Given the name Satanic Supremacy you probably already guessed we were treated upon a mini festival with five black metal bands. With Hats Barn, Sammath, Wrok and others performing and presenting two albums and two live debuts that should be more than enough surprises for one evening. It is good to see that Mark Knobbe’s hard work organising this evening of darkness and destruction has paid off.
When I stepped in Suttungr were already playing their live debut on stage. Although I was a little late the orthodox black songs I witnessed sounded quite well. These five guys hailing from Limburg (Netherlands) are relatively new in the black metal scene, but with their debut EP “Baduhennawoud” they present a couple of solid tracks which deal with topics as paganism and history. Especially the presence of vocalist Eldr, makes sure that the right atmosphere is present. All in all a good performance which makes me curious what Suttungr will offer in the near future.
Their Follow up was Funeral Desekrator, a black/thrash outfit coming from the darkest region of France. Their music is raw, grim and has a no-nonsense approach. The music reminds me somewhat of Archgoat at times. This was their debut performance in the Netherlands. And it didn’t disappoint. In fact I rather listen to these kinds of bands live than at home. It just does more justice to the music in my opinion. The female vocalist Kriegar has a powerful throat and a threatening stage presence. When aided with the backing vocals of bass player Cadaver the vocal combination gets extra powerful. Songs such as “Goat calling Ritual” and “Crushing Steel Machine” and others were fun to watch and listen to. Funeral Desekrator managed to give a fierce debut on Dutch soil which does justice to their straightforward black/thrash sound.
Wrok is a black metal band which goes back to the glory days of the genre in the nineties. Since 1999 this Dutch band has lay dormant until Mictian (drums) and Azaghus (vocals, guitars) resurrected Wrok and started releasing new work. In fact their newest “De Dood roept” is being presented here for release today. It’s an album where death, depression, and suicide reign. Not for the merry listener but their straightforward black metal with Dutch lyrics has an enthralling effect on me. Today they enter the stage with the aid of Arjan (Cultus) on bass. And together these three hooded menaces give a tight and intriguing set which involves blood (literally), sweat and tears. Despite some technical sound problems they delivered an intriguing set and stage performance were songs as “Uitgehold”, “Er is geen Licht aan het einde van de Tunnel,” “In Pijn” and“Doodseskader” are shared with the audience, which willingly consumed it. Good to see these guys on the stage! Go check their new album out. And if you have the chance, go see this band live!
After Wrok it is time for Sammath to wreak havoc on the stage. I heard there’s a new album in the works (and that is real good news) which I have mentioned in the review of “Across the Rhine is always Death” album. This music is not for pussies. It is harsh, grim, raw and feels like a tank is crunching over your body. And live Sammath is a beast in purest form: relentless, powerful, fast and terrifying. It is almost in-human how fast Wim van der Valk can play drums. With no hesitation they perform a full frontal attack on your eardrums with songs such as “Thrive in Arrogance”, “Totenhugel”, “Across the Rhine is only Death” and many more. There is no remorse, no surrender and these three comrades play their asses off until the set concludes. Sammath has never let me down during live sets. Also today. If you like it harsh, fast and brutal Sammath is an absolute killer in the genre.
A pity that a delay in the timetable saw to it that a lot of people had to catch their train missing Hats Barn. This is because Hats Barn is something extraordinary. While dealing with themes as profanation, occultism, war and genocide it is the visual presence and atmosphere on the stage which is, well, quite unique and sets them apart from other acts in the genre. On the stage they shroud themselves with incense, bones and skin of dead animals and blood where the presence of vocalist Psycho haunts you with its downright eerie presence. His throat can gurgle, squeak and scream and can be downright maniacal. His dramatic stage presence is amplifying the theatrical side of the ritual while the rest of the band play very tight. Their stage performance is dark, haunting, brooding and is one of the best the French underground has spawned. And as an extra treat Hats Barn presents their newest release “Y.a.HW.e.H.” today. From this album “Y.W.H.W,” “Under the Pillars of Daath” “Walpurgis of Seth,” “L’enfant du mort,” “The Man returns to Dust” are presented in excellent manner together with older songs. After the set it made me hungry listening their albums at home during the evening with candles, incense burning and a good beer. If you have the chance check their latest album out and visit their live shows. It is well worth spending your hard worked money on.
And with the end of Hats Barn’s performance Satanic Supremacy comes to an end. With a diverse line up it was a feast for me and the rest of the audience’s dark souls. Let’s hope the organisers will continue with organising this event because both musically and atmospherically it was excellent.
Writer: Erik
