March 4th, 2023
Toronto, ON
Photos By: Kim Baarda
UNDER OUR BLACK CULT @ LEE’S PALACE, TORONTO
You know you are in for one hell of a night when attending a tour dubbed ‘Under Our Black Cult‘. Tonight, the hell was literal and all-consuming.
With the bleak and blustery backdrop of a Canadian winter in full swing, the buses rolled into Toronto carrying a blackened collective of both legendary and contemporary black metal bands, all gathered for an evening of spastic and crushingly-heavy performances.
GAEREA & UADA
Starting the night off, Portugese blackened metal band Gaerea and US west coasters Uada delivered highly-energized and dynamic performances that filled the sold-out venue with a malevolent-yet-seductive aura. A perfect combination to kick the blackened festivities off.
CARACH ANGREN
With the Lee’s Palace crowd thrown into a fevered, blackened pitch, it came time for the pandemonium of Dutch symphonic black metallers, Carach Angren. From the opening notes of the spooky ‘The Ghost of Raynham Hall’ to the closing crescendo of ‘Bloodstains on the Captain’s Log’, the wickedly devilish characters of Carach Angren summoned forth what could only be described as a symphonic black metal circus sideshow from the fiery depths of purgatory.
ROTTING CHRIST
The Greek institution known as Rotting Christ need no introduction. Having just celebrated their 35th year in existence, you can rest assured that these guys will always deliver a battle-hardened, ear-crushing sonic performance. On record, Rotting Christ are unparalleled in heaviness and ambience, a bewitching marriage of blackened impetuosity. On stage, they manage to bring the same level of nefarious enchantment, yet amplify the auditory denseness ten-fold.
The Greek ones have certainly perfected the art of performance, captivating their audience through a dozen songs from the formidable catalog, ending with an audience-approved encore of their deliciously classic ‘Noctis Era’.
