By Lisa Burke
November 13th 2015, Brick By Brick, San Diego CA: Black metal as a genre is definitely one of my all-time favorites for many reasons including its span of variety within itself. On Friday the thirteenth, I found a perfect solution to my evening metal show dilemma as well as the problem of two great shows clashing against each other the next night, which was of course to attend the second edition of the ‘Black Metal Warfare’ tour featuring co-headliners Watain and Mayhem, along with Rotting Christ as openers. While I had to travel to San Diego to accomplish this and undergo an unexpected last-minute venue change, fortunately with only a seven-minute distance between the two, it was well worth my prominent attendance.
The show was originally scheduled at The Observatory North Park Theater which was then switched to Brick By Brick, a smaller and more casual venue. It was packed to the maximum, so much so that the outdoor smoking patio right before Watain took the stage quickly resembled a mosh pit in itself where you had to dodge fire as well as fists. The reason behind the last-minute change remains unclear, however, speculation suggests that it was because of the nature of Watain’s set antics with the animal blood sacrifice ritual that perhaps didn’t go over too well with the other establishment, or perhaps it could have been not enough tickets sold, yet Brick by Brick was overflowing with warm ripe bodies. Regardless, the show must go on as it did in full force, and as I arrived, the line was fairly long yet dissipated at a reasonable rate. The plus side of witnessing these bands at this venue is that because it is more intimate, I had the option of not being a front row blood bath victim, but could still fully absorb all the visual details.
Greek atmospheric black metal band Rotting Christ was inspiring the audience as I walked in, and despite this band’s existence since the late ’80s, it was my first time seeing the live. I really enjoyed the rhythms and pace as well as the language, accent, and delivery of the vocals. They definitely serve as an influence to the black metal bands formed after them, and set the bar high. They are not as much interested in the satanic realm as they are into the gothic and mystical aspect which is a uniqueness in itself, although there are clearly other black metal bands that fall into a non-satan driven category as well. Despite being the first of the touring package to play, they had the cleanest sound. After seeing them live, I am an even bigger fan of the music and will definitely be attending their next infinite amount of shows after that.
Indulging in a shockingly fast stage setup time, putting them fifteen minutes ahead of schedule at precisely nine o’ clock, satanic black metal band Watain cursed the stage with their presence. Let me start off by saying that this band is no joke, and part of this is that they have quite the visuals going on stage, from the animal carcasses lined up over their heads, to the human skulls on the side ends pinned and lit up, to the customized heavy-duty stud-enhanced leather guitar straps, gauntlets and vests worn by its members. It’s all just a small part of their satan-inspired charm. From start to finish, it was all fast and furious riffs, accented with brutal drumming, and topped off by creative ritualistic lyrics. These guys can be as extreme as they come and as calm as the sea after a storm. Somehow a band from Sweden who promotes animal sacrifice is easier to stomach than if they were from America, perhaps it’s because there are so many different cultures in Europe that one is more likely to accept this brutal ideology as one of their many common practices. I myself am a Pescaterian and non-satanist who certainly doesn’t condone animal slaughter, yet as the walking contradiction I suppose I am, I really enjoy an Erik Danielsson animal blood filled satanic sacrificial blood bath ritual. If you’re standing in the front row at a Watain show you should have the knowledge to keep your mouth closed unless you are a fan of regurgitation. As a funny side note, after the show, two girls in the ladies room with bloody faces were approached by another girl who asked if they were OK, as of course she was not hip to the Watain blood worship scene. Everyone laughed and proceeded to explain to her the ‘fun’ in being doused in unidentified animal blood. Favorite songs included ‘Angelrape’, ‘Devil’s Blood’ and ‘Malfeitor’, and it must be stated that despite the smaller-sized crowded stage aspect for all the larger than life members and visual enhancements, they all carry extreme amounts of passion-driven creativity, strengthened by their clear concepts that separates them at a level high above any simpler-minded band. As my second live viewing of this band I was even more impressed than the first time, and the all red to all blue creative lighting helps to illuminate the human skeletons and animal carcasses in such a way that despite your satanic or non-satanic beliefs you can still truly appreciate their wildly beautiful aesthetic. I’d vote eleven out of ten for Watain anyday, which brings me to my next point that they played before Mayhem who I’m sure they are slightly influenced by since they have been active longer, yet the draw clearly lies with Watain.
Watain set list:
01. Underneath The Cenotaph
02. Black Flames March
03. Angelrape
04. Outlaw
05. Sleepless Evil
06. On Horns Impaled
07. Devil’s Blood
08. Legions Of The Black Light
09. Malfeitor
Moving on to the actual headliners of this show with perhaps one of the most interesting and brutal background story of any band consisting of murder and suicide, Norway’s own Mayhem. Mayhem is actually an understatement when discussing these troops, as there is plenty of it apparent in the music. They come from a more classic black metal sound with screaming vocals and were actually one of the first bands to introduce the black metal ‘war paint’ that only the vocalist carries, which he complements with a military-style jacket accented by the coolest grey fingerless studded gauntlets I’ve seen in a while. Attila Csihar, the band’s current vocalist, definitely has quite the unmistakable presence and an obsession with prop oddities as he uses a razor-like mirror in a decapitating sort of way while singing out of a microphone with a removable skull attached and a noose hanging down. He really reminds me of the Side Show Bob of black metal with his makeup and antics, and I suppose following in the footsteps of a suicidal predecessor can’t be easy. As a general rule, despite my appreciation of the music and work involved I’m not usually keen on remaining present for their entire set due to lack of variety in the tunes. There is a consistency without repetition that can be appreciated, yet for me personally, I like Mayhem in small doses and I would have appreciated it more if they were given the spot before Watain. The show was packed to the maximum, yet did have a slight thinout after the show-stealers Watain had finished. Mayhem to me is also the AC/DC of black metal with the dirty guitars mixed with the addition of the occasional excessive blast beats and screams. Overall, this was the best I’ve seen from them and they must be commended, and probably committed, but in the world of black metal stranger things have occured.
As I left the venue sober as a priest on red bull, I walked to my car to prepare for the two-hour drive home to discover a ticket on my car, a concert ticket, that is. What a lovely and lucky surprise that I got invited to the Zombie Prom on Friday the 13th after my adventures in black metal. The things I do for black metal and possibly only black metal should probably be commended and committed as well. If you want a very solid and compatible line up that will teach you a lesson in styles of black metal and knock your face off with talent, then you must go see this tour.
Mayhem set list:
01. Silvester Anfang
02. Funeral Fog
03. My Death
04. To Daimonion
05. Deathcrush
06. Psywar
07. Life Eternal
08. Chainsaw Gutsfuck
09. Freezing Moon
10. De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
11. Carnage
12. Pure Fucking Armageddon
Remaining dates:
11/17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
11/18 – Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep
11/20 – Palatine, IL @ Durty Nellies
11/21 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
11/22 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls
11/23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
11/24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
11/25 – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
11/27 – Tampa, FL @ Orpheum
11/28 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
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