Igorrr has started a new European tour in support of their new album, ‘Amen’, released in September. On October 11 at the Ancienne Belgique, they were supported by Imperial Triumphant and Master Boot Records. All three bands are atypical in their own musical universe, as they mostly created their own genre. Igorrr is a mix that I personally describe as ‘a little bit of electro, metal screams but also lyrical singing sometimes and Gautier Serre loves to create his own sounds’. Others would describe it as a blend of black metal, death metal, baroque music, breakcore and trip hop. I’ll leave you to decide which definition it is.
Master Boot Records mixes heavy metal and synthetic music in a retro computer and video games aesthetic. Finally, Imperial Triumphant is an important band in its own musical genre, offering experimental black metal.
Trumpet and champagne to cheer on Imperial Triumphant!
Hailing from New York, Imperial Triumphant bring an experimental style to the black metal stage, a style they have continued to develop since their first album in 2005.
When they took to the stage as the first band of the evening, it was their costumes that immediately caught the audience’s eye. The three musicians were dressed in black and each wore a different golden mask inspired by their city’s art deco style. Their attitude was also amusing, which is something you wouldn’t expect to find at this kind of concert. The guitarist appeared nonchalant, while the singer led the show with his deep black metal voice. Their music is more than just black metal, though — it’s experimental. They reminded us of this with high-pitched riffs and sometimes distorted vocals. To reinforce this unique musical atmosphere, the guitarist swayed on stage, pushing his guitar to its sonic limits, clearly enjoying himself throughout the show. The drummer stood at the edge of the stage, which was filled with props that we would later see with MBR and Igorrr. This did not prevent him from excelling in his rhythms. The show was enlivened by the arrival of a trumpet, which literally sparked, and champagne was sprayed over the front rows. Highly atypical for a concert, yet typical of Imperial Triumphant. They will definitely leave us with a lasting memory.
Pixels, pixels everywhere
A master boot record (MBR) is a type of boot sector in the first block of partitioned computer mass storage devices like fix-no wait, wrong introduction.
MASTER BOOT RECORD (aka MBR) is a project founded in 2016 in Italy mixing heavy metal and synthesised electronic music that the band calls ‘computer metal’. The hardware reference in this musical project is no mistake as states the albums names and the website. Victor Love loves to hide crypto challenges in his production that gives access to bonus tracks if resolved. The game is on.
One side of the stage was decorated with a DJ platform shaped like a retro computer block. All the screens were switched on and probably contained clues for the crypto challenge, but I’ll leave that question to the experts. At the back, a computer screen booting up its BIOS was projected. The activation code had started, and so had the show. Near the turntable stood Victor Love, accompanied by a guitarist and a drummer. The trio’s technique was incredible. Guitarist Edoardo Taddei commanded attention with his fluorescent orange guitar and hair worthy of Eddie Munson in Stranger Things, not to mention his virtuosity. Drummer Giulio Galati, a technical death metal specialist, confirmed the band’s calibre. Once again, their musical genre was difficult to define, but then again, that was the theme of the evening. Victor Love finally declared in a firm tone that their style is ‘computer metal’ — don’t say otherwise!
While the screen now showed a sequence from a video game like Doom, a group at the front of the audience started a circle pit that quickly turned into a mosh pit, much to the delight of the musicians. Their songs were interspersed with electro-MIDI sequences reinforced by Edoardo’s guitar, which also produced MIDI sounds in other songs.
The show was divided into two parts, with the projection this time showing the injection of a virus into the system. The second part, although as technically impressive as the rest, seemed a little long to me. Fortunately, this was not the feeling of the rest of the audience, which was filled with fans of the band, delighted to see their stars on stage. Like Imperial Triumphant, MBR cannot fail to impress, such is the richness and technical prowess of their musical universe. They will continue to accompany Igorrr as a support group, so enjoy this retro atmosphere!
