Ultha/Ante-Inferno/Andracca – Rebellion, Manchester – 15/03/25 (Live Review)

Featuring Andracca and Ante-Inferno, two of the leading lights of the UK black metal underground, as well as the mighty Ultha, this was a show I could not afford to miss. Especially as, in my humble opinion, Ultha are probably the best modern black metal band in the world. It promises to be a great show.

Andracca

Andracca start with far fewer people in attendance than I would have hoped for them – it’s certainly not empty, but people are missing out on their engaging brand of black metal, for sure. The last time I saw them the band received a good reaction, and tonight is no different.

Bathed in undulating blue for the duration, Andracca play select cuts from their debut record To Bare the Weight of Death, to good effect. They put in a solid performance, unleashing a blackened fury that is tempered with occult atmosphere. Andracca play with passion and get a good response from those here early enough to catch them. There’s even a bit of a mosh pit going on for the last song.

A enjoyable beginning to the evening’s festivities.

Ante-Inferno

This is the third time I’ve seen Ante-Inferno, (here and here), but I’ve still been looking forward to seeing them again. Their aggressive form of atmospheric black metal usually goes down a treat, and so it does once more again tonight.

The music expands to envelope everyone in a shroud of mood-rich darkness edged with teeth and claws. Ante-Inferno put in a strong performance and they benefit from having a decent sound. They are mostly absorbed in what they do, delivering a sonic experience that’s engaging throughout. Many in the crowd are clearly just as absorbed, as am I, riding the waves of blackened intensity to some other place and time, away from mundane matters for a while.

A great set from Ante-Inferno, their best I’ve seen yet. One to get lost in.

Ultha

Here we go then, the main event. Like Ante-Inferno, I’ve seen Ultha twice previously, (here and here), and I cannot wait to experience their overwhelming wall of sound once more. Especially so tonight, as the sound  quality actually does the music justice. Ultha take the absorption of Ante-Inferno and expand it, offering a state of pure blackened immersion for those lucky few in attendance. The music is massive, and completely transportive.

Ultha are on stage for some time before they start, lost in red light, accompanied by a feedback drone like a tension before the storm. When it hits, it hits, hard, and Der Alte Feind (Jeder Tag reißt Wunden) is gripping from the start, and ends in atmospheric nirvana. Absolutely fantastic. The following song erupts with blasting intensity that the band develop onto into a tapestry of extremity. The blend of feeling-rich violence, pulsating menace, and hypnotic fury is intoxicating.

Dispel boasts an iconic opening riff that’s like condensed adrenaline. The crowd understandably respond accordingly. A whirlwind of razors, softened by Ultha’s inimitable atmospheric depth, it’s seriously so good.

Bathed in Light, Bathed in Heat opens with an ethereal dreamscape that Ultha gradually develop into a tapestry of majestic ferocity. My words are not adequate to truly describe the experience. By the end of the song I’m quite literally almost reduced to tears. Damn you Ultha!

The last song of the evening is the crushing The Avarist (Eyes of a Tragedy), and is dedicated to Andracca and Ante-Inferno. It’s a gargantuan expression of blackened brutality and malevolent grandeur. It’s at once claustrophobic and vast, delivering both intimate emotion and collective rage. It’s a work that drips hostility through every pore, alongside a well-crafted aura of near-tangible darkness. It has a harsh beauty that’s deadly, but enthralling.

It all ends in feedback, as it began.

How Ultha aren’t bigger is beyond me. How this place isn’t rammed to the rafters is incomprehensible. Yeah yeah, hyperbole I know, but still – Ultha are just stunning. Their songs are lengthy, layered, and utterly compelling; an exercise in sheer power, yet one with nuance and blackened grace. Ultha are a force to be reckoned with. Do not miss out on any chance you get to experience this.