By Christian Redelsperger
October 26th 2013, The Vex, Los Angeles CA: Last Saturday, hundreds of metalheads gathered to see one of Sweden’s greatest black metal bands: the mighty Watain. Hosted at the Vex in LA, the mood was a mix of eagerness and evil. From what I heard of Tribulation, they were nothing short of black metal/rock n roll badassery. In Solitude’s set was pretty average but definitely not up to par with the hype I’ve heard about the band.
Eventually, the Watain stage crew began setting up the drums, backdrop and stage props for the night and needless to say, the stage was vicious. Walls with animal bones and blood adorned both sides of the stage while a mesmerizing altar was placed in the center. After plentiful chanting and applause, the house lights dimmed and the Swedish titans arrived onstage glaring violently at the crowd. Opening with “Night Vision” from the band’s latest release “The Wild Hunt,” concertgoers exploded with violent moshing and aggressive head-banging.
The venue was filled with bestial stench stemming from the band’s exhumed clothes as well as the pork blood thrown into the crowd and the musky clothes lighting the torches, while the only sweet smell present was the patchouli incense burning on stage.
As someone who’s watched plenty of concert footage from the band, it was a whole another animal to see them right in front of me. Their menacing corpse paint and intermittent use of fire was a feast for the eyes. The mix of smells onstage combined with the sweat of the grim metalheads next to me gave me an olfactory experience I’ll never forget. The sound was on point, and a killer setlist heightened the evening into phenomena.
Frontman Erik Danielsson worked the audience as if it was his last show on earth, and muttering satanic prayers during songs and punching phones out of peoples’ hands made me realize that this was much more than a concert; it was an experience.
For a couple of hours, I forgot about everything outside of the venue as I stood hypnotized by the droning guitars, furious blast beats and the blasphemous screams from both the band and crowd. I felt chills head-to-toe every time I locked eyes with the band and was overwhelmed by the amazing performance from Watain, who left the stage with everyone begging for more.
Set List:
1. Night Vision
2. De Profundis
3. Storm of the Antichrist
4. Malfeitor
5. Devil’s Blood
6. Satan’s Hunger
7. The Wild Hunt
8. All That May Bleed
9. Sworn to the Dark
10.Outlaw
11.Reaping Death
12.Stellarvore
13.On Horns Impaled
14.The Serpent’s Chalice
Remaining Tour Dates:
Oct. 28–Albuquerque, NM–Launch Pad
Oct. 30–Austin, TX–Red 7
Nov. 1–Atlanta, GA–Masquerade Hell
Nov. 2–Charlotte, NC–The Casbah
Nov. 3–Baltimore, MD–Baltimore Sound Stage