EMPEROR – Brisbane, Australia 20th May 2023
Norwegian cult band Emperor sailed into Brisbane with their history of church burnings in the distant past. The Amenta hailing from Sydney joined Emperor on their Australian tour adding Brisbane to their destination. Despite Emperor playing exclusively for the giants of Melbourne and Sydney back in 2018, Brisbane black metal follower’s dreams have come true as the reigning black metal king Emperor graced our sunshine shores.
The Amenta have been back since 2021 after a short hiatus and are proving to be stronger than ever. The blackened death group project abrasive guitars and growling vocals in a mighty roar. Their pounding drums by Psycroptic’s Dave Haley infused with blackened death flaunts a desolating paced groove. The thrashing guitars melt together creating an over-layed powerful atmosphere. The backing sound effects soaked with coarsely profound vocals from Cain Cressal evoke a dark intensity.
The animation of the group’s energy and stage antics entertain the crowd. Their groove and industrial blend paired with horror masks and classic suit and tie mean serious business. They intend to hit the stage with all their ferocity to give a remarkable performance. Erupting into heavy peddling drums Cain Cressal bows into a scream for track “Teeth” exploding over the PA.
The smooth blend of black and industrial metal takes over as Cain removes his classic shirt and gets on his knees. Belting into the microphone for the final song “Psoriastasis” a huge circle pit erupts as the calm sea of people turn insane. Disbelief from the masses as what they truly witnessed was a unique and strong performance, The Amenta prove their heavyweight status on this tour.
Emperor has reached the peak of notoriety amongst black metal fans worldwide. With famed members Ihsahn and Samoth, their power-infused black metal fists rise, and chants burst forth into the Grand Ballroom in Eaton’s Hill. “Cosmic Keys to My Creation and Time” erupts and Ihsahn thrashes his guitar as the malevolent riffs implode like carnival music orchestrated by the devil himself.
Thrashy beats burst into a smooth groove, the crowd throws their hands into the air in awe. Their experimental “Towards the Pantheon” slowly detonates into a strong explosion of evil chaotic black metal. Emperor expertly demonstrates how to easily destroy a stage whilst smiling through the obliterations of their instruments.
Emperor’s set plays heavily from the hit 1994 album “In The Nightside Eclipse”, the pioneering influence of black metal. Brisbane fans rejoice under their relentless dark energy and pounding grooves, the horde screams as the band detours into a different album with the track “In The Wordless Chamber”. Embarking into fast barbarity as Ihshan screams into his microphone while strumming ferociously.
The night ends as they finish with their last track “Ye Entrancemperium” blasting into a huge eruption of damnable hell. Emperor no longer needs to drip in blood and chains and simple black shirts are all they require. The running trend of business casual this evening creates a simplistic style that allows the brutally black sounds to ember into the audience not distracting from the truly diabolical music. Emperor who wore the crown of one of the greatest black metal bands of all time, continues to hold that black crown showing no signs of handing it over just yet.
Review: Nikki Christina
Photos: Davey Rintala @fastlanephoto
