In the words of Behemoth frontman Adam ‘Nergal’ Darski: “The united forces of Greece, Norway and Poland are setting a precedent. Rejoice, my brethren, in the dark because Black fucking Metal has never been bigger and better than this.” Behemoth, Satyricon and Rotting Christ transcended all the confines of the masses to deliver fans to a fiercely dark yet deeply elevating and pleasurable place in the O2 Academy Brixton last Saturday.
Behemoth – Satyricon – Rotting Christ
O2 Academy Brixton – 12 April 2025
Words: Lucy Dunnet
Photography: Manuela Langotsch
Behemoth
Behemoth, the driving force of Poland’s Extreme Metal underground, put on a show of such iconic proportions that they will be disturbing dreams for months to come. While Behemoth’s blasphemously good Metal blasted eardrums, their performance assaulted every sense and was a core-shaking, visually unparalleled experience for the Black Metal fans that filled the O2 Academy Brixton.
The stage was veiled by a black banner, teasing the incredible transformation that was about to unfold. The finely crafted satanic mic stands and high platforms turned the O2 Academy Brixton into Behemoth’s black church. Even the standing spotlights on stage looked like dark, hooded figures guarding us from the gates of hell.
As Nergal belted out, “For thine is the kingdom,” the first demonstration of the night’s pyrotechnics came in the form of aggressive spurts of fire off the front of the stage, a satanic ejaculation of excitement at Behemoth’s offering that raised temperatures both spiritually and physically.
A strobe lighting violation of Nergal and drummer Zbigniew ‘Inferno’ Robert Promiński led into Behemoth’s latest single, The Shit Ov God, which was met with crowdsurfers piling forward to offer up their flesh and blood sacrifices. The pace of Conquer All’s chorus, with its distorted rhythm and jarring beats, delivered an absolute beating of the sadomasochistic kind. 
Nergal donned his dark priest headdress, one of his many costume changes coming out faster than Taylor Swift’s, for the fan-favourite Bartzabel. The beckoning of the demon Bartzabel was a magnificent musical ritual. The haunting choral voices added an extra layer of chaos to Behemoth’s Blackened Death Metal, as well as a small glimpse of rest amidst the pounding satanic carnage.
Behemoth’s “fucking determination” has taken them from the sweaty Camden Underworld 21 years ago to the heaving O2 Academy Brixton with five times the capacity. They have slashed through legal battles and Government controversies in Poland and garnered a massive following across the globe with their distinctive, crushing Black Metal mastery.
As Behemoth spat blood in front of an upturned statue of Christ, the final lyrics, “O my Father, O Satan, O Sun” came too soon, and the band exited the stage faster than the black confetti swirled to the gruesome ground below.
Satyricon
Rotting Christ’s demonic-looking goblin backdrop had transformed into an array of blackbirds falling against a grey sky for Satyricon. The Norwegian Black Metal masterminds filled the O2 Academy Brixton with a reliable stampede of beats and growls, and every rush of riffs was accompanied by some really chaotic headbanging that had the band clinging to their spikey wooden staffs for dear life. 
Frontman Sigurd ‘Satyr’ Wongraven was rarely without his fist in the air, banging the sky from the moment Now, Diabolical began. After regaling the crowd with his last trip to the O2 Academy Brixton, where he had been told off for standing in the seating area and subsequently vowed to find this person and…[a knowing vicious silence followed], the atmosphere ramped up. Black Crow On A Tombstone was met with a swarm of crowdsurfers and an eagerness to join the Satyricon choir. 
While there was something repetitive about Satyricon’s set, it had the same effect as eating your favourite mildly spicy food every day might have: predictably delicious and exciting in its consistency. Satyricon’s power and intensity make them an excellent choice for a heavy gym playlist.
Satyricon wrapped up their role in The Unholy Trinity tour with the magnificent monster, K.I.N.G. The intense dark riffage and growling chorus unveiled the Black mask to see Satyricon’s catchy as-hell hard rock edge.
Rotting Christ
Rotting Christ were destructively hypnotising in their headline-worthy opening set. As one of Greece’s Black Metal pioneers, they put on a performance that reached unholy heights of musical and aggressive brilliance. The riffs left you reeling while the band’s powered-up headbanging inspired even the calmest sections of the crowd to move. 
The queue outside the O2 Academy Brixton had been so long that it was almost comical, but after mere seconds of experiencing Rotting Christ on stage, this became understandable. Vocalist and guitarist Sakis Tolis sang with the commanding influence of a blasphemous missionary, spitting out Latin with an echoing choral backdrop one minute and growling against Rotting Christ’s chopping riffs the next. 
Societas Satanas was a savage set highlight, with the crowd realising a wall of death was the only way to healthily handle the shattering breakdowns and bruising bass. Rotting Christ poured their blood and sweat into executing a set so massive and so menacing that I was left with only one thought: “This is why Black Metal belongs on a stage in front of thousands.”
