A Black Metal Mass with Taake and Friends at Orto bar (2018)

The lineup on offer for black metal fans is a seriously varied one. After three years, the cult Norwegian black metallers Taake are back. The band last played at Metelkova, but this time the show went down in the lower hall of Orto bar. Taake were joined on tour by Switzerland’s Bölzer and by two Norwegian acts, One Tail, One Head and Slegest. The area in front of Orto bar was properly packed before the show. A true black metal feast was clearly on the cards.

Things kicked off with Norway’s Slegest, who are supposed to play blackened doom metal. The band, with three albums under their belt, showed off enough of those qualities in their repertoire, but what stood out most was the sound, where the influence of the legendary Motörhead was painfully obvious. Definitely an interesting start, though nothing that really made a big impression.

One Tail, One Head, on the other hand, were a treat mostly for those who swear by rawer black metal. The band, who have only one album so far, served up a tried-and-true recipe built on simplicity and morbidity. As a bonus, Hoest, the vocalist and leader of Taake, joined them for one song, which fired up the crowd even more. One Tail, One Head were more of a tribute to proper black metal, and you couldn’t really spot any special stylistic detours.

The Swiss duo Bölzer have played in Slovenia before. Two years ago they opened for Destroyer 666, and then they also played this year’s edition of the Metaldays festival. The duo already won people over in the past, so expectations were justified. Even though it’s just a duo, the sound is pretty full. The guitarist uses a heavily distorted ten-string guitar to cover for the missing bass guitar. The band’s music strayed a little from standard black metal. Thanks to that guitar, the atmosphere comes to the front all the more. Bölzer try to win you over with their approach, but despite the powerful guitar and confident drumming, at times the bass guitar was missed for a fuller sound.

With Taake, you can expect all sorts of things. The band can pull off a really great show or just something average. This time the gig was above average. It satisfied plenty of people, and the setlist could have been even more varied, but the performance itself was more than convincing. On top of that, Niklas Kvarforth, the singer of the Swedish black metal band Shining, who has been living in Slovenia for a while now, helped the band out on one song. In the set, Hoest and company touched on new, more advanced songs as well as earlier, simpler ones. Judging by the crowd’s reaction, Taake won people over again this time. They can still be raw enough, while also offering something more unconventional, which is why the band’s shows are still well attended.

Taake, Bölzer, One Tail, One Head and Slegest made sure Orto bar got a proper black metal mass. Attendees got one more confirmation that the gig season is a rich one, with black metal fans definitely not left out in the cold.

photos: Aleš Podbrežnik