Another night another show, this time it was at a strange out of the way venue that isn't exactly known for having black metal. As the metal faithful congregated outside the venue I was taken to conduct an interview with the legendary M. of Mgla. (Who I unfortunately missed seeing because I had to go home early) Anticipation was high, you could see the punters getting psyched for an evening of black metal. The time had come for the underground to rise up and capture our collective hearts. As the doors opened, fans poured in, and Possession came on to play.
Possession have long been one of my favorite Belgian black metal bands, and I was psyched to see them live. While they had some sound issues their delivery was vicious and showcased true black metal rage. this is the kind of band who understand the beautiful mystery of the underground and the way they deliver hate filled and destructive music is simply unfathomable at times. This is a group that thrives on raw emotion, with an atavistic sound filled with the blazing blast beats of bands like Mayhem, and the nature derived magic of Immortal. In a live context this made for a band who are a blast to see and got my heart racing in anticipation for more black metal mastery to come!
One Tail, One Head were the next band to play, and the first group who were actually a part of the tour. These guys bring the rage in a way few of their peers could dare. Fronted by a wild eyed beast of a singer this is not a group to be taken lightly. I loved their execution of classic, especially the eponymous track One Tail, One Head. These guys are somehow more vicious live than on the record, blazing forward with the rage of the bear and the fire of a thousand suns. Before the show a good friend of mine told me they were the best band on the bill, and I have to say I agree, One Tail, One Head understand black metal on a fundamental level and it pushes them to go beyond their peers.
The final band I saw yesterday evening was Svartidaudi. This band delivered one of those sets that can only be described as transcendent. While this is essentially what I was anticipated I was still thrilled to see a band who can bring so much power and emotion in their music. Their ten minute plus songs allow the listener to really lose themselves in the music and fall into epic, yet stark soundscapes. The way that the screeching guitars roared over my body was incredible, there was simply no escape from the shrieking might of a band sent to earth with one goal, complete black metal salvation. This is a band who I would go to see live again and again, AND again.
In closing, the three bands I saw last night made for one of the most memorable shows that I have had the pleasure of going to in months. Every band brought something fresh and exciting to the stage, showing a different unique, and beautiful, facet of the music we all love. While I missed Mgla I still feel any fan going would have gotten their moneys worth with just one of the three bands. This is the black metal tour of the year and if you miss it you will forever regret being able to fully inundate yourself with the eternal power of the music that Kronos brought to mankind.
Find the bands on Facebook!
Possession: https://www.facebook.com/hisbestdeceit
One Tail, One Head: https://www.facebook.com/onetailonehead?ref=ts&fref=ts
Svartidaudi: https://www.facebook.com/svartidaudi
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