GIG REVIEW: Desaster @ The Underworld (1st December 2019)

There is stacked lineup and then there is this. Desaster, Root, Archgoat, Mork and Valaraukar dominating London! Presented by Sublime Terror Promotions.

First on are Valaraukar who open the night with a devastating blend of classic Black Metal chaos and dissonant groove, blasting drums and howled vocals that captivated everyone who came down early for their astonishing and unique setlist. For me these guys were a highlight of the evening.

Next up Norwegian Black Metal mob Mork deliver grooving Black Metal staying true to the sound of their countrymen and hitting hard with a belting setlist comprised of a nice mixture from the whole discography. Definitely a band to get heads banging and they did so gloriously.

The first of three headliners now and the band I had the most anticipation for, Archgoat take to the stage with a hammering and crushing blast of War Metal emanating through the venue and shaking everyone to their core. Even with the lack of bass in the end of the set, Lord Angelslayer soldiered on and made an even more commanding stage presence felt. The sheer and monstrously aggressive set was one to never be forgotten and the best set I have seen the band play to date with endless energy and vitriol being cast out.

The wild card band for the night Root are up next, a band whom have gained a cult reputation in the underground for their esoterically strange and doomy occult Heavy Metal. This was certainly another set to remember with a powerful and passionate performance coupled with hilarious stage antics. Root may not be as sonically extreme as the other bands but they definitely summoned otherworldly spirits and played a marvellous show.

Last are Desaster, one of the classic Black-Thrash names whom we all know and most of us love. After the sonic annihilation provided by Archgoat and originality of Root, these were hard bands to follow but Desaster brought pure Metal mayhem to the stage and commanded a loyal audience into battle and closed the night brilliantly with a setlist of classics and incredibly tight performance.