Spaghetti and Falafels for Pure Disproportionate Black and White Nihilism
Igorrr is the stage name of Gautier Serre, a french musician. Under his alias, he combines a variety of disparate genres, including black metal, baroque music, breakcore, and trip hop, into a singular sound. These mixed influences were woven into the concert setlist, which consisted of songs from the last three albums: Savage Sinusoid (2017), Spirituality and Distortion (2020) and Amen (2025).
Before the concert began, the audience was treated to a captivating design featuring a raised stage with prison cages at its base and arms reaching out as if trying to escape. On either side of this stage were two platforms, one occupied by Gautier Serre and the other by Rémi Serafino on drums. At the back of the stage, two huge creatures draped in fabric with their faces hidden towered over the scene.The atmosphere and colours were reminiscent of the desert, as seen in the artwork on the last two albums. It felt solemn while the starting beats of ‘Daemoni’ opened the show. This feeling was reinforced when JB Le Bail, the male singer, arrived on the central platform of the scene. His stern expression on the audience, his black paint on his face and arms, their golden accents, and his harsh vocals enhanced our captivation. Marthe Alexandre, the female singer, arrived a few moments later wearing an elegant, crinkled, brick-coloured cotton dress that matched the beige tones of the Ancienne Belgique stage perfectly. Everything in this opening was an excellent choice, taking us straight into the world of Igorr. The follow-up with ‘Spaghetti Forever‘ from their 2017 album ‘Savage Sinusoid‘ was equally enjoyable.
On top of this scenography was another improvement as the show was more choreographed. While JB was bringing us his harsh vocals from the central platform or the advanced stage, Marthe commanded with ease. Although she has been part of the band for three years, she is still considered as the new female singer. Following in the footsteps of Laure and Aphrodite as lead singer, Igorrr fans were initially sceptical about her early performances. However, after tonight’s performance, it’s clear that she has gained confidence and improved her vocal projection. There is still room for improvement — a few notes were off key — but not everyone would have noticed.
Throughout the show, JB and Marthe‘s voices were regularly accompanied by the charismatic guitarist Martyn Clement, who added another dimension to this rich scene.
The audience could be seen headbanging. The fans were eagerly awaiting Igorrr‘s return to the venue, and their excitement was palpable from the outset. Even before the band were on stage, they were being cheered. The movements in the room quickly evolved into waves in the AB pit. The fans were just waiting for an excuse to go wild.
The concert continued with the excellent tracks ‘Nervous Waltz‘ (from Spirituality and Distortion, 2020), ‘Blastbeat Falafel‘ (from Amen, 2025) and ‘Downgrade Desert‘ (also from Spirituality and Distortion). ‘ADHD‘, one of the first tracks released from the latest album, featured an electro break that was appreciated by both the audience and Gautier Serre, who accompanied the rhythm of his compositions with enthusiastic moves.
Everything flowed perfectly and the crowdsurfers eventually arose. As smoke billowed from the statues at the back of the stage and from the central platform, Marthe returned wearing a new, more slovenly dress to complement the staging of the show. She also treated us to some graceful dancing during songs such as ‘Silence’.
Igorrr‘s concert ended with an encore – it had been a long time since I’d been to a concert with one – which allowed the fans to continue crowdsurfing but above all to form a wall of death started by JB. He ended up crowdsurfing on the frenzied audience himself. The whole concert was incredible, with the kind of crazy energy you can expect to find at the rest of their tour. Their next dates are in Hamburg (Germany), Nancy (France) and Lyon (France). Hurry up and get your tickets, as most dates are sold out!
Setlist: Daemoni – Spaghetti Forever – Nervous Waltz – Blastbeat Falafel – Downgrade Desert – ADHD – ieuD – Hollow Tree – Polyphonic Rust – HEADBUTT – Infestis – Himalaya Massive Ritual – Viande – Pure Disproportionate Black and White Nihilism – Silence
Encore: Very Noise – Camel Dancefloor – Opus Brain