When a tour was announced with symphonic black metal legends Emperor and the kings of cosmic death metal Blood Incantation, immediately my reaction was: Take my money. I picked up a pit ticket without hesitation and went to their final stop of the Emperial Wrath North American run at The Wiltern.
The mid-sized, historic Art Deco theater is one of my favorite venues in Los Angeles due to sound quality and the various sight lines of the stage. The floor rises in tiers behind the pit, so if you’re not right up front, you’ll still get a good view. There is also a large balcony with seating if that's more your speed. There’s a decent size smoking patio and many bars that makes it an attractive place to catch a show. The only real downside is the merch setup. The line usually spills out toward the smoking patio, which turns into a congested mess. If you are trying to grab merch but do not want to stand in a cloud of smoke, your best bet is to wait until after the show, though even then the line just flips direction and stretches toward the entrance.
Blood Incantation opened the night and established the mood right away. Even before they even started their set, their stage setup, filled with burning incense and stage props of ancient ruins looking pillars on the sides of the stage gave everything a ritualistic and ethereal feel. Once they started, they were locked in. Tight, precise, and completely in sync. The sound mix was excellent and everything sat where it should, from the vocals to the drums to the guitars. They played the entire album Absolute Elsewhere and finished with “Vitrification Of Blood Part 1” from Starspawn, which was a highlight for me. I have always loved their full discography, so hearing something from Starspawn live for the first time was a treat. It really put their evolution into perspective, showing the raw and cavernous sound of their early material compared to the more expansive 70s prog influences they have adopted recently.
Deafheaven setlist:
01. The Stargate Tablet I
02. The Stargate Tablet II
03. The Stargate Tablet III
04. The Message Tablet I
05. The Message Tablet II
06. The Message Tablet III
07. Vitrification Of Blood Part 1
Next came Emperor, and they wasted no time. They began with “Into The Infinity Of Thoughts”, and kept pushing forward from there. This was the first time I saw them live, and frankly, it surpassed everything I would have wanted.
Watching Ihsahn play guitar in person was something else. The level of precision and control is unreal. What stood out most, though, was how polished everything sounded. For a black metal band, it was almost too clean at times, especially if you are used to the raw edge of the genre, but it did not take away from the performance. If anything, it highlighted just how skilled they are. These guys have been doing this since the early 90s and it shows.
The setlist was stacked with classic after classic and the crowd was into it the entire time. By the time they hit “I Am The Black Wizards” and closed out with “Ye Entrancemperium” and “The Wanderer,” it felt like a full circle experience.
Emperor setlist:
01. Into The Infinity Of Thoughts
02. In The Wordless Chamber
03. Thus Spake The Nightspirit
04. The Majesty Of The Nightsky
05. Ensorcelled By Khaos
06. With Strength I Burn
07. Curse You All Men
08. Wrath Of The Tyrant
09. The Loss And Curse Of Reverence
10. An Elegy Of Icaros
11. I Am The Black Wizards
12. Inno A Satana
13. Opus A Satana Outro
14. Ye Entrancemperium
15. The Wanderer
All in all, it was one of those shows that just hits. Two extreme metal bands from two different corners of the genre sharing the same stage, each contributing their own sound and identity and lending to the impression that it all fits in natural.
