1349’s Ravn

As I headed uptown last month to see the Norwegian black metal act 1349 at B.B. Kings, I was feeling a little skeptical. It was a Monday night in early March, and NY had just been hit with one of the season’s last snowstorms. With people just starting to feel the pinch of the nation’s economic downturn, and the only support coming from local band Annunaki, I wasn’t sure if this night’s show was going to draw much of a crowd.

While my suspicions weren’t totally unfounded—the rough conditions did result in a less-than-capacity crowd—1349 carried on and delivered a powerful performance that rewarded all those who braved the elements. And, seriously, what’s more rewarding than seeing one of Norway’s grimmest black metal bands playing during a blizzard?

Archaon

The snowy night was kicked of with a set of death thrash courtesy of Bayonne, New Jersey’s Annunaki. This four-piece had everything a death/thrash metal fan could ask for: speed, crushing riffs, virtuosic guitar solos and harsh, yet clear, vocals. For about 45 minutes, they played songs from their debut album, Throne of the Annunaki. During their set, Annunaki played one or two new tracks from their upcoming, as-yet-untitled album. These songs were heavier and had more tempo variations, which was a nice break from the genres’ standards. For those of you who haven’t checked them out yet, I highly recommend that you do, especially if you’re into bands like Legion of the Damned, Testament, Slayer, Unleashed and Obituary.

After a rather quick setup and sound check, the lights went dim and 1349 came out to an atmospheric intro tape. Singer Ravn took the stage with authority as they opened with a brand new song from their upcoming album, Revelations of the Black Flame. Knowing that Tom G. Warrior (yes, that Tom G. Warrior) produced Revelations, I couldn’t help but hear his distinct influence on the presence of this track: it was mid-tempo, extremely atmospheric and really heavy (much like Frost’s last album, Monotheist).

Seidemann

The band then ripped into its faster, more aggressive tunes, and it was quite a display. Drummer Tony Laureano (Nachtmystium, ex-Nile) is once again filling in for Frost, who is on tour with his main band Satyricon. Guitar duties were left solely to Archaeon, and while he did manage to capture that certain kvlt sound by himself, it seemed to me that something was missing. But, whatever was missing was made up for by Seidemann’s mammoth bass sound. Fan favorites such as “Chasing Dragons,” “Manifest” and, of course, “I Am Abomination” were delivered with fury. 1349 also threw in another new one, “Maggot Fetus.”

There’s a really primitive, early Venom and Celtic Frost vibe that many black metal bands these days seem to forget. So it’s great to hear 1349 tapping into this vibe, while at the same time putting their own spin on it.

This mini-tour of the States was more of an “album teaser” tour than anything. And it worked: Watching these guys perform definitely got me stoked for the new album. I can’t wait for them to come back again after Revelations of the Black Flame is released. Hopefully then they’ll be greeted with a warmer set of circumstances. —Henry Yuan

Photo Credits:
Ryan Muir (Archaon), Mark Dawursk (Ravn), Robert Newsome (Seidemann)