INCANTATION

DIVINE EVE

Divine Eve are an innovative band. Formed in 1992, they disbanded in 1995 only to reform in 2008. This tour is their first in over ten years and assumedly their debut trek to UK shores. Still without a full-length, this US band’s vision of music is unique. Dark doom metal passages are positioned next to coarse Swedish death metal with a giant dollop of Bolt Thrower tossed in for good measure. Pairing speed with introspective slow moments sounds like a questionable objective but Divine Eve execute it commendably and their songs are digested readily by the audience.

DATE:

VENUE:

Saturday 16th January 2010

Electrowerkz in London, UK

HATE

Quite a few of the attendees tonight are proudly sporting Hate t-shirts and many Poles have come to show their support for their fellow countrymen. It seems Hate’s appearance at the annual Infernal Damnation all-dayer impacted the London extreme metal scene. Donned in corpsepaint (which can’t be considered mandatory given the fact that Hate lean closer to death metal than black), the quartet appear austere, crammed in close proximity thanks to the Electrowerkz’ miniature stage. Commonly and unfairly compared to Polish death metal all-stars Behemoth, Hate’s death metal contains an abundance of memorable hooks; their sound is thick and rhythmically-inclined with dual guitars adhering closely to typical modern death metal, flirting with the occasional heavy melody before bludgeoning with enough formidable, down-tuned riffage to significantly disturb the Richter scale. The songs from the ‘Anaclasis: A Haunting Gospel of Malice & Hatred’, such as ‘Anaclasis’, ‘Metamorphosis’ and the intoxicatingly catchy ‘Hex’ going down consummately. 2008 bore the release of Hate’s ‘Morphosis’ album and the band did not skimp on promoting their latest offering of blasphemy. With mosh-pits bleeding unhindered aggression from fully-grown men, Hate do a great job in summoning forward intensive chaos in London.

HATE; DIVINE EVE

Reviews by Elena Francis

INCANTATION

Veterean US death metallers Incantation have returned to London, the first time in three years. Formed in 1989, the band have gone through more line-up changes than most people have had hot dinners. Nonetheless, main man Jon McEntee has resolutely remained at the group’s helm since their inception. Opening their set straight-forwardly with ‘Anoint the Chosen’, from ‘The Infernal Storm’, the audience knows what to expect for the rest of the night. Hailing from New York, Incantation musically side with fellow New Yorkers Immolation rather than the NY slam death metal scene popularised by such bands as Suffocation, Skinless and Pyrexia. Indeed, Incantation sound like a younger, more frustrated version of Immolation without the unusual melodies. Slower passages are pleasantly crunchy and give the listener plenty to sink their teeth into. An infinite amount of headbanging is employed on stage as the band race through a battalion of old school US death metal from throughout their lengthy career including ‘Scapegoat’ and ‘Entrantment of Evil’. The crowd is noticeably more subdued compared to the reaction Hate received but to say they were not enjoying the show would be a perversion of the truth. Although their set was not as intense as Hate’s, it was still certainly worth watching and appreciating a classic American death metal band that does not visit London too often.