Live Review: Dimmu Borgir, Earth Rot

Perth-based four-piece Earth Rot are a solid choice to support the Norwegian legends. Their own brand of noise sits in a nice little pocket, in between and incorporating elements of death, thrash and black metal, and this comes across in the lead vocals which reside somewhere between death metal howls and growls and black metal screeches. Musically, dirgy, mid-paced grooves give way to flat knacker thrash, and throughout there is a dirty, ugly and yes, rotting feel to the sound, but in the most enjoyable way possible.

Only two bands tonight, so the support is afforded a full 45 minutes for their set, and also access to pretty much the full range of visuals. The lighting is excellent, the criss-cross spots being a real highlight, and when juxtaposed with the filthy sounds pouring off the stage, the contrast is sweet.

Celebrating a quarter of a century together, Dimmu Borgir appear on stage like masked and hooded executioners from the frozen wastelands of the far north. They then proceed to lay waste to the completely sold out crowd of punters, many of whom have dressed and made themselves up for the occasion, for a 55-minute set and three massive encores, including the monumental Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse. This is the highlight of the night, in this humble writer’s opinion.

A Dimmu Borgir show is more than just a heavy metal concert, it is a ritual; a gothic nightmare 25 years in the making.

Maybe this band’s more recent recorded works haven’t quite reached the magnificent and majestic heights, or indeed plumbed the demonic depths, of their earlier opuses, but in a live setting, they still cut the black metal mustard like a freshly sharpened Norse warrior’s battle axe. The band is in ripping form; lead guitarist Galder’s underrated lead work being particularly scintillating, and enigmatically evil frontman Shagrath’s voice could curdle blood and cut through sheet metal all at once. Their set is a lesson in extreme music dynamics, the sound moving seamlessly between fat grooves, frenetic blast beats and eerie atmospheric moments. Many of their songs too, when you peel back some of the evil and extreme black metal excesses, actually have fist-pumping, singalong and anthemic qualities to them, so work beautifully in a live setting.

These guys are true masters, and this night is a truly indelible, extreme music experience.