Baphomet Comes in The Form of BELPHEGOR at 1720

Los Angeles | Sunday, November 3, 2019

November 10, 2019 Robert Chadwick Concert Reviews Comments Off

Austria’s blackened death metal band Belphegor performs at 1720, a multi-purpose all-ages venue in downtown Los Angeles, on Sunday, November 3, 2019. Photo credit: Maurice Nunez.

BY MAURICE NUNEZ | Go Venue Magazine

Tonight ‘A Relentless Onslaught US Tour 2019‘ came to Los Angeles at the 1720 Warehouse. This tour features Necronomicon, Suffocation, and Belphegor. Last time I covered Belphegor they were here at 1720 with Dark Funeral. That was such a great show that we wanted to be sure to be here again for Belphegor’s return. First time I had actually seen Belphegor was back in 2006 when Glenn Danzig invited them to play as part of his ‘Blackest of The Black Fest.’ Tonight they were back in Los Angeles and Go Venue was there to cover it!

Necronomicon got things started. The Canadian veterans began as early as 1988 by founding remember and vocalist/guitarist, Rob Tremblay “The Witch.” This was the first time time I had the opportunity to see them live. A crushing set of black/death metal tunes that got the crowd going. The three piece came out in full metal attire along with corpse painted faces. They recently put out a an album titled “Unus” which has some of the fastest drumming around. A recommended listen for sure! The crowd at 1720 was headbanging the entire time. A perfect way to get the night started.

Next it was time for Suffocation. This was another first for me. These guys formed back in the late 80’s and are from the New York area. Suffocation is one of the earliest groups to redefine the death metal style that is recognized today. That was evident tonight as their brutal assault included songs like “Thrones of Blood,” “Funeral Inception,” “Pierced From Within,” and “Jesus Wept.” They concluded their metal assault with “Infecting the Crypts.” This was a punishing set from these veterans and the metal heads at 1720 couldn’t get a enough.

It was now time for Belphegor to take the stage. Belphegor hail from Austria and originally formed back in 1993. They were here earlier this year and now they were back to bring their diabolical black/death metal to Los Angeles. The stage looked like a sacrificial alter which had two large upside down crosses on each side of the stage along with bones that aligned on each side of the singer’s mic-stand. They got things started with “Sanctus Diaboli Confidimus” then went right into “Swinefever – Regent of Pigs.” Founder and vocalist/guitarist, Hemulth, leads the charge with his demonic vocals and thundering guitar riffs.

The crowd of loyal followers were singing along and headbanging to their diabolic sounds of black/death metal. At one point during their set, Helmuth picks up what looks like a goat skull covered in dried blood before they go into “Virtus Asinaria.” Another crowd favorite was the brutal “Baphomet,” which if you haven’t seen their official uncensored video of the song, you must. This will give you an idea of how intense these guys are. They concluded their ritual with “Bondage Boat Zombie.”

As soon as they finished, Helmuth came down the front and handed all the loyal fans Belphegor guitar picks. What a show! Always great to have them here in LA and hope to see them back again soon!

Be sure to catch this tour which runs through the end of November. You can view their tour dates here.

See photos and set-list below.