ROTTING CHRIST / BORKNAGAR / SETH / HELLIXXIR (Live)

ROTTING CHRIST (Live at L'Ilyade, Seyssinet, Grenoble, France, October 5, 2024) — Photo: Séverine Peraldino

Does the perfect lineup exist? In any case, if it does, we’ve come pretty close, this October in Grenoble, with an evening of melodic black metal with Rotting Christ, Borknagar, Seth, and Hellixxir.

Hellixxir

The first act to take the stage at l’Ilyade were no strangers to the Grenoble audience, who gave Hellixxir a warm welcome. A local melodic black metal band, they already have three albums under their belt. With a voice from beyond the grave, heavy bass and dreamy, soaring melodies, it was enough to satisfy the few in the audience who had just been introduced to them. For the others, it was a chance to delve into their latest album, The Black Fortress released in 2019. It’s also worth noting that Hellixxir’s music reaches its full potential on stage, where the lighting might have been a little lacking, but the sound was excellent.

Seth

Admittedly, they didn’t play at the Olympics, but when this little gem of a black metal band, who also sings in French (and in Alexandrine and classic verses, if you please) find themselves supporting one of the most respected bands on the scene, French metalheads don’t hold back. Seth is certainly the band that has developed its visual identity the most since its creation in 1998. This concert/ritual was an opportunity for them to present live the new tracks from La France Des Maudits, whose main theme is the revolution of 1789.

“Et Que Vive Le Diable” was a striking opener. Powerful and blasphemous, Seth delivered a superb performance. The band also pleased old fans by playing older songs like “L’hymne aux vampires”, to which the front row gave their all. Dressed in a heavily embellished red cape, Saint Vincent roamed the stage relentlessly, haranguing the crowd. All that remains is to hope that they will be back in the headlines very soon.

Borknagar

With a brilliant new album, Fall, released earlier this year. Borknagar was another highlight of the evening. The band, led by ICS Vortex, hit the stage with a warm, infectious vibe that was the polar opposite of their songs. The band’s opening track, “Nordic Anthem”, in an almost a cappella rendition sent shivers down the spine, thanks to the combined voices of ICS Vortex and Lars A. Nedland. The four musicians were lined up without hierarchy at the front of the stage. ‘The Fire That Burns” showed the heavier side of the band to the audience. Borknagar alternated between their more aggressive, catchy tracks and songs with a contemplative atmosphere.

ICS Vortex barely took time to introduce the songs, and the show went without a hitch. Borknagar’s setlist featured the last two albums, but also took a step back in time with “Winter Thrice” and “Dauden” (it’s a shame that Urd was left out of the evening). Ultimately, the highlight of their set was “Moon”, which saw both guitarists Øystein G. Brun and Jostein Thomassen showcase their talent. Before Rotting Christ’s set, the venue was filled with appreciative chatter. Those who hadn’t heard of Borknagar before were certainly impressed.

Rotting Christ

It had been a good twenty (and even a bit more) years since Rotting Christ had last played in Grenoble. In the meantime, the band went from being a promising band to one of the spearheads of the genre in Europe. Even though the audience had already had a good dose of black metal fury before the headliner, spirits started to heat and the hardcore fans besieged the front of the small stage.

Rotting Christ started with “Aealo” – after all, it’s the band’s thirtieth anniversary, so it’s only right to pay tribute to their entire career. That being said, the band’s two favourite albums, Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy and Aealo were both well-represented, and the crowd was quick to headbang along to the eponymous track from Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy.

The lineup for this tour was very cohesive and did the band’s songs justice. The musicians went wild on stage with wide, enthusiastic smiles. Although l’Ilyade is not a very large venue, the centre of the crowd quickly turned into a moshpit. The relatively young crowd gave a warm welcome to the Greeks’ newer songs such as “Like Father Like Son” and the melodic “The Apostate”, which got a good chunk of the fans roaring, though perhaps not quite as much as the hymn “Non Serviam”.

On the raised drums, Themis Tolis was impressive with his ferocity and regularity, and only his frontman of a brother rivalled in his ability to command the crowd’s attention. The atmosphere remained charged until the encores, which came far too early in the show (although with four bands, you can’t expect the headliner to play for more than an hour and a half). “Grandis Spiritus Diavolos” was certainly one of the highlights of a concert that will remain memorable for all Grenoble fans, as it’s unlikely that we’ll be seeing a lineup like this again in the city any time soon.