Having last been on a proper tour of Europe nine years ago, 1349's touring of their new opus "Massive Cauldron of Chaos" kicked off last week in Munich. However despite this momentous occasion, the show's attendance was somewhat underwhelming, partly due to the weather, and partly because of the show falling on a Wednesday. Nevertheless, in spite of this, it was still an excellent show, and those who weren't there really missed out on a thunderous evening.

Starting off the night's madness was MORGENGRAU, the German Black Metal band, not to be confused with the Texas-based band of the same name. Having started playing live shows just 2 years ago, opening for 1349 was a definite highlight for this band, and with the release of their demo "Schattenzeiten" last year, much of their setlist stemmed from this release. With a bit of a home ground advantage along with their dark and frost-bitten music, MORGENGRAU soon had the audience captivated, undoubtedly earning themselves a few new fans along the way.
 

Picking up from here was 1349's support for this tour, ATENA, a band that labels themselves as a Norwegian Djent-inspired Experimental Metal band. This is very much a band that polarises people: you either love them or hate them, with very little in between. Standing testament to this, more than half of the crowd left the venue for an extended cigarette break outside after ATENA's first song, rather braving the cold than listening to the band. Intermingling horror-tinted recordings of crying women and screaming children with break-down heavy moments of intensity many of those who did decide to stay seemed to enjoy this unique combination of genres, with many of the songs coming from ATENA's debut released last year, entitle "Of Giants", and it was most certainly eye-opening to see what really different bands are out there.
 

And finally was the moment that some fans had literally been waiting years for: the stage filled with billows of fog, all but enveloping the two dark figures that emerged from the shroud of mist, spitting massive balls of flame over the audiences' heads. Following this fiery entrance, the rest of the band made its appearance before launching straight into a tumultuous and tempestuous onslaught of a performance. Despite a few small technical problems, 1349's performance was nothing short of spectacular, showcasing multiple songs from their feral and savage new opus "Massive Cauldron of Chaos" whilst still incorporating several of the crowd-favourite anthems into the setlist. Needless to say, Frost was absolutely mind-blowing, and proved yet again why he is one of the highest regarded drummers in Black Metal. Not to say that Ravn, Seidemann, and Archaon were in anything but top form either:  making up for the long years since their last tour 1349 put on a superb performance. All in all, it was a wonderful night of pure pandemonium, and with the first 10 fans to spend 25 Euros or more at the merch stand getting a free signed 1349 poster, it was many a fan who went home with a wide smile on their face; definitely a tour worth catching!