As I walk into Brisbane's The Triffid, it feels like I'm riding the edge of the eye of a sonic hurricane.
The room is thick with anticipation, bodies shifting, beers being gulped as stage lights slice through the smoky haze (5 November).
Support act Secret Chiefs 3 kick things off and I'm telling you, this is not your straight-up 'metal band warms up the night' scenario. They open the gates wide, demonstrating that unique sound of theirs.
The band fires up the crowd with 'Spiritus Intelligentiae: Jophiel', immediately setting a high-stakes, atmospheric tempo. They then deliver 'Tistrya', with the rhythm section driving a furious pace while their guitarist unleashes dizzying technicality.
Secret Chiefs 3 - image © Clea-marie Thorne
The five piece hit the crowd (figuratively of course) with the short, sharp fury of 'Vajra' before launching into the raw, metallic crunch of 'Bionic' and 'Radar'. They showcase impressive variety, dropping back into the powerful groove of 'The 3'.
There's no denying the middle section is a straight-up assault, with the trio of tracks 'RFID Slaverider', 'Codex Alimentarius', and 'Agenda 21' (Traditionalists cover) merging into one seamless, brutal commentary on modern life.
Finishing all too soon, Secret Chiefs 3 close out their set with a brilliant trifecta led by 'Anthropomorphosis' sequence: 'Boxleitner', followed by 'Bezriel', and crushing fan favourite 'Brazen Serpent', proving they are both complex and absolutely punishing.
Secret Chiefs 3 - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Secret Chiefs 3 definitely left punters well-primed for the absolute chaos that was incoming. After a dense 30-minute turnover, the stage is a sight: crammed with equipment and bathed in minimal light.
Before the band even materialises, the room is filled with the sounds of 'St. Elmo’s Fire', Eloy's 'Master Of Sensation', and the bizarre but brilliant Kraftwerk track 'Pocket Calculator' that signals there imminent arrival. It's a proper cosmic mind-melt intro.
Incense is lit beneath the mic stand – not a candle as I first thought. The flame is extinguished and the burning resin releases spiralling, ritualistic smoke and perfumery – it transforms the air filled with fan anticipation.
Blood Incantation - image © Clea-marie Thorne
This is the first time Blood Incantation headline a gig in Australia and the atmosphere is telling us we are witnessing something special. The five members of Blood Incantation take their places.
From the moment Paul Riedl (vocals, guitar) snarls into the microphone, the room is transformed entirely. Drummer Isaac Faulk (drums) hits his kit that cracks like planetary cores collapsing, while guitarist Morris Kolontyrsky (guitar) and bassist Jeff Barrett (bass) lock into that cosmic death metal vortex the band is famous for.
I shouldn't omit Nicklas Malmqvist (keys), but to be honest he is so obscured at the moment; I can't even be sure it is him!
Blood Incantation - image © Clea-marie Thorne
They begin with the colossal triple-tablet sequence of 'The Stargate [Tablet I]', 'The Stargate [Tablet II]', and 'The Stargate [Tablet III]'. The floor beneath my feet dissolves into vacuum; the density of the sound is unbelievable. Following that assault is the equally crushing sequence of 'The Message [Tablet I]', 'The Message [Tablet II]', and 'The Message [Tablet III]'.
The set, built on the backbone of their latest album, 2024's 'Absolute Elsewhere', feels immense, rocketing between crushing riffs and ambient space-rock passages that let the dense smoke truly swirl.
Barrett and Kolontyrsky maintain an insane, dizzying pace that's simply brutal. The sound quality is a ripper, with every complex riff slicing through the mix. The lighting is sparse a lot of time, with strobing and backlit blasts from time to time that enhance the dread, making the crammed equipment look like some kind of strange alien altar.
Blood Incantation - image © Clea-marie Thorne
After the main album material concludes, Riedl tells us they're taking us back to a track they played last time they were here. The glass-hard riff of 'The Giza Power Plant' assaults us like a meteor strike; Riedl describing it as "even older and way better".
They complete the main set with 'The Vth Tablet (Of Enûma Eliš)', a massive track that cements their technical dominance. We hang on to Faulk smashing the gong during 'Meticulous Soul Development' worried it will be the last live offering. Only because we are so desperate for more.
Are they returning for an encore? You bet they are, kicking off with the sheer noise of a huge gong being smashed – a sound that feels like it could shatter walls. We are then obliterated by 'Obliquity Of The Ecliptic', after Riedl has his last minimalist dialogue with the crowd, giving personal acknowledgement to someone down the front for having a good time tonight.
Honestly, I'm glad the band to crowd chat was minimal; it gave the expansive instrumentation all the room it needed, and right now the way these final riffs are ringing out, it feels like the entire venue might just collapse inward on itself.
Blood Incantation - image © Clea-marie Thorne
We leave The Triffid ringing and wrecked. This gig was a powerful reminder that Blood Incantation continue to forge an immersive, high-calibre cosmic death metal experience that demands your attention and punishes your soul.
They are a brilliant musical monstrosity. The drummer's polyrhythmic syncopation has been downright scandalous, while Faulk channelled pure Knower-level madness, blasting that rhythmic insanity into another galaxy. Put simply: A phenomenal night out.
More photos from the concert.
