Another day, another killer black metal tour. In support of their latest release, Frontschwein, Marduk is in the US with support from Rotting Christ, Carach Angren, and Necronomicon. I was lucky enough to be able to catch this tour on the second date in Tampa, Florida at The Orpheum. However, a few days before the show, Marduk fans read that they would be unable to make the first few days of the tour due to VISA complications. With the headliner unable to appear, was the show still worth going to?
Opening the show was one of my favorite Tampa locals: Secrets She Kept. Secrets She Kept is a four piece blackened death metal outfit that really knows how to make you headbang. Energetic and catchy riffs, intricate and blistering fast drums, and hellish vocals are all you could ask for to get your attention and thats exactly what SSK does. Secrets She Kept nailed their setlist which consisted of the more memorable songs from their debut full length “La Fin Absolue du Monde” (which is a great album by the way). Secrets She Kept has been teasing us lately on social media for the follow-up to their debut which we will hopefully hear about soon. If you’re involved in the local florida extreme metal scene and you haven’t checked these guys out yet – you’re making a mistake.
Following Secrets She Kept was the opening act of the tour package: Necronomicon. I think I heard of this band for the first time when this tour was announced which kind of surprised me. Once I took a good listen to “Advent of the Human God” though, I was hooked and looking forward to seeing Necronomicon in person. I get a vibe that is somewhere in between Dimmu Borgir and Behemoth from the Canadian three piece. During their performance, Necronomicon went through some of the best songs in their recent discography. I’d like to note how impressed I am with Rob the Witch (guitar/vocals) and his clean playing (the guitar solos couldn’t have been executed any better). Shout out to whoever helped make Necronomicon open this tour because there couldn’t have been a better decision.
Following Necronomicon was none other than Carach Angren. Wow. Do these guys know how to put on a show. In the live setting, everything sounds perfect (I was worried the synth would be difficult to hear) and all the instruments come together well. The mix was pretty close to the mix you would hear on a studio recording. The main stand out point to me during Carach Angren’s performance was guitarist/vocalist Seregor. Interestingly enough, Seregor was not playing guitar while doing vocals. Currently, Jack Owen (ex Cannibal Corpse, Deicide) is filling in (I wouldn’t have seen that coming from a mile away). Without a guitar holding him down, it truly shows what a show man Seregor really is. Definitely check these guys out in person next time they come to a show near you. They bring metal and theatrical story-telling together like no other.
Finally, was the headliner (well for tonight at least): Rotting Christ. This tour was my second time seeing the Greek legends live and I think I enjoyed their set even more this time. Although I honestly don’t really listen to RC often, they are definitely a band you need to see live. Feeling the music in person right against the stage puts so much power behind it. Seeing Rotting Christ live is filled with rising climaxes, atmosphere, fists thrown into the air, and much more. They are one of those bands that truly creates an experience when you see them live and few can pull that off so well. So if you haven’t seen this band yet, what are you waiting for?
Overall, this tour is something you need to attend. Its not often we get huge black metal tours like this in America so make sure you’re there. The only thing that could have made this better was seeing Marduk (crossing my fingers we can see Marduk in Florida sometime soon). Regardless, every single band on this tour is worth your time. So not only should you make sure you attend, you should make sure you get there early enough to catch all the bands. As of writing, these are the remaining tour dates:
9/5 — Baltimore, Md. — Soundstage
9/6 — New York, N.Y. — Gramercy Theatre
9/7 — Boston, Mass. — Brighton Music Hall
9/8 — Montreal, Quebec — L’Astral
9/9 — Toronto, Ontario — The Opera House
9/10 — Columbus, Ohio — Al Rosa Villa
9/11 — Chicago, Ill. — Reggie’s
9/12 — Minneapolis, Minn. — Triple Rock
9/13 — Kansas City, Mo. — The Riot Room
9/14 — Denver, Colo. — Marquis Theatre
9/16 — Vancouver, British Columbia — Rickshaw Theatre
9/17 — Seattle, Wash. — Studio Seven
9/18 — Portland, Ore. — Bossanova Ballroom
9/19 — Oakland, Calif. — Metro Opera House
9/20 — Las Vegas, Nev. — LVCS
9/21 — Los Angeles, Calif. — Regent Theater
9/22 — Phoenix, Ariz. — Joe’s Grotto
9/23 — El Paso, Texas — Mesa Music Hall
9/24 — Dallas, Texas — Gas Monkey Bar & Grill
9/25 — Austin, Texas — Dirty Dog Bar
