Sentrum Scene, Oslo 14 November - 2008 Satyricon is on the road again. This time to promote "The Age of Nero", an album that confirms the band as solid, dark and sophisticated. Satyriconīs albums have always been solid. They have developed a style that's true to dark and serious Metal, and the philosophy has been intact all the way. Gloomy, anti-religious (especially Christianity), and misanthropic. I've seen Satyricon live many times. First time in '97 when they'd just released the EP "Megiddo". At that time Satyr was hungry and seemed damn right ferocious. It was a negative yet energetic atmosphere. These are all aspects that listeners and fans have been attracted to. This night, Satyr wasn't Satyr as we knew him. It's either like he underestimates the audience, like we can't decide for our selves when, or when not, we should cheer, or that he's become a self worshipping cheering-junkie and is more occupied with the audience than his own performance. When he keeps shouting "HEY HEY HEY!" two or three times during each and every song, it gets very tiring to listen to, if not annoying. I believe people want to listen to the music. I, for one, had come with good intentions of a nice evening full of real Black Metal. The material this night was mostly the newer stuff. One exception was "Forhekset". The opening riff starts going, they blast away, and before the song has properly started, they suddenly stop just to shout "HEY!" once again. What's the point? The atmosphere is destroyed due to this. And what's the deal with all this messing about singing all the time? He repeats over and over again: "Oslo, sing with me", he even counts to four before some choruses to guide people to sing at the right moment. Also this empty phrase about how yesterday's audience, from a neighbour city was good, so let's see if we can manage to sing better. It's like if we yell loud enough, Santa Claus will appear. I mean, we're not 10 years old. Satyricon should be about Black Metal. See how Gaahl (Gorgoroth) appears on stage. Standing still and reserved. No clapping, no idiotic phrases, no hey-ho hooligan behaviour, just seemingly possessed by his music. That's Black Metal. How is it that Satyr, who is the mastermind of Satyricon, does not see that this type of behaviour totally crash with the philosophy of the band? It's a paradox that this man who has made so much great dark music ruins the credibility he has built up during all these years. Don't his lyrics mean anything to him? Doesn't he feel strongly for his own music? I'm talking about Satyr solely. The rest of the band appear more dignified. They play tight and controlled. Frost in particular appears awake and energetic, sitting banging his head while hitting flawlessly at his drums. In the end, the obvious songs appear: "K.I.N.G.", "Mother North" and "Fuel for Hatred". Well and good. When I realize that other classics like "Hvite Krists Død" and "Du Som Hater Gud" will never appear this night, I'm at first disappointed, but later relieved. They would probably been screwed in mischief anyway. Luckily I'm able to listen to the songs at home, how they originally are, and I will continue doing so in the future. Luna Sentrum Scene, Oslo 6. November 2007 After weeks and weeks of touring both America and Europe, it was time to come home, do the last gig among friends in familiar environments. Dimmu Borgir has a lot to prove, being Norway's best selling act and the greatest export article in this country. The Metal audience are still seemingly divided about this band. Hated for selling out and bringing Black Metal to the everyday-man, and loved for making records on records with quality content. This evening was an indiscriminate homage to Dimmu Borgir. I've seldom experienced more enthusiastic audience. The relatively small joint was filled to the rim. When the lights go and the intro starts, a massive roar appears instantly from the crowd. During this majestic intro, descended from the Swedish act The Protagonist, figures with devilish masks appear. The same figures as in their latest video. Then bombs blast and they're off with "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse", followed shortly with "Vredesbyrd". The sound is OK, not great, very low guitars, but it settles during the show. The set-list is basically cut to the bone with their obvious songs, but here and there appear a few surprises. Like "Raabjørn Speiler Draugheimens Skodde". Old songs, hidden in the past. Another song that brought forth this atmosphere was the "new" "Sorgens Kammer - Part II". This song holds something real and wicked. The simple riffing in repetition makes an almost hypnotic feel. During this, some old pictures from the corpsepaint-in-the-woods-era appeared on the big screen behind them, reinforcing that feeling. An absolute highlight, that one. Towards the end, there was rewarding time. It was time to hand over a Norwegian gold record, and what a way to do it, in front of thousands of fans. This evening was special in many ways. First of all, Dimmu Borgir has grown to be a tremendous live act. So much experience has given them a lot of self-confidence and trustworthy performances. Second of all, the stage show is getting better and better. It doesn't stand back for any Iron Maiden shows, for instance. I feel that Dimmu Borgir live has become more Heavy Metal than Black Metal. The non stop fireworks and conjuring chants as "Hey! Hey! Hey!" all the time - these are