Skull gets there first... Triptykon at the Bottom Lounge

I await...

Skull gets there first, though. Here's his review; mine will follow next week...

Bands: 1349, Triptykon, Yakuza, Hell Bastard

Venue: The Bottom Lounge, Chicago, Illinois.

Date: October 16th, 2010.

By: Skull

"I sit here on a Sunday afternoon a complete mess. I’m disheveled, battered, and bruised with a raging headache. I can barely hold my head up straight due to the fact that my neck muscles are contemplating a complete work stoppage after the abuse that they sustained last night. I’m also still smiling ear to ear while reeling from the epic performances I witnessed last night for the Weltenbrand Tour stop in Chicago!

My lady friend and I arrived at Bottom Lounge at around 6:30pm. We simply couldn’t wait, though, and needed to grab a bite, anyways. The bar was packed with Blackhawks fans getting oiled up before hitting the shuttle bus for the game, and the joint was bustling with activity. After a forgettable meal, we sauntered into the band room to check out the merch tables. Upon entering I noticed that Hell Bastard, from the UK, were preparing for the first set. Apparently, they were just blowing through town and got a call interrupting their dinner offering them the gig at the last minute. I quickly scooped up Triptykon and 1349 shirts, and we dug in for the night.

Hell Bastard fired up shortly after 8:30pm and treated us to a roughly 30 minute set of more than decent crust/ thrash. The growing crowd reacted favorably, and I was impressed as well. After a relatively quick changeover, Yakuza kicked in for the second set of the night. This was my second time seeing them. They filled in at the last minute back when the disintegrated Blackened Fest hit town awhile back, and I really wasn’t that impressed with them. I found the set this time around to be slightly more enjoyable. Yakuza are definitely unique with their incorporation of wind instruments into doom metal, but I found the bulk of the set to be way too slow and boring. My friend Greg encapsulated their set perfectly with the quote of the night when he said, “This is the perfect music to eat a sandwich to,” as he pulled the remains of his Subway dinner out of his pocket for consumption. The crowd did give Yakuza a large round of applause as they wrapped up, though. While leaving the stage, they announced that Triptykon were up next.

At this point, time lost all meaning to me. After grabbing a quick smoke, the three of us got up as close to the stage as we could for the mighty Triptykon. The lights went down and the taped intro began as the band that I have been longing to see since last March came on stage one by one. Warrior came up third to a great reception as he stood silently next to the mic, giving us all the horns.

Triptykon opened up with an agonizingly slow version of Procreation (of the Wicked) that was crushingly heavy, powerful, and brilliant. I was now in my moment. The crowd response was immense and the headbanging was rampant. Moving onto Goetia, Triptykon tightened their hold on the fans and a pit erupted, clobbering my lady and causing a domino effect resulting in a black eye for me and a sacrificed beer to the pit gods. She came out of unscathed, so it was all good. We were all then blasted with the classic Circle of the Tyrants, completing Triptykon’s dominance over the room.

I must admit that I did not get many pictures of this set, and quite frankly, I didn’t even really see much of it because my head almost never stopped moving! The haunting Abyss Within My Soul was next and, at this point, I had hit pure nirvana. This was hands down the highlight of the set. I cheated last week and snuck a peek of the set list from the New York show so I thought I knew their agenda, so imagine my surprise when they dropped Descendant and Babylon Fell in favor of The Usurper! I was completely taken off guard, and thrilled with the trade off! The second half of the set consisted of the two monstrous epics Synagoga Satanae and The Prolonging back to back. Dripping with heaviness, power, and evil, these two closers just fucking demolished the place. Triptykon then left the stage to a roaring ovation. Everyone was floored. I thank you, Mr. Fischer and Triptykon, from the bottom of my heart for one of most moving, if not THE most moving, set I have ever had to fortune to witness. At this point I was completely drained and exhausted, and I still had to face 1349.

The changeover was relatively quick, and 1349 cranked up and destroyed us with the focus and intensity of a nuclear detonation. What can you say about this band? They’re just a blur live! Covering songs such as Riders of the Apocalypse, Nathanica, and Sculptor of Flesh, they stirred the crowd into a frenzy and a pit was active throughout most of the set. This was my third time seeing them, but the very first with Frost behind the kit and I was completely mesmerized by his unnatural and ungodly talents. During I Am Abomination they lost the guitar for quite a while, and Frost basically took the lead and focus while the problem was being resolved. He was just fucking unreal! I was completely rejuvenated and my long dormant, instinctual need for moshing resurfaced and into the pit I went! It was probably my first pit action in about 15 years. They wrapped up with Atomic Chapel, came to front stage to greet and slap hands with the crowd, and left us stunned and wounded while licking our wounds. I felt spent, used, and left for dead. After a wind down drink, my lady friend poured my sorry ass into the car, and home we went. This was a night I will never, ever forget..."

I await. October 24th, 2010, at the El Rey Theater, Los Angeles.

Skull's pictures...

Triptykon




1349





The t-shirt haul...