SATYRICON, THE BERZERKER & ZONARIA
LONDON ULU 26/11/08
Zonaria have been touring fairly extensively in the wake of new album ‘The Cancer Empire’ and this was their first time in London. Coming on looking like they had embarked upon a battle beyond the planets and with hair twirling histrionics in time with their somewhat melodic death black weave they looked like they were up to impress. Unfortunately for them they had an entirely nonchalant audience who completely ignored calls of “London are you ready to scream for me,” from singer Simon Bergland. There was nothing in the way of screaming just the occasional horn held aloft and polite applause at the end of their songs. I have to say that musically they did little to move me either and a couple of spins of their album had also previously left me nonplussed. There was obviously a bit of disgruntled disappointment for the band here too and despite doing their best with symphonic workmanlike songs such as ‘The Black Omen’ it was evident that the moshpit they had apparently invoked the night before in Leeds was not going to get fired up here. The “hey hey hey” chant may well have got European crowds in a frenzy but London can be a fickle place when people are only really interested in the headliners.
Evile were off the tour following Ol Drake’s unfortunate on stage collapse but mad Australians The Berzerker had been drafted in to complete the jaunt. Having missed them at Damnation and having had to cut their Bloodstock show short I was happy to get to see them here and so it seemed were many in the crowd. Lets put it this way with music as fast as they fire out there is no way you can stand around arms folded, people had the choice of running to the bar and as far away as possible from the racket or get actively involved and bounce around to the heady gabbatastic battery. I have said this before and I will say it again, forget a set list with this lot, you would have to be really anal to notice exactly what they are playing or sit around with their cds and try to match the samples to the song, you can forget that. I did actually recognise Cannibal Rights and am even more amazed to discover that you can get the ringtone for this song on the net! On the whole though it was all about the experience of being bounced around like a human pinball to this lot, craning the neck to see their dreadlocked drummer Todd in action and watch Luke gurning over the crowd and watching people fall over to their brutal sounds of the animal kingdom. Luke was happy to tell everyone that didn’t know that they were doing everything off their own back and you can only buy the new album directly from them, hopefully this approach is working for them, one thing’s for sure they ain’t slowing down none.
With an epic intro worthy of the Emperor Nero himself Satyricon strode on stage and battle commenced. My one complaint was standing next to the speaker it was impossible to see Frost, hearing him was no problem at all though. I was struck how much Satyr Worngraven with hair slicked back, jet black looked like Udo Kier circa Blood For Dracula / Flesh For Frankenstein luckily he was not screaming for wirgins! The rest of the cast list of session musicians were lost in a mass of hair as we all rocked out to new songs like ‘The Wolfpack.’ As far as I am concerned the new album had just worked its way into me after a couple of spins left me shrugging my shoulders I was by now well and truly hooked.
It was also the first time I had seen Satryricon since their triumphant Wacken headline set and watching Satyr rocking out on his decedent microphone stand I suddenly remembered just how much I really liked this lot and that it had been far too long since seeing them last. Atmospherically this was spot on, blood red lights and a sea of dry ice made songs such as ‘Havoc Vulture’ explode in a gnarly fit from the speaker causing carnage on the dance floor. New numbers such as the highly addictive ‘Black Crow On A Tombstone’ ‘King’ and a fantastic ‘Repined Bastard Nation’ all went down a storm and by the time ‘Fuel For Hatred’ was delivered I could resist no longer and was falling over in a heap in the pit too. All that was left to do was pick myself up and wait for the last song and everyone knew exactly what it was going to be. With the sound of ‘Mother North’ ringing in ears we all filed out aware that Satyricon had played an excellent set and had turned the apathetic crowd that saw the first band into a seething mass.
Pete Woods
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