Last night Budapest’s Kék Yuk Klub hosted a very interesting black metal event, with 3 different bands from the genre. 2 were locals, DVVAD and Lidérc, and one was a guest, currently on tour, the rather infamous war black metal machine known as Diocletian. The show was organized by the maniacs from Insane Hellride Entertainment, a crew which doesn’t seem to stop putting up great underground events.
DVVAD has released its first debut album, “MRKLB“, in November last year and this Budapest show was the record’s official release party, so it was the perfect opportunity to see the band and buy the album directly from them. I have listened to this record a lot prior to the show (a review will come shortly so keep an eye on the page) and I was completely blown away by its consistency and quality. On the record the band has created an amazing atmosphere and I was very curious to see if they could reproduce it live as well.
The band walked on stage a bit after 20 o’clock and from the very first chords I felt that their show will be a powerful one. I was to surprised to see their faces covered in some sort of (corpse) paint, I was not expecting that at all. DVVAD played its album in full (4 songs in total), instantly drowning those present into a dark atmosphere full with smoke and eerie visions. The music was heavy and melodic at the same time, while the rhythm changes provided a natural balance between aggression and dream-like states. Even though kept in the background, the keyboards played an important part in the songs’ structure, as they provided that “spacey” feel which makes the music intricate and disturbing. I really enjoyed how the drummer (a new one, I assume, since he was sometimes searching for guidance at the start of the songs) played his cymbals, toms and double bass pedals, providing that stable backbone the rest of the band developed from. The 2 guitars, though dissonant, sounded as a whole and created captivating riffs full of melody or aggression. Benefiting from a very good sound, DVVAD delivered a solid performance convincing me that their music is as good live as on the record.
Watching this band at work was a real pleasure, during their 40 minutes set I was transported somewhere else, in a dark yet welcoming place. I want to the seem them again on stage, they really know how to create a special atmosphere focusing only on their music.
Next on the bill was Lidérc, a band that needs no introduction for those following these pages. This was my 3rd time watching them and I was very curious to see and hear how this show will unfold. The 2 previous experiences have been somehow altered by the sound issues the band had on stage, so I was really hoping that the 3rd time will be a charm.
The band is still promoting their recently released record, “Profán Mystérium“, so while most of the songs were taken off this album, they also played a couple of new tracks which will be featured on their second material. I also noticed some new additions to the band’s image: a large Lidérc banner appeared on the wall behind the drums, while Comes Listhius‘s wrists were wrapped up in something that looked like old, worn rags, which complemented very well the other “rustic” accessories he’s already been using.
Compared to the other 2 Lidérc shows I previously attended, I could tell from the very first notes of the opening track that the she sound was finally the one the band deserved. As the guitars play a major role in Lidérc, their melodic line and solos have to be heard otherwise everything is lost. This time, not only the riffs and the solos were perfectly recognizable, but the bass guitar was also audible as if it were turned up to 10. Its crunchy lines brought a completely different dimension to the songs, something I could not hear before. Perhaps the drums were a bit too loud and sometimes a little too “over” the other instruments, but that didn’t impact the overall sound at all.
Talking about the drums, I am not sure what K. Kazimir is using (or abusing), but the moment the show starts, that man becomes completely insane behind his drum kit. This was the 2nd show in a row that I saw his sticks flying across the stage during a song, as the intensity of his drumming reached incredible velocity levels. I tend to believe that, due to his insane drumming style, the songs are even more faster and aggressive than on the record, which is great!
The band gets better and better with every show and this is visible from one concert to another. The chemistry between the musicians is perfect, they are totally possessed by their craft and it was amazing to see Ágost, G. Caesus and K.Karnarius singing the lyrics together with Comes Listhius, while furiously shredding their guitar (and bass) chords. The band was hungry for playing and drew their energy from the loud support the enthusiastic audience provided during, and in between the songs. Despite a cold Thursday night, I felt that many people came especially for Lidérc and DVVAD and their reactions were very positive and supportive throughout the 2 performances.
Overall this was a fantastic night which I enjoyed to the fullest. I was very glad that I discovered another interesting Hungarian band – DVVAD – and also that I could watch Lidérc delivering their best and most intense performance so far. War black metal is absolutely not my cup of tea so after watching one song from Diocletian I did what Elvis did and headed out into the cold night.
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