TAAKE, URGEHAL, KOLDBRANN
The sun had gone in, the temperature dramatically dropped and snow flurries hit the train on the way to this gig. This frozen grimnity had brought 3 Norwegian Black Metal bands along with it to play for the first and only time in the UK, causing many to travel the length and breadth of the country for this gig but at least they had been able to combine their stay with Celtic Frost the night before.
Koldbrann is not a soggy breakfast cereal I am sure it is something far more hateful and the name is just lost in the translation. Entering in style to the main theme to The Shining they galloped of in a flurry with the drumming sounding like a mad dash over cobbles, and with thorny guitars emitting a classic Norwegian flair to the melody. Even the songs are in their native language here, Steinet Til Jorden was a real whiplasher and clattered away hell for leather complete with some fetid belched out death grunts from singer Mannevond. The structure did allow the song to slow down and meander along dark tangents before it was torn asunder by venomous cymbal clashes. The energy here was violent and bombastic and Koldbrann crafted the necessary atmosphere into their assault, which I can assure you was far from soggy.
One good thing about just putting 3 bands on is that they all get to play long sets, I wish this would happen more often rather than an unnecessary “local” band getting trotted out yet again.
No fucking around from a band who have a song called Satanic Black Metal In Hell included in their set. We knew exactly what we were getting from Urgehal. This is what I politely term as ‘hammer and nails black metal,’ Christ on the cross with the drums replicating hammer blows and cymbals the nail strikes. Speaking of which one could hardly ignore a guitarist gimped up like Pinheads little brother here, help us we’re in hell. I am sure singer Nefas shouted out “cheers to all the alcoholics” but I may have misheard being somewhat pissed myself by now. I love it when black metal and punk collide and they did with some nice crusty D-Beats laying down the law here, giving us a filth-laden stew of craggy misanthropy. Possessed was the sort of number that was akin to speaking in tongues and spewing out pea green vomit. All we needed was some of the groups trademark fire-breathing but that could have been dangerous in this venue. Band of the night for me.
Taake took their sweet time coming on and a very long trance laden intro was not helping things, in fact people could have been excused for dropping off. As for singer Hoest he immediately struck up a classic Jesus Christ pose on stage and the violence was quick to spill off it and into the audience as they set about things. At first I could only describe this performance as bestial and snarling. Apart from a few tracks here and there, Taake are a bit of an unknown origin to me although I am well aware that the band are held in very high regard. They certainly had the mobile phone trophy hunters spreading their disease and pushing their way down the front in the hope of getting grainy pictures and pissing off those of us trying to get some decent ones. There were unfortunately some idiots saluting here as is the way at some black metal gigs of late, people cant seem to simply enjoy the music but have to try making pathetic hate statements, personally I wish such morons a slow and painful disease.
As for Taake by the 4th number I was beginning to realise that although the energy was here the music was simply boring me (and I can assure you having really expected to enjoy this I was surprised myself). No amount of death grunts and posturing was going to change my mind either as much as I wanted it to. Every time I tried thinking of something positive to say I was finding criticism be it the lack of finesse and melody in the songs to the childish FOAD marking down the guitarists arm. The grunting audience interaction between songs was however quite amusing. The last thought before I left was that Taake had the energy and the passion but for me they simply didn’t have the songs. One blessing was that they didn’t have their genitals out either and for that I was thankful.
Pete Woods
LONDON ELECTROWERKS 19/03/07