2008 Woodie Awards
Dimmu Borgir invade the Trocadero Theatre
Meghan Hennelly '09 & Joseph Aprill '08
Issue date: 4/9/08 Section: Entertainment
A long line of black T-shirted, spiked, and painted metal heads once again snaked around the corner of Arch Street on a sunny Friday evening, but that daylight quickly turned into brutal darkness once the concert goers entered The Trocadero for The Invaluable Darkness Tour Part 2 - Legions of the Chosen Few.
A rare occasion, this was one of the few metal tours that have come to the United States in recent years with only European bands on the ticket.
Before the show began, a blank tarp stretching across the back of the stage waited for the bands on the bill that night to project their own more metal than metal projections.
The Norwegian group Keep of Kalessin were up first, featuring a background of a spear throwing army as they played a short set of songs from their albums "Reclaim" and "Armada", even playing one song off of their yet to be released album, "Kolossus."
Wearing minimal makeup compared to the other acts on the night's bill, Keep of Kalessin head banged and thrashed their way into the blackened hearts of many of the night's attendees for quite literally their first show ever in the U.S.
Behemoth, the Polish gods of death metal, were up next. With metallic eagles adorning their stage and guitars, Behemoth played an explosive set of songs from their latest album, "Apostasy," as well as songs from past albums "Demigod and Zos Kia Cultus."
Throughout their somewhat longer set, lead singer/guitarist and founding member Nergal played mind numbingly fast guitar riffs, throwing in playful "flips of the bird" toward the audience, and every so often stopped everything to bring his slender finger to his lips to hush the audience. He would then cue the band to start right where they left off.
Finishing their set in a mere 45 minutes, the audience felt a bit annoyed that the Polish tyrants weren't allowed more time.
With ominous orchestral music and thick smoke heralding the arrival of the night's headliners, Dimmu Borgir came to the stage in a flash that lit up the Troc as bright as day.
Three mosh pits immediately opened up in front of the stage and the crowd went insane as the Norwegian band surprised everyone by starting the night off with two old tracks, "Spellbound (by the devil)" and "In Death's Embrace," both off of their classic 1997 album "Enthrone Darkness Triumphant."
For Dimmu Borgir's show, the background screen was a constant sheet of disfigurations and transformations of album covers, live video shots, music video clips, old band photos, and occult illustrations to please and delight the audience.
Coming back for a three song encore that included fan favorites "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse," "Puritania," and "Mourning Palace," Dimmu Borgir ended the night with the still smoke clearing as the dazed fans found their way out.
A rare occasion, this was one of the few metal tours that have come to the United States in recent years with only European bands on the ticket.
Before the show began, a blank tarp stretching across the back of the stage waited for the bands on the bill that night to project their own more metal than metal projections.
The Norwegian group Keep of Kalessin were up first, featuring a background of a spear throwing army as they played a short set of songs from their albums "Reclaim" and "Armada", even playing one song off of their yet to be released album, "Kolossus."
Wearing minimal makeup compared to the other acts on the night's bill, Keep of Kalessin head banged and thrashed their way into the blackened hearts of many of the night's attendees for quite literally their first show ever in the U.S.
Behemoth, the Polish gods of death metal, were up next. With metallic eagles adorning their stage and guitars, Behemoth played an explosive set of songs from their latest album, "Apostasy," as well as songs from past albums "Demigod and Zos Kia Cultus."
Throughout their somewhat longer set, lead singer/guitarist and founding member Nergal played mind numbingly fast guitar riffs, throwing in playful "flips of the bird" toward the audience, and every so often stopped everything to bring his slender finger to his lips to hush the audience. He would then cue the band to start right where they left off.
Finishing their set in a mere 45 minutes, the audience felt a bit annoyed that the Polish tyrants weren't allowed more time.
With ominous orchestral music and thick smoke heralding the arrival of the night's headliners, Dimmu Borgir came to the stage in a flash that lit up the Troc as bright as day.
Three mosh pits immediately opened up in front of the stage and the crowd went insane as the Norwegian band surprised everyone by starting the night off with two old tracks, "Spellbound (by the devil)" and "In Death's Embrace," both off of their classic 1997 album "Enthrone Darkness Triumphant."
For Dimmu Borgir's show, the background screen was a constant sheet of disfigurations and transformations of album covers, live video shots, music video clips, old band photos, and occult illustrations to please and delight the audience.
Coming back for a three song encore that included fan favorites "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse," "Puritania," and "Mourning Palace," Dimmu Borgir ended the night with the still smoke clearing as the dazed fans found their way out.
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