stadion-Rock ingredients. Parting ways with the fundamentally misanthropic message. Then we're back on the same discussion again. It will never end. Either way, Dimmu Borgir is the biggest Metal band in Norway and there's a reason for it. (b) Endezzma Club Maiden, Oslo 10. November 2007 This was a night to remember. Not only for the music, but also for the two vocalists...or actually the three of them! I came to see Shining, especially since their most recent record is an album Iīve played a lot since it came out. But I was hoping to be surprised by Endezzma, which to me is a new band Iīve never heard before. Consisting of experienced musicians from different Norwegian bands, it could very well be something to remember. But unfortunately their performance is remembered for the wrong reasons. They played well, had professional sounding songs and offered a varied set. But musically it was average and empty. Endezzma had nothing to say, nothing new to offer and nothing great to contribute with. It was a performance that went in my left ear and out the other ear without doing anything. Except making me more eager to hear Shining. It was Black Metal without magic or depth, just rehash material that most of us have heard so many times by now, that it certainly becomes boring. And on top of that, the band had a vocalist that was so desperate for response from the audience, that the entire concert was ruined by his pathetic "come on" shouts throughout the entire set. I believe he shouted "come on" more than 15 times during one song, and in total well over 50 times during their set. Funny enough, treating the audience like sheeps, or blind followers, in nothing short of stupid. If you perform well and have good songs, the audience will respond automatically, which is a reward to the band. But Endezzma didnīt have that, which in the end made the audience quiet. The same goes for Shining, which performed with much more character and security. Even so, the audience didnīt take off, which seemed like a problem to the vocalist, who even threatened to leave the stage at one time. But that didnīt happen. The contrast between the rather harmonic and melodic music and the unstable actions of Kvarforth is quite big. He was constantly provoked by the audience, and in between praising drugs, Al Qaida and cursing women in general, referring to them as the "three-holes", Shining played well. Songs from their past as well as from the new album worked really good on stage. And I think some of the mental illness from the vocalist spread to the audience, which in returned created rather strange feeling and aura at Maiden. But look out, Kvarforth had a cup of blood which he was sipping to now and then, spitting the blood into the audience. I got a splash of blood in my face, since everyone in front of me managed to avoid it. But it was well worth it. (s) Hole in the Sky Bergen August 22-25 2007 To go straight to the point: this was an awesome festival! Everything went ahead as planned, didnīt have to wait long between the bands, and it all took place according to the schedule. Four days of Metal in this little and charming town of Bergen. The two first days took place at the intimate sphere of Garage, headlined by Immolation on Wednesday and Napalm Death on Thursday. I wasnīt present these two days, but according to what I heard it was two successful days. Morbid Angel headlined at Garage last year, proving again that the people of Hole in the Sky set high standards for who they book for this festival. But the last two days the festival moved a little bit out of the centre of town, down to a bigger venue by the harbour. I arrived there in the early evening of Friday, and the weather allowed me to sit outside drinking coffee and just enjoying the view and the nice breeze from the ocean. Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, a little later that evening, and the following day, it rained and limited the urge to go outside. Both Friday and Saturday kicked off at 6 oīclock pm, which allow you to both sleep long and still have the time to walk around the city before taking the stroll down to the venue, called Verftet. Belphegor entered the stage halfway into Friday nightīs line-up, and for me this was the first highlight of the evening. These Austrian diplomats of death have toured extensively for years, and that experience was something I think they let loose on stage. A tight performance that was a little bit held back by too high drums. But overall the sound was really good and powerful. The audience didnīt really take off completely, but when the band got the audience to shout it all turned into a trancelike chant in the end, which in turn opened up some more energetic response from the crowd. "Lucifer Incestus" ended a nice performance and was well worth the attendance.   Entombed, which needs no further introduction, was as always magnificent. Tight, energetic and entertaining. Iīve seen this band a number of times and never been let down. And that tradition was continued this night. A superior number of great songs, performed with a great joy of playing them got the audience going like the band deserved. "Supposed to Rot" was followed by "Serpent Saints". A totally awesome version of "Crawl" really made me happy to be present, and it really just got better and better. "Sinners Bleed", "Stranger Aeons" and when the intro to "Morningstar" got started at the end of their show, it really couldnīt get any better.
