Watain / Anaal Nathrakh at Duo Music Exchange, March 1st 2019

A double bill with two of the most extreme acts in the business is always welcome. I didn’t hesitate to get a ticket, especially since this was going to be the first time I witnessed either of the main acts. I was looking forward to Watain the most, but secretly rooting for Anaal Nathrakh. As I was getting recently into their discography I discovered the intricate and multiple references in their projects. Their liner notes reflect a type of misanthropy that is quite smart and engaging.

Hybrid Nightmares, from Australia, was the band in charge of starting the procedures. Their brand of metal leans towards a progressive sound. The intertwined lead guitar work from the two guys at each end of the stage was particularly good. They’re not afraid of lengthy guitar solos in a genre in which they’re sometimes frowned upon, I’m talking about black metal, they were all in corpse paint. Too bad for some sound issues rendering the vocals inaudible throughout the set; I’m guessing that’s why the lead vocalist said at the end he didn’t want to be there. All in all it was a good start for the show.

After a brisk 10 minutes setup change, the locals Ethereal Sin started their set and they definitely upped the theatrics game with an awesomely detailed corpse paint job and traditional kimonos. From time to time some of the musicians on stage will rock hand fans as well. I thought they were great. It was a fun and solid symphonic black metal set with a really good shrieking lead vocalist, even though some of the sound problems persisted. They played for about 40 minutes, 5 of which were a lengthy stage banter incursion, but I think that’s usually the case for Japanese acts; people dug it, though.

Speaking of stage banter, those guys from Anaal Nathrakh wouldn’t stop talking. I was surprised. The somber demeanor of their albums is practically gone on stage. They cracked jokes and seemed to be in a very light, nonchalant mood throughout. It’s cool, I liked the shtick of Mick Kenney grabbing the mic and asking for stage divers as if it were some kind of sound mix requirement the first of couple of times, by the fourth time it became played out, to be honest. I’d say their set was a reflection of this process.

They reached their peak halfway through, with the trio of Hold Your Children Close and Prey for Oblivion, Forward! and In the Constellation of the Black Widow. Up to that point things were going great, the added metal-guitar edge that replaced some of the record’s keyboard-industrial flourishes brought a new light to the songs, the energy was brimming. After that the sameness of the tunes started to set in, aided by the never ending banter. Dave Hunt’s rants were insufferable and it’s not because of the jokes. Most British bands have a sense of humor, whether is The Smiths, Cradle of Filth or Nurse with Wound. No matter how dark they are there’s always a “nudge nudge” to the audience that is compelling and an essential aspect of their appeal. Anaal Nathrakh is not the exception, but on stage it didn’t quite translate. Their alleged self deprecation and quips directed to the audience felt like they were coming from a couple of well read jocks rather than nihilistic folk. I might be in the minority, though; there were plenty of stage divers and people that left after their set completely satisfied. But there was also something that’s truly rare in Japan, a heckler. Towards the end someone yelled “Watain!” It was understandable, their hour and fifteen minutes felt a lot longer.

On the other hand the hour and fifteen minutes that Watain played felt a lot shorter than that. They opened with Storm of the Antichrist from Sworn to the Dark and the energy didn’t wane during the course of the set. You could say it was a no holds barred metal set, but they did engage in some sonic experimentation at times. At one point guitar player Pelle Forsberg stood alone in the middle of the stage, with a backlight behind him that turned him into a silhouette, banging a furious chord that developed into a cloud of noise. That was very different from what we could expect from an orthodox black metal band. Those moments interspersed throughout the set enriched their performance.

Solid and engaging riffs abounded, the quality of their songwriting gave them the advantage. Take for instance a song like Malfeitor, an epic seven minutes ditty with exemplary guitar leads, hummable and infectious; it’s what metal -not only black metal- is all about. Same for their version of The Return of Darkness and Evil, giving props to Bathory’s Quorthon, a man that had a deep understanding of the rock idiom, without a doubt. The power of that song and the audience response proved it.

Regarding the infamous Watain stench, there was no such thing at this show (Gorgoroth, on the other hand…). Maybe because of the distance travelled, but all of those stories I heard about throwing blood to the audience and other types of theatrics were absent at this Tokyo stop. Their imposing figures, nonetheless, are not to be joked about. It reminded me of something I read in Dayal Patterson’s book Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult, in which he says that Swedish black metal, unlike the Norwegian variant which thrives in nature and isolation, is more of an urban phenomenon. It’s true, these guys looked like demonic bikers.

The Serpent’s Chalice put an end to a set that left the audience wanting more as they were leaving the venue, while an ominous atmospheric chord was played through the PA. A very fitting finale for an awesome show.

Thank you for reading. Please follow me on Twitter for updates at @ConcertTokyo. You can also click the Like button and get notifications at The Tokyo Concert Experience on Facebook.