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Wolves in The Throne Room: Crypt Of Ancestral Knowledge Tour 10/24/2023

  • acewhitty
  • Nov 5, 2023
  • 8 min read

Updated: Jan 26, 2024



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Wolves In The Throne Room

Support From:

Blackbraid

Gaerea

Hoaxed







-Sound/Style: Gothic rock with some metal and punk influences.

Three-piece band: Vocalist/Guitarist, Bassist, Drummer.

Very unique and vintage feel overall. Delicate and dark.


-Review: Right off the bat the bassist and the drummer brought great energy. I was interested to see how an opening band performed for a for a final show of a tour.

Sound wise, at first the band sounded a bit rushed....however after I got a feel for their music I feel that this fit their style pretty well. The drummer was very tight and fast, constantly moving her head. She also brought in the occasional double bass burst and lots of punk inspired beats. The uniqueness of this band clearly is demonstrated with the drummer being so fast and aggressive, while the other pieces of this band being more focused on harmonies and slower, dramatic chord progressions. On paper it doesn't sound like it works, but it really does. The singer had a great range, with some simple yet catchy riffs and leads to tie it all together. It was a very nice, slower opening for several hours of blast beats and trem picking.


Listening to their studio sound showed me the true unique nature of this band. Eerie harmonies galore!! I hope they continue with their style,


At the end of their set the group of people I was with all decided that this band reminded us of the hex girls from scooby-doo...in the best way possible.


Always gotta love it when band members from the openers jump directly in the pit after the set, especially considering that this was the very last show on the tour. I really was glad that this band was included on the lineup. Musically, they did not match up with the rest of the bands, however their atmosphere and vibe definitely prepared the crowd for the next couple hours of atmospheric fog and darkness....


Songs by Hoaxed you should check out:


Battlejacket Addition: Y/N: No



Gaerea:

-Sound/Style: Theatric Black(ish) Metal with traces of hardcore, sludge, and atmospheric/ambient metal.

5 Piece band: vocalist, drummer, rhythm and lead guitars, bass.


I have ALOT to say about this band. At first I was thinking, oh, this is a theatric deathcore- esque band as the vocalist warmed up backstage.....Then the drummer started warming up. Holy #%&$. I rubbed my hands together quickly as I wasn't going to have to wait too much longer for some beautiful blast beats. The mix was perfect. Nothing drowned anything else out.

The vocalist immediately called for crowd interaction and was very animated. In my opinion his "base" vocals are built on a foundation of a similar style of Nergal from Behemoth. These screams and vocalizations sound raw, more feral/natural/sounding. Lots of desperation and aggression. Built into this his screams and growls often transition into yells, and vise versa. He also utilizes a style often found outside the genre of black metal, (one that I’m not normally fond of,) this being where the vocalist trails the end of the scream/yell off into to a vocalized exasperation (if you have no idea what the hell I’m talking about refer to 3:55-4:08 of their song "Salve") you can also find this style of vocals in genres like metalcore, etc) This is very unique to hear within this genre, and It works really well for Gaerea in my opinion. Normally it sounds “whiney” to me.

With this vocal style being present for Gaerea, it doesn’t doesn’t take away from this band still fitting into the black metal genre, they still bring it. It is a refreshing take on the vocalist role in this genre for sure.


Back to the drummer. He was on point the entire set. From my untrained "self-taught guitarist" ears he didn’t miss a single beat. I also really vibed with him because a lot of times double bass, blast beats, ghost notes together constantly can be mixed horribly…these were clear, loud, and blended perfectly with the rest of the band. The guy looked like he was a drum machine, with perfect posture. It added to the eerie feeling of the band. He would transition seamlessly from grav blasts and other black metal style drums to more slow, methodical stuff that acted like short breakdowns.


Nexxxtttt: Guitars and Bass. *muah. Unpredictable riffs, both complex and simple. Alot of their songs started off melodic, one guitar then two, one octave higher, one lower. They complimented each other perfectly. Great tone for both the rhythm and the leads. Their riffs will keep you zoned into their music as you wait for the next section of a song to hit. Bass tone was also very clear and again blended nicely within each song.

Normally I need some more chugs and groovy breakdowns here and there, but with Gaerea I don't. They are truly their own. And it's really mesmerizing to watch/listen to how their music works. They mix very fast playing with lots of key and rhythm changes, to a devastating effect. During their set I would start to bob my head one way, and have to adjust periodically at random times to catch up with the evil sound that the guitar progressions would portray. I would post a specific part of a song to demonstrate this, but it is used so often and so well in their music you just have to listen and find them on your own.

Im no expert on reviewing theatrics, but ill speak on this anyway as it is something that is obviously relevant..All black, black button up shirts, bondage hoods with their logo combined with the vocalist dawning two different executioner like hoods throughout the set. Impressive they could play with lots of restriction and heat. There was a borderline erotic display by the lead singer in his ritualistic mannerisms. He would caress other band members legs, lay on the ground and slowly get up, looking to the sky with hands and fingers spread. It was in my opinion the perfect amount of theatrics. Unique but brutal. One of the people I went to the show with texted me this about Gaerea: "They are certainly theatric, but not in a way thats over the top of overwrought, which is super hard to pull off." It works really well with their style of music.


