On Saturday, November 13th, 2021, the Ravens of Dispersion Over Poland Tour consisting of three bands – IMPURE DECLARATION, STILLBORN, and DEUS MORTEM, and ROTTING CHRIST – hit Krakow, Poland, at Klub Studio. This concert wasn’t postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions and viewers could see black metal fans congregating to this anticipated show. The doors opened at 17:30 and the show began 40 minutes later with support from the local talent.
Little by little, as the venue became more packed, the concert hall was filling with a very interesting crowd to say the least. The show began with IMPURE DECLARATION from Poznań. The band had interesting props on the stage, like candlesticks decorated with chains and black candles, and stuffed rodents hanging from the microphone stand. They are newcomers with a freshly released EP, “Mind Upheaval Unclear Signs.” The crowd had a very great response to them and they played many killer songs during their 40 minutes on stage.
Next, the trio from STILLBORN took the stage. These guys hail from Podkarpacie and have been proudly carrying the banner of rudeness and blasphemy since 1997; they are among the absolute leaders of the Polish extreme scene. The stage was lit with prominent blue/magenta spotlights and the moshpit got more intense with each song. The guys played a list of great songs from the new EP, as well as the fan favorites from earlier releases, and announced a new song at the end of the show. The two tracks that stood out the most were “It’s a Sinner” & “Crave For Killing.” Fast, intense blast-beats and raw guitar riffs gave a very old-school death metal vibe.
After a short break, DEUS MORTEM was up. Hardly anyone has brought so much freshness to extreme music in recent years, not sticking to the orthodox framework of the genre as they do. Led by Necrosodom, DEUS MORTEM definitely had a presence and aura to them, changing the atmosphere of the room. They started with “Down the Scorched Paradise” from their latest EP, “The Fiery Blood,” to mercilessly pass into the next songs, giving a lesson in slamming with their heavy-as-hell compositions. The set included songs from the critically-acclaimed album “Kosmocide,” as well as classics like “Emanation.” The ones that made the crowd swing were “Nod” and the closing track “The Destroyer.”
As the corpse paint was dripping and the level of excitement was over the roof, the moment we were all waiting for had arrived, it was time for ROTTING CHRIST. With thirteen studio albums, a number of compilations, EPs, and splits and almost countless concerts in Poland, which are always received with great enthusiasm, it hardly feels like they need an introduction.
They opened with the atmospheric “Χ Ξ Σ (666).” Sakis‘ resonant timbre filled in the place and the crowd went crazy. There wasn’t a person standing still in the venue. They performed only a few songs from the latest album, “The Heretics,” some proven hits like “Non Serviam” & “King of a Stellar War,” and more recent successful works like the extraordinary and spectacular “Apage Satana.” There was so much hair swaying back and forth both from the musicians and from all the fans headbanging. The young and energetic bassist, Kostas “Spades” Heliotis, brought so much charisma to the stage along with guitarist Kostis Foukarakis; they were keeping not only the crowd engaged but also the photographers in the pit. ROTTING CHRIST’s power, presence, and sound is so staggering, they played each song with so much passion that it radiated off stage. They closed the one-hour-long set with “Grandis Spiritus Diavolos,” followed by an encore.
Overall the show was incredible. Everyone’s performance that night was filled with talent and passion. The technical part was flawless and the organisation was top-notch.
Written & Photos by Alexandra Aim
