On January 28th, 2024, the Dread Reaver Europe 2024 tour arrived in Berlin. Norwegian Black Metal legend ABBATH, along with American thrash metal band TOXIC HOLOCAUST and Scottish speed/black metal project HELLRIPPER, stormed the packed Astra Kultur Haus.
HELLRIPPER opened the show with fast-paced, thick punky riffs and impressive shrieks. The project, led by vocalist and guitarist James McBain, deftly wove together elements of black, thrash, and heavy metal with crust punk, paying homage to veterans such as MOTÖRHEAD, SLAYER, VENOM, BATHORY, and METALLICA. The energy was electrifying, with the crowd going into a frenzy, moshing and headbanging to the speedy crust-punk tracks fueled with pure aggression and adrenaline. HELLRIPPER demonstrated why they are the hottest metal act in Scotland right now.
TOXIC HOLOCAUST came all the way from the US and delivered old-school thrash vibes that can only be defined as straight-up raw and nasty. Their performance was easy to party to; it allowed one to get lost in the frenzy of the music and just surrender to the mayhem. The pit was electric, and the packed crowd at Astra found a way to circle pit on every song. The influences of early punk/hardcore were also noticeable, and Joel‘s Grind vocals sounded appropriately aggressive for the genre.
ABBATH was the act everybody was waiting for. The legend of True Norwegian Black Metal appeared in front of the audience, all covered by fog from the smoke machine. In fact, there was so much smoke that one could feel as though they were stuck in a foggy Norwegian forest. The menacing red lights created the perfect atmosphere for full Black Metal immersion. ABBATH’s unique style of riffing and vision evoked arctic grandeur and images of medieval winter warfare. Together with the outfits, ABBATH created an illusion of a ritual, with only menacing silhouettes walking in the fog. Whatever people made of this band, it was surely entertaining. This veteran of the big stage knew how to give the people what they wanted, with a setlist including IMMORTAL “covers” from “Sons Of Northern Darkness” to “Tyrants” and “My Kingdom Cold.” It’s worth mentioning that at the merch booth, there was a condolences book dedicated to his mother who passed away during the tour.
HELLRIPPER
TOXIC HOLOCAUST
ABBATH
Photos by Alexandra Aim
