It’s time for another high quality (mostly) black metal all dayer courtesy of the fine folks at Reaper Agency. Today was originally meant to have been headlined by the mighty Worm, but despite that unfortunately no longer being the case, they were never the only reason to attend. So let’s get on with the show – the day promises to be a very enjoyable one indeed.
Slimelord
Annoyingly I couldn’t get here in time to see Ultima Necat, and it was touch and go as to whether I’d be here for Slimelord or not. Thankfully I am, and I’m extremely glad about that, as I’ve been obscenely excited to see Slimelord. This year’s Chytridiomycosis Relinquishedis is such a good album, and it seems I’m not the only one of this opinion, as there’s already a sizeable crowd here when I arrive.
Slimelord’s thick swampy death metal has a palpable presence. The combination of the band members, the lighting, the music, and the overall vibe of the place is quite transportive. Slimelord’s ugly brutality and swirling progressive worldbuilding is hypnotic.
Despite the singer’s vocals being too low in the mix, (a surprisingly common theme for most of today’s bands for some reason), that doesn’t blunt my enjoyment of Slimelord’s fungal heaviness. I can’t wait to hopefully see the band again.
Burial
A last-minute addition to the bill, Burial are a most welcome one, especially as they have just unleashed the extremely enjoyable Rejoice in Sin.
Burial play like headliners and are almost treated as such by the enthusiastic crowd. They also have a quality sound mix too. All the ingredients are here for a great time to be had, and Burial make the most of it with their fiery and charismatic performance. It doesn’t hurt their cause that between songs their singer is more entertaining than most, either.
Burial dish out a tasty serving of black metal that’s sharp, fast, rough, and melodic. The crowd swallows it whole and asks for seconds. It’s a great performance Burial put on, and we’re left hungry for more.
Absolutely bloody great fun.
Deathless Void
Deathless Void made a good impression with The Voluptuous Fire of Sin, and today they make their UK debut.
Deathless Void are bathed in red malevolence throughout their compelling set. The music is ferocious and dark, and the band are really into what they’re doing. They perform with zealous intensity, delivering a set that seems to satisfy expectations and get a great response from the busy crowd. Particular shout out to the drummer for a blistering and entertaining performance too.
Deathless Void unleash a 40-minute hit of blasting mayhem and destructive groove, coupled with a sinister melodic edge and a murky atmospheric weight. It’s abrasive and raw, but not without depth. It seems to be exactly what the audience want.
Very good stuff from Deathless Void.
Ante-Inferno
Another last-minute addition, and another welcome one. Both Antediluvian Dreamscapes and Death’s Soliloquy are sterling records, and the band were very good to watch at this year’s Fortress Festival. Today’s performance doubles as the album release show for Death’s Soliloquy, and the band do their music justice.
Ante-Inferno tear through their material with energy, with each band member absorbed in a world of their own creation. This translates to a holistic performance that showcases the music very favourably indeed. The songs are entrancing, balancing fury and atmosphere in the right ratios to hit the mark. There’s something very satisfying about watching Ante-Inferno; it’s simply quality black metal played well. Despite being on stage for 45 minutes, I could easily have watched more.
Ante-Inferno deliver a potent and enjoyable set of atmospheric black metal. The UK black metal scene is in rude health at the moment, and this year in particular has been a very strong one for it. Ante-Inferno are one of the Grade A bands active in the scene at the moment. Don’t miss out if you get a chance to see them.
Aristarchos
Martyr of Star and Fire really impressed me when it came out earlier in the year. It’s only grown more impactful with time, so I’ve been really looking forward to seeing Aristarchos. It’s the band’s live debut, and they emerge hooded from this mists of the stage ready to invoke the infernal.
The songs are well-rendered live, and the band’s performance is up to the task of recreating their spectral grandeur. One of the best things about Aristarchos’ music is the melody, which is richly evocative and positively infectious. These melodies are striking and very moreish on album, and live they are just as powerful, if sometimes less clear in the mix early on.
As a first live outing it’s hard to fault it though. The songs sound darkly vibrant, shining with esoteric lustre as they’re conjured up with fanatical devotion. With an atmosphere that’s ripe with malefic promise, Aristarchos succeed in establishing themselves as a very capable live entity.
Verwoed
The Mother is probably one of the best black metal albums of the year. Bold words I know, but there we are. This is Verwoed’s UK debut, and apparently one of their last shows ever as they will be splitting up by the end of the year, which is a huge shame.
Well, it seems that the drummer of Deathless Void is back in action, as is their guitarist, both helping to flesh out the artist behind Verwoed’s live band. Also like Deathless Void, Verwoed spend their time on stage soaked in red light. The band are animated on stage, and clearly having a whale of a time. Their psychedelic take on black metal is nuanced and expressive, and this comes across surprisingly well live. The music offers a trip into worlds less traversed, and the crowd seems more than willing to embark on this journey with the band.
The pulsing serpentine bass and the atypical rhythmic guitars are captivating, while the faster, more aggressive aspects of the music are as drenched in feeling as everything else is. Whether it is a slow sinking into the depths, a churning violent intensity, a slow lapping of the waves as the tide recedes, or a number of other liquid metaphors, Verwoed’s music always brings water to mind. Somewhat unexpectedly, this remains true live as well.
The performance is captivating, and reinforces not only how good Verwoed are, but how much of a shame it is that they’re calling it quits. They have a distinctive sound that will be missed.
Just brilliant.
Hulder
Hulder’s new record – Verses in Oath – is a quality record, and the sort of thing I’d expect to go down a right treat live. It turns out I was right.
Arriving later than expected, when Hulder take to the stage it’s to baleful red light, deep atmosphere, and ethereal clean singing. It appears that the vocalist of Hulder is one of only two singers tonight that have their vocals high enough in the mix, (the other being Burial), and this continues once she switches to her harsh rasps.
The band put on a good performance, unleashing their venomous black metal with skill and passion. They even inspire the first pit of the day, and a remarkably and consistently lively one at that.
Once they hit their stride and some small sound issues are ironed out, Hulder are unstoppable. The songs suit being aired live, with frosted blast beats and cold blackened groove tailor-made to be crowd-friendly. Melody and atmosphere are present, but secondary considerations in this environment, apart from certain moments when they become a key focus for a while. As the most hook-driven band of the day, the songs go down a storm, and Hulder get an enthusiastic response from those in attendance.
It was all going so well, until about ten minutes from the scheduled end when the fire alarm went off and the venue had to be evacuated. Ah well. Despite this unpredictable finish, Hulder are worthy headliners and end the day with a performance that’s thoroughly enjoyable.
One of the great things about this show was that all of the bands had their different strengths, and I can easily imagine different people choosing different favourites of the day because of this. It’s another exceptionally good day from Reaper Agency, and I’d always recommend their shows. Unfortunately even though I’ve bought a ticket for the upcoming February all dayer,(Barshasketh, among many others!), it’s looking extremely likely that I won’t now be able to go, which is incredibly frustrating. Don’t be like me – get your ticket and make sure you can attend!
Wonderbox Metal 
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