LIVE REVIEW: BEHEMOTH + NIDHOGG @ THE TIVOIL 18/02/26

Words by Cecilia Pattison-Levi Photos Charlyn Cameron

When Adam ‘Nergal’ Darski promised to bring to Australia an “uncompromising vision” of his band’s music I was hopeful at seeing and hearing the dark anti-version of the catholic faith as practiced in Poland. And that is exactly what Behemoth fans got to hear and see at the Tivoli as the band combined their signature religious referencing, black death metal with intense, theatrical, and apocalyptic stage production. They also brought along another Polish Black metal band in Nidhogg who brought the idea of the old gods, the mass ritual with religious iconography and an ode to wolf dog. What was even better - Jesus was there!

Nidhogg opened the evening with their distinctive aesthetic and theatrical sound. The costuming of the band was very Eastern European with traditional Slavic-influenced designs with Nordic influences as they launched into ‘Narcissus’. The five-piece band made up of Jakub "Boruta" Śliwowski (bass), Paweł Jaroszewicz (drums), Dariusz "Daron" Kupis (guitar), Jacek "The Killer" Kieller (guitar) and Nidhogg (vocals) and they delivered an intense live experience marked by their commanding, highly visual front man and their blend of melodic traditional black metal.

The next tracks were ‘Mental Lykanthropy’, ‘Transilvania’ and a cover of a Wilczyca’s song ‘Sic Luceat Lux’. The band played a long 10 song set consisting of songs both by Wilczyca and Nidhogg. There were many changes through the set. Nidhogg turned the stage into a ritual ground with a chalice of blood and imagery of the crucifixion. There was also the aesthetic of medieval looking battle dress and the god of nature as the tracks ‘Wilczyca’, ‘Horda’ and ‘Helvete’ were delivered.

There was also a song to dedicated to Nidhogg’s pet dog “a black wolf” who had succumbed to cancer and it was an emotive track full of tortured pain “of a black metal guy – there may be tears” the crowd was warned. Now, Nidhogg, is a dragon in Norse mythology who is said to gnaw at the roots of the world tree, Yggdrasil. This imagery was wonderfully portrayed by Nidhogg in wood mask with stag antlers through the tracks ‘Twilight of Gods’ and ‘Wyrocznia’.

Nidhogg as a band were so tight. The drumming was impressive and the bass was handled with skill. But the two guitarists were stunning: Dariusz "Daron" Kupis and Jacek "The Killer" Kieller really wailed! Nidhogg closed out their dynamic set with a cover of Sepultura’s ‘Territory’ and the crowd loved it and some serious headbanging went on. Nidhogg had certainly made many fans at the Tivoli as he personally thanked fans for engaging with the music.

After fans, were thanked by Nidhogg and they showed their appreciation. The Tivoli stage was stripped backed. Everything was made ready for Behemoth.

The mighty Polish band Behemoth: Adam “Nergal” Darski (vocals/guitar), Zbigniew “Inferno” Promiński (drums), Tomasz “Orion” Wróblewski (bass), and Patryk “Seth” Sztyber (guitar) knew how to make a dramatic entrance as they came onto the stage.

The imagery and onslaught of technical musical skill in blast-beat drumming, bassline thrumming, mechanical guitar riffing and snarled vocals was underpinned by Behemoth’s live production team worked to provide the best audio fidelity that I have heard at the Tivoli. Everything could be heard and it allowed Nergal’s lyricism and message cloaked in fury to be communicated to the crowd as it should be heard – with gripping amazement and shock.

Behemoth commenced their set with impressive and blistering song ‘The Shadow Elite’ and followed it with ‘Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer’ and ‘Thy Becoming Eternal’. The band’s performance of their songs had an ecclesiastical feel and it was so good to watch and even when the lyrics were in polish – the crowd got the message. The next three tracks were crowd favourites as the chanting and singing along started in earnest. ‘Conquer All’, the huge fan favourite ‘The Shit Ov God’ and ‘Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica’ followed.

Nergal addressed the crowd a few times through the show to express his thanks that the fact that the Tivoli had sold out and was bulging at the seams. He was thankful to fans that he has been able to write and play live music for now over 30 years. In celebration of that fact, he played the first ever Behemoth song ‘Cursed Angel Of Doom”.

Behemoth proved why they are such an amazing headline act, being the powerhouse band they are, when they launched into ‘Nomen Barbarvm’. I decided to move upstairs to watch as Behemoth in the amazing lights as they delivered ‘Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel’ and then the absolutely fantastic song ‘Bartzabel’ was performed. It was so good live.

Then, the tracks ‘Ov Fire And The Void’ blasted out. Then, Behemoth covered a song from Bathory as their delivered their version of ‘The Return Of Darkness And Evil’. Then, ‘Decade Of Therion’ followed. The crowd were headbanging, chanting and the performance delivered catharsis. The band was tight, well-orchestrated and professional, with an amazing sound. Behemoth’s set was an impressive journey through their discography.

Behemoth played with laser-sharp focus, charisma, and immense precision. They closed out their set with ‘Chant for Eschaton 2000’ and ‘Ojcze Nasz’ and it was a majestic way to close a triumphant performance.

Then, the crowd funnelled out of the Tivoli and it was a bump back to reality after that complete escape into theatrical metal and theological apologetics. It had been just wonderful!