Taake / Helheim / Vulture Industries / Eastern Front

Camden Underworld, London

7 Mar 2009
 

Eastern Front kicked off the evening and they were somewhat pleasant with an animated vocalist though in the end it was just a standard black metal show.  They only played like 4-5 songs as everyone's set seemed to be extra short in order to make the 10:30 curfew time. 

Up next was Vulture Industries who I was pretty unfamiliar with but they blew me away.  Their performance was the high-light of the evening as they demonstrated a real stage presence with a unique persona, especially from vocalist Bjornar.  Path of Infamy featured dual vocal banter between Bjornar and guitarist Eivind.  A really demented mood echoed throughout each song and they reminded me somewhat of Arcturus or Virus with a style that is off the beaten path to be certain.  The band had a with a strong and clear sound and each song was readily recognizable and when you heard Grim Apparitions, you knew it was Grim Apparitions.

The band I was most excited about seeing was Helheim though to be honest I was a little disappointed.  When compared with Taake and Vulture Industries, their actual stage presence was sort of flat.  I think a lot of this had to do with the small size of the stage and because the vocalists played instruments and were somewhat limited in their movement.  Their set was tight and the music solid, conjuring Viking atmospheres even inside the walls of an underground club.  At one point Bjornar of Vulture Industries joined them onstage for some guest vocals creating the high point of their set for me.

Finally Taake took the stage and though I was not all too thrilled about seeing Hoest and crew these reservations instantly evaporated as soon as the first notes leaped out of the speakers.  Hoest proved that he is the ultimate frontman for a black metal band.  His antics and facial grimaces were superior to almost every single black metal singer I have yet seen.  The set list was superb with the highpoint for me being the acerbic Umenneske with cold nordic riffs and scathing vocal shrieks.  I was filled with energy, as was the increasingly violent crowd in attendance.  Taake proved why they should be this tour's headliners.  I will admit I enjoyed Taake's performance even better than the first time I saw them with Koldbrann and Urgehal.  All in all it was an exciting concert where I was won over by two great acts, Taake and Vulture Industries.