Death/Black metal veterans, Kataklysm and Belphegor hit the Baltimore Sound Stage in Baltimore, Maryland on November 8, 2015. Kataklysm is currently touring to promote their July 2015 release, Of Ghost and Gods, while Belphegor continues to tour in support of their 2014 release, Conjuring the Dead.
Belphegor was scheduled to take the stage at 9:30 pm, with Kataklysm to follow at 11:00 pm, but the show officially began at 5:30 pm as seven metal bands from the Maryland and Virginia areas were on the bill. Each band performed for approximately 25 minutes, with only 10 minutes between sets. This gave the audience a full evening of metal madness.
Once the final opening act completed their set, preparations started for Belphegor. In preparation for the band’s set, the stage was bathed in dark blue lights while melodic organ music played softly in the background. A large silver goblet was placed in front of the drum kit and a substance was placed within it. Large plumes of woody scented smoke slowly rose to the rafters of the room, as goat skulls and bones sat menacingly at the front of the stage. This pre-set ritual was soothing and in direct contrast of what was to come.
The crowd cheered loudly when Belphegor stepped onto the stage. Singer, Helmuth Lehner, pumped his fist high into the air and many in the audience mirrored him. Throughout the evening he addressed the crowd in his dark and sinister voice as “Ball-tee-more Maree-land”, accentuating each syllable as if it were an individual word. With a stage soaked in deep blue lighting and complete with smoke effects, the band sliced through a ten song set that included several from their newest release, including “Gasmask Terror”, “Conjuring the Dead” and “Black Winged Torment”. When the final song ended, Lehner looked to the crowd and again raised his fist high above his head, seemingly satisfied with the blistering set that was done in “take no prisoners” fashion. The band and stage were so sinister, that you’d almost expect a hole filled with fire and brimstone to open on stage for the members to depart.
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Belphegor was a tough act to follow, but Kataklysm was up for the challenge and took the stage like they were shot out of cannon. Compared to Belphegor, Kataklysm is less about mood and stage atmosphere and more about loud, “in your face” metal music. The Canadian death metal veterans wasted little time jumping into an energy filled, 13 song set that included several from their new release, including “The Black Sheep”, “Illumati”, and “The Serpent’s Tongue”, as well as a few tunes from their 20 year catalogue. Throughout the performance, the band was tight, Maurizio Iacono’s vocals were spot on and Oli Beaudoin was a beast on the drum kit.
Kataklysm and Belphegor turned out to be a perfect complement to each other. Their styles differed, but each brought their brand of heavy metal mayhem to the stage. The six hour show ended after midnight and as concert goers stumbled out of the Baltimore Sound Stage there was no doubt many were worn out from a long evening of head banging and moshing. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday night in Baltimore. Kataklysm finishes their partnership with Belphegor on November 13 before continuing with shows in Canada and Europe with dates extending through February. Belphegor continues with their year old tour, with December dates in Europe.
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