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The final night of the tour from homegrown black metal heavyweights WINTERFYLLETH falls on a Sunday night, which must always be a nerve-shredding prospect with the thought of work in the morning hanging over.
As Rebellion quickly starts to fill up, the punters stand well back as openers BIZARREKULT play to an initially lukewarm reception. Hailing from Norway, the solo project of Roman V soon wins over the crowd with their bizarre brand of post-black metal. Their set builds in intensity, with an offbeat style that feels most unpredictable. Scything guitars and calamitous drums blend seamlessly into a hypnotic canvas of blackened ferocity on the awesome Den Tapte Krigen.
The vocals of Roman V are intense and run the gamut of emotions, but this is also matched by a truly mesmerising stage presence. He writhes and contorts in a paroxysmal manner, which is hypnotic to watch and before long has the room under a spell. Enshomet is a particular highlight, with its icy cyclical swagger, which weaves in some truly gorgeous melodies that add a touch of warmth to proceedings. By the end of their set, BIZARREKULT have warmed the Manchester crowd up nicely.
Rating: 8/10
WORMWITCH bring a much rawer style of blackened thrash to proceedings. There’s no messing about as this Canadian trio storm the stage with a barrage of unrelenting noise that feels to be somewhat at odds with the two much more melodic bands on the bill tonight. They get heads nodding, and go straight for the jugular with bloodthirsty banger Weapons Against Despair from their recent split EP with SADISTIC RITUAL. Their style is all about the pure pummelling riffs and raw punky rhythms with a nasty edge. Then there is the much more mid-paced march of Exhumed From Flaming Stars which has a real air of menace and brings another dimension to their sound. They are highly watchable, throwing all the right shapes while bathed in eerie red light, and their ferocity leaves the crowd for dead.
Rating: 7/10
It’s clear that most people are here for WINTERFYLLETH – there’s a sudden surge of people to the front of the stage all eagerly anticipating Chris Naughton and his bandmates to bring their excellent new material from their new album, The Imperious Horizon, to home turf. The opening two tracks are taken from that aforementioned new album, which sets the crowd ablaze from the opening bars of First Light.
They plough forth with Dishonour Enthroned, another crushing number from the new album that majestically soars in epic fashion. Mark Deeks‘ enthusiasm behind the keyboard is a joy to watch – he pumps his fist energetically between the sweeping melodies that simply fill the room with atmospheric splendour. And by the time they get to To The Edge Of Tyranny the crowd are hanging onto their every riff, fervently headbanging along. Glorious soaring vocals and majestic melodies weave seamlessly with ferocious guitars and unyielding drums.
WINTERFYLLETH have long been a powerful force on the UK’s vibrant black metal scene, but over the years their live performance has just become tighter and mightier. Their headlining set tonight in Manchester cannot be faulted. They just play with such conviction and intensity, and watching them live feels like a transcendental experience. Just magnificent.
Rating: 10/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Lucinda Herbert Photography here:
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The post LIVE REVIEW: Winterfylleth @ Rebellion, Manchester appeared first on Distorted Sound Magazine.
