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Kataklysm Leads A Death Metal Charge In London With Vader And Blood Red Throne

Death metal is quite a strange genre when you think about it. No one can deny that it changed metal music forever, taking on the intensity of thrash and transforming it into something more aggressive, ferocious and altogether beastly. Yet, as influential as it is, few get to really stand out. It's perhaps the most overcrowded of all metal sub-genres, but nonetheless, the cream rises to the top and in Islington, North London tonight, fans got to witness three of the very best to have every done it ply their trade.

Norway's reputation in metal is always very much focused on the infamous black metal scene, but they have always had a strong death metal presence too. There have been a number of groups which come highly recommended, but one that has always been one of the first names on people's lips is Kristiansand's own, Blood Red Throne. Only two months ago, they released their latest album, "Siltskin," their second with vocalist Sindre Wathne Johnsen, who only joined in 2023, so it's an exciting time to catch the Scandinavian veterans. This being my first time seeing Blood Red Throne, I can't compare their performance to previous lineups, but I can tell you that they meant business and straight away, they got the party started, egging on the crowd as they appropriately launched into, "Unleashing Hell."

While it was a relatively small crowd at the Academy tonight, though by no means empty, everyone was in a great mood and were very receptive towards Blood Red Throne, chanting their name frequently throughout the set. Of course, being an opening act, they had a fairly short stage time, but nonetheless were able to fit in some favourites, with "Itika" from the "Imperial Congregation" record going down particularly well. Their latest offering was also represented with "Beneath The Means" and "Vermicular Heritage," before the curtain came down, metaphorically, with "Smite." Though their time was short, their impact was huge and Blood Red Throne delivered a hell of a performance.

Sweden aside, Europe's contributions to death metal often gets overshadowed by American bands, especially those from Florida and New York state, but there's no shortage of excellent names on this side of the pond, and one of the first which come to mind would be Vader. It's amazing to think that they've been going since 1983, before death metal as we know it was even a thing, but they had a dream and they not only followed it, but they achieved it, becoming one of the most recognised metal bands from their country. Now a five piece after bringing back former guitarist Mauser, the quintet were keen to prove that, although they're in a supporting role tonight, they definitely deserve to be called legends.

It was a little surprising to see Vader to be honest, given that last year's London show was billed as being their last in the UK for a few years, but of course, they're welcome back anytime, and immediately demonstrated why when they began with "Sothis," from their sophomore album, "De Profundis." Frontman and sole constant Peter Wiwczarek is still in tremendous voice and does a superb job leading the charge, hyping everyone up as they continued with songs such as "Wings" and "Fractal Light." In fairness, every member was on top form, clearly having as much fun as the crowd as the death metal highlight reel rolled on, with guitarist Marek "Spider" Pajak striking plenty of poses for those taking pictures.

Knowing that Britain has a large Polish population, and that they never miss a chance to support their own, Wiwczarek switched between English and Polish throughout the show, getting a great reaction every time he addressed his compatriots. Much like Greeks and Latin Americans, Polish metal fans always improve the atmosphere of a show and it was great to have so many in tonight, all roaring as Vader brought out old favourites such as "Lead Us!!!," "The Book" and "Carnal," the last of which being an absolute sonic onslaught. The latest output to be represented was "Triumph Of Death," from the excellent 2014 album, "Tibi Et Igni," before the group concluded with "Helleluyah!!! (God Is Dead.)" Once again, Vader stormed into town, set it ablaze and left everyone wanting more. For my money, one of the best death metal bands of all time, especially live.

Following Vader is a difficult job, but with plenty of fans to support them and their own stellar catalogue, Kataklysm was definitely up to the task. They picked a perfect song to get the ball rolling too, as "Soul Destroyer" pummeled the room with enormous force. From that moment on, the Quebecers had the audience right where they wanted them, practically salivating as the show rolled on with "Thy Serpent's Tongue," the second of three songs from the "Of Ghosts And Gods" album, which was rounded off with "Black Sheep" towards the end of the set, before bringing out two songs from the "Goliath" album, namely the title track and "Die As A King."

Vocalist Maurizio Iacono cuts an imposing figure on stage, frequently bending towards the audience as he bellows out the lyrics with perfect delivery, while the rest of the band really brought the music to life. It's kind of weird to see a death metal band so dedicated to making sure everyone's having a good time, as opposed to the grim and dark image so many project, but Kataklysm keeps things enjoyable while still absolutely crushing it. At one point, they encouraged more crowd surfing as they felt the security were having a bit of an easy time of things (I know they were joking, but I want to take this opportunity to credit the security for their work on this night because they were very friendly and immediately rushed to the aid of an injured fan during Vader's set.)

More tunes poured into the ears of all in attendance, with "The Resurrected" in particular sounding absolutely brilliant. "Taking The World By Storm," "As I Slither" and "At The Edge Of The World" were just a few of the other songs which sounded fantastic this evening, as did their latest offering, the single, "The Rabbit Hole." Ultimately the band made their sole trip to the "Waiting For The End To Come" album to close the show, when they gave a blistering rendition of "Elevate." Kataklysm don't always spring to mind when fans discuss death metal, despite being one of the more commercially successful names in the field, but they've achieved this success through the live setting too. Tonight was a perfect example of why they've lasted so long and remained one of Canada's greatest metal exports. All three bands converged perfectly to make this a tour to delight death metal fans of all ages. I'm glad I got to experience it for myself!