19-March-2016, Oberhausen, Resonanzwerk

Oberhausen’s „Resonanzwerk“ has developed into an epicenter of NRW’s Black Metal Scene over the past two years with gigs and one-day festivals every few months, featuring some of the finest bands the international underground has to offer. The newest addition is the ODYSSEY TO BLASPHEMY festival which holds it first edition today, presenting an impressive line-up on a saturday afternoon/night. The event starts at 2 pm, far too early for me, so I miss the first couple of bands, if you’re interested in how they were - well, you could have been there yourself.

Upon my arrival at the venue, DEUS MORTEM are just halfway through their last song, too little of an impression to say anything about the band’s show. So my evening starts with Belgian Black/Thrash hopefuls POSSESSION. I was eager to check out the new line-up with former bass player V. Viriakh replacing Mestema on vocals. As expected, Mestema’s creepy, fucked-up appearance can’t be replicated, making the band seem less dangerous than in the past, but still, POSSESSION deliver their intoxicating, straight-to-the-face old school sound with all fury and aggression they are known for. Sure, the music is super-simple and many of the two- to three-chord riffs seem just to well-known to the ear, but especially in a live situation you just can’t help to bang your fucking head off. And when Vriakh’s hair catches fire from a candle on the obligatory altar, the danger is back for a few seconds at least.

Next up are Poland’s Black Metal pioneers ARKONA. I’m aware of their long history spanning back to 1993 and their influence on the scene of our eastern neighbours but I’m not familiar with their music. However, what I get is atmospheric Black Metal with heavy keyboard use. I can usually enjoy that kind of sound but the extreme monotony of most of the songs and the totally static stage performance make it hard to stay interested for longer than a few minutes.

It’s been only a few months since I have last seen AOSOTH at Nidrosian Black Mass (which is also true for MGLA) and the impression they left there in Brussels makes me excited for their gig tonight (which is also true for MGLA). AOSOTH are something like the orthodox Black Metal band for a post-modern age. The religious/occult undertones and obsessed performance are right there but instead of an arcane, candle-lit, hooded, ritualistic vibe, AOSOTH’s music possesses that repellent-yet-enchanting, dissonant quality that feels so particularly french. Wrapped in a massive, bass-heavy sound, the band’s dedicated performance is the first true highlight of the evening. The way AOSOTH build up tension through long, slowly climaxing passages culminating in barbaric orgies of blasting ferocity is masterful and it’s good to see a band really enjoy what their doing on stage in these times of pretended sincerity.

I have never seen DARKENED NOCTURN SLAUGHTERCULT live before for when they were supposed to play at Extreme Fest a few years ago they cancelled on short notice after being told they couldn’t bring their full show to the stage. So my pleasant anticipation grows as inverted crosses decorated with animal skulls, a giant pentagram and two banners made of animal skin are carried on stage. Front-woman Onielar is wrapped in a black robe during soundcheck, hiding her stage clothes so she earns more than a few surprised and fascinated looks when she reappears in a strange white gown, making her seem like a ghostly version of virgin mary - with corpse paint. It’s no surprise that all attention focuses on the charismatic front lady as she screams, suffers and yells her way through the very traditional compositions. Between songs, Onielar keeps drinking blood from a bottle, spitting it at the crowd in front of the stage and besmirching her white dress more and more through the set. I can hardly think of a better symbol for purity defiled than the blood slowly drenching her dress from the neck downward. When she holds a crucifix upside down over her head for a second I can’t help thinking of the girl from the exorcist having started a Black Metal band but joking aside: DARKENED NOCTURN SLAUGHTERCULT’s performance is beyond reproach, a flawless celebration of evil, blood and Black Metal.

MGLA are without doubt the fastest rising „stars“ of the scene, the timeless quality of their compositions combined with an all-around minimalistic aesthetic has drawn a lot of attention even from outside Black Metal’s closer circle. It feels wrong to see them soundcheck without facemasks but when they finally get on stage with their leather-jacket-and-hoods uniform, the magic is back immediately. No wonder, as the true magic of MGLA lies in their music. It’s remarkable how this band manages to write „hit“ after hit without having to compromise in credibility or seriousness. As always, there’s close to nothing happening on stage so you can close your eyes and drown in these unique guitar harmonies which grab you right by the heart. At least you could do that, wasn’t there a relevant amount of totally drunk retards in the crowd, barely able to stand on their feet, hugging and jostling strangers and not giving a shit about the show at all. If you still think of Black Metal as an elitist movement - think again. Nonetheless, the majesty of MGLA’s art surpasses the depths of human stupidity and maybe hearing M. shout his nihilistic ramblings surrounded by so much moronic behavior is a nice metaphor and adds to the experience after all. 

When MGLA leave the stage around half past midnight I’m sure to have witnessed an extraordinary night of musical excellence. And as was announced shortly ago, there will be a second edition of the fest in November already. Count me in!

Vernichtungsschmerz