Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir and Dark Funeral, truly in League with Satan. Rarely has a concert tour had a more apt denomination than when Behemoth and Dimmu Borgir, supported by Dark Funeral have joined forces. What resulted was a Black Metal onslaught, in all its glory.
Behemoth – Dimmu Borgir – Dark Funeral
O2 Academy Brixton – 17 October 2026
Words: Bogdan Bele
Photography: Manuela Langotsch
The dark clouds turn into a rainy London Saturday evening. As I approach London’s O2 Academy Brixton, I come across lots of Behemoth t-shirts and hoodies, but also several corpse-painted faces. Most of them are smiling. Perfectly understandable, considering what is to follow later.
They are all heading to a venue where some of the most successful bands of the last few decades of Black Metal have joined forces for the aptly-named In League With Satan tour.
The name is even more powerful in light of the untimely death of Venom frontman Cronos, one of the writers of the eponymous track. Nergal of Behemoth does say that this is the biggest Black Metal gets at this point.
He is, without doubt, right. What follows is an evening that can be summed up in two words: epic and blasphemous.
Behemoth
Behemoth are playing the Brixton venue for a second time in less than two years. The fact that they are filling it again is yet another statement to the popularity of one of the most hardworking bands in the industry. And most likely the most popular band in Black Metal at the moment. Deservedly so, considering the quality of their live shows and recorded output.
Frontman Nergal and his Polish Black Metal horde seem very keen, as ever, to prove that their success is well-deserved. And they do so over a fiery set lasting a bit over an hour, which takes those present through most of the highlights of their career.
They start with Daimonos, going straight into Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer, from what many consider their magnum opus, The Satanist. It is a record that comes back a couple more times tonight, and rightly so.
Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel or O Father O Satan O Sun! Are equally unavoidable tracks. It is a band that sounds very tight and heavy, the result of many years spent developing this craft.
However, Behemoth’s set includes some older gems as well. And, as expected, it also includes a generous helping of their newer output. I mean, The Shit Ov God, its chorus screamed by all present, is already one of their most popular tracks, judging by the general reaction.
Or I, Scvulptor, the title track of their latest release, which sounds fantastic live, with Nergal on top of a platform, presiding over the hostilities.
The thing with this band, though, is that they are powerful as much as they are entertaining. It is very obvious that a lot of care is put into the visual part of the show, from the outfits and makeup to the moving platforms and well-designed pyrotechnics.
And last, but most certainly not least, the way this band sounds live. I have heard other bands not sounding great in this room, but this is a lesson in how live sound should be done. Loud, but not excessively so, the sound is clear and well-defined from where I stand.
And speaking of In League With Satan, I know that Behemoth and Dimmu Borgir alternate the song in their sets, with the other one’s frontman guesting. It is the Poles’ turn tonight, so Shagrath joins them for a great rendition of the Venom track, joined by the 5,000-strong choir of the O2 Academy Brixton crowd.
This is not a show, this is getting hit in the face by a proper Metal band and, even if not a fan, I reckon you would be impressed. Behemoth are one of the most impressive live acts at the moment.
Dimmu Borgir
I think we can honestly say that, a few years ago, Dimmu Borgir would have been the band closing the shows on this tour. I expect that a gap of eight years between their most recent album, Grand Serpent Rising, and Eonian, the previous one, might be one of the reasons. There was also an important lineup change during this period, guitarist Galder leaving the fold.
Even so, Dimmu Borgir remains a force, especially on the more melodic side of this genre, one veering towards a more symphonic sound.
The fact that they are still very popular is reflected in the number of Dimmu Borgir t-shirts in the room, as well as the reaction to what is a very dynamic performance.
The stage, dominated by frontman Shagrath and guitarist Silenoz, looks like a sort of medieval Satanic hall, dominated by columns with gargoyles and pentagrams. All lit by a well-done light show, as well as the obligatory pyrotechnics.
Dimmu Borgir make sure that the crowd gets all the epics they came for, with the new album not represented very much. However, I enjoyed Ascent from it, a track that matches atmosphere and, to me, a more old-school feel, especially the more Death Metal vocals, as well as some of the best guitar playing of the set from the two axemen.
Overall, a strong performance.
Dark Funeral
If Behemoth are a combination of Black and Death Metal, to a certain extent, while Dimmu Borgir are more into the symphonic side of things, tonight’s openers, Dark Funeral, are much closer to raw Black Metal.
It is a short, five-track set, atmospheric and powerful, as one would expect. Lord Ahriman and his horde are not here for light conversation.
Dark Funeral blast through what is a tight support set and manage to get a few chants of “hail Satan!” out of the room. My personal highlight from their set is Let The Devil In.
