Incantation & NervoChaos
20th June 2019
Whammy! Bar, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review and photography by Sarah Kidd.
Thursday night at Whammy! Bar once again saw the metal devoted descend the blackened staircase into the bowels of K-Road as Valhalla Touring delivered the goods with yet another double international headliner.
The earlier start time to accommodate a four-band bill did not deter punters, those that chose to be punctual rewarded with a soul-destroying performance from Auckland’s own sludge/doom outfit Draulicht. Their set was like being tied to a chair, blindfolded and having your jaw forced open while lead vocalist Dan regurgitated viscous ooze into your mouth that tasted of nothing but the crushing dread of every fear you have ever held.
Yes, Draulicht is the real deal, their sound one that is menacing as it crawls up the walls with broken fingernails, dragging its half rotten corpse behind it. It’s the stuff of nightmares, each note slow and deliberate, suffocating the room of air as it builds in power. This four piece know how to get to you and they do it well, epically long tracks such as ‘Cotard Delusion’ from their 2018 Demo seeping into your cortex and devouring it from within, Dan occasionally punctuating the music with a chillingly low howl that feels unnatural and leaves you in awe.
Followed close behind by local trio Distant Fear who not only supported Ulcerate and Australian occult death metal band Impetuous Ritual last year, but were also part of the insanely good Full Noise line-up in March, the growing crowd were drawn into a far more frenetic pace laced with vocals that spat vehemence like acid. Distorted guitar and bass riffs wrapped around each other and grew in strength, an assault on the senses that was aggressively unrelenting in all the right places.
Despite set times running a little behind, spirits were high as the crowd gathered in closer for the first of the international headliners of the evening, Sao Paulo’s NervoChaos. The Brazilian metallers who formed in 1996, have recently had a slight line-up change with guitarist and vocalist Lauro Nightrealm leaving last year to continue on with Incinerad instead.
Due to this NervoChaos have once again morphed into a four piece, both Guiller and Diego Mercadante (also of Coldblood) holding down the punishing front line of guitars and vocals. A triple opener of ‘Necroccult’, ‘Demonic Juggernaut’ and ‘Whisperer in Darkness’ from their latest album Ablaze hitting the fans hard and fast with a wall of death metal guitar work and relentless drumming courtesy of founding member Eduardo Lane.
What began as lines of flesh covered skulls, headbanging in time to the rapid tempo and guttural lyrics soon turned inwards on itself, an imposing mosh pit bringing a smile to Diego’s face as he raised his horns in salute. NervoChaos are muscular and tight, their relentless touring schedule paying off when it comes to live sets, their energy it seemed unending as they dove straight into the decidedly melodic and instantly appealing ‘Ad Maiorem Satanae Gloriam’ from their seventh studio album Nyctophilia.
NervoChaos have an impressive discography, their sound often evolving from album to album, elements of death, doom, black and thrash to be found throughout; their aggressive and sometimes chaotic approach however the one gold standard that they never deviate from much to the delight of the Auckland crowd. Smashing out ‘Feast of Cain’ and ‘Pure Hemp’ to finish, the fans made sure that our Brazilian friends knew just how much their set was appreciated by all.
After a slightly cringe-worthy and lengthy change-over that involved multiple tweaks as Incantation performed a live soundcheck, the New York death metal four piece were finally ready to begin, their desire to ensure that the start of their latest tour was presented just so to their New Zealand fans admittedly admirable.
Incantation have a long history in the metal scene having begun their career in 1989, and with almost three decades of music up their sleeves there comes the inevitable band member changes, many fans no doubt noting that while drummer Kyle Severn is still very much a member of Incantation, his decision last year to pull the pin on being involved in any lengthy tours still holds fast; the indominable Frank Skillpero (Irmin, Devious) stepping into his role.
Fronting the band of course, the one and only John McEntee who looked more than primed and ready to go as he surveyed the audience before him, the band opening with ‘Christening the Afterbirth’ from their very first album entitled Onward to Golgotha. A small technical hitch very early in the set with lead guitarist Sonny Lombardozzi’s guitar strap saw him leave the stage momentarily, however upon his return it was as if a fire had been lit within his core as he produced eye-watering solo’s that the fans positively lapped up.
Often revered as one of the originators of the New York death metal scene along with bands such as Suffocation and Immolation their sound is one that is steeped in all the righteousness of death metal; Incantation also bringing to the table doom, variable tempos and since 2004’s Decimate Christendom, the deep growling vocals of McEntee himself. Incantation know this game better than you, wrapping the crowd around their little finger, they turned them into one of the most frenzied mosh pits that Whammy! Bar has seen in a while – the spirit of metal comradeship alive and well as those who fell were scooped back up, patted on the back and then enthusiastically shoved back into the melee.
McEntee was enjoying every moment of it as he humorously provoked the crowd, calling for them not to be ‘posers’; the statuesque frame of bassist Chuck Sherwood leered over the top of them, his fingers never missing a note as he worked the bass strings with incredible speed and dexterity. The set list was stacked, delivering almost everything an Incantation fan could possibly hope to hear and more; from ‘Profound Loathing’ from Vanquish in Vengeance right through to ‘Rotting with your Christ’.
The night completed the fans demanded more, McEntee and Skillpero making them work for it, their efforts rewarded royally with one of the earliest ever Incantation tracks; ‘Profanation’ from their debut album seeing the venue again transformed into a heaving cesspit of mangled bodies.
Bruised but elated, sweat covered forms made their way back out onto the streets, each agreeing that it doesn’t get much better than that.
Were you there at Whammy! Bar for this brutal death metal gig? Or have you seen Incantation or NervoChaos perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Incantation Setlist:
- Christening The Afterbirth
- Shadows From The Ancient Empire
- Lus Sepuleri
- Golgotha
- Profound Loathing
- Immortal Cessation
- Triumph In Blasphemy
- The Forsaken Mourning Of Angelic Anguish
- Rites Of The Locust
- Carrion Prophecy
- Dominant Ethos
- Omens To The Altar Of Onyx
- Ascend Into The Eternal
- Rotting With Your Christ
- Ibex Moon
- Impending Diabolical Conquest
- Profanation [encore]
NervoChaos Setlist:
- Necroccult
- Demonic Juggernaut
- Whisperer In The Darkness
- Ad Maiorem Satanae Gloriam
- For Passion Not Fashion
- The Urge To Feel Pain
- Death Rites
- Total Satan
- Feast Of Cain
- Of Evil And Men
- Pazuzu Is Here
- Moloch Rise
- Pure Hemp
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