If someone told me that I will feel the winter breeze of Siberia in too warm Belgrade on the Victory Day, I would send them to hell and turn on my air conditioner. But magic did happen and even a few days after I am still impressed by this concert. Three bands, a pot of magic and just a touch of blasphemy at the beginning would be enough to describe the show in one sentence but I will tell you the entire story.
In Serbia I saw many concerts, especially black metal, okay not so many like my older colleagues from the Abaddon but surely enough to give a judgment about this show and how awesome can black metal be without unnecessary noise and boredom. At first, I was a bit disappointed because there are two concert venues in Dom omladine, Grima has the worst venue on Planet Earth, a smaller one, without air and without a photo pit. In literal translation, hell. Entire show began just in time but when you see a Serbian hellbangers behind the show it must be on time, it’s an unwritten rule. In that hell of the space on the stage waited a few crosses, a book, candles and a flag Non Est Deus. I am familiar with their work especially after the recommendation to see their viral show from Germany, Lichtenfels, I got interested so this was an opportunity to hear them live. Covered in white dresses for mummification, looking like wraths, Non Est Deus blew me away! This is not my first time seeing some holy or better say unholy rituals on stage but Non Est Deus definitely did it the best. Dark, mystic and in its own way magical, this was a pleasant surprise. The first reason is that I never heard any band play so precisely, so well, especially black metal, the second reason is their stage appearance, so iconic with specific choreography which is actually a reversed holy ceremony. Some people were scared, some were spiritually cleansed. I was enchanted when the singer walked like a priest through the audience, slowly like a ghost. Everyone who came only for Grima but didn’t hear this amazing German band, I feel sorry for you. I was so impressed by Non Est Deus that my brain didn’t actually hear the band Ultar. Led by the twin brothers from Grima, Ultar is a basic black metal band which was actually an overture for Grima that we all waited patiently for. Their appearance was literally in the fog, full of darkness, slowly leading us to the Siberian Forest.
The last part of the show was reserved for the new god, Grima. Directly from Siberia, they are on a promotion tour of a new album, “Nightside”, about which you had a chance to read in Abaddon magazine. This band has attracted attention for a long time in metal circles specially for their stage appearance that is so unique and masks they never take off which resemble tree roots. Atmospheric black metal they play is not something you have never heard but those riffs that resemble snow blizzards and vocal which sounds like winter wind is a remark of this band. During the entire show, audience couldn’t take their eyes off the stage. The shamanic influence this band has on people brings them more fans after every show. As we had reversed Christian ceremony with Non Est Deus here with Grima we had a pagan experience or better said new religion. Energy was explosive, not full of adrenaline as we expect in metal shows but exactly like we are listening or watching some ritual up on the stage. A gesture I must mention that really amazed me was that after every song Grima took a bow theatrically to us as a sign of deep respect they have to their audience. We all felt these gentlemen live through this and if they cast some spell on us or not I don’t know but certainly this entire event was the best black atmospheric metal concert I will talk about for a really long time. This was a night to remember for sure, I am waiting for all three bands to come back soon. It would be unfortunate not to hear them again but next time in some better concert venue. Till then and till I remember the cold winter breeze will hunt me covered in Grima’s new album. Thank the goods, I love winter.
Photos by Ivan Veselinović
