For the biggest black metal tour of the year The True Mayhem came to the shores of our country to perform their first full length album in full. De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas was released in 1994 after a delay due to the suicide of vocalist Dead and murder of guitarist Euronymous, this album is considered in the metal underground as one of the most influential black metal albums of all time.
Local black metal tyrants Earth Rot opened up the stage and immediately brought the thunder, playing a range of obliterating songs from their earlier music to their latest releases. While guitarist Thomas Waterhouse had an amp blow during their second song and had to sit it out while the guitar tech promptly fixed the situation, he continued to follow through with backup vocals and was back on the guitar for the following track. Earth Rot continued to impress the crowds and set the scene for the night. In terms of choices for local supports they were definitely a top choice. From the exhilarating blasts of the drums to the heavy riffs and technical solos, topping the experience with amazing vocal work from front man and bassist Jared Bridgeman, these guys just keep getting better as time goes by. There’s no telling how far their overwhelming talent will take them.
Tasmanian blackened death metal band Departé travelled to our city to be a part of this unforgettable experience for the second act of the night to even further desecrate the stage. Their dominating sound of atmospheric post black metal work had the crowd mesmerised as we watched upon the masters at work. I was captivated by the brutal guitar riffs and their energetic drummer Michael Rankine who was feeding off the energy of the crowd, even standing up through some of the beats in true performer style. I will be awaiting the return of Departé to destroy our stages again in the future.
International supports for the night was Swiss extreme metal band Bölzer, this two piece brutality machine were truly mind blowing to watch perform. They had a very unique sound with a ten string guitar and vocal effects along with crushing drum work. The stage was covered with smoke with a destructive roar coming out through the mist, as a two piece band with just as much power as a full five piece band, it’s no wonder these guys are popular throughout the metal community. It was an experience that anyone would feel privileged to bare witness to. The sheer energy that is pushed out of the stage by this duo is absolutely breathtaking and just goes to show that you really can do more with less.
Gods of black metal, Mayhem, tore our shores apart starting their Australian tour with the first show in Perth playing at Capitol last night. Performing their debut album, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, in full. One of the most influential metal albums of all time. As the lights dimmed the crowd waited in anticipation for the black metal masters to lead us into darkness, coming out on stage dressed in black hooded cloaks the fans couldn’t help but scream with excitement as they were preparing themselves for what was to come. And what came was one of the best performances I’ve ever witnessed. Beginning their set with the song, Funeral Fog, they instantly blew people away and continuously did so with the flawlessly executed tracks.
The lighting complimented the band and the performance perfectly, with the blue backlight to match the album and flickers of purple, green and red adding the extra depth and darkness to the atmosphere. I could feel the eyes of Satan burning through my soul as I gazed upon the midnight masters of Hell and at that moment I knew I was experiencing something monumental and truly extraordinary. For the last song of the night vocalist, Attila Csihar, walked out to the front of stage wielding a human skull in the right hand and a censer in the left to perform the title track off the album to fill us with elation one last time before they continue their journey across our country. I was privileged to have been there to witness the mastery and history of black metal.
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Tammie Molotov – Molotov Enterprises & Photography
MAYHEM with Bölzer, Ruins & Départe performing at:
Jan 16th – Perth, Capitol*
Jan 17th – Melbourne, Max Watts
Jan 18th – Sydney, Max Watts
Jan 19th – Brisbane, The Triffid
Jan 21st – Hobart, Mona Foma**
*Ruins not appearing
**Mayhem only
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PERTH, MELBOURNE, SYDNEY, BRISBANE – http://soundworksdirect.eventbrite.com / www.oztix.com.au
HOBART – https://mofo.net.au
www.thetruemayhem.com
www.facebook.com/mayhemofficial
www.season-of-mist.com
www.soundworkstouring.com
www.directtouring.com
