Samael, Furia, Bloodthirst
29th of November 2015
B90, Gdańsk, Poland
The Sunday’s ceremony in B90 was one of the most important events for me to attend this year. I never had a chance to be in this venue but I was firmly surprised with its quality. My friends made me aware of the generally good sound and exceptional stage lighting. And indeed, everything seemed to meet my expectations and it formed an impeccable background of three performances to come that night.
Bloodthirst
The opening outfit treated us with a decent dose of hateful antichristian thrash. Even if you are not a massive fan of this particular metal offshoot, you would be amazed with its attribute. The overwhelming aggression of every track has definitely warmed up the gathered audience. And everything from Let Him Die album was the biggest thrill to me personally. The occasional samples acted as a great addition to the overall experience. Bloodthirst proved that in spite of a slightly different area of metal, they could be a superb opening band for Furia and Samael. And that’s what it’s all about!
Furia
Yes, this was the show of the night and the actual reason I was there. It is honestly not an easy task to outline what happened on stage. Furia is a band which recreates its music live on a copy and paste basis – unbelievable skill which, I think, only a handful of bands is able to do. The imaginative stage lighting combined with the masterclass sound engineering made up the perfect environment for Furia music. Some room in the setlist was sacrificed to the new material which was an incredible surprise. Every single track from Nocel was a pure art and it was Ogromna Noc which stole the show. A proper opus magnum of the night! I love concerts where your body is present but your mind floats somewhere in the far galaxy of hypnotising sounds. The song’s structure was flawlessly brought to life and it was just astonishing to witness it. Also, the phenomenal Są to Koła with its slow and heavy riff proved its brilliance as a live song. What Nihil with his little army does on stage is real magic and it just has to be seen to be somehow understood. Furia’s wizardry is bewitching and it can be beheld in every second of the show.
Samael
The band presented the iconic Ceremony of Opposites in its entirety but did not stop there and performed quite a long set consisting of some newer tracks as well. I think that the band perfectly approached the album and managed to pass its real spirit onto the audience. I guess a lot of people were waiting for the indisputable classic Baphomet’s Throne but the whole album was played exquisitely and it definitely felt like a coherent assembly. Xytras’ enthusiasm behind the drum set was contagious and you could easily say that Samael played with the music putting on the great show with a lot of charisma. Newer songs sound much heavier live and the electronic vibes are more approachable. The catchy Slavocracy or the closing My Saviour were just perfect examples of Samael’s incredible commitment into that night’s performance.
Photo credit:
Imogen Loucas
The Goat Tavern
THE GOAT TAVERN 