On the 19th one of the biggest tours of the year came through Denver. 3 bands that are on the forefront of the extreme metal scene pummeled a packed Ogden Theater. But my day didn’t start with the first band,
Keep of Kalessin, but on the tour bus for a quick interview with ICS Vortex, bassist of
Dimmu Borgir and icon of the extreme metal world.
I won’t go into too much detail about the interview, since it will be posted later. But we discussed various topics to include the tour, his current projects
Code and
Lamented Souls, as well as possible future work with
Borknagar. Keep checking back to read (and possibly listen) the entire interview.
After the interview I got into the show, grabbed a beer and got ready for opening act
Keep of Kalessin. I wasn’t really familiar with them before the show. I had heard random tracks, but I don’t own anything from them. But after their set, I am a total fan. Their modern style of black metal really impressed me, and the rest of the crowd. From the second they started playing; they totally owned the stage and had complete control of the crowd. 30 minutes later the crowd was in frenzy and completely captivated. To grab a hold of a crowd which consisted of mainly hot topic kids who only know
Dimmu Borgir from Ozzfest, and keep their interest, is quite a feat. So congrats to
Keep Kalessin, for putting on an awesome show and recruiting some new fans.
Next were Polish demons
Behemoth. I have been very critical of
Behemoth lately. Personally, I feel they rip off
Nile and
Morbid Angel too much, especially on their latest album
The Apostasy. However, they put on a fantastic show and absolutely impressed me. Even the songs I disliked sounded great live. My only complaint is that they didn’t play the early black metal stuff. Visually
Behemoth has an imposing presence, though I think they can be a bit cheesy at times. Every time Nergal introduced a song; he was surrounded by fog and lit only with a frosty blue light. Also, they were they were the biggest offenders when it came to over the top costumes. But a little cheese is ok in metal, so I forgive them. Even though I was disappointed with their new direction, I still enjoyed the set and would definitely see them again.
Last was
Dimmu Borgir, who has become a household name in the metal world. The entire set was spectacular. The sound, the lights, the atmosphere; everything fell into place. Some serious effort has been put into this stage show, especially with the lights, and boy did it pay off. As ICS Vortex said before the show, “nothing can go wrong”, and nothing did. One thing I really liked was the variety of the song selection. There was a good mix of old and new songs, which pleased the broad assortment of fans at the show. To accompany the music, there were videos playing in the back, often featuring the band’s image during the period they wrote the song. It was a nice tribute to the bands history, and the history of black metal.
I’ll leave you with the same thought I had when I left the theater that night. We all make our own choices when it comes to religion. But when we see bands that hold our same ideals, and back them with such force and devotion, it’s no wonder why we stick with it. I’m not talking about making your life choices based on music. But when there is so much support out there from these bands (and fans) that put so much power into our message, it energizes each and every one of us, and encourages us to stay on the righteous path. This show was one of those nights where we celebrated our beliefs with great music, and renewed our commitment to the cause.
Official Dimmu Borgir Website
Official Behemoth Website
Official Keep of Kalessin Website
Official Nuclear Blast Website
Official Century Media Website
Official Dimmu Borgir Myspace
Official Behemoth Myspace
Official Keep of Kalessin Myspace
PHOTOS (will be posted shortly)
