DESASTER

It wouldn’t be a true Easter weekend in Germany without a proper dose of fire and filth, and who better to deliver it than the legendary Teutonic blackened thrashers, Desaster. Tonight, the guys delivered a bludgeoning history lesson in musical warfare, ripping through a setlist that spanned decades of blackened goodies. They opened the gates to hell with the track ‘Satan’s Soldier Syndicate’ from 2007’s 666 – Satan’s Soldiers Syndicate before taking things all the way back to 1996’s A Touch Of Medieval Darkness with the track ‘Devil’s Sword’. By this point, the venue had filled to near-capacity, a literal sea of horns and beers raised to the roof in respect. On command, they tore into a contemporary track, ‘Learn To Love The Void’, from the 2021 album Churches Without Saints, proving they are as lethal today as they were all the way back in the day. But it was the classicks that threw the punters into a frenzy—’Teutonic Steel’ and ‘Nekropolis Karthago’ lit the pit ablaze, while ‘Divine Blasphemies’ (from the album of the same name) and ‘Metalized Blood’ (from Tyrants of the Netherworld) sounded as malevolent as ever.

Setlist
‘Satan’s Soldiers Syndicate’, ‘Devil’s Sword’, ‘Learn to Love the Void’, ‘Sacrilege’, ‘Damnatio Ad Bestias’, ‘Teutonic Steel’, ‘Nekropolis Karthago’, ‘Hellbangers’, ‘Divine Blasphemies’, ‘Metalized Blood’

EMPYRIUM

Next up was the blackened, ghostly doom of Germany’s Empyrium. Witnessing these guys live is akin to a musical séance, a haunting soundtrack that evoked the power of the earth, spirit, and deep sorrow. It might not have been the loudest performance of the weekend, in the abrasive sense of the word, but it was certainly one of the heaviest. The hype for their performance was palpable, with fans racing over from venue Halle and venue Club to get as close as possible to the stage in the largest hall of the festival, Venue Werk. By the time Empyrium hit the stage, the place was absolutely packed, with standing room only available in the very back of the hall.

Setlist
‘When Shadows Grow Longer’, ‘The Blue Mists Of Night’, ‘Mourners’, ‘Ode To Melancholy’, ‘The Ensemble Of Silence’, ‘My Nocturnal Queen’

IN THE WOODS

As their name implies, the very first notes of Norway’s … In The Woods transformed venue Halle into a vast, impenetrable woodland. From the moment sound reverberated from the stage, every chord progression twisted and vexed itself through the imagined trees while the vocal melodies of Bernt Fjellestad thundered across valleys like a storm rolling over distant mountains. It was as if we had trekked into the heart of Norway’s ancient woods, swallowed by the atmospheric soundscapes of one of its most treasured bands. Songs such as ‘The Things You Shouldn’t Know’ and ‘Heart Of The Ages’ conjured disorientation, awe, and something close to the dread felt if you’ve ever wandered off the path deep in the woods at night. The drums of Anders Kobro resonated like mysterious footfalls from an unseen entity stalking your every move as you attempt to find your way back to the living. If there was one performance to lose yourself in this weekend, it was this. … In The Woods‘ music reflects the archaic essence of the woods, a place older than music itself.

Setlist
‘Heart Of The Ages’, ‘The Crimson Crown’, ‘A Misrepresentation Of I’, ‘The Things You Shouldn’t Know’, ‘A Wonderful Crisis’, ‘…In The Woods’

TSJUDER

The black banner of Norway’s Tsjuder was held high for all to see and hear in Germany on this day. Nag and crew stormed through a warlike assault of unholy anthems, opening with the menacing ‘Malignant Coronation’ and tearing through venomous renditions of ‘Possessed’, ‘Prestehammeren’, ‘Mouth Of Madness’, ‘Slakt’, and the incredibly dark and addictive violence of ‘Gods Of Black Blood’ from 2023’s Helvgr. It always blows me away how extremely unrelenting Tsjuder is in a live setting, consistently delivering a raw, unflinching performance dedicated to the sound of the second wave. For the latter half of the set, the band shifted into full homage mode, unleashing a storm of Bathory covers. Classic tracks such as ‘Sacrifice’, ‘Woman Of Dark Desires’, ‘Satan My Master’, ‘Raise The Dead’, and ‘Born For Burning’ were all delivered with a trademarked fury. While a complete Tsjuder set would have been welcome, especially given how rare their appearances are, it was a nice surprise for diehards of both camps, and a fitting nod to their Bathory tribute EP released back in 2023.

Setlist
Tsujder Set: ‘Malignant Coronation’, ‘Possessed’, ‘Prestehammeren’, ‘Mouth Of Madness’, ‘Slakt’, ‘Gods Of Black Blood’ Bathory Set: ‘Sacrifice’, ‘Woman Of Dark Desires’, ‘Satan My Master’, ‘Raise The Dead’, ‘Born For Burning’

SPECTRAL WOUND

The Montreal, Canada horde known as Spectral Wound carried their blackened plague into Europe with an incredibly vicious performance at Dark Easter Metal Meeting. Like a pestilence, their set was a virulent strain of raw black metal that spread fast throughout the absolutely packed hall (you could not fit one more body into the venue). The opening insanity of the fittingly-titled ‘Fever & Suffering’ hung in the air like the smell of putridity and rot. Vocalist Jonah Campbell spewed an airborne contagion that was immediately infectious, while the rest of the band grinded out a sonic scourge that left the room coughing blood and soaked in piss and bile. Judging by the sickness left in their wake, the infection has only just begun!

