The Black Dahlia Murder at ULU
The Black Dahlia Murder – ULU – 5 February 2010
Words by Andre Lotz / photo’s by Tiaan Kotze
A slew of bands were already playing as I inched my way across the TFL map. I was running late, but I’d make it in time to catch the highlights of the Bonecrusher tour. They were having it at the rather snug University of London Union venue which I’d only been to once before (for Black Kids, who sucked by the way). Meeting my photographer, getting beer and a cool spot, we managed to be ready for the start of Necrophobic.
They all come on to the really small stage (leaving them about enough space to swing their long-ass Scandinavian hair) and they say: “London! Are you ready for the darkness!?” Then they wait as some atmospheric music builds up. Time drags and we all feel a little awkward. Watching these black-metal-looking guys standing with their arms up, I suddenly get the impression that maybe they’re waiting for our answer. Err. But eventually they break into their first track and it’s quite good. They’re actually pretty tight and throw out some nice riffs. It’s really refreshing to hear straight-up metal, even if it’s of the slightly dorky, fantasy metal variety. As the set unfolds they show off with some tasty, squealing solos and good vocals, though the drums don’t do much to inspire. The vocalist, Tobias Sidegard has a prodigiously deep growl (and even speaks the same way) and he gets the crowd involved. It is however an opening band, so there’s mostly just head-nodding from the crowd, but they are all in support nonetheless. He even brings out an impossibly large flag (don’t ask me whose) and swings it over everyone’s heads. That was pretty cool.
But 3 Inches of Blood was the band I wanted to see, and they were on next. And they contrast to Necrophobic in all the ways I love. Not having seen them before, I didn’t even know they were on stage until they started to play. Not sporting any black face paint or spiked leather arm bands, they looked like a bunch of roadies (in comparison to their predecessors) until they busted out an awesome opening track. The crowd responds more wholeheartedly this time and even start to rough each other up a bit. Nice. These guys also play fantasy metal, but there’s some definite southern rock elements which makes them sound a lot fresher. They’re also more thrash, and a bit more drums driven (though not as much as BDM which follow). But one of the most notable features is how Cam Pipes really does sound exactly like Rob Halford. And it’s so certain because they played some Priest before Necrophobic’s set. But with Pipes it seems such a contrast, because he looks like the really big wrestler buddy of Jean Claude Van Damme in Bloodsport yet he screams in falsetto. But whatever, they are totally brutal live. There’s very little chat between tracks as they concentrate on taking care of business. It must be said that the mosh pit looked a bit pants (these kids today…) but at least when they end with Night Marauders there was a good bit of mayhem.
Black Dahlia Murder finished up this bone-crushing event and their fan-base here is definitely in the majority. They’ve been locked up in this small venue anticipating their set for so long that there’s a full-on surge towards the stage during the sound check. And after they break into their first tune, the inmates start to riot. At least they’ve moved the drum kit back and deepened the stage giving these guys space to move and giving Trevor Strnad space to orchestrate the malcontents. I really prefer hearing them live to recorded. Cory Grady is thunder incarnate on those drums and helped to open up their music to me for the first time. Trevor’s also got a great range and is really cool to watch on stage. He seems quite funny in that one of his few tattoos reads: “Hearburn” over his navel. I really feel you, man. As they play on, it seems less obvious that these guys are mostly influenced by black and death metal (as they say), because they they have a definite core sound. But that’s cool, because I think that’s what’s made them really popular with this crowd. Near the end, the crowd started to get braver too, with more and more of them getting up stage. It seems everyone wanted a turn to jump back into the seething mass. You would’ve too.
