Oranssi Pazuzu

Now for another great rather alternative black metal band, which is quite psychedelic. I heard about them, well.. again because they were coming to Athens. First of all they are really something crazy and special and then they are Finns. It seems there are so many Finnish bands that are great and I have never heard about them, so i was especially happy to get to know them.



The show was dark, gloomy and absolutely fantastic. I loved it and although it's a bit difficult to listen to this music at home and to get into the right mood, it still is something really creative and fresh. Whoever says that black metal cannot evolve and should always stay trve and stuff like this is really missing out, haha.



I must say that I do understand how some bands started to create albums that are not what it should be, without soul and targeted to a certain group of people. It's sad when this happens and when a label will alter a band to their designs. When black metal got on the big screen, this of course happened as well. But saying that it killed the scene is so very wrong. I see such a lively scene also here and there is so much creativity. Black metal is far from dead.

Daedin

Olen aukaissut uuden silmän

Agalloch

This is a quite sad story for me really. I heard about Agalloch when I found out that they would come to Athens. I right away was surprised what kind of loyal fanbase they have. Their music immediately captured me and spoke to me in some ways I cannot explain. This is of course post-black metal, atmospheric black metal or experimental black metal or whatever you want to call it. The vocals are mostly black metal, but musically it has evolved a lot.

The concert was great. The place was packed and there was so much enthusiasm. The band did a great job, I remember being swept away by John Haughm's vocals. And well, there comes the sad part.



Agalloch have parted ways recently, mostly it seems because of John Haughm leaving. It's sad for me, to just discover a great band and then lose them again. But I can call myself so lucky that I saw them live and got the opportunity to experience that.

There are some songs that truly move me. "The Lodge", "Birch White" and their (much stronger) version of the Sol Invictus song "Kneel to the cross" are gems, magical and mysterious songs.

Goodbye Agalloch and thank you.

Daedin

And it's always so wrong to try to be strong

Dødheimsgard

I think the next black metal concert I went to after the Behemoth initiation gig was DHG. true enough they are not pure black metal anymore, but they still are one of the oldest and most iconic black metal bands from Norway. For alone that I had to go see them. They featured Fenriz in the beginning, so they are somewhat of a legend.



I must say that Avantgarde Black Metal is not easy. It's exactly what the name suggests. Live they were formidable and the show was pretty ace. Aldrahn is one crazy dude and his eccentric way of dancing is the center of the stage.



I own three CD's from DHG, 666 International, Supervillain Outcast and the legendary Kronet til Konge. While the latter is a pure norwegian black metal album, a quite good one also, the other two are experimental black metal. I bought the reissue of Kronet til Konge, which features a full rehearsal session, and that is what most interests me. It's so interesting to have a glimpse behind the ready product. This reminds me of the early Emperor rehearsal session, which is absolutely fantastic.

Let me drop a link here, it's just too good. Young Ihsahn, his stance and confidence, then Faust, a true beast on the drums.. too bad this lineup was not going to last long and even then Mortiis was already gone, the main songwriter of Emperor at that time.

Emperor High Wycombe rehearsal 1993



Daedin

Belial, Behemoth, Beelzebub, Asmodeus, Satanas, Lucifer

Behemoth

My musical development started with music that my parents listened to, so ABBA, Italo Pop, Frank Duval, Rondo Veneziano, Cliff Richard, Simon and Garfunkel are the names that I still remember. After starting to listening to music on my own, I succumbed for a few years to boybands, but luckily quite quickly emerged from that, haha.

In 1997 I was 14 and it was Aerosmith who finally saved me and sent me on the rock and eventually metal way. After Aerosmith I discovered HIM and Type O negative, soon thereafter Sentenced, Tiamat and the 69 eyes. The road was clear before me, metal. At that point still a lot Gothic metal.

Living in Finland thus was heaven. So many metal bands, pure bliss. In addition to Gothic bands I also started to listening to Death/Doom and in this genre I would find for some years my niche. There were some excursions to Metalcore, Punk and Postpunk and other styles. Here I need to mention AFI, who have been a very huge influence on me.

Moving to Greece changed some things, I listened to the bands I still knew, but then also some greek music, alternative stuff. Fast forward to April 2015.

Behemoth were a bit known to me. I had heard the name, I had seen their picture in some metal magazine, with Nergal holding the raven and screaming. But I knew nothing of them musically. There were no interesting metal shows at that time and passing from Ticket House, I spontaneously decided to get a ticket.



Little was I to know that this would change me completely. I went to see them and it was like a black mass, impressive, so dark, so full of rebellion. I was fascinated and started my research at home immediately. I had heard the names of iconic black metal bands before, of course. But now it was time to listen to them. A genre, that I always considered too raw or too chaotic for me, finally opened up to me and I spread my tentacles in every direction.



I read both the Behemoth biography and Nergal's book, a survivor's story. Knowing what he has been through with leukaemia makes it even more fantastic that I was so fortunate to see them live, they build the portal for me to another music genre.

Musically I enjoy nowadays other kinds of black metal, but Behemoth have paved the way for me and I will be eternally grateful.

Daedin

Czy śmierci się boicie?