Keep an eye out for hymn
STEP into the crypt for a night of extreme metal mayhem this month when Dark Mofo presents more Hymns to the Dead.
Hymns to the Dead was first held as part of Dark Mofo 2016, with the inaugural event featuring the Australian debuts of Czech epic black metal act Cult of Fire, Swedish prog-black metal band Tribulation, and blasphemous Greek death metal group Dead Congregation.
The darkness continued to spread last year, with Hymns to the Dead featuring Norwegian black metal legends Taake, UK bands Anaal Nathrakh, Grave Miasma and Barshasketh, and Adelaide’s Mournful Congregation.
This winter’s instalment will feature Australian-exclusive performances by three acts: Canadian black metal band Blasphemy; Queensland death metal outfit Portal; and Polish black metal punishers Batushka.
Blasphemy have been committing black metal rituals from the wilds of Vancouver since 1984, with their song Winds of the Black Gods was selected as the opening track for the 2004 compilation album The Best of Old-School Black Metal.
Dressed as executioners, meditative nihilist outfit Portal have been painting the Sunshine State black with their cinematic horrorscape metal since the mid-1990s.
Mysterious Polish eight-piece Batushka combine heaving, unholy black metal with Slavonic and Balkan liturgical chanting. Despite their lyrical themes and imagery, they are not a Christian band. Far from it, in fact.
Canadian post-black metal innovators Numenorean will also bring their brutal and bleak sounds from Calgary to Hymns to the Dead; and Queensland atmospheric black metal band Spire will be here to remind you that life is meaningless and you serve no purpose.
Dark Mofo presents Hymns to the Dead at Hobart’s Odeon Theatre from 7pm on Wednesday June 20.
Tickets are $69 (plus booking fee), go to www.darkmofo.net.au for bookings.