Immortal -- Baltimore, MD -- February 20th, 2011

BrutalN00dle · #1 02-21-2011, 01:00 AM

Immortal and Absu. No locals. Awesome.

I am completely wiped out, so a full writeup will come when I wake.

Absu, I'm unsure of the order and many songs (can't remember, no setlists on stage), I know they played:

Night Fire Canonization (not the first song)
Swords and Leather
Four Crossed Wands
Amy
Mannanan
Highland Tyrant Attack
The Thrice is Greatest to Ninnigal (pretty sure)
Never Blow Out the Eastern Candle (Definitely final song)

They played as a trio (Proscriptor said it was only the second time in 20 years, I'm guessing last night was the first), so no Pillars of Mercy

Immortal:

Intro
All Shall Fall
Sons of Northern Darkness
The Rise of Darkness
Damned in Black
Hordes to War
Solarfall
Norden on Fire
In My Kingdom Cold
Tyrants
Grim and Frostbitten Kingdoms (some fucktard threw a bottle on stage and Abbath was pissed)
Withstand the Fall of Time
One By One
Beyond the North Waves

The Sun No Longer Rises

So it's two in the afternoon (EST) and I just woke up, so here's a full writeup.

Got in the venue and took a biblical piss, then found a spot on the rail stage left, and held on. It was just under an hour wait for Absu to come on.

Absu, as noted earlier, were playing as a power trio, so couldn't do any crazy songs like Pillars of Mercy or Stone of Destiny. Also Proscriptor had a stupid headband on. Still a great performance though, but a bunch of Proscriptor's intro monologues were cringe worthy. They left the stage rather suddenly after Eastern Candle, but I have no complaints about their set. Tight, loud, and fast.

IMMORTAL. First time ever seeing them, and I'm sure I'm not the only first-timer present. Opening with All Shall Fall, I was wondering if playing a bunch of the new album would bum me out. Turns out it didn't matter what the fuck they played, because it was Immortal. The fog was a bit heavy, but I was on the side that Appollyon occupied, and he didn't have his own fog machine. Performance-wise, Abbath was sloppy, but it didn't really detract from the show, it made it more 'real'; which is odd for me because it usually frustrates me when a band is sloppy live, especially after the very tight Absu. He almost started Sons of Northern Darkness early, and a few very minor goofs throughout the set. I'll reiterate that it in no way detracted from the show. The show was nothing surprising (again not a bad thing, but it was exactly what you imagine an Immortal show to be) up until Tyrants, when the stopped the song to interact with the audience, and again during the clean break.

The most interesting part of the night was during GAFK, when some idiot threw a bottle onstage about 1/3 of the way through the song. Immortal stopped playing, Abbath called out the guy, and was visibly pissed. He was a good sport about it, launching back into the song where they left off, then not bringing it up again. They played the brutal One By One, and then on of my favorites, Beyond the North Waves. I don't really need to describe the show in great detail, since anyone can find a video of Immortal live, and it's just like that.

Anyway, as to be expected with a huge show, there was a healthy share of idiots in attendance. A girl behind me had spiked bracers on, which is already annoying, but then had her shitty point-and-shoot camera and was pushing forward to take even shittier photos. I don't know how she thought it was a good idea to wear SPIKES and wave her arms around at a show with a lot of hair. Then of course there's the drunk idiots that rape their way to the rail, and then by about Withstand... this (different) girl behind me kept tapping me or something, I looked back and it seemed she wanted my spot "because [she was] a girl". Now, I don't think I'm particularly misogynist, but you don't get special treatment at a show for being a girl. To me you're just one more metalhead in the pit. Also, people need to realize that if we're 3/4 of the way through the headliner's set, nobody in front is going to give up their spot. There's been times when I've traded spots with people (either way) for a support band, but it's fucking Immortal. The people at the front aren't moving.

JRA · #2 02-21-2011, 05:13 AM

Please, PLEASE let us get Beyond the North Waves.

IrritatedTrout · #3 02-21-2011, 07:09 AM

I would've liked to see this but the timing was really bad.

DethMaiden · #4 02-21-2011, 07:28 AM

It's going to take a lot of calming myself down not be pissed as hell that we're not getting Blashyrkh on this tour.

BloodoftheKings · #5 02-21-2011, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DethMaiden

It's going to take a lot of calming myself down not be pissed as hell that we're not getting Blashyrkh on this tour.

Thats the only Immortal song I like.

JRA · #6 02-21-2011, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DethMaiden

It's going to take a lot of calming myself down not be pissed as hell that we're not getting Blashyrkh on this tour.

Ending with it for a cumulative total of 4 years probably burnt them out on it. Sun No Longer Rises seems more interesting of a closer.

For what its worth, I'd rather hear that from that album than GAFK.

I mean, I'd like At The Heart of Winter instead of Solarfall and Unearthly Kingdom instead of Hordes to War. But eh. What ya gonna do?

They are playing a bit much from SOND. I'd say drop one of the songs to bring in Blashrykh, but the one I would want dropped is the one Brad would be pissed the most about, and the one he would want dropped is the one I would be pissed the most about.

DethMaiden · #7 02-21-2011, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRA

Ending with it for a cumulative total of 4 years probably burnt them out on it. Sun No Longer Rises seems more interesting of a closer.

For what its worth, I'd rather hear that from that album than GAFK.

I mean, I'd like At The Heart of Winter instead of Solarfall and Unearthly Kingdom instead of Hordes to War. But eh. What ya gonna do?

They are playing a bit much from SOND. I'd say drop one of the songs to bring in Blashrykh, but the one I would want dropped is the one Brad would be pissed the most about, and the one he would want dropped is the one I would be pissed the most about.

This is very true. I fully expect to have a shit-eating grin on my face when the drum intro to the title track kicks in. That was the song that got me into black metal back in 2004 when I first heard it.

insidethefall · #8 02-21-2011, 08:43 AM

Seeing Immortal tonight. Immortal isn't a band I listen to often but when I do a enjoy them quite a bit AND they are the only "classic" Black Metal band in which I prefer the latter half of their career starting with At The Heart of Winter more than their early stuff. I am disappointed that they are playing only two pre-ATHoW songs as I think some insane old school Black Metal would really be much needed (they definetely have the time)

Absu are just incredible, I saw them live and proscripter was fucking amazing, I have no problem spending the $42 bucks, although that's a pretty insane price

BlashyrkhMR101 · #9 02-21-2011, 09:30 AM

This was a really excellent show, the fog made it really hard to see the guys at the beginning though haha. Beyond the North Waves and The Sun No Longer Rises were the encore though.

kulamram · #10 02-21-2011, 01:56 PM

ABSU ruled...even as a three-piece!! no offense to immortal but i enjoyed ABSU more!