Metal Defiance Productions organized another one Black Metal ceremony, this time with Italian Blacksters KAISERREICH. A fanzine that supports the underground scene since 1993 (if I'm correct), the only one that it's still alive today from these times continuing with pure devotion to Metal, real Metal music. This means a lot and is one of the reasons that I wanted to be present in its live activities despite the fact that that day one of my favorite bands ever were playing in another club (I'm talking about ZEMIAL). I don't want to repeat and say the same things, but fanzines are the purest form of Metal defiance, especially in these days with many so-called 'metal journalists' around the world writing their bullshit in webzines or other mainstream Metal magazines. A new issue of Metal Defiance mag has been released - in Greek - including interviews with HANDFUL OF HATE, KAISERREICH, INBORN SUFFERING, ENTHRONED, the Brazilian cult act VULCANO and other stuff. Check its page (www.myspace.com_metal_defiance_zine) for more information.
The first band for this gig was TUMULT, playing a mixture of Death Metal and Hardcore. To tell you the truth I cannot stand this music, especially the core parts, which I believe they cannot stuck with the brutality that the band wants to give. Except this I would be blind if I wouldn't write that they are cool musicians with nice instrumentation and it seems that they enjoyed a lot what they were doing and that's the reason that fans of this style would be right to check them. The song I liked most was When The World Ends To Be, even if for me Death Metal stands for other things, like AUTOPSY, ASPHYX etc.
It was six minutes before nine when VIGOUR were upon the stage for their debut live ever. The band has also the vocalist and guitarist of OBDUKTION, but this time Obduktor was the bassist. The band is somewhere in the crossroad of Death and Black Metal with influences between AMON AMARTH, BEHEMOTH (late era), and DISSECTION.
Some parts of their songs were good, some ideas were interesting but there were many times that my mind was lost cause of the labyrinth structure in their tracks. I'm curious to hear them in a studio recording, which perhaps will give a better image of their sound and songs.
Next band was the mighty NADIWRATH. I didn't expect such a great appearance, that - if I'm correct - was their first one too, like the previous band. I liked very much their self-titled demo and I wanted a lot to see them live. Well, they started with Horns and my neck was instantly destroyed. NADIWRATH's music is very close to CARPATHIAN FOREST, grim IMPALED NAZARENE or the recent works of DARKTHRONE. Most of their riffs are completely bone crushing, making you wanna hit your head to the wall, while their onstage performance was perfect, full of headbanging. Wrath's vocals were just right, as it was in the demo with extra hatred and fuck off hysteria (check also his other band, DODSFERD) plus Nadir's axe exposure was full of filth and aggression. They played a 30-minute set including the other two songs from their demo (I want it now in a cassette format!!!) and I must say that Eyes Full Of Vengeance was better than the studio version. I really need some new stuff from them and I hope they will continue in these paths.
It was 22:38 and suddenly I realized that most of the people have been gone; a common phenomenon in such live gigs here in Greece. I cannot understand this attitude, like I'm coming to see my friends and then I'm leaving. Is it so difficult for someone to be present in the end? The answer is that the majority of all these are not metalheads, they just come under obligation, just to see their friend's band, which is completely insulting for the last band, specially if this band has come from Italy to play live. The only thing I have to say is a complete fuck off to all this poser shit.
Some candles were lit upon the stage and the four members of KAISERREICH, full of corpse paint and spikes like NADIWRATH, started their appearance with Aurora Bleeds, the first song of their debut CD KRRH. Well, I lost myself in their sad, desperate and melancholic Black Metal riffs. The band's image was total 'Black' with all members feeling what they were doing. The vocalist was impressive with all his moves and all of them gave me the impression they were 100% into their music. They played the majority of their album's songs, with Ravencrowned killing me and leaving me speechless. KAISERREICH is one of the best bands in the current scene of Italian Black Metal, exploring forests with trees planted by GORGOROTH (in their first three albums) and DARKTHRONE, by including monotonous riffing coming straight from the black abyss. I find it rather difficult for a real Black Metal worshiper not to discover something good here and I believe you must keep their name and album in your mind that was released in December 2007 via the Chinese label Funeral Moonlight.
Their set list was as follows:
Aurora Bleeds
Aletheia Miit Veritas Mundi
Cross As Diadem
Ravencrowned
Reptile Crescendo
Settemmezzo
A Noi La Notte
Brand By The Scar
Requiem Division 7,62
