ATRITAS/ ARTH

Release Party

Dynamo Werk 21 - ZÜRICH

17.12.2004

review by Boris Witta

INTRO - Finally it’s done: The first full-length album of the Melodic Black Metal-band Atritas from Basilea is out: „Where Witches Burnt“. It’s logical that there has to be a big release-party, and it will take place in the Dynamo Werk 21 in Zürich. After driving through the whole city (and even out of it), we manage to find a parking place near the Dynamo and arrive on time at the small, but kind location. 

ARTH   

The support-act are Arth from the Romandie, but they start with a delay of 45 minutes. I even thought that they wouldn’t play anymore… But then, after a long, dramatic intro, the unholy horde, full in corpsepaint (except for the drummer) stands on stage. Singer Schweintroll (great name by the way) wears an ancient arming, and during the song “The Black Sword”, Atritas-keyboarder Hysteria comes on the stage and hands him out a sword, with witch Schweintroll poses a lot. The music of the sextet Arth is a great mixture of Pagan and Black Metal, there are harsh and aggressive parts, but also hymnic moments with tons of “Ahhhhhhhhh”-keyboards (remember Bathory), and this mixture is indeed original. The sound is good, the guitars are sawing and the band seems to be motivated and bangs a lot. Beside of “The Black Sword”, I remember the songs “The Drink Of Power” (where Schweintroll drinks out of an old grail) and a song with German lyrics. The whole show is focused on Schweintrall, who has a great infernal voice with indeed hysteric screems, but his announcements aren’t the best, because his German sounds very funny, and also his way of looking around very evil has a humoristic touch, and so the very serious Pagan/ Black Metal-gig gets a funny aspect, which doesn’t really fit. But besides of that, Arth perform very well, but at the end of the gig, only about 25 people left, and the room was half-full at the beginning. But still, good concert, and Arth may certainly come back again.

ATRITAS               atritas

After a very short break, the protagonists of the evening, Atritas, finally enter the stage. The room is now acceptable full and lots of hands are in the air, while the bandmembers take their instruments during the great and atmospheric intro “Evil Calling”. “Primat Des Geistes” is the first attack, no compromise, and the band gives everything from the first second on. At the beginning, there’s too much snare in the sound, but it gets better very soon. Well, it seems that I have been a little bit to euphoric in my report about the gig of Atritas in Freiburg, because now, the band is much better, first of all the guitar-duo. Baal is the banger and goes very wild on stage, while Swart is a cool poser and it’s always obvious that there is a lot of engagement and enthusiasm. Gier is the usual berserker, bangs like a fool, screams his black soul out of his body and animates the audience to make some atmosphere, and indeed, there is much headbanging and very loud applause. During the gig, also the members from Arth enter the room and bang along in the first row. After the new hammer-song “The Devil’s Throat” with its fantastic guitar-melody-lines, the classic “Das Tier” arrives and I begin to feel my neck, because you just can’t stand still during this song, absolutely impossible. There are some little timing-staggerings, but only Die-Hard-Fans remark them. After some time, Gier holds a little speech, talks about the new killer-album “Where Witches Burnt” and thanks some people for their support and of course also the audience for appearing in such a high number. And that makes clear that Atritas stands for great Black Metal-art, not for being extremely true or similar bullshit. Then the band drinks out of a horn (beer or met), and the concert continues. Now the sound is well-balanced, the guitars and the keyboard all have their place and also the bass is always present. During the concert, the whole new album is played, with highlights such as “Black Sunday”, “Mongrel Monument”, “Thou Shalt Suffer” (one of the best and most aggressive songs of Atritas ever!), “Narrow Refuge”, which is sung by guitarist Baal (fucking great old-school voice!) and of course the titletrack, “Where Witches Burnt”, a satanic hymn, full of black power and dark melodies. “Hure Babylon” is an elder song from “Dunkler Reigen”, more harsh and rough, and the bass-part is extremely great. Then Gier takes leave from bassist Ketz, because this is his final concert with the band, and so Gier thanks him for his engagement, and Ketz gets warm applauses. Big hails to Ketz also from my side! Sad, but sometimes ways have to separate… Back to the gig: From “In Regressu Diaboli”, the crushers “B.C.” (fantastic!) and “Vanitas Atra” (dito) are played, and most of the people stay and celebrate with the band. Swart walks around, stands on the edge of the stage, while Ork looks very relaxed while playing his drums. The mixture of cold, grim and totally destroying-beautiful guitar melodies, hysteric scream-parts and atmospheric keyboard-moments is just total unique and extremely great tonight. After the new “I’m The Vanity”, the band “already” wants to leave the stage, but the horde screams them back, and the hymn “Christentod” appears, which starts slowly and fragile, but gets wilder and harder from second to second. Ketz leaves the stage, because one of his strings is broken, and with five members, Atritas play two more songs, the new (and last song from “Where Witches Burnt”) “Last Sheep Smashed” and finally the old, very hymnic track “United For The Black Messiah”. Two more gimmicks, then its finished, and band and audience should be totally content, altough there weren’t too many people left at the end, but that’s logical after 90 minutes of Supreme Melodic Black Metal. With “Where Witches Burnt”, Atritas should manage their break-through, and this gig is an excellent base for that. Hail!

Setlist Atritas

Evil Calling (Intro)

Primat Des Geistes

The Devil’s Throat

Das Tier

Black Sunday

Mongrel Monument

Narrow refuge

Hure Babylon

Vanitas Atra

Thou Shalt Suffer

My Mortal Flesh

B.C.

Where Witches Burnt

I’m The Vanity

Christentod

Last Sheep Smashed (How To Ride The Goat Of Armageddon)

United For The Black Messiah

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