The gates of hell have opened across the southeast portion of the United States with Kult ov Azazel’s and Wormreich’s recent trek for the “Archons ov Darkness” tour. I was able to check the tour package at the last date of the tour in Tampa, Florida at The Brass Mug with support from locals LORE and Bhavachakra.
The night started off with Orlando’s Bhavachakra opening the show. To cut straight to the point, I was absolutely blown away by the tremendous amount of talent that poured out of this two piece. Bhavachakra is an experimental black metal band consisting of guitarist and vocalist Kenneth Reda and drummer Gabriel Gozainy. In addition to the black metal core, listeners will be exposed to many different sounds which most noticeably include death metal and progressive influences. Upon hearing the first song, I got a vibe similar to Deathspell Omega. However, this band is so much more than just a copycat. Bhavachakra showcased their talents by playing a good portion of material from their debut album self-titled album. You can listen to it here. Make sure to check these guys out and keep an eye on them because I could definitely see them going somewhere.
Following Bhavachakra was LORE (Tomb of Ligeia were scheduled to play second but for whatever reason did not perform). LORE quite frankly impressed me just as much as Bhavachakra did. LORE is a recently formed raw black metal band with pagan based lyrics. One of my favorite aspects of the four piece group is how well they utilize atmosphere live. Performing in corpse paint, they burn sage and other incense while surrounded by lit candles. Can you say black metal? Not to mention, the music is extremely raw in person (as well as on recording) which only adds to the atmosphere. LORE is definitely a band to watch in the local Florida scene. You can check out there newly released demo here.
Following the local support acts was none other than Wormreich. Wormreich is a black metal band from Huntsville, Albama/Atlanta, Georgia that is currently on Moribund Records’ roster. It seems like it was just yesterday that the metal community was shocked at the news of the tragic accident that took the lives of two members of Wormreich (and one of Khaotika). It really is great to see that Wormreich was able to recover and already tour. Their performance was spot on while covering headbanging songs from their full length and EP. Not to mention, their corpse paint is some of the best I’ve seen in a long time. I was very happy that they chose to close with my personal favorite “The Pale White Light”. You can check out that song here.
Finally, Florida’s Kult ov Azazel took the stage. Kult ov Azazel are one of the biggest, if not the biggest name in Florida black metal. KoA covered songs from all over their discography including fan favorites from “An Eternity With Satan” and “Invoking the Infernal Majesty”. They even included songs from the recently released demo which is a sample of material to appear on their upcoming full length. Live, Kult ov Azazel was spot on to recordings and had a very intriguing atmosphere. Not only were they spot on with their performance, but it was also impressive considering Archangel Sin Scythe (Secrets She Kept, Element of Eclipse, Led by Serpents) filling in on drums. Check out their recently released demo here.
Overall, this show was a great event. Tampa was the last date of the “Archons ov Darkness” tour. However, Kult ov Azazel and Wormreich are doing a part two of the tour to hit other areas in August. Keep an eye out for those dates and make sure to attend because you will not regret witnessing such a blasphemous night. Now if only Tampa got more shows and tours as great as this…
