Watain, Deströyer 666 @ The Underworld, London

Watain

Deströyer 666

@

The Underworld, London

Within black metal’s murky realms, tags like “dark” and “satanic” are often recklessly doled out, with tame sell-outs and posers running riot throughout the movement. And while Watain are nothing if not shamelessly pretentious, the Swedes’ grim pageantry is rooted in an incredibly savage sound that has yet to be rivalled. Testament to the band’s explosive impact on the UK metal scene, every inch of The Underworld is crammed with black-clad fans, their dusky garb darkening the venue’s already gloomy quarters.

Deströyer 666 supply a generous measure of raw energy that fits perfectly alongside Watain’s own unadulterated aggression. Lunging violently toward the crowd, these talented metallers boast thrash-infused carnage by the bucket-load. As such, there’s not a great deal of variation throughout their minimalist set, but it’s a thrilling adrenalin overdose that occasionally touches on more complex territory. Stripped of the token keyboards and corpse paint, the band showcase a brutal blend of ragged screams and sludgy guitars.However, Deströyer’s speedy delivery sees a portion of riffs reduced to a muddy din that is nevertheless eagerly received by the crowd. Flawlessly in sync with each skull-splitting groove, a trio of guitars are repeatedly plunged earthward, as though honourably inclined toward hell. In closing, frontman K.K. Warslut tells the audience, “We stand humbled before you,” providing what is doubtless to be tonight’s first and final shred of humility.

Having snatched a swift pint at the bar, the revellers return to a horror movie-like scene of flickering torches and spine-chilling soundscapes. Faces painted and crudely attired, Watain stride onstage with a predatory swagger. Led by a gleeful Erik Danielsson, the band unleash a serpentine string of guitars hinged on a skull-splitting bass line. While this dynamic sound leaves the audience drunk on aggression, the frenzy is heightened still further as Danielsson produces a silver vessel, dousing frontline fanatics in reeking gore. Soon, the air is thick with a meaty, deeply rotten stench that merges seamlessly with Watain’s dense, distorted riffs, invading the senses with a stifling aura of death. Pale as plague victims, the musicians convulse in violent ecstasy and a sea of blood-slicked arms rise at the pummelling opening bars of ‘Reaping Death’. Snarling across a multi-textured mass of guitars, Danielsson’s vocal talents stand up exceptionally well in a live scenario.

Capturing atmosphere and aggression in equal measure, Watain’s set showcases razor-sharp expertise and precision. Lavishing extra volume on his most satanic verses, Danielsson’s passion is infectious and proves in no uncertain terms that genius is a frequent bedfellow to raving insanity. With many tracks plucked from the acclaimed ‘Lawless Darkness’, Watain’s performance plays on a number of choice cuts alongside a wealth of early material. Topped off with a groove-laden Bathory cover, tonight’s show is a black metaller’s fantasy made flesh.

Review by Faye Coulman
Photography Asif Salam