Setlist
‘Fevers & Suffering’, ‘Woods From Which The Spirits Once So Loudly Howled’, ‘Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal’, ‘Frigid And Spellbound’, ‘Less And Less Human, O Savage Spirit’, ‘A Coin Upon The Tongue’, ‘Twelve Moons In Hell’

GAAHL’S WYRD

Gaahl’s Wyrd, one of only a few Norwegian bands at Dark Easter Metal Meeting 2025, brought an unrivalled professionalism and air of profundity so palpable it summoned goosebumps. There is no question about the pedigree of Gaahl, a man who helped carve the backbone of black metal, and it showed on this day. Opening with the elegantly haunting ‘Ghosts Invited’, Gaahl and his battle-hardened black metal soldiers showed the soft underbelly of the beast before completely transforming into a monster with the monolithic, Gorogorth-era anthem, ‘Carving A Giant’. From there, the set slithered and vexed like a serpent through the ages: ‘Aldrande Tre’ and ‘Alt Liv’ paid tribute to God Seed, while ‘Høyt Opp I Dypet’ resurrected the glacial-like brilliance of Trelldom. Taking a break from the nostalgia, the guys sliced into new cuts such as ‘Carving The Voices’, ‘From The Spear’, and ‘Through And Past And Past’, all delivered with the viciousness of a band not content to live on legacy alone. As one might expect, the guys ended their commanding set with two Gorgoroth classics, ‘Exit – Through Carved Stones’ and ‘Prosperity And Beauty’.

Setlist
‘Ghosts Invited’, ‘Carving A Giant (Gorgoroth Cover)’, ‘Aldrande Tre (God Seed Cover)’, ‘Carving The Voices’, ‘From The Spear’, ‘Høyt Opp I Dypet (Trelldom Cover)’, ‘Through And Past And Past’, ‘Exit – Through Carved Stones (Gorgoroth Cover)’, ‘Alt Liv (God Seed Cover)’, ‘Prosperity And Beauty’

BELPHEGOR

Try, if you will, picturing the moment you cease to exist. For fans of Austria’s Belphegor, that moment will likely end with your soul dragged to the foot of Hell’s rusty, iron-spiked gates. Like guardians of damnation, there stands Belphegor, instruments in hand, ready to serenade your condemned soul with a collection of hymns penned for the descent into the underworld. Fittingly, the gates crack open to the perverse chants and blasting intensity of ‘The Procession’, immediately followed by ‘Baphomet’ and ‘The Devil’s Son’, both tracks an ode to your maker who awaits on the other side. With no mercy, the beastly guardians of the gate rip into ‘Sanctus Diaboli Confidimus’ and ‘Belphegor – Hell’s Ambassador’, the latter a staple in Satan’s Spotify playlist. ‘Stigma Diabolicum’ and ‘Pactum In Aeternum’ are vomited out as a baptism of fire consumes you. ‘Lucifer Incestus’ fills the fiery air as the twisted, broken limbs of the damned drag you downward into torment. ‘Virtus Asinaria – Prayer’ and ‘The Devils’ close this liturgy of the befouled, while ‘Der Lichtbringer’ and ‘Totentanz – Dance Macabre’ serve as the eternal soundtrack to perdition. This, my friends, was the experience of seeing the mighty Belphegor live at Dark Easter Metal Meeting 2025.

Setlist
‘The Procession’, ‘Baphomet’, ‘The Devil’s Son’, ‘Sanctus Diaboli Confidimus’, ‘Belphegor – Hell’s Ambassador’, ‘Stigma Diabolicum’, ‘Pactum In Aeternum’, ‘Lucifer Incestus’, ‘Virtus Asinaria – Prayer’, ‘The Devils’, ‘Der Lichtbringer’, ‘Totentanz – Dance Macabre’

MOONSORROW

Moonsorrow may not rely on flashy theatrics or tear heads off with sheer speed in the same way many of the other bands throughout the day crushed skulls. This legendary Finnish group brought a different kind of heaviness, one fueled by emotional, atmospheric, and sonic weight. As the final band of the first night, their powerful performance was filled with folk-infused melodies and epic song structures that felt almost otherworldly. With a Humppa-like swagger, songs like ‘Kylän Päässä’, ‘Suden Tunti’, and ‘Haaska’ definitely had beer mugs hoisted high in celebration. In a surprise twist, they launched into a brilliant cover of Rotting Christ’s ‘Non Serviam’. While it might seem like an unexpected choice at first glance, Moonsorrow transformed this black metal classic into a melodic, pagan, and ritualistic piece that felt completely their own. In the end, they may not have burned Munich down, but they certainly buried it deep in the frozen soil of Finland.

Setlist
‘Kylän Päässä’, ‘Suden Tunti’, ‘Haaska’, ‘Non Serviam’ (Rotting Christ Cover), ‘Jotunheim’, ‘Sankaritarina’

April 19th, 2025 @ Dark Easter Metal Meeting 2025 (Munich, Germany)
Images By: Kimberly Baarda
Words By: Jason Deaville