[Gig Review]: BEHEMOTH with NIDHOGG @ Forum Melbourne (AU), 21.03.25.
Writer: Dean Underhill
Photography: Richie Black Photography
Organiser: ThePhoenix.com.au
(refer to end of article for artist links.)
Here is my confession.
I entered the Church of Behemoth for the third time, O Father, O Satan O Sun.
Okay, so I’m going to put it out there: Melbourne’s Forum was by far the best venue for Behemoth to play in Australia.
Anyone who comes within a black cat’s whisker of this juggernaut of a metal band respects and is familiar with their disposition towards unashamed idolatry, and the iconography that features in their video clips and adorns their live stage sets. Alas, not in the Antipodes. Having witnessed how long it took them to prepare their stage set at Ragnarok in Germany last year, (by far the longest prep for any band at the festival) and the sheer volume of equipment required, I get it. Seriously, you want to travel light the longer distances you’re travelling and Australian customs are as vigilant as Cerberus at the gates of Hades.
That all considered, The Forum, with its’ decaying, dilapidated Romano-Grecian reliefs and statues, coupled with its’ ceiling of constellations framed in midnight blue, was a ready made temple of cosmic idolatry.
The ‘Eastern Lands’ tour was an opportunity to be entertained by a more stripped-back Behemoth - certainly not in an audio sense, but rather in a visceral, physical presentation without all the whistles and bells, or fireworks and pyrotechnics. The onslaught was powerful and unrelenting throughout the entire set as the band shifted from new offerings to older stalwarts including: ‘Cursed Angel of Doom’, ‘Decade of Therion’ and ‘Chant for Eshcaton’, and man, these still slap like a serpent’s tail.
For the stage props amiss, Behemoth did not turn up empty-handed. Rather, they gifted us with Polish Black Metallers Nidhogg.
Entering the stage with their own distinct costumery, the band wasted no time in launching into a solid, terrifying black metal riff. The lead vocalist (Nidhogg), was incredibly animated (later making the admonition that he loves to dance), both himself and Jacek Kieller (Killer), (ex- Priority), initially wearing a head dress of black beads over their faces made one assume that they had heard flies were a problem in Australia.
This was augmented by the second guitarist, Daruisz Kupus (Frontside) who donned an akubra for some of the set. Nidhogg himself growled and rasped through the first number looking akin to a Mesopotamian priest. He was accompanied by some brilliantly balanced drumming from Paul Jaroscewicz (ex-Batushka), and solid basslines from Jakub Śliwowski (ex-Batushka).
These guys were not just thickener, corn-starch cream cheese filler. Nidhogg are a capable black metal outfit. Some fantastic tandem guitar playing was on display from Jacek and Kieller as they powered through some ballsy riffing in the second track (preluded by Nidhogg appearing on stage in a crown of thorns drinking a cup of blood) and some blackened thrash in the the 3rd track.
The fourth track was introduced following Nidhogg’s eulogy about a dog that he rescued from a Polish animal shelter which died of brain cancer. Some poor bugger in the crowd laughed and Nidhogg angrily rebuked ‘Shut up Motherfucker’ and continued on with his story. ‘Trust me, even Black Metallers cry’, he declared before the band launched into some emotionally charged Black Metal featuring an awesome scratch your eyes out guitar progression. The next track had some melodious lead reminiscent of Mgla or Gaerea and they even treated us to a cover of Sepultura’s ‘Territory’. I thoroughly recommend these guys. Check out their new album, Narcissvs.
behemoth:
Following half an hour of sound checks and idle chit-chat among the crowd (during which I retained my coveted spot three rows from the barrier), the moment finally arrived. With the reverberation of bassy thuds and creaking noises ringing out across The Forum, the atmosphere took on a daunting intimidating vibe as Behemoth walked out onto a darkened stage as simultaneous whoops and hollers went up from the crowd.
Two bars of frenetic drum intro heralded scattered blue and white lights pouring down upon Nergal, Orion and Seth, standing motionless as statues, eyes raised to the star encrusted ceiling, guitars over shoulder. Then as if suddenly animated they unleashed an unholy cacophony of guitar riffing as they wound their way into ‘The Shadow Elite’. The crowd was energised as a sea of headbanging, fist-pumping and raised devil horns ensued. The likes of Orion and Seth headbanging as Nergal sang and stared cold eyed into the audience. All three moving front of stage at times appearing indomitable as Inferno blasted away on the drum kit.
