Batushka / The Dome / London
We all have that list of bands we really want to see, and we’ll go to lengths to see them. I’ve ticked some off already (such as Imperial Triumphant, Behemoth, Doyle, Combichrist & Mushroomhead) and there’s many more on the list, but tonight was a special one for me, a 12 hour round trip by train down to London and a great venue, The Dome in Tufnell Park to see Batushka. And the icing on the cake ? It’s a four band bill tonight !
I get there early and first up on stage is US band Summoner’s Circle all the way from Tennesse. The night gets off to a solid start as they head onto the stage dressed in black with faces painted, the singer with hood hiding his features. What set Summoner’s Circle apart was the inclusion of a synth player, using a Roland AX Keytar front and centre alongside the guitars. Technically superb there were some stunning guitar solos and the keyboard added an extra element that worked really well. They had a great stage presence and sound.
The noise levels were off the scale already, but in a good way.
After a short turnround, the lights dimmed as the Ghosts of Atlantis took to the stage. From Ipswich, dressed in dark brown mottled outfits and faces painted they had a unique look. Their sound is full of powerful blazing riffs, reminiscent of something like Dimmu Borgir. The vocals were great, with a great mix of clean and raw. Phil Primmer provides the main vocals which are growling and raw, and this is supplemented by guitarist Colin Parks crisp, clean sections. The two balance really well and give their sound added depth. Highlights of the set for me were the tracks Halls of Lemuria and False Prophet both from 2021’s album “3.6.2.4”. I’d not come across Ghosts of Atlantis before, but I really enjoyed their set. It was intense and powerful, and they’re a band I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on.
The crowd was growing now and the place was almost at capacity. A longer break as the stage was set up with the ornate skull covered props ready for the penultimate act, the legends that are Hate. Oft mentioned in the same breathe as bands such as Behemoth and Vader. This was like having two headliners for the price of one ! From Warsaw in Poland the stride out onto a red lit stage, faces painted and instantly the intensity levels rocket to another level, and so too does the volume. This is black metal to make your ears bleed…. In a good way !
It's insane right from the off, and doesn’t dip throughout their set. Drmmer Daniel Rutkowski’s (Nar-Sil) using the double bass drum, it’s in overdrive relentlessly driving the tracks along. Adam Buszko’s (The First Sinner’s) vocals are aggressive and raw in their deliver, just as you’d expect. Dominik (Domin) Prykiel’s guitar riffs are massive and fast.
As a collective, they are completely in tune with each other and they deliver an unstoppable set. Perhaps the highlight track was Erebos which showcased their range. A great example of black metal song writing, it has more melodic sections as well as insanely intense sections too. A perfect mix.
Hate were outstanding, and if I’d paid to see the first three bands, I wuld have left happily at this point…… But there was more to come !
The place was just buzzing now, and a lengthy break and time to grab a drink as the Hate set was taken down and the Batushka set put in place. The Dome is not a huge venue, and the stage slowly filled up with cloth draped plinths, iron incense burners, religious icons and plenty of candle stick holders.
A Batushka show is unlike anything else. A band like Behemoth is full of demonic imagery, and satanic symbolism but Polish band Batushka (which means Father) is a full on Black Liturgy (worship) experience. Their stage presence is based on the Eastern Orthodox Church, and indeed their songs are all written in the old Slavonic church language. All the band members wear black hooded monk robes, with Cyrillic writing along the edges, and with black masks to hide their identity. Led by singer Bartlomiej (Bart) Krysiuk, Batushka are a visual treat.
The burners are lit and the band members walk slowly onto the set almost in a procession, one by one, taking up their positions. Finally Bart brings up the rear and lusing a candle ights the last of the candles on the stand before handing the lit candle to a girl in the audience. An incense burner is swung to cleanse the stage as the 8 string guitars fire up into life. I was pretty sure that the opening track was Yekteniya III from their 2015 album “Litourgiya” and it’s one of my favourite tracks.
The guitars are crisp and clear and you can hear the distinct individual notes, ut then in the heavier sections, they merge into a wonderful intense wall of sound. With two members up on the riser at the back where the drummer would usually be, reciting chants, they support and back Bart’s growling and screamed vocals perfectly.
The crowd are loving every second of the experience. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it, and it’s just sensational. More a black mass than gig, you get swept away with the theatrics, the iconography and the overall experience. Their visual presence is both intensely powerful and kinda intimidating.
But this isn’t just theatre. There is absolutely no doubt that Batushka are incredibly talented musicians.
I’ve waited so long to see Batushka live, and they didn’t disappoint. It’s not a gig, but an immersive experience. The only other thing that has felt the same (but is very very different) was Heilung….. Musically exceptional and fully immersive.
If you have a ‘top 100 bands to see live before you die’ list….. kick one off and replace it with Batushka – You won’t be disappointed.
I rushed back to Kings Cross for the train home and made it just in time. Taking my seat, I put on “Hospodi” (Batushka – 2019) and thought how lucky I was to see four bands, all on their best form, as my ears continued to ring……
