May 12th, 2024 @ The Phoenix
Toronto, ON
Images By: Kim Baarda
Words By: Jason Deaville
Knowing how well-received Nordic black metal legend Abbath is in Toronto, we were certain there was going to be a block and a half lineup to get into the venue. So, in our great wisdom, we decided to get there just prior to the first band of the night taking the stage to avoid a queue. Arriving at the venue, as expected, there was no lineup. Making our way into the venue, to our surprise, it was a ghost town. Seriously, there were was only a handful of metalheads milling about… and this is a large venue! Where the hell was everyone? Were we at the right venue? Did the showtimes get pushed back? There were so many questions.
Well, our good friend, tracked down some info. Apparently, there were only just over 200 tickets sold for tonight. How could this be? Why has no one come? Again, so many questions. Now, to be fair, it wasn’t the best day for this show. It was a Sunday. It was mother’s day. Abbath had also played just 30 minutes down the road in Kitchener, Ontario the night before. At the end of the day, I imagine most people went to the show the night before so that they had the Sunday free to celebrate with their mothers.
But, as always, the show must go on…
FINAL GASP
Boston-based deathrock dealers, Final Gasp, started the night off with a harrowing journey through all things hardcore, metal, and goth. An odd choice for this billing, but that could be said for each of the openers tonight. Nevertheless, the guys put on a decent show with songs pulled from their debut full-length, Mourning Moon, released last year, as well as some tracks from their previous two EPs, Haunting Whisper (2021) and Baptism Of Desire (2019).
Setlist
Homebound, Mourning Moon, Climax Infinity, Frozen Glare, Blood & Sulfur, 14 Gates, Temptation, Rows Of Heaven, Suicide
BLACK ANVIL
New York City blackened thrashers, Black Anvil, were probably the most fitting band of the billing. Tonight, the guys pulled out their most extreme fare to pummel the Abbath fans with, and it worked. They tore through six tracks culled entirely from 2022’s Regenesis. By this point, the venue started filling up a bit more, which certainly added to the energy being exuded from the stage. All in all, a killer performance of some decent American-bred black metal.
Setlist
In Two, The Bet, 29, 8-Bit Terror, NYC Nightmares, Castrum Doloris
IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT
New York City represents again this evening, this time with avant-garde/technical black/death metallers Imperial Triumphant. Tonight, the guys treated the rabid audience with six tracks all taken from their high-acclaimed 2018 album, Vile Luxury. If you know this album, you know that is a wild trip through many sub-genres with a heavy reliance on jazz mind-fuckery. Bedecked in their bizarre costumes, the guys were a spectacle to witness. They moved with both grace and violent convulsions. One thing to note: the venue sound-system really brought out the crushing, down-picked rhythms… when they went this route, it felt like the whole building might implode beneath our very feet.
Setlist
(Unknown), Cosmopolis, Chernobyl Blues, Swarming Opulence
ABBATH
You know him, you love him… not much else to say other than the man is a legend and, as such, it was likely going to be another legendary performance, no matter the shit turnout.
As could be expected, Abbath started the night out with a cover of Immortal’s ‘Triumph’ (the band would go on to play four additional Immortal covers). It was clear that the band were on fire tonight, as the showmanship was top-notch from both Abbath himself and the rest of the band, which, tonight, included Ukri Suvilehto (drums), Ole André Farstad (guitars), and Andreas Fosse Salbu (bass). With the crowd sufficiently ravenous, the guys then jumped into two songs from the last studio album, Dread Reaver (‘Acid Haze’ and ‘Dream Cull’, respectively). They then took it back to 2019’s Outstrider with the song ‘Calm In Ire (Of Hurricane)’ followed by ‘Ashes Of The Damned’ from the 2016 self-titled debut full-length.
One by one, Abbath and crew decimated the sparse Toronto crowd with a stellar setlist of goodies that made the Sunday trek absolutely worthwhile. I have no doubts that the next time Abbath rolls through Toronto, the venue will be packed to the gills… til the next time!
Setlist
Triumph (Immortal cover), Acid Haze, Dream Cull, Calm In Ire (Of Hurricane), Ashes Of The Damned, Dread Reaver, In My Kingdom Cold (Immortal cover), Beyond the North Waves (Immortal cover), Nebular Ravens Winter (Immortal cover), Root Of The Mountain, The Artifex, One By One (Immortal cover), Winterbane, Withstand The Fall Of Time
Remaining tour dates on the Dread Reaver North America 2024 Tour are as follows…
May
20 – Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe at Old National Centre
22 – Buffalo, NY @ Buffalo Iron Works
23 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
24 – New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place
25 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
26 – Baltimore, MD @ Maryland Deathfest