LAST thing about Gaerea. Go to youtube. They have countless playthroughs and studio sessions so you can get a feel for not only their recorded sound, but their raw sound as well. This band is super talented and really present within the social media world. While they are masked, they do not hide their talent. They also have one really eerie music video unlike anything I've ever seen...


I STRONGLY encourage anyone with an open mind to check out their music.


Check out these songs and content from Gaerea:

Gaerea -"Mantle" Guitar Playthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y78FuTjTnjk

Gaerea - Full Perfomance at Slay at Home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJgD7JKTnIA (tone galore)


Battlejacket Addition?: Y/N: YES


Blackbraid:

Sound/Style: Indigenous Black Metal

4 Piece Band: Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar, Bass.


I experienced Blackbraid for the first time on the Decibel Magazine Tour in June 2023. It was my first live experience with black metal, I loved their sound and look.

Compared to last tour they have gained some popularity, and changed up their stage entrance. Loved their intro! I listen to this band weekly.

If we are being honest I was a bit bummed by their mix. It could've been my ears or seats but I really struggled to hear anything besides drums on top of two guitars sounding like one, big distortion pedal. I was a bit confused as to why they sounded way less clear than the bands that played prior. I also have to remember that they are still a newer band, and that it was the last show of the tour. This does not mean I do not love this band, I really enjoyed their set.

Blackbraid has really gained popularity since I last saw them. Im really happy for them.

I really like what they are doing with the genre and incorporating their culture and activism.

Fantastic logo and look, very dark with great homages to their culture.

I felt that the frontman of Blackbraid had improved from months back, his harsh screams lasting longer than last time. The drummer brought it once again, not missing a single blast beat or rhythm change. I think what I enjoy most about blackbraid is their incorporation of other instruments and eerie sounds surrounding their music/production. Their slower instrumental/accoustic songs that often act as intros are my favorite. Their music makes you feel like you are taking a A journey through nature...Pair this with lyrics like:....

"Fiery drums of war

Pound beneath my veins

A red flowing river

To ignite the sacred flame

I shall feel no pain

Converge, consume, efface

I shall feel no pain

Converge, consume, efface

Born again in death

A sacred honor given

A dying Earth's bequest

Weeping for her children"...and you have a perfect blend of anger, sadness, and pride. I feel personally that through their lyrics, Blackbraid often encapsulates what truly is a shameful part of history, that being the crimes committed to generations and generations of native people. Lest we not forget....


Check out my favorite songs and content from Blackbraid here:

Blackbraid- The Spirit Returns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0XNVkPFD6U

Blackbraid-Autumnal Hearts Ablaze: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDM2ZzcmhVQ

Blackbraid- Barefoot Ghost Dance on Blood Soaked Soil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ1LVpAMeHQ

NewYork Times Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/05/arts/music/blackbraid-native-american-black-metal.html


BattleJacket Addition Y/N: TBD..I need to see this band more.




Sound/Style: Atmospheric/Ambient Black Metal.

4 Piece Band: Drummer, Bass, Vocalist/Guitar Guitar


Woah, that was cool. I didn't have any expectations about WITTR besides seeing some brutal merch after discovering their logo. I also decided not to listen to them beforehand, so I could experience a headliner's raw sound for the first time.


Firstly, I loved the buildup to their performance. All the bands prior felt like it was a build up to what is Wolves In The Throneroom. There was lots of focus on their stage setup, three altar-like pillars were placed for the bassist, guitar/vocalist, other guitarist. Lots of candles..REAL candles. The drumset was massive.


Besides their monstrous live sound and presence, The biggest thing that I love to share about this band is that they had several instances of "choreographed headbanging." This sounds silly but if you've seen this band live you know what I am talking about... During a transition/atmospheric part of their song, I noticed the frontman of this band dipping his body down before coming back up to headbang again. At first when I noticed it I thought it was just him matching the rhythm of the song...But then when it happened again I noticed the rest of the band doing it cohesively together. Really cool and fits their aura as well. You can witness this in the first YouTube link I attached.


In all honesty I prefer their live sound and performance over their digital sound. Their songs seemed to hit a bit harder turned up, not taking away from their atmospheric foundation. They had a great mix, you could hear their backing tracked instruments in conjunction with their singing and live instruments perfectly.

I loved their drummer, he utilized mallets within his playing, which was a fresh thing to see amongst the chaos. I do wish that I could've seen this band play with one of their former members who utilized clean vocals in their songs.


Overall this band was a new genre experience for me. I would highly recommend witnessing them and I would for sure see them again. Great way to cap off a night of great music.


Check these links out!

WITTR- Behold the Vastness and Sorrow Live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S41qfqf0D4Y

Each band had a very unique sound, but it still made for a very cohesive feeling... All of the bands had a nice transition between them, setting up WITTR for an atmospheric close.

In my opinion best set of the night goes to..........

Gaerea.


-Thanks for reading!


















 
 
 

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