LIVE REVIEW: Dark Funeral / Fleshgod Apocalypse / Ex Deo / Kami No Ikari - O2 Academy, Islington, London 7th January 2025

A chilly Tuesday evening isn't warmed by a late start to the opening of doors, some 20-minutes after advertised. 

Openers Kami No Ikari (Wrath of the gods in Japanese), take the stage just after 6pm with a small number in the venue. It is the first time here for the unsigned Parisienne Deathcore outfit, who independently released their full-length debut See You in Hell (Jigoku de Aimashou) last year, although they have been going since 2020. They launch into an energetic six-song set, including Interitus and Theophobia. Vocalist Amarino Barros is an enigmatic front man, unconcerned with the lack of an audience and plays to the diminutive crowd as if it were a stadium, at one point getting down into the photo pit to greet the crowd. 

Some crunchy guitar moments from Rodolphe Brouat and Silvère Escande, as well as one playing fast tremolo picking over the other’s heavy power chord riffs, whilst Brice Baillache provides a solid low end, locked into Yohann Dieu’s drums. As expected, breakdowns abound, and as soon as you heard that China splash you knew what was to come. There are some great touches, such as the ramped tempo change in Inside You, where the band slow right down and then accelerate seamlessly. Surprisingly perhaps, their music contains grooves within riffs, atypical deathcore moments with neo-classical shredding solos incorporating emotional notes. The performance is tight, let down at times due to the muffled mix. 

Heavy riffing announces the gladiatorial arrival of Ex Deo into the arena. Formed in 2008 as a solo project of vocalist Maurizio Iacono, it's grown into a group in its own right, and includes fellow Kataklysm members. Bound in leather armour the Canadian Death Metallers hit the ground running with Imperator, from 2021 release The Thirteen Years of Nero. Drummer James Payne showed his worth with dynamic playing (a sticksman that can play quietly when needed???) and tom rolls aplenty, particularly in second track Cato Major: Carthago Delenda est, which had an almost tribal beat. 

Iacono cuts a commanding figure throughout the performance, like a Roman General rallying his troops for battle, informed his minions that it had been seven years since they had graced these shores, before the new offering Vespasian is delivered,  The stringed members and singer leave the stage for the drum driven instrumental Suavetaurilia, before returning for The Fall of Claudius and some sinister discordant guitar from Stephane Barbe and Jean-Francois Dagenais. The band finish with Romulus, which receives the biggest cheer of the evening fand ensures all full-length releases are represented. With its dual tremolo picking and chugging riffs, this was my highlight of the set. Again, any problems were with the sound rather than performance. The kick build-up stifled some of the low end, and guitars sounded clearly when riffing further up the neck. Having said that, either there were not that many guitar solos during the set or the mix did not allow them to cut through as I can only remember a couple. 

 

After a short delay, a piano intro and soprano Veronica Bordacchini enters the stage, dressed in black, wielding an Italian flag on a pole (no prizes for guessing this group’s country of origin) and proceeds to show us her vocal talents on Ode to Art. The rest of Fleshgod Apocalypse enter, regaled in officer like uniforms and make up like they have risen from the grave, bursting into I Can Never Die. There is real dynamism in their performance, aided by the piano of Francesco Ferrini (who coincidentally helped with the orchestration of openers Kami No Ikari’s latest release).

Iniitally drummer Eugene Ryabchenko appears a little out of sorts but finds his stride by the third track. It was not something that bothered me too much, as it is great to have a tight performance, but when it is that tight that you might as well be listening to the studio album then I do not see the point of going to a gig. There was good movement on a smallish, cluttered stage, with vocalist/bass player Francesco Paoli (who is playing in gloves) and guitarist Fabio Bartoletti constantly switching positions, and the occasional appearance of Ferrini from behind to keys to address the audience. Bartoletti unleashes the occasional subtle tapping solo and can shred but also play with feeling. There are ultra dynamic tracks with harpsichord, quiet parts and then blast beats (I would like to term this Harpsicore, you heard it here first!). The interplay between the keys and guitar stands out on several songs, Pendulum one which this really stood out. 

Paoli took a moment halfway through the set to apologise for a tech issue that pushed their start time a little further back, but it doesn't reappear and the rest of the set is hitch-free. The setlist is heavily in favour of the latest album, Opera, with four tracks with nothing from the 2009 debut, Oracles, but other albums are covered. Whilst I personally am not sure about their style and how it is put together, they can put on a show. 

An atmospheric backing track and smoke heralds the arrival of the main act, and to the chants of ‘Hail Satan,’ Dark Funeral, cloaked in darkness, make us wait for around two minutes before they turn to reveal their satanic studded armour and painted faces, and commence their version of hell with set opener Nosferatu, from 2022's We Are The Apocalypse. From the get-go this is the best sound of the night with all instruments sitting in their own pockets. Drummer Jalomaar, is straight out of the blocks, with rolling toms and quick cymbal hits. With a cape that concealed his underlying outfit, Vocalist Heljarmadr strikes poses for the oversubscribed photo pit whilst rasping through the track, his voice drenched in the black metal trademark reverb. A great guitar tone from both Lord Ahriman and Chaq Mol cut through the night, with their offset dual guitar motifs on Atrum Regina,  a punishing kick drum assaulting the body. By To Carve Another Wound, Heljarmadr has discarded the cape to reveal the numerous inverted crosses adorning his costume, and had the crowd hailing the dark lord again. They showed that even black metal could have hooky tracks with this one and Unchain My Soul. It's not about all out brutality, with slower heavier parts interspersed with bludgeoning blast beats. 

There are melodic moments and real emotion in solos as well as the speed. After this the band stopped and Heljarmadr asked, “How would you like to go back in time? How would you like to open some graves?” and the band embarked on a play through of their first EP Dark Funeral from 1994, this being the basis of the 30-year anniversary tour they are now on. These tracks are a little more syncopated than the others, with some quick dual guitar, and I preferred these to the ones played from later offerings. My Dark Desires, in particular, has a hooky descending riff and timing changes that do not grate. After they play through this, they leave the stage to rapturous applause and hails before a short drum solo, Adra-Melek's bass joining in. Until this point, I had not noticed the bass, but that is because it had been doing its job in the mix, shoring up the bottom end whilst the guitars took care of what they needed to do in the mids. The rest of the band returned and feed us the last two servings of the night in the form of Let The Devil In and Where Shadows Forever Reign. After 30 years, and several line-up changes, Satan is still running strong through Dark Funeral's veins.

Review by Rich 'Tricky' Hudson

Live photos by Manuela Langotsch https://www.facebook.com/manuela.langotsch