Messe des Morts VIII – Genèse

Piranha Bar, Montréal.  Thursday the 22nd of November, 2018.

It’s the eighth edition of this feast of black metal.  Having attended a few times in the past, this humble fangirl was primed to expect excellence.  And, all told, I have to say this was my favourite Messe yet.  Of course, being able to finally shoot this beast of a festival certainly helped.  Read on for the first part, the warm-up soirée, which consisted of five acts.

Opening the festivities was local cloaked trio Pénombre.  To be the first set on a weekend like this is no small thing – I arrived to see an already sizeable crowd taking in their smoke-filled spectacle.  Through the cloud of fog and lights they captured the attention of the place, including that of yours truly.  Trenchant followed, from Austin, Texas.

https://commandoccult.bandcamp.com/releases

TRENCHANT

Sortilegia took the stage with all of their signature pieces intact; the darkness, the fire, the scent of burning compounds sweetening the air with smoke.  While the scene may have been familiar, I was pleasantly surprised to note the ways in which their sound has evolved.  Not to be outdone in atmosphere, Gevurah ensured the now two-to-three hundred strong crowd’s appetite for intensity and ritual was satisfied.

GEVURAH

To top off the first night, I was completely blown away by Negative Plane.  They were simultaneously meditative, psychedelic and totally uncompromising.  It was everything that makes a set truly impressive.

Negative Plane

NEGATIVE PLANE

NEGATIVE PLANE

NEGATIVE PLANE

NEGATIVE PLANE

Stay tuned for the continuation of Messe des Morts VIII, featuring:

Psaume I

Théatre Paradoxe, Friday November 24

Neige Éternelle | Catacombes | Délétère | Miserere Luminis | Svartidaudi | Ragnarok | Mysticum

Psaume II 

Théatre Paradoxe, Saturday November 25

Tsar Stangra | Ossuaire | Sinmara | Temple of Baal | Forteresse | Seth | Tormentor

https://www.messedesmorts.net

 

Contributor of photos and plenty of rambling - also on Instagram & Youtube @riffsdontlie