Another night, another gig, I rolled on out pretty early in the day to Divan Du Monde, one of my favorite venues in all of Paris. Of course, this time I had an interview to do and some friends to hang out with. After the interview, the bands singer hung out with us and kept giving us beer because he "Didn't want to drink alone". As people started to show up, the atmosphere became tense with anticipation for the black metal madness to come. Battle jackets dominated the crowd as we filed in, preparing ourselves for the madness of Anus Mundi, the first band to play.
Anus Mundi had some very cool songs, but I felt that in a lot of cases the music was marred by a poor mix. One thing that did make them special though was the fact that the singer cut himself open, his blood pouring onto the stage. I feel though that Anus Mundi could come together better to deliver a more hateful and powerful performance. In a lot of points during the show it felt like the band wasn't entirely together, and their was a low overall energy level. Nevertheless, I thought they were interesting to see, and I'd definitely be interested in getting a chance to attend a future live ritual of theirs.
Now I had been excited for a little while to see Koldbrann live, I had heard their latest record, Vertigo and was intrigued to hear how they would come across in a live context. Focusing mainly on their new album their set was a veritable blaze in the northern sky, rapid and vicious, black metal that really got the night started. Koldbrann understand the pure energy needed for live black metal and delivered with aplomb, it made for a very engaging show and got my body moving and head banging. It's given me motivation to dig back into Vertigo. I definitely want to see this band again, simply because they have so much raw energy in a live setting.
Ondskapt were the next band up, and I have to admit I wasn't really familiar with them. However the friend I was with said they were great, so I was ready to be impressed. Suffice to say, Ondskapt did their job with a bombastic attack that boggled the mind. Their forty five minute set was a blast, featuring corpse paint and a very cool outfit for the lead singer. Let me just say, having a belt made of bones is basically the coolest thing ever. Anyway, the ferocity and passion behind their set has encouraged me to check out some of their studio material, and thus far I have been very impressed. Now that I'm starting to get a better grasp of their discography, I think it might be interesting to see these guys again.
Finally it was time for Endstille to come on stage and deliver their unholy metal ritual. Fast and filled with a beautiful punk rage, these guys really rip live. They got hair flying and even a mosh pit on a few songs. With vicious shrieks and abrasive blast beats Endstille fully captured the hearts of every fan there. Their rapid attack was impressive, and their new anthem Seig Heil was a highlight of the night. These guys have been together for fourteen years now, and it shows. The tightness on stage is the product of years of hard work, they make for a very intense and visual performance that really gets the heart pounding faster, heavy metal to kick start your heart.
All in all, I would say this was a thrilling evening, with some of the best black metal bands that I have seen to date. All four acts were strong, and Ondskapt and Endstille were particular highlights for me. Those guys really managed to capture my heart and show me the eternal magic of black metal. Yet Anus Mundi had its own merit in its atavistic, nihilistic approach to a genre that is all about that. Meanwhile Koldbrann gave me something to think about and really made me want to dig into some of their newer material, they are quite the force in Norway and I'd be curious to get more intimate with their particulars. In short, tonight was bleak and grim, truly a metal soiree to be remembered!
Find the bands on Facebook!
Koldbrann: https://www.facebook.com/koldbrannofficial
Ondskapt: https://www.facebook.com/ondskaptofficial
Endstille: https://www.facebook.com/Endstille.Official
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