After a melodic and alternative Saturday night, Sunday’s menu included a relentless Black Metal onslaught that shook the foundations of Temple with four of the most important bands of the rich Greek Black Metal scene. The main attraction was, of course, EXILIUM NOCTIS from Volos, who presented their second full-length album, “Pactum Diaboli,” following their debut “Fragments Of Apocalypse” in 2022.
The live started early, as ENTHRONED SERPENT took the stage around 8:30 p.m. With their considerable experience, they treated us to some in-your-face, old school Black Metal, just like the hardcore fans of the genre from the ’90s like it. In fact, the opening of their set, and of the evening in general, with the instrumental “Calm Before The Storm” from the EP, “Ancient Witchcraft,” was the most fitting introduction. The guys stayed on stage for about half an hour and didn’t take their foot off the gas for a second, as their music is not known for its melodic virtues, which are few . Who needs them in such cases anyway? In fact, the crowd was already quite large given the circumstances (the show started early, Sunday is a difficult day for live shows, and Black Metal is not for everyone), so it was clear from the start that the demons of the underworld were on our side…
Setlist
- Intro – Calm Before the Storm
- Ghost
- Towards the Unknown
- …and Darkness Reigns
- Born of Winter
- Facing the throne
The next set was something I had been waiting to see for a long time, as I personally consider what ELDINGAR created in 2024 with “Lysistrata” to be more of a work of art than a simple Black Metal album, both compositionally and lyrically. Right from the start, with “Ares”, an almost mystical atmosphere was created in the venue. The band members, without any unnecessary movements or stage props that might distract attention, performed their four songs perfectly. Three from “Lysistrata” and “Trauma” from their first album, “Maenads.” After all, the songs were at least 8 minutes long, so there was no time for anything else. Unlike ENTHRONED SERPENT, ELDINGAR experiment more, even incorporating Greek lyrics into their songs, as their lyrical basis is Greek mythology and philosophy. With the exceptional Andreas Simitzis on vocals spearheading the band, they create a dense, almost suffocating atmosphere in the venue. I will definitely seek to see them again at one of their own live shows.
Setlist
- Ares
- Where to Stand
- Therasia
- Trauma
Shortly after 9:45 p.m., ELDINGAR left the stage to give us a chance to catch our breath and indulge in our favorite pastime of metalheads… socializing. But that lasted only about twenty minutes, as we quickly returned to our posts for the Athenian band SYNTELEIA. We maintained the Black Metal style, of course, but moved on to more occult situations. I don’t know how the order of appearance of the bands was decided, but I think that the duo SYNTELEIA – EXILIUM NOCTIS was a perfect match. Musically, we could say that we returned to more classic paths that cast a black veil over the venue. This darkness was momentarily illuminated by the participation of soprano Mina Morfi, who, as Nyctelios announced, is now a full member of the band. However, her undoubtedly wonderful voice was unable to unfold in all its glory as the sound was not perfect, while SYNTELEIA also faced some technical problems. Of course, this did not discourage anyone, as we finally saw the first mosh pit of the night and, in general, the audience was ready to dive into the depths of hell.
Setlist
- Intro – Into the Abyss
- Tower of Koth
- Daemonica Infernalium
- Pledges of Evil
- Harvest the Forest
- Synteleia has Come
- The Black Goat Rites (ft. Mina Morfi)
- Emblem of Yith (ft. Mina Morfi)
- The Secret Last Syllable
SYNTELEIA prepared us for what was about to come. it was time for some Greek (black) magic from Volos! EXILIUM NOCTIS, with their album “Pactum Diaboli”, have firmly established themselves on the Greek Black Metal map. The album balances between Black and Death Metal, with obvious influences from 90s Swedish bands, but EXILIUM NOCTIS have added their own touches, which came across wonderfully live. The stage was impressive, with a flame burning in the center, thick smoke covering the atmposphere, and the theatrical appearance of the band members with their appropriate costumes and painted faces. For those who know them, their performances have a ritualistic feel, and the intimate but welcoming venue of the Temple is ideal. Such live performances require the audience to be close to the musicians in order to create the feeling of participating in an occult ceremony with low lighting, a hazy atmosphere from the smoke, and dark spirits roaming the space. EXILIUM NOCTIS, of course, had the opportunity to play a full set focusing on “Pactum Diavoli” (read the relevant album review here!), which we heard almost in its entirety, but they also honored their debut album “Fragments of Apocalypse,” closing the night with “Night Witches.” And so, the ceremony came to an end around midnight, the ideal time to make way for the witches of the apocalypse and renew our appointment.
Setlist
- Adventus Tenebrarum (intro)
- All Shall Burn
- Priest of Blasphemy
- Fall of Babylon
- Crucify the Rats of Church
- Devil’s March
- Deorum Cremator
- God’s Demise
- Pactum Diaboli
- Night Witches
What I have noticed is that Black Metal fans may not be the most numerous sub-group in the Greek Metal scene, but they are perhaps one of the most compact and supportive towards bands. The crowd honored some of the best bands of the new generation, bought merch and was generally present once again. The sound was satisfactory, the bands had worked hard on all the details of their performances and EXILIUM NOCTIS declared their presence even though a band from the a small city faces twice as many difficulties as bands located in Athens.
P.S.: We also heard some very nice information about HERTA’s live show in Kyttaro in December, 21st. Stay tuned for the official announcements in the following weeks… and buy your tickets in time!
Live Correspondent: Kostas Boudoukos
