torches shaped in the band’s emblem which blazed angrily above the band as they ascended the stage drenched in corpse paint and clad in the studded leather one can expect from a band of their ilk.
This was the fifth time I’d caught the Swedes live in concert and it is no lie they have amassed a beautiful following for their intense stage shows. Troxy was almost literally on fire with the ferocity of the crowd as the band hacked their way into tune after tune covering themes of devil worship and the horrors of darkness and evil on the other side.
Frontman Erik Danielsson had the crowd by the scruff of the neck and screaming guttural and viciously pitched tales of hate, danger, occult terrors and the most anti-theistic of ideas into their ears. I think it’s easy to call Watain the band who can guarantee a good show whatever the setlist, which included many tracks from their recent studio outing: ‘The Agony and Ecstasy of Watain.’
Watain along with fellow countrymen like Marduk have worked well to earn their places at the head table of Scandinavian black metal and this show kept them in that spot. Despite there being no encore, the band exited to a rapturous invasion of applause and cheers that said their following hasn’t mellowed over the years.
Review by Demitri Levantis
Photos by Farrah Kathleen
