Photo Credit: Mar Morannon
Fans lined up outside the doors of Amsterdam Beer & Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota on October 1st, 2023, eagerly awaiting a promising night of black metal. Unfortunately, the restaurant has two entrances, and despite the signs on the doors, there needed to be more clarity for people trying to join the queuing process. Technical difficulties during the sound check inside the venue delayed the doors’ opening by thirty minutes. Since the show was scheduled to start only twenty-five minutes after the doors, Hoaxed found themselves in the unfortunate position of starting shortly after the delayed doors, playing to a nearly empty venue as everyone worked their way through the line.
Despite this misfortune, the Portland rock trio put on an amazing show. Their sound, blending punk, goth, rock, and metal, was a mismatch with the other bands on the lineup, but I was happy for the opportunity to see them again after discovering them on their tour with Amorphis last year. Bassist April Dimmick and drummer Kim Coffel performed with an upbeat flair characteristic of punk or heavy metal bands, balanced by vocalist/guitarist Kat Keo’s more reserved approach, reminiscent of shoegaze or atmospheric bands.
Hoaxed
Photo Credit: Mar Morannon
Gaerea is a must-see live, as they blend their atmospheric/depressive black metal sound with haunting performance art that truly brings the music to life. The band is largely anonymous on stage, with each member wearing a matching mask bearing the sigil of the band and even the two guitarists playing matching ESP LTD guitars. The vocalist contorts himself into a dance that borders on the uncanny valley, a physical manifestation of inner turmoil, as he fills the room with his emotive growls. Having recently played their first US tour with Rotting Christ, they have already picked up a number of new fans filled with anticipation to see the dynamic spectacle on stage again. Their set pulled primarily from their 2022 album Mirage, which received great reviews at the time of release. They did not play their latest release, the single “Dormant,” originally a bonus track on Mirage, perhaps because they would prefer fans to watch the 8-minute video, which features a continuous shot of a man being waterboarded, lying in his Gaerea mask under a deluge of flowing water.
Gaerea
Photo Credit: Mar Morannon
Bringing us back to the reality of the natural world, Blackbraid’s music is full of the sounds of flowing rivers, blowing wind, and screeching birds. Jon Krieger, the solo artist behind Blackbraid, has had an incredibly busy year. He toured with Dark Funeral on the Decibel Tour in the spring before releasing Blackbraid II in July. For an artist who entered the scene just over a year ago, he has certainly captured the attention of the black metal scene, with many people in the crowd wearing Blackbraid shirts and The New York Times running a feature before the album release. On stage, he has great camaraderie with the backing band members, and they all play with a powerful stage presence, including significant interaction with the crowd pressing against the stage. The six-song setlist was evenly split between the two albums, including the first single from Blackbraid II, “Moss Covered Bones on the Altar of the Moon.” Blackbraid’s set feels the most in line with a Wolves in the Throne Room show due to both the atmospheric black metal and the small rituals that Krieger winds into the set, like smudging off the front of the stage.
Blackbraid
Photo Credit: Mar Morannon
Contrasting Blackbraid’s heavier atmospheric black metal, Wolves in the Throne Room brought a mellower experience steeped in mystery and ritual. Once the stage was set up, the room slowly began filling with fog so thick you could barely see around you, leaving the band silhouetted against the light emitting from candles dancing to either side of the drum riser. The décor of branches, deer skulls, and carved wooden sculptures set the stage for a druidic communion, helping the room forget about the pressures of modern life and relax into the spiritual experience of their set. Their set mostly matched this relaxing vibe, with slower, doomier songs making up the bulk of the setlist. When the heavier songs were pulled out, the crowd was ready, immediately instigating a pit and aggressively headbanging. By the end of the night, the energy in the room was exhausted, with everyone languidly shuffling out or hanging around the merch booths, waiting for their turn to take home a memory of the night.
Wolves In The Throne Room
Photo Credit: Mar Morannon
