DESTRÖYER 666, SCYTHIAN & NECRO RITUAL
LONDON BULL & GATE - 16/05/09
Tonight the scent of carnage was in the air as was the smell of metal (and it is not a particularly pleasant one). Between Mornington Crescent and Kentish Town there were no less than 3 shows taking place; this one, Church Of Misery and Hellbastard. Over in Holloway road there was Chaosanct and a big crusty old punk do in Tufnell Park, not to mention the fact that the Eurovision was on the telly too. So the troops were well and truly divided, I had picked this one to go to as Deströyer 666 do not play very often, I know neither do some of the other bands, it was a very tough choice. Fuelling the decision were copious amounts of alcohol, partly due to the fact that this was a gnarly old black thrash gig and secondly due to the fact that as usual we started early. This was not helped at all by the fact that the doors opened late and the first band were not on till 9. Also there was a very nice off licence selling a bitter type of Polish beer that I got a real taste for and it was several cans later that I realised it was rather stronger than I had assumed. Needless to say it was more than the crap photos that I took that were a blur tonight.
People outside the pub were finally tempted in as Necro Ritual took to the stage under a cloak of dry ice. Image wise they had gone to town, taking a leaf out of Watain’s book and looking like they had crawled out a graveyard to get to the show. The audience seemed restrained and I had to admit that sound-wise the band did not particularly get their due, not that I am faulting them, things were just a bit muted in the mix. That did not stop the band throwing themselves into things and Corseth death grunted from the front of the small stage whilst snarling riffs cut through the mire. A couple of people fell over during the set which only added to the chaotic feeling of the evening. I found myself head banging and getting into things and am glad that I have not seen the band for a while, they were over exposed by promoters at the start of their career and were far more enjoyable after a break. Their own songs have certainly come on in leaps and bounds and it is high time for a follow up to 2004 album ‘Pure Satanic Slaughter.’ It was not one of theirs that they finished with but a cover ‘Elizabeth Bathory’ which as ever went down well.
Scythian were last caught in action supporting Negura Bunget and it has to be said tonight’s show was a much better match for them stylistically. Still seemingly to release debut album ‘To Those Who Stand Against Us’ the group were playing tracks from it here and it was a solid and workmanlike battery of thrashtilldeathblackattack which certainly got the job done. Singer Miika was amusingly wearing shades throughout the set and musically they made a right unholy racket. Got to admit that it was not one that did that much for me although the audience seemed on the whole to enjoy themselves and that chaotic feeling was again rearing its head during their set.
So it was 10.30 by the time Australian war machine Deströyer 666 came on and caused even more carnage. I had been listening to both new album ‘Defiance’ as well as the new Razor Of Occam who the group share members with disc ‘Homage To Martyrs’ earlier to get me in the mood for this. Tonight’s display of Satanic speed metal started off with ‘A Breed Apart’ and saw the band romping through their bloody history with a fast and feudal intensity. On stage musicians were a blur of hair and singer KK Warslut was a rasping feral beast. Speaking of which it was back to ‘Unchain The Wolves’ and ‘Six Curses from a Spiritual Wasteland’ and by now the crowd was reacting to the violence of the music nicely. Still I was waiting for something from that new album but the group were having none of it just playing the older stuff here, which I guess is sensible seeing us the album is only just about to come out. Time was also ticking away I had an appointment with catching the wrong train still to come before the night was done with me but just before I left was finally rewarded with new song ‘I Am Not Deceived,’ after which everything is pretty much a blank. The plan is to give them another watch and review at a Euro festival later in the year and manage not to be quite so destroyed.
Pete Woods
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