Marduk / Immolation

With Marduk and Immolation combining forces for the Serpent Sermon Tour, tonight is not the best night to be a Christian, particularly with the Underworld being entirely sold out. On their last journey to the UK in 2010 in support of grind gods Napalm Death, Immolation avoided a trip to London, bizarrely. This is their first gig here in support of 2010's 'Majesty and Decay' album. Before the old school death metallers take the stage, the audience take the opportunity to display their anticipation for Immolation with a rabid chant of "Can you hear us? Death to Jesus!", lyrics from the quartet's classic 'No Jesus, No Beast' song.

Immolation's set is a vicious one; vocalist Ross Dolan barks venomously to opener 'Close to a World Below' as he pounds his bass to severely anti-Christian tunes. The energy is transferred to the audience, who whip up a storm with a face-melting mosh pit. The Americans' music translates sublimely into the live atmosphere with idiosyncratic, churning rhythms that demand headbanging and the later material housing Robert Vigna's unorthodox guitar melodies without subtracting from the brutality of the death metal and unconventional time signatures. The key to Immolation's lengthy career is logical progression while retaining the primary ideology of their music.

Cries of "Can you hear us? Death to Jesus!" are echoed throughout most of the set between songs and Dolan replies "Good things come to those who wait." The setlist covers Immolation from debut 'Dawn of Possession' to 'Majesty and Decay', with such hateful numbers including 'What They Bring', 'Under the Supreme', 'Father, You're Not a Father' and the title track from 'Majesty and Decay', all performed faultlessly. The four-piece are dynamic to watch with plenty of energy, even Dolan who refuses to be rooted to the spot by his shared bass and vocal duties. But one of the key highlights of the show comes from the frontman announcing that Immolation will be releasing their upcoming blasphemous full-length early next year and this news is greeted with solid rapture. The opening notes of 'No Jesus, No Beast' set the fans off instantly and the level of violence increases. Such a muscular closer is a formidable way to end the set, all with a headliner's professionalism. Hopefully, a new full-length in the works mean Immolation will return to London soon with a headlining set.

It is nearly impossible to locate a good view at the venue as the punters densely pack out the Underworld for Marduk. Beginning their black mass with the title track from new album 'Serpent Sermon', the Swedish blasphemers launch head-long into a set of blastbeat-centric drumming fronting clean black metal. Although belligerent and austere with their stage presence, the music harbours little variety and the constant blastbeats become tiresome and predictable in a brief space of time.

From this year's album, Marduk air out 'Temple of Decay' and 'Souls for Belial', alongside beloved tracks, such as 'Panzer Division Marduk' – which receives the greatest ovation – 'Throne of Rats' and 'The Black Tormentor of Satan'. The audience reaction is one of ecstasy and wild appreciation for the dark Swedes. The quartet leave the stage after new track 'Souls for Belial' only to return for their two track encore composed of 'With Satan and Victorious Weapons' and a Marduk favourite from their 'Those of the Unlight' album 'Wolves'. Despite the discomfort in the crowd, the applause Marduk receives is a commendable one, certainly one they should be satisfied with.

Tonight's mix of black and death metal acts had something for most of London's extreme metal scene to take pleasure in. Although both acts had a solid stage presence, it seems Immolation performed better with more detectable and genuine enthusiasm. Here's hoping they return to the capital sooner rather than later.

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.