Mayhem continued off where Entombed had left the stage, playing one great song after another. "Deathcrush", "Freezing Moon", the audience seemed to be highly anticipated for this performance, and it didnīt seem like they were let down. And once again Mayhem do something extra for their live show. This time the vocalist Attila came onto stage mummified. Walking around, or sitting down, seemingly more dead than ever. But his voice was turning the classic Mayhem tracks into even better versions, and this ended a really awesome Friday. Another weird thing Mayhem did was that Attila seemed to be interviewed or something at his table, but as the audience didnīt hear a thing, I believe most of us present thought it was some kind of bizarre happening. But according to what I have been told, it was MTV interviewing him in between some of the songs, except that the sound had been turned off so it was impossible for the audience to hear a thing. Saturday with headliners Immortal was really something to look forward to. But before that, I wanted to check out Destroyer 666. Kind of disappointed by them really. They tried their best to get some more feedback from the audience, but to no avail. They played, stood on stage and put on an energetic performance, but perhaps it was the sound that didnīt offer them enough power. I donīt know!
Immortal on the other hand were welcomed with such a massive hail from the audience it nearly lifted the roof off the building. The rain outside almost turned to snow when the sons of northern darkness started to play, yes, "Sons of Northern Darkness". The response to each song was unbelievable, and it must have been fantastic for the three members of Immortal to play for such a great crowd. Just watching Abbath standing on stage, doing nothing and then receiving such a unbelievable ovation from all of us in the crown was really great to experience. And the newest member, Apollyon, fitted really well into the band, and have already been made immortal with his presence on stage this night. They played songs from every album. "Unholy Forces of Evil", "Battles in the North", "Mountains of Might", really awesome. Canīt think of a better band, a better performance or a better audience to end this festival in a way that I think made all of us smile a little. (w) 1349 Betong, Oslo 7. September 2007 I've seen Entombed a lot of times. They are a grand, I wouldn't say old, but still distinguished bunch of guys. But they never let you down. They never piss on you with bad attitude. Simply, Entombed are a quality brand that never goes out of fashion. First this evening, for me, was 1349. A support band that seem a bit misplaced in this event. They are so much more extreme and tangled than the headliners. Isolated, you can't really get a more in-your-face Black Metal band. There's never been a doubt of what 1349's purpose is, and what they want to express. In a live context, they can be far too complex. It's often hard to separate the riffs from the continuous blast-beat-o-rama, which is displayed 80 / 90 percent of the time. Now that 1349 is reduced to a four-piece with only one guitarist, the sound wave is cleaner. It's actually possible to hear the bass, and the microscopic stops in the music are so sharp it's quite impressive. The songs that stand out, and make an otherwise static audience to move, was "To Rottendom" and of course their "hit song" "Riders of the Apocalypse". When Entombed enters the stage, it's another world when it comes to attitude and atmosphere. They are primary a live-band, and with all their experience they grip the audience with a clenched fist, and holds firmly from the start till finish. The set-list contains a lot of old stuff this night. So much as four songs are represented from the debut "Left Hand Path". Proving that still seventeen years after its release, the band (together with most of the fans) are holding this record close to their heart. But Entombed have so much more. They've released a bunch of albums, and I believe it's not an easy task picking out the right songs. There will always be songs that you miss, but when being served "Out of Hand", "Masters of Death" and "Sinners Bleed", you simply do not complain. Just as 1349, Entombed have now cut down to only one guitarist, and during some parts of the songs it's a bit thin, like during Alex's solos. But all in all, this was another great evening with our Swedish friends, and as I've mentioned in the beginning, Entombed are trustworthy and a certain success. (l) Club Maiden, Oslo July 13 2007    First time I saw these guys live it was a good concert. Second time it was awesome, and now with a concert that was a release gig for their debut album "Perpetual Decay", I have to say I was both looking forward to seeing them again as well as hoping for a kick-ass concert. My expectations werenīt fulfilled, unfortunately. The place was really crowded, but the audience was sort of silent and not totally going wild, which you could expect from a Death Metal gig. Some of it must be blamed on a sound that lacked aggression and energy. It was more than loud enough, but even their most excellent parts were held back by a sound I thought was a bit tame. They played most of the songs from their album, as well as old ones and perhaps the highlight of the night, a new track called "Ingesting Death". Totally slimy and slow, fast and groovy, with also a hint of a dark atmosphere not custom for Death