BEHEMOTH | DEICIDE | ROTTING CHRIST | IMMOLATION

IMMOLATION

One could argue that there are more “evil” bands out there that might have been a better fit for the opening slot of this tour. Even though New Jersey death metal veterans Immolation aren’t the most Satanic on the surface, their love for everything unholy is as strong as any of their Christ-hating peers. You see, with Immolation, you gotta dig a bit. You gotta read between the lines. They approach the topic with a philosophical weight that is smarter, leaner, and every bit as scathing. Tonight, they pulled out five unholy hymns from their latest slab of death metal might, Descent, along with ‘Swarm Of Terror’ from 2005’s Harnessing Ruin, ‘An Act Of God’ from 2022’s Acts Of God, and ‘Immolation’ from the ’91 classic, Dawn Of Possession. I must have seen these guys at least ten times by now, and they’ve never failed to impress. Easily the most atmospheric set of the night (in a dissonant and claustrophobic sense).

SETLIST
‘These Vengeful Winds’, ‘The Ephemeral Curse’, ‘Swarm Of Terror’, ‘Attrition’, ‘An Act Of God’, ‘Adversary’, ‘Immolation’, ‘Bend Towards The Dark’

ROTTING CHRIST

If Immolation were the Luciferian philosophers, then Greek black metallers Rotting Christ were the evening’s occult mass. A total atmospheric shift from what we experienced with Immo, where we went from a dissonant death metal onslaught to a hypnotic repetition. If there is one thing that Rotting Christ is known for live, it is getting those fists in the air. Most of the setlist was built around their characteristic tribal rhythms and repetitive mantras, as heard in songs such as ‘Like Father, Like Son’ and ‘Dub-Sag-Ta-Ke’. Frontman Sakis Tolis had the crowd in his hands early, harnessing the energy and then channelling it into the nethers of the venue, which was transformed into an ancient Atherian temple on this Tuesday night in Montreal!

SETLIST
‘Dies Irae’, ‘Demonon Vrosis’, ‘Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy’, ‘Like Father, Like Son’, ‘Elthe Kyrie’, ‘Dub-Sag-Ta-Ke’, ‘Societas Satanas’, ‘Grandis Spiritus Diavolos’

DEICIDE

There is no “Godless IV” tour without the legendary Floridian bible bashers, Deicide. Sure, one can argue how deep their love of Beelzebub actually runs these days, but no matter. Glen has penned many an homage to Satan over the last thirty-plus years, thus earning him and his god-killing crew a prime spot on this touring package. The guys hit the stage to a rousing welcome consisting of a chanted “DEE-A-SIDE!” from the 2000-strong crowd, to which they responded with the ludicrously catchy ‘When Satan Rules His World’ from 1995’s Once Upon The Cross. In fact, seven of the ten tracks were culled from the band’s first four albums (Deicide, Legion, Once Upon The Cross, Serpents Of The Light), making this a truly old-school performance. They actually pulled a gem from the much-maligned Insineratehymn with the track ‘Forever Hate You’. I’m not sure why this turn-of-the-century album gets so much hate. It’s actually a banger chock full of brutal, Christ-bashing bops. In a surprising twist, they ended their set not with ‘Dead By Dawn’ but with ‘Homage For Satan’ from 2006’s The Stench Of Redemption.

SETLIST
‘When Satan Rules His World’, ‘Bastard Of Christ’, ‘Behead The Prophet (No Lord Shall Live)’, ‘Once Upon The Cross’, ‘Sacrificial Suicide’, ‘Serpents Of The Light’, ‘Forever Hate You’, ‘They Are The Children Of The Underworld’, ‘Scars Of The Crucifix’, ‘Dead By Dawn’, ‘Homage For Satan’

BEHEMOTH

Behemoth’s Nergal explicitly described this tour as a “convergence of legends” and a “rite.” Basically, this is the “World Cup” of blasphemy, and Nergal and his crew are the team captains. Immediately, the theatrics of the mighty Behemoth felt a bit inspired by the showmanship of Ghost. Nergal himself coming across as a twisted cross of Papa and an infernal priest. The lighting and choreography were beautifully orchestrated, with the only complaint that they came across a bit too rehearsed, lacking the spontaneity of the previous three bands. The setlist was mostly comprised of material from their unholy triumvirate of albums (The Satanist, Demigod, and Evangelion). They also threw in some newer stuff like ‘The Shit Ov God’ and ‘The Shadow Elite’. It truly felt like a night at the theatre, functioning in some regard as a Shakespearean Tragedy, where Nergal and his minions transformed their unique brand of blackened extremity into a grand, operatic spectacle of the unholy. It’s clear that these Polish giants are at the top of their game… where it goes next is anyone’s guess!

SETLIST
‘The Shadow Elite’, ‘Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer’, ‘Thy Becoming Eternal’, ‘Conquer All’, ‘The Shit Ov God’, ‘Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica’, ‘Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel’, ‘Nomen Barbarvm’, ‘Bartzabel’, ‘The Return Of Darkness And Evil’, ‘Ov Fire And The Void’, ‘The Deathless Sun’, ‘Chant For Eschaton 2000’, ‘O Father O Satan O Sun!’