To experience a Behemoth live show, is not to experience a normal live show. It’s to experience a dark ritual, conjuring malevolent images in the mind. Behemoth has always kicked ass, and at the rate they’re going with the success of their most recent album, “The Satanist”, it raises the question of how the band could possibly beat this. Currently on their Blasfemia Amerika tour, Behemoth played a live show with Myrkur, a new black metal band, at Thalia Hall down in Pilsen.
Despite the unusually cold weather for Chicago in April, the show went without a hitch. Myrkur was the only opening act, but it didn’t matter due to the fact that Myrkur is currently one of the best black metal acts today. Myrkur sounded amazing live, despite the fact that most of band primarily consisted of touring session musicians. Danish front-woman Amalie Bruun gave an amazing performance, using her mixtures of screams and harmonic singing brought for the atmospheric vibe of her studio albums, perhaps even surpassing them. If you haven’t checked them out yet, I suggest check them out below.
Behemoth came up next, known for putting on a performance better than their studio albums and filling entire venues full of energy. Hearing the entire Satanist album was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever experienced, brought even further by interludes between the songs that made the album even more brilliant. Despite the dark atmosphere, there was a moment of solemnity, when Nergal, Behemoth’s frontman, came to the stage to give honor to a fan that passed away by pouring the fan’s ashes out on to the stage.
When I told Nergal during the meet and greet that I saw Behemoth perform last year, and how it was my favorite live show he simply smiled and said, “I know this will blow you away.” He wasn’t wrong. I left Thalia Hall speechless from the quality of not only the music, but the theatricality that Behemoth has become known for. From the opening of ‘Blow Your Trumpet Gabriel’ to the classic ‘Chant for Ezkaton 2000,’ the entire show was of the highest caliber, a must see for any metal fan.
