WATAIN: The stench, that putrid stench…

There was a lot of hype for this show, which was held at Santos Party House in New York City (too small a venue for such majestic band). This, however, made for a very intimate ritual among the attendees.

When we arrived to the carnage with a group of headbangers, Black Anvil took the stage. Good stuff from a former Hardcore band, who blurred the lines between Hardcore Punk and Black Metal, to create their own brand of music.

Up next was Goatwhore. Hail the Goat! The brothers never disappoint with the onslaught of blackened Thrash Metal. The sound was not all that great, but the band knows how to get Metal heads all riled-up. Always refreshing is to hear this band play tracks from “Funeral Dirge For The Rotting Sun”, as it is to hear their latest stuff, “Carving Out The Eyes Of God”, which absolutely destroys.

Then it was time for the main rotted final course: Watain.

I was not sure what to expect since this was my first time seeing this band live. There was a lingering stench in the air. It truly smelled like entrails and blood. Pure evil. It all made sense once Watain took the stage. The satanic stage, blessed with animal skulls, and drenching blood, the corpse paint, the negative vibe in the air. It was all demented and a great production, but Watain’s brilliance is in their music.

Flawless Black metal, with slabs of Death, and technicality that was simply awesome.

The band played some classics that got the old school Black Metal maniacs pumped, and also a showcase of their latest album titled “Lawless Darkness”, not surprisingly the #2 record in the “Top 40 Extreme Albums of 2010”, compiled by Decibel magazine.

Watain with their horrific brand of Heady Metal demonstrated why they are such an important Metal band, possibly the most important Black Metal band of this generation. This band shows no boundaries, and their music is a destructive machine that did not stop until everyone in the audience is taken aback. \m/

Here fan footage of Watain's legendary performance:


Related links:
Watain
Santos Party House

INKED by Javier Samaniego