MARDUK, ANAAL NATHRAKH, ARTISIAN & ZEBEDIAH CROWE –
CAMDEN UNDERWORLD 28/01/10
I’d already heard tonight’s gig was a sell-out and the bustling crowd filling up the World’s End for pre-gig drinks served to reinforce the presumption that things would be getting a bit too crowded for comfort. It was like the calm before the storm getting into the Underworld before the masses clamoured through the doors and rest assured those who were still stuck in the queue when Zebadiah Crowe hit the stage did not a much miss. This trio come dressed appropriately dripping in corpse-paint however their set is messier than whatever cloth they applied it with. Things do improve as the set rolls on, however given the confusing amateur-soundcheck intro things could hardly have gotten much worse if they’d have pulled Avril Lavigne up for a duet. With an earth-shattering bassline and some reasonably competent down-tempo riffs there’s a hint of potential, but ultimately their droning black metal output fails to get me in the mood and after a few songs I decide the bar is way more exciting.
Now, in a recent review I have mentioned that there are some very good bands in the United Kingdom, many who would very much deserving of a support slot such as this. The hard reality is that money talks and it is not always those with the most talent, but the biggest bank accounts, that get offered the golden opportunities. Philosophising about whether or not the industry is fair is pointless and while Artisan don’t exactly set the room ablaze they do give an adequate performance that seems to get a few heads nodding in the crowd. Sadly their two-dimensional black metal does little for me and it doesn’t bode well when the biggest talking point is the inverted crucifix on the vocalist’s forehead. Giving my most parental moan of ‘It’s Just Noise,’ I stomp back over for another round of propping up the bar.
I am all too aware of the negative tone taken throughout this review, and I was really hoping for Anaal Nathrakh to blow me away enough to balance things out. Despite several attempts at getting into this band on CD I have drawn the conclusion that they are just too “grindcore” for my liking, and while their live performance doesn’t exactly win me over 100% personal prejudices aside they deliver the best show of the night without a doubt. They kick off proceedings with one of the few tracks I know off Domine, ‘The Final Destruction of Dignity’ and claw their way through a mind-blowingly heavy set, crushing much of the crowd into ‘Submission.’ What really sets them apart is the banter between songs, dedicating the latter track to his father who died of cancer which gets a rapturous applause. As soon as V.I.T.R.I.O.L. bemoans the lack of stage divers, things suddenly heat up in the pit and the stage is up for constant invasion during ‘When the Lion Devours Both Dragon and Child’ which blends clean vocal lines into the chaotic mix with epic fervour. A solid set that gets the crowd, at last, warmed up for the headliners.
By now a decent view of the band is out of the question for all but those taller than a tree, and luckily I can squeeze onto the balcony just enough to get a half-unobstructed view of Marduk. Now, truth be told it was with some trepidation that I agreed to review their set given that there are reviewers on this site way more qualified than I to spout forth about these proto Black Metallers. Given that my knowledge on the band is somewhat patchy my words of advice to my co-editor were not to expect fond metal musings spanning 10+ years. Due to a number of factors tonight was my first time watching Marduk and had been looking forward to seeing them after hearing so many glowing reports but I must admit tonight was something of a let-down. They steamrolled their way relentlessly through the speed-driven hate-fuelled likes of ‘Infernal Eternal’ and ‘Panzer Division Marduk’ with Mortuus well and truly leading the march and even take things right back with ‘Beyond The Grace Of God’ from Heaven Shall Burn… and before long I get down to some head banging.
I must confess to being disappointed at the lack of material from the excellent new album Wormwood and while I enjoyed live renditions of ‘Funeral Dawn’ and ‘Into Utter Madness’ (which accurately describes the descent into the mosh pit by the by) I would have hoped to hear more. Just as the band appeared to have been avoiding the new shit, so was ‘Magnus "Devo" Andersson’ required to avoid the over-enthused stage-diver that appeared to get chucked out by the security whom were having none of it. Perhaps the over-crowded conditions of the venue hampered my judgement a little but while I did enjoy Marduk I just felt there was something missing from the performance. Let’s just finish with the words I wasn’t blown away. Maybe next time…
Luci Herbert
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