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Baest Puts On A Death Metal Masterclass In London At The Black Heart

Denmark sure does seem to keep itself busy when it comes to metal music. Only a few weeks after witnessing Cabal at the Underworld, another extreme outfit from the southern Scandinavian country invaded Camden in the form of death metal stalwarts Baest. The Aarhus quintet has been going from strength to strength since the release of their 2018 debut album, "Danse Macabre," establishing themselves as one of Europe's premier death metal bands and the young flag bearers of the genre. It may have been almost three years since their last full length, but they've still been busy, most recently unleashing a new single named, "Colossus."

Just like the last time we covered a Baest show, the Danes were headlining The Black Heart, just across the road from the Camden underground station, round the corner from The Underworld. It's a reasonably priced venue and a must visit for metal fans in the English capital, where you'll be met by some very friendly staff and be treated to a superb selection of metal and hardcore playing over the speakers, all while surrounded by a plethora of gig posters, the perfect place to get in the mood for a show. Just by the toilets is the staircase which leads up to the performance area itself, featuring a small stage, a tiny bar and a merch stand, where members of Baest were waiting to chat away to fans as soon as the doors opened.

There was only one support act tonight and the honour fell to the British death metal squadron Ancient Rivalry. The band are very open about their hardcore roots and it's something which definitely shows, more so by the performance itself than the music. Musically, they're not bad at all. Ancient Rivalry are a little rough and arguably haven't found their exact sound yet, most notably when it comes to the vocals, which have more of a gruff dog bark about them than guttural growls for example. They were received quite well by the crowd, who were in good spirits tonight and were happy to pay attention to such songs as "Abomination." Ancient Rivalry has a way to go, but they're well worth checking out if they're on a bill near you.

Following the sole support, it was time for Baest to make their entrance. They immediately established a rapport with the crowd, performing with a fierce intensity while also being down to earth and creating an intimate atmosphere. Vocalist Simon Olsen reminisced fondly about their previous visit to The Black Heart and how hot it got in the venue, while also paying tribute to their friend Robert a number of times throughout the set, which was nice as often these things can come across as an aside. Olsen also made light of the difference in merch prices between themselves and Ancient Rivalry, quipping, "We're Scandinavian, we're expensive... But we are beautiful!" Fair argument.

When it comes to the music, there was plenty of material on offer. The aforementioned new single, "Colossus" was brought out of course, to a very strong response, while Baest also dug deep into their early days with "Wormlord," from their debut EP, "Marie Magdalene." The 2022 EP, "Justitia" was also visited via "Ecclesia," while "Necro Sapiens," their most recent full length, had the strongest showing of the night. Fans ate up the likes of "Meathook Massacre" and "Genesis," while the rendition of the title track was something special, seeing Olsen join the crowd and explaining, "In Denmark, we dance around the Christmas tree," before shouting a sentence I never thought I'd hear at a metal gig, "I am the Christmas tree!" With that, off went the circle pit and so finished another white hot show from Denmark's ambassadors of death. Baest's studio output is excellent and their rapid rise in the extreme metal field has been well earned, but it's in the live setting where the five really shine.