During the chorus, chants of “Halle! Halle!” arose from the audience and Nergal cried out “Melbourne - sing for us!”
‘Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer’ served to whip the hordes into a greater frenzy, and set off a lively mosh pit which was in perpetual motion for the constant barrage of ferocity that followed. Wave after wave came crashing into my back and the only reprieve was during the delivery of the slower doomy ‘Bartzebel’ around two-thirds of the way through the set.
The band truly capitalised on the open expanse of the stage, moving around freely, interchanging stage positions to ‘meet and greet’ all the punters in the front rows. There was no lack of intimidating stank face from Nergal, Seth and Orion as they strode across the stage spitting blasts of water under orange/red lights to give the illusion of spitting flame. There was unashamed posing and posturing too as they leaned into the audience like metal gods, Orion the most imposing figure presenting like an enraged Half-Orc Barbarian on the bass-axe. Memorable moments included Seth and Orion playing the fade out to ‘Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer’ in tandem and sealing it with a shared fist bump. Seth and Nergal playing a duet during ‘Nomen Barbarvm’. Orion standing on the drum kit platform fist slamming the ber-jesus out of his bass fretboard during the intro of ‘Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel’. Nergal standing front stage with raised arms clapping along with the audience to the flamenco guitar outro of ‘Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica’. The absolute chaotic energy and revelry on display as Behemoth covered Bathory’s ‘The Return of Darkness and Evil’ and yours truly getting fake blood spat in the face, shoulder and arm by Nergal during ‘Decade of Therion’.
All throughout the night Nergal displayed his unrelenting energy and his passionate, eccentric disposition with sweeping hand gestures as he peeled off sustained chords and solos and cheered the crowd on to sing and thrash enough to wake the dead. Under blinding strobe lights he stood like a blasphemous Messiah, arms outstretched as though crucified. “Eat my flesh, drink my blood. I am the shit ov God’”, he roared out to the crowd as the band threw their weight behind the same titled track with all the subtlety of a blackened sledgehammer. This track though somewhat maligned and not an instant hit with myself came into its own live. Presented live, it's an entirely different beast. Intense, cathartic and anthemic. I was one of many punters belting out the chorus.
Following ‘The Shit ov God’, Nergal expressed his appreciation for the Australian audiences and support for the last 20 years of touring Down Under. He then declared the Melbourne gig to be the biggest headlining act they have ever played in Australia, history in the making. They then launched into ‘Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica’ to rapturous reception. Powerful, fast and nasty, the mosh pit was in full swing and sending shock waves out to the front barrier and behind to the sound desk. Crowd surfing was in full swing and Seth’s lead refrain peeled out with black vehemence as he stood with the breeze flowing through his long hair like a lone Death Knight surveying the battlefield. This wicked incantation was beautifully segued by Nergal's introduction to ‘Cursed Angel of Doom’. After a snap poll, Nergal deduced that a third of the audience were not even born when this track was released. “Thirty-five years of fucking blasphemy - this is Cursed Angel of Doom!’ Yes indeed 35 years, but it is a black metal classic and sounded as fresh and hard hitting as ever.
The nostalgia was once again relit when following an absolutely blinding rendition of ‘Ov Fire and Void’ Nergal orated ‘The pioneers of Black Metal there were two, Venom and… Bathory (a few of us old farts yelled out)...This is ‘The Return of Darkness and Evil’”. Man were hearts racing during this glorious cover.
Finishing off with high energy blast beats and tremolo guitar work through ‘Decade of Therion’ and ‘Chant for Eschaton’ respectively. During Therion the three guitar demons engaged in a blood spitting competition. Copious amounts of fake blood hitting the audience. After the solemn bell strikes introducing Chant for Eschaton we witnessed Orion descend into ‘no mans land’ to lean over the barricade in two distinct locations, (one where I was situated, omg fan boy crush) and play some ferocious bass as outstretched hands and devil horns lifted those thumpy distorted notes like some arcane transposition. Seth’s incredible hair windmills during his masterful riffing were a testimony to the band's relentless barrage over the 90 minute set.
Leaving the stage for a well deserved breather the band returned to rapturous applause to drag us all along for a massive encore of ‘O Father, O Satan, O Sun’! Seth’s rousing guitar solo punctuating the evening as Nergal and Orion now cloaked in evil garb played vicious riffage and pulled the crowd into their anthemic chorus. Inferno manifesting crushing percussion right up till the last blast.
O Father, O Satan, O Sun!
What a group, what a gig, what a night in the Church of Behemoth!
