Marduk, 1349, Withered, Weapon and Hoarfrost @ The Park Theater June 10th, 2012

The Park Theater seems like a fitting arena for the black metal bonanza's that barrage Winnipeg, now that I've witnessed the raw powers of Mayhem, Marduk and 1349 at this quaint venue. Black metal has a very special grip on a lot of the "regular" metal crowd that frequents these amazing acts. Perhaps it's just me, but the moshing at these black metal shows seems to be more explosive and ruthless than other pits for death metal or thrash. I cannot tell if the energy and brutal bliss displayed by the crowd is a reaction to the exceptional stage performances by these bands, or a pre-existing excitement that coaxes the bands to display more fervor. Either way, the metal community feels as tight as ever as we all crammed together and enjoyed some quality music.

It's been a while since I updated this thing, so thank you to those who have been patient and like seeing the progress and accumulation of pictures on my blog. The War on Music restructuring and rebuilding is an excuse for not updating, but really, it's more laziness than anything. If you're the least bit curious about the shows I never wrote about, but took pictures for, they can be found here...

https://picasaweb.google.com/113056343942734663331/HavokTearingUpThePyramidCabaret

https://picasaweb.google.com/113056343942734663331/DeathAngelThePyramidApril18th

https://picasaweb.google.com/113056343942734663331/DyingFetusTheFacelessAndDevilDriverMetalAllianceMarch28th

As for the acts, of which they were quality, our locally grown Hoarfrost opened. As usual, Ryan commands the crowd and the stage as he delivers a variety of vocal stylings to enjoy. It's always a pleasure taking pictures of Craig, and I have to wonder- is his Testament shirt like a show dress shirt? My significant other does the same thing, by wearing his Testament shirt out to shows, almost religiously. This time I didn't have the balls to run on stage and get pictures of Kyle, even though he always deserves the shots. And Darcy, stoic as ever plays like a black metal monolith with a strange seriousness that he might not be aware he displays. All of this is affectionately written in the new War on Music space on 91 Albert Street. Any Hoarfrost propaganda or merch is welcome here!

I caught on a few songs from Weapon, but from what I saw and heard, they had a solid grasp on the subtle groove of blacker metal. They were also quite passionate on stage and like the band Withered that followed after, they had an unexpected professionalism about them. It's so special to have such a solid line-up of true metal bands that give their all, whether there's 15 people in the audience or 300.

With Withered, I was thoroughly impressed. The sound was clear, the music was bangin' and everyone seemed to be enjoying everything. A fun band to take pictures of; I don't have too much to say, because all that can be reflected upon about the show should be seen in pictures... like these ones...

By the time 1349, everyone seemed ready to really get their energy out- especially with an elevated consumption of alcohol. With expertly applied corpse paint and a truly fun but brutal air about them, 1349 were to me, the highlight of the night. Hooded, painted and blissfully brooding, they played an amazing set that really got people going. Their guitarist must have thrown out at least fifteen guitar picks, because I picked up eight off the floor myself and distributed them to people. All the pictures I took were a flattering and grainy black metal and white, and I even jumped on stage for a single shot before being redirected back off stage faster than I ever have before. Seriously, no one has ever pulled me off stage, although I have been denied photographical prvilege. Here's the tasty drummer picture...

The main dish was not really Marduk, but the voracious and savage room of bipeds that used to be people before black metal got a hold of them and myself. Just like at Mayhem, the pit seemed loveless and exobitantly violent. But of course, no one REALLY gets hurt- except for that one guy at Metal Fest... As soon as Marduk's stage hands started billowing out smoke, I was fucked photographically. So all I could do was try and enjoy the energy and the metal, because taking pictures was a shit deal for the entire set. Oh well, at leas there was atmosphere created by the choking smog and dim lights. Yeah, the dim lights sucked too.

All pictures can be viewed HERE!
https://picasaweb.google.com/113056343942734663331/Marduk1349WeaponWitheredAndHoarfrostTheParkTheaterJune10th2012