LIVE REVIEW: Dimmu Borgir & Amorphis @ O2 Forum Kentish Town, London

Co-headlining tours can be a tricky business. Of course, there are lots of benefits for fans and bands alike: fans benefit by getting to see two big names share a stage for an evening and, by sharing certain production costs, bands can reduce their touring expenses. They’re less risky to book too, because promoters can rely on ticket sales from both fanbases, and so smaller bands – or bands who have been out of the game for a while – can play the bigger venues. They’re often fraught with difficulties, though. If the bands are too similar, then they will not benefit from drawing upon two fanbases and conversely, if they’re too different, fans will resent paying to see a band they might not care for. Then, there’s the politics of the running order. As co-headliners, there’s no rigid hierarchy, so who gets to play last? And what if the first band on blows the others out of the water? You can imagine our delight, but also our trepidation, when titans DIMMU BORGIR and AMORPHIS announced last year that they’d be hitting the road together for a European tour last month, with the proudly independent WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM in tow. Distorted Sound went down to the tour’s opening date in London to investigate the fallout of the Nuclear Blast double-bill.

For years, WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM functioned as the sentinels at the gateway to the contemporary black metal underground, achieving that much sought-after combination of both underground credibility and far-reaching visibility on independent record label Southern Lord. More recently, they have begun to establish themselves with their own record label, Artemesia Records – releasing the ambient experiment Celstite and the immaculate Thrice Woven, as well as fellow Cascadians VOUNA’s self-titled debut. It comes as no surprise, then, to see the brothers Weaver – who are now joined by long-term collaborator Kody Keyworth – reaching out to a wider audience by taking the opening slot for the more mainstream bands on this tour.

Their confidence on stage, which has been won from some extensive touring experience, is plain to see as they assemble in formation at the front of the stage. While it has been possible to see WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM in larger venues for some time now, they have now made them their home – furnishing their stage with sigiled backdrops and décor, moving from out of the dark and fog towards a more sophisticated lighting production. WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM produce a sound as expansive as the Cascadian mountains from which they have descended: beautiful, volatile and ancient. There is, sadly, too little time for WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM to explore their vast musical territory, opting instead to forefront singles from Thrice Woven – Born From The Serpent’s Eye and Angrboda – interspersed with some select ambient tracks, before finishing on early classic and well-worn fan favourite, I Will Lay Down My Bones Among The Rocks And Roots. A stunning, if brief, encounter with the majestic beasts as they metamorphose into a major-label act.

Rating: 8/10

Second to the stage, and the first of tonight’s headliners, are Finnish brotherhood AMORPHIS, who have been recently reunited with their classic Tales From The Thousand Lakes lineup, with some additions. Ever since the release of that highly influential album, AMORPHIS have waxed and waned in their folkish melodic death metal style, steadily incorporating more progressive and hard rock elements, and tempering their guttural vocals with clean, singalong choruses.

Their most recent effort, 2018’s Queen Of Time, was a considerable success in Europe, and saw them undertake extensive touring in support of the album the following year. It must be difficult, sandwiched as they are between two exemplary black metal acts, to match the intensity inherent to that style with their ameliorated take on a classic melodic death metal formula, but AMORPHIS are, for the most part, up to that challenge. Drawing upon the vast reams of material they have accumulated in their thirty-year tenure; their set reflects the heavier side of the band. Venturing as far back as The Karelian Isthmus to perform an adapted rendition of Sign From The North Side, which is met with a rapturous response, AMORPHIS are clearly a band keenly aware of their legacy, but also reluctant to rely on it.

Breathing new life into older material is not always easy, but due in no small measure to the efforts of enthused frontman Tomi Joutsen, as well as the skill and creativity of their lighting technician, the band make it interesting for fans old and new. In general, though, their performance belies a maturity, a quiet confidence, which often comes across as restraint rather than experienced virtuosity. Fan-favorite Black Winter Day closes their performance this evening, which has been so comprehensive as to require no encore. AMORPHIS remain a staple of the metal scene in Europe, and tonight they reassert their legacy just as much as they celebrate their recent success.

Rating: 7/10

DIMMU BORGIR are a band synonymous with theatricality, and there is every indication before they have even made it to the stage that tonight is going to be no exception in that regard. Smoke, drums and rhythmic lighting brings the packed venue to a hush as hooded silhouettes fill the stage. As he takes a moment to revel in the drama of it all, it is clear from the start of their performance this evening that Shagrath has become the personality of the band, taking on the character of an otherworldly mystic rather than a mere frontman. With their last two albums, DIMMU BORGIR exceeded the limits of their symphonic black metal style and instead produced extreme metal fit for the stadium.

While this move was met with a mixed critical response, they have become something truly inimitable; abstracting away from mundane satanic themes and creating a mythos of their own – entwining physics with individual sovereignty, pagan magic with time travel. Imagery and costumes have become indispensable tools of their craft, and accordingly, the stage is just as overdressed as the band themselves, ornamented with neo-runic sigils and the like. This visual excess is dwarfed, however, by the gratuitous bombardment of strobe lighting – mesmerising, and just a tad overwhelming.

The shadows of Eonian, Abrahadabra and In Sorte Diaboli loom large over their set tonight, which is interspersed with live fixtures Progenies of the Great Apocalypse, Puritania and set-closing Mourning Palace. No concessions are made to fans of earlier, less-celebrated releases – somewhat spoiling the sense of occasion in seeing a band who now seem to be touring less frequently. DIMMU BORGIR do not take the opportunity to tease any new material, dashing the hope of fans hoping for a quick follow-up to the long overdue Eonian. Despite these complaints, the band succeed in inspiring sing-along choruses, pits and crowd-surfers with a set which, all things considered, couldn’t possibly leave you asking for more.

Rating: 8/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in London from Adriana Vasile Photography here: