DØDHEIMSGARD, HORNA, BLACKLODGE, VORKREIST AND SPEARHEAD
Most surprising that a tour like this one (named Pest Pandemic) was kicking off in London of all places. It was also good that the newly re-utilized Fridge in Brixton got people in through the door a lot quicker and didn’t run out of cans of beer this time round. It really is a nice venue and looks to be likely one that is going to be used a lot more in future. Sure I live North of the river but those to the South of it really need somewhere a bit more in their neck of the woods.
Of all the UK bands no doubt begging to get the opening support slot we got a good one in the form of Spearhead (obviously not to be mistaken with the perhaps more Brixton friendly Michael Franti band). The early entrees were treated to some crushing blackened thrash which shot out through a sea of dry ice, thundering forth with a pestilent ridden guitar sound flailing like a swarm in full stinging fury. The drumming was ferocious, aptly with the kit behind a military camouflage netting set up and this was a nasty and savage warm up that heralds good things for the groups as yet untitled 2nd album. One burst of tribal drumming and some doomy riffs broke up the onslaught and it was amusing to see the bar staff squawking away to the vocals; ‘Brotherhood Of Arms wrapped this grand declaration of war neatly up.
First of a duo of invading bands from the country of the moment France were up next and the brutality of Vorkreist did not come through as savagely as they do on CD (this was pointed out to me just as I was thinking that exact thought). Not that I was complaining as I thought that 2003 album Sabbathical Flesh Possession was a bit too brutal for its own good and the Parisians seemed to have a bit more of a groove about them live. They were still damn intense as they tore into newer numbers like ‘Sublimation XXIXA.’ The drummer was giving things a good workout behind the gardeners world shrubbery, there were going to be no photos of the people that hit things hard tonight. Although the first half of the set didn’t really do that much all of a sudden it was like the band kicked into gear and even though they lost a guitarist towards the end the last couple of numbers really blazed away. The ‘TortureKult’ did good.
Industrial manic mayhem with hard drugs, next up were Blacklodge who I had been looking forward to as had missed their last UK show with Aborym. That is a band whose sound they are bound to get compared to as their cyber futurism gabba beat up onslaught cranked things up. The heroin fixation was displayed by singer guitarist Saint Vincent having a row of syringes strapped to his arm. There was no jacking up or jerking off from this lot as they terrorized us with harsh militant bursts of adrenaline fuelled evil noize. Certainly they were not for all tastes but it would have been better if free crystal meth had been given out to the crowd, so they could have invoked a pile up on the dance floor. Have to admit the last album SolarKult is one that has taken ages to grow and I preferred the older numbers like those from Login:SataN mixing the rave up ‘Zombie Creeping Flesh’ meets ‘Battlestar Galactica’ soundscapes and perhaps with descriptions like that the free drug idea’s not a good one. Data incomplete, human blood required, login Satan.
It was time for that fellow Shatraug to spread his Finnish filth. Horna who are headlining this tour in the rest of Europe were quick to shred the skin with some nasty razorblade riffing and maudlin tones. They looked a treat as well, cadaverous and grave ridden, those that say corpse paint is old hat and doesn’t work would have been proved wrong, it just uses a bit of imagination on how to apply it effectively. I think it’s fair to say that quite a large percent of the audience were here for this lot and they certainly didn’t disappoint. This was a satanic hatefest of the highest order and as far as my limited experience of the band is concerned one that was a damn sight easier to get into than the gravid grot of the only album that I possess Ääniä Yössä. After this performance a back catalogue beckons. I found Horna completely entrancing and bewitching both in sound and showmanship. The lighting gave them a rock star sort of persona that is far removed from black metal in its purest form like this and one adding strangely to the nihilistic display. Shrouded in a cold blue light and dry ice was an effective accompaniment to the feral savagery of the ritual. I am already hungry to see this lot again.
It has been 8 years since Dødheimsgard played the UK and unfortunately things didn’t go fantastically well for them. As singer Kvohst has just posted on the forum at blackmetal.co.uk about the situation I think it only fair to relay his statement here.
“I agree thoroughly with the opinions expressed here that the Dødheimsgard sound was utterly shit. We had a monitor guy who was drinking throughout the night and, despite spending 45 mins during sound-check to get his shit together, by the time we played, he was inebriated and completely unable to perform his job. This resulted in chaos and feedback on-stage and we were totally incapable of playing to a decent standard. We spent months working with the promoters and rehearsing/preparing for this show and did our best to to give the fans and the audience 100%. I think the other bands did an excellent job but I apologise to anyone who came and paid money specifically to see us and we performed a substandard show - this is not what we believe in, and play this music for. Hopefully those who had a vague interest in us before will not be deterred, come and see us next time we play these shores, and give us the chance to put on a better show in a more professional environment. We cut our set short, with a few of the older tracks falling by the wayside in favour of those we could carry off with the sound and feedback noise being unbearable and almost impossible to play through.”
Well what a jolly nice chap! Quite honestly the show was far from ruined as even with sound problems DHG were a formidable force. Talk about rolling up to see the freaks they sure looked a sight and had the sort of theatrical make-up that would not have been out of place in the realms of Clive Barker’s Nightbreed. As for what zombie film the singer looks like he has escaped from I am reminded of Frank Agram’s hysterical ‘Dawn Of The Mummy’ as well as Marino Girolami’s ‘Zombie Holocaust,’ specifically the one that gets an outboard motor through the skull!
Back on topic the set was mainly comprised of material from the new and excellent album ‘Supervillan Outcast.’ The electronic fusion and counterpoised nasty / clean vocals worked effectively. I say it again there is one hell of a clear similarity to the mid 90’s output of Killing Joke going on here; the ranted sermon of ‘Apocalypticism’ being a fine case in point. These self proclaimed 21st Century Devils were akin to watching a band at a circus and the performance art aspect of the show was highly memorable as the photos display. This was also musically frenzied but I think that was partly down to the group’s annoyance with the sound as much as anything else, looks of anger and outrage from band members were genuine in this instance. Despite this not being the Monumental Possession the band or fans were looking for they sure as hell itself is hot, put on a show that wont be forgotten in a hurry and hopefully they will be back to unveil their satanic majesty at full strength a lot sooner than another 8 years.
Pete Woods
LONDON THE FRIDGE 07/09/07