| Doors: 7 pm | Show: 8 pm | Tickets: 18.00 EUR plus fees |

A New Sun At The End Of The World

Or… fucking hell was that show awesome!

Those four bands on the billing already promised per se an outstanding concert event. But that this show would touch me so intensively I definitely did not expect.
In December SECRETS OF THE MOON have not only released a stunning, widely acclaimed and widely discussed album, but also nonchalantly left the narrow scene of Black Metal towards a more rocking and occult-touched approach. How this new sound turns out live on stage this first leg of the band’s European A New Sun At The End Of The World tour was set to reveal. And for this tour SECRETS OF THE MOON invited truly illustrious guests: for example the rarely seen Norwegian Avant-garde metallers DØDHEIMSGARD, German melodic Black Metal band THULCANDRA, and most of all Austrian OUR SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON US. A much varied and musically fascinating package!

Although the number of attendees wasn’t the worst, there could have been much more fans visiting the :: Kulttempel :: Oberhausen, Germany. Unfortunately, there have been concerts and festivals in really every club in the wider Ruhr area, trying to attract as many fans as possible. Or it was the incense materials of the Austrians that kept the fans away from the stage ;)

However, :: OUR SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON US :: are considered to be a insider’s tip for quite some time. That they are signed to Ván Records speaks for themselves. Much more it is the band’s third opus, Scouts On The Borderline Between The Physical And Spiritual World (released in November), which caused quite a stir.
Yes, OUR SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON US is an incredibly fascinating band, an unbelievably intensive band. Said this, OUR SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON US is less a band than a creative collective or a commune, where every member expresses itself artistically in several fields.
Eye-catching, or better said, nose-catching at first was the “smoking area”, consisting of coats, bones and the incense burner. The micro stands were hand-made of bones by the band members itself as I heard from a chat between a fan and a band member. The smell was harsh, something between a wet wood, fustiness, wet furs and a lot of sweat. Somehow smelly and attractive at the same time. Ambivalent matter. They burnt a different mixture during the SOTM show which smelled much better ;)
Musically as well as visually OUR SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON US presented themselves much nature-based and spiritual. Ritual sounds wafted through mid-tempo paced guitar walls in a mix of Black Metal and Post Rock. Mesmerizing, atmospherically dense and intensive. The clean singing was as peculiar as distinctive. This band is just awesome, downright a revelation. Definitely the surprise of the evening. I can only recommend checking them out. Intense Spiritual Musick? Yes! Exactly!
Setlist: Kramatach (Intro), I Will Not Obey, And Even From My Sons And Daughters I Have To Turn Away, We Are Children Of The Dawn, Angel Ranger

:: Pics • OUR SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON US ::

Next up is :: THULCANDRA ::. I don’t know… did I ever see them playing live? No idea. If so, then a long time ago. However, the Bavarians right after went on with quite a contrast musically, playing a strong set of technically sophisticated, cold melodic Black Metal. Well done, with a lot of power and energy. But after a performance such as the previous one, THULCANDRA quickly lost its magic. Sorry guys. The band’s current album, Ascension Lost, already dates back a year and so THULCANDRA played a set through all of their three records.
Setlist: Night Eternal, Black Flags Of Hate, Frozen Kingdom, The Second Fall, Ritual Of Sight, Demigod Imprisoned, Spirit Of The Night

:: Pics • THULCANDRA ::

I was actually much looking forward to see :: DØDHEIMSGARD :: playing live as you hardly have a chance to do so. They also never hurry when it comes to release records. Two years ago original singer Aldrahn returned and DØDHEIMSGARD put out a new record, entitled A Umbra Omega, eight years after its predecessor. And finally you can see DHG a bit more often ;) DØDHEIMSGARD changed their style from early raw Norwegian black metal to experimental black metal or call it Avant-garde. Their shows are extravagant and live from Aldrahn’s need for movement, his facial expression and gestures. He much obviously walks the thin line between genius and insanity.
Their music is tricky, unpredictable but also much thrilling and surprising. Just Avant-garde ;) Not the easiest to get access to. Fans meanwhile got close to the stage and listen to the music with closed eyes and ecstatic faces. Many old school fans are here tonight to see DØDHEIMSGARD playing. DHG play also a best-of set through the entire history.
Setlist: Intro, Sonar Bliss, Når Vi Har Dolket Gods Hjerd, Vendetta Assassin, Ion Storm, God Protocol Axiom, The Snuff Dreams Are Made Of, The Crystal Specter, Traces Of Reality

:: Pics • DØDHEIMSGARD ::

As outstanding as the new album Sun is, I had doubts regarding the live vocal performance. But I was quickly taught a lesson. I actually got blown away. During the last months frontman sG has constantly worked on his singing. Just wow! :: SECRETS OF THE MOON :: kicked off the final show with the opener of the new album, No More Colours, and then went back till Carved In Stigmata Wounds. Always alternating. On a new song a classic followed. Unfortunately there was not that much to see on stage as SECRETS OF THE MOON really excessively used the fog machine. Ok, it perfectly suited the atmosphere, but visually it was quite lame.
Generally there was hardly any light and much smoke. From a photographic point a disaster (as you can see). But, as already said, it admittedly suited the performance of every band. And sometimes it was even still too much light ;) The color combinations and sequences anyway were pretty much arbitrarily. I think that a sophisticated light show would much better work for bands such as SECRETS OF THE MOON and DHG. The Kulttempel remained crowded with many fans close to the stage headbanging and cheering the band. There was a great atmosphere in the club, between bands and fans and also the bands among themselves. I could sense great new friendships. Almost all band members were to find among the crowd supporting the band on stage. There was only one who had to works twice: drummer Erebor, who originally plays in Thulcandra and now also drums for SECRETS OF THE MOON.
After the great Lucifer Speaks (in duet with Aldrahn) SOTM smoothly led over to the encore with Man Behind The Sun as the very last song of the show.
Setlist: No More Colours, Miasma, Dirty Black, Worship, I Took The Sky Away, For They Know Not/ Ghost, Lucifer Speaks, Man Behind The Sun

:: Pics • SECRETS OF THE MOON ::

Tonight’s show was the last show of the tour and for sure a worthy finale. There was no big after show party as some of the band members had to leave directly for their way back home. I had some chats and was looking around at the merch, got me a wonderful white SOTM shirt and finally the Antithesis LP (but forgot to buy an OUR SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON US record. Bugger!). Then it was time for me to leave too. I was sick as fuck and all that incense and smoke didn’t do anything good to my absent health. But for nothing in the world I wanted to have missed this show! An evening of awesomeness!

By the way, SECRETS OF THE MOON will again embark on a short tour in April, together with the amazing Crippled Black Phoenix! I’ll be there for sure and I hope I‘ll see you too ;)

story & pics © Dajana & Dajana Winkel • Photography