BELPHEGOR’s concert in Turku on March 25th, 2023, was an epic experience. But let’s start from the beginning.
The night started with a heavy snowfall, which made the trip to the club just a little bit more fun than usual and created a dark and spooky atmosphere. The club was just starting to fill up when the first band, LEACH, was playing. They’re a death metal quartet from Sweden and they delivered a short, but powerful performance.
The next band was HIDEOUS DIVINITY – death metallers from Italy – whose concert inspired the first mosh pit of the night, enthusiastically encouraged by the vocalist. The 5-piece from Rome delivered a deliciously heavy set, with their new 2023 single, “Mysterium Tremendum,” as a cherry on top. Definitely give them a listen if you’re a fan of the genre, but if you’re into real technical stuff, pay special attention to the drummer. Overall, it was a beautifully brutal performance.
The third band was my personal favorite of the evening. Hailing from the heart of misty dark Norway, KAMPFAR are what veterans of black metal look and sound like: 30 years on stage, 30 years in metal, and it shows – along with amazing technical skills, they had great contact with the crowd and provided professional entertainment. They just know what they’re doing and are doing it well. The band took us all on a true ritualistic journey, with spellcasting and blood drinking. KAMPFAR’s music is purely epic, melodic pagan greatness – a treat to any fan of black metal.
Finally, when the headliner, BELPHEGOR, was about to hit the stage, the technical crew brought in all kinds of spooky paraphernalia: skulls, bones, chains. In the end, they brought in incense, and you have to know that it makes some people very sleepy, so from there on out, I was letting out very obnoxious yawns. The sleepy atmosphere didn’t affect the quality of the concert in the slightest though. They opened with “Baphomet,” which quickly got the crowd jumping, headbanging, and moshing. That was followed by “The Devil’s Son” and “Sanctus Diaboli Confindimus.” Overall, the band played four songs from their newest release, “The Devils,” including the title track and “Totentanz” as an outro.
Leach
Hideous Divinity
Kampfar
Belphegor
Photos by Magdalena Niemczura
