January 23, 2014 - In Stockholm the concert of Swedish Watain is scheduled, a band that has long been part of the elite of the genre. Unholy Black Metal (also for long in the elite of metal webzines!!!) could not miss and also received a photopass.
The concert is scheduled at 7:30p.m. at a place called Fryshuset, the support band is In Solitude. Due to a series of incidents I arrive very late to the concert and I miss In Solitude and therefore I will not be able to document their performance. However, the place is very large and there is a full house.
The staging of Watain consists of two panels on each side of the stage, and the panels are decorated with bones of any kind and some scribbles that seem to be painted with blood. The battery is located on a raised platform in front of which there is the usual altar for Eric’s rituals. Behind the battery there are two tridents, the symbol of Watain. At the front edge of the stage there are two large inverted crosses.
When the concert begins I enter the photographer trench for the photo session that lasts for the first three songs. It is very difficult to take pictures because of the non-optimal lighting and the thick blanket of smoke on the stage, but in the end I still manage to do some good shots. The first three songs are the same with which they opened all the concerts of their latest tour, as far as I know: “Night Vision”, “De Profundis”, “Malfeitor”.
This is the fourth time I have seen Watain: I have already seen them once at Wacken 2008 and twice in Stockholm; apart from Wacken, this seems to me their best performance. Compared to the two previous concerts in Stockholm, the sound quality is definitely better and above all holds for the whole duration of the concert, which is not obvious since on previous occasions the sound used to get confused by the middle of the concert.
Singer Eric Danielson gives much: he has a great charisma impersonating his demonic role on stage. Bassist Alvaro Lillo is the only one to employ a vast range of spikes, but despite his evil make-up with an inverted cross on his forehead, he seems to me like a black version of Gene Simmons of Kiss. Guitarist Davide Totaro, known as Set, has his usual red make-up; very clever but he is very static and remains alongside Alvaro, who moves a little more. The one who has a good scene presence is Eric Danielson, the performance is still great, the audience are enthusiastic and cheer them at the end of every song .
The first part of the show also contains two old songs, “Storm of the Antichrist” from Sworn to the Dark and “Devil's Bood” from Casus Luciferi, which I love and I'm happy to listen to. I want to highlight the last song of the first part of the setlist, “The Wild Hunt” which is performed with a prolonged and spectacular finale: the band exits with the exception of guitarist Pelle Forsberg, who continues to play the final chords between two fire jets. The scene is of great visual impact. After this performance Pelle exits and the stage remains empty.
The concert is scheduled at 7:30p.m. at a place called Fryshuset, the support band is In Solitude. Due to a series of incidents I arrive very late to the concert and I miss In Solitude and therefore I will not be able to document their performance. However, the place is very large and there is a full house.
The staging of Watain consists of two panels on each side of the stage, and the panels are decorated with bones of any kind and some scribbles that seem to be painted with blood. The battery is located on a raised platform in front of which there is the usual altar for Eric’s rituals. Behind the battery there are two tridents, the symbol of Watain. At the front edge of the stage there are two large inverted crosses.
When the concert begins I enter the photographer trench for the photo session that lasts for the first three songs. It is very difficult to take pictures because of the non-optimal lighting and the thick blanket of smoke on the stage, but in the end I still manage to do some good shots. The first three songs are the same with which they opened all the concerts of their latest tour, as far as I know: “Night Vision”, “De Profundis”, “Malfeitor”.
This is the fourth time I have seen Watain: I have already seen them once at Wacken 2008 and twice in Stockholm; apart from Wacken, this seems to me their best performance. Compared to the two previous concerts in Stockholm, the sound quality is definitely better and above all holds for the whole duration of the concert, which is not obvious since on previous occasions the sound used to get confused by the middle of the concert.
Singer Eric Danielson gives much: he has a great charisma impersonating his demonic role on stage. Bassist Alvaro Lillo is the only one to employ a vast range of spikes, but despite his evil make-up with an inverted cross on his forehead, he seems to me like a black version of Gene Simmons of Kiss. Guitarist Davide Totaro, known as Set, has his usual red make-up; very clever but he is very static and remains alongside Alvaro, who moves a little more. The one who has a good scene presence is Eric Danielson, the performance is still great, the audience are enthusiastic and cheer them at the end of every song .
The first part of the show also contains two old songs, “Storm of the Antichrist” from Sworn to the Dark and “Devil's Bood” from Casus Luciferi, which I love and I'm happy to listen to. I want to highlight the last song of the first part of the setlist, “The Wild Hunt” which is performed with a prolonged and spectacular finale: the band exits with the exception of guitarist Pelle Forsberg, who continues to play the final chords between two fire jets. The scene is of great visual impact. After this performance Pelle exits and the stage remains empty.
There is big excitement among the audience, and after a few moments the band comes back to the stage for the second part of the show, the encores. The first is “Outlaw” from The Wild Hunt: during this song Eric paints some symbols on one of the panels on the stage. The programme of the encores is very rich and includes an old warhorse like “Sworn to the Dark”. At the end of the last song the band exits except Eric, who, kneeling before the little altar with his back to the audience, performs the last ritual, then gets up, comes towards the audience, salutes and leaves him too.
It was a great concert, a great performance, a rich programme, especially with regard to the encores, I think richer than that performed during the recent tour. I am very satisfied, but unfortunately, as often happens, they only played few songs from the old repertoire. I would have really liked to listen to “Satan's Hunger” and “Legions of the Black Light”, which are my favourites.
It was a great concert, a great performance, a rich programme, especially with regard to the encores, I think richer than that performed during the recent tour. I am very satisfied, but unfortunately, as often happens, they only played few songs from the old repertoire. I would have really liked to listen to “Satan's Hunger” and “Legions of the Black Light”, which are my favourites.
Setlist:
1. “Night Vision” from The Wild Hunt
2. “De Profundis” from The Wild Hunt
3. “Malfeitor” from Lawless Darkness
4. “Black Flames March” from The Wild Hunt
5. “Storm of the Antichrist” from Sworn to the Dark
6. “Devil's Blood” from Casus Luciferi
7. “Sleepless Evil” from The Wild Hunt
8. “Total Funeral” from Lawless Darkness
9. “The Wild Hunt” from The Wild Hunt
10. “Outlaw” from The Wild Hunt
11. “Reaping Death” from Lawless Darkness
12. “Sworn to the Dark” from Sworn to the Dark
13. “Holocaust Dawn” from The Wild Hunt
14. “Waters of Ain” from Lawless Darkness
Personnel:
Erik Danielsson - vocals
Pelle Forsberg - guitars
Håkan Jonsson - drums
Alvaro Lillo - bass
Set Teitan - guitars
1. “Night Vision” from The Wild Hunt
2. “De Profundis” from The Wild Hunt
3. “Malfeitor” from Lawless Darkness
4. “Black Flames March” from The Wild Hunt
5. “Storm of the Antichrist” from Sworn to the Dark
6. “Devil's Blood” from Casus Luciferi
7. “Sleepless Evil” from The Wild Hunt
8. “Total Funeral” from Lawless Darkness
9. “The Wild Hunt” from The Wild Hunt
10. “Outlaw” from The Wild Hunt
11. “Reaping Death” from Lawless Darkness
12. “Sworn to the Dark” from Sworn to the Dark
13. “Holocaust Dawn” from The Wild Hunt
14. “Waters of Ain” from Lawless Darkness
Personnel:
Erik Danielsson - vocals
Pelle Forsberg - guitars
Håkan Jonsson - drums
Alvaro Lillo - bass
Set Teitan - guitars