Metal, "Ingesting Death" is a sign of something very interesting for the future of this band. But one thing I donīt like, and something I was hoping the new generation of Death Metal bands would ignore, are the totally unnecessary guitar solos. They ruin the flow of the music, sucks musically and are boring to listen to. Obliteration have a lot of those, which I personally canīt stand. At their best this night, when they let loose brutal and excellent Death Metal, Obliteration ruled the venue. But they have too many down-periods when I loose interest and just think of them as yet another Death Metal band without identity. (u) In league with Satan! Venom / Nifelheim Betong, Oslo May 29 2007 They're living legends of raw underground Heavy Metal. Heydays throughout the 80's. Cult status ever since. The ugliest band in the world. For the first time in Norway, ever. An event that is almost solemn for us born in the 70's, growing up with the band. It is therefore both strange and sad to see the place only half way packed. Has time caught up with them? Are the old rockers in Norway too decadent or blasé? Or is it the fact that there are two ingredients missing, in form of Mantas and Abaddon? Nifelheim from Sweden have been given the honourable task of warming up this evening. They've rarely played live, and have a sort of cult status themselves. In a much smaller scale, of course. They strive up a dirty Black Thrash porridge, that doesn't impress many, other than the few in the front row. However, the looks of these guys make the lion's share of spectators watch with an awkward grin. A parody of 80's Heavy Metal, with hair that looks like it's been through a kitchen blender. Well, to the point. Venom hits the stage with "Black Metal". What can be a more appropriate opener here in Norway? Then rapidly "7 gates of Hell" and "Bloodlust". Cronos & Co. have, through the first 10 minutes or so, given just a taste of a memorable evening. Seemingly unaffected by the thin response. With nearly 30 years of experience, it's admirable to see this enthusiasm. They're slamming through old "hits", in likes of "Die Hard", "Countess Bathory" and "Warhead". Where the last mentioned proved to be a highlight, in this setting. Cronos is in a clearly good mood, talking about his admiration for "Burzums and Mayhems'n shit", and makes it evident that he doesn't exactly keep up with time, as he wants to kill Bon Jovi
In the end we get two monster songs as encores, "In League with Satan" and "Witching Hour", that makes the audience reach the boiling point. Till next time, if they decide to come back before they loose the rest of their hair, I sincerely hope the whole Norwegian Metal society will know their visiting hours. More entertaining than this, it just won't get. (l) Gun with no bullets! Blood Tsunami Club Maiden Oslo May 25 2007    Photos: Negative I guess I was looking forward to this gig. With no expectations whatsoever as I havenīt heard their debut album released a little while ago. I saw them open for Deicide, it must have been, a couple of years ago, which I thought was quite okay. But with an album up their sleeve and some more experience, well, it couldnīt go wrong! This was the release gig for their new album as well, and a little surprise to see the place only half full, I kinda felt privileged to see them without too many people around. Approximately 100 people attended, and it didnīt take long before I got a picture of why not more people showed up. The band seemed to have a good time on stage, drinking some beers and overall in a good mood, but what they delivered through the instruments was really surprisingly empty and uninspiring. I wonder if their album is equally dull and without character? Well, they had all the energy and stuff, but itīs seldom I stand at a gig and feel nothing but empty. Perhaps it was by sober mind? I quickly drank a couple of beers to see if that would result in a better feeling, but to no avail. Blood Tsunami delivered a show without character, personality or highlights. If I ever will see them live again it must be because they open for a band I really want to see. This was disappointing! (u) Just listen to the sound of the Whip! Whip    Photos: Isabelle. Used with permission. Having had the privilege of witnessing these guys play live for the first time, even before I had heard their music on a CD, was just fucking awesome. This is a band that impressed me with good music and an energy only a band that really enjoy what they are doing can express. Killer confidence, no wonder really, the material they presented was aggressive, good live music. A vocalist that had full control, pushing the music forward excellently. Great drive, cool riffs you either headbang to or just tap your toes to in uncontrollable joy. This is one of the up and coming bands from Norway, and it feels good that when the established bands lack energy and creativity, some new ones come and bring good music to this country again. Thereīs a groove here that is just killer live. As I canīt refer to any songtitles, apart from the excellent and Whip-trademarked cover of "Whiplash", they did it their way brilliantly. Whip. Lash. Whip. Last. Stay tuned, you should be hearing more from this band in the years to come!
Speaking of up and coming bands from Norway, the masterthrashers of Necromantheon delivered a great liveperformance as well. This is classy, groovy aggressive Thrash with a slightly dirty touch.(u) |
