This Sunday, Botanique’s Witloof Bar in Brussels was packed to witness Witch Club Satan’s otherworldly ritual. The Norwegian Black Metal trio delivered one of the most intense shows the capital has seen this year.
Bloed – Born from One, Binds Us All
BLOED, the industrial trio from Oostende, opened the hostilities with their guitar-less, experimental approach to extreme metal. The three siblings, Toon, Tuur, and Fieke Soete, draw inspiration from across the metal spectrum, melding black, doom, industrial, and more into their unique sound. Their 30-minute set was an intense journey through their entire discography, an unrestrained trip through raw emotion.
This original, stripped-down way of performing does them justice so well. It allows the crowd to completely immerse themselves in the concert. The choice of not using a guitar, but replacing it with a bass synth makes for a great change of soundscape compared to any other new band appearing in a local scene. They totally deserve a detour if you see them playing close to you!
Witch Club Satan – A Primordial Wake-Up Cry
Witch Club Satan is an overtly feminist Black Metal trio from Norway, managing to bring fresh blood to often overplayed themes of Satanism and witchcraft in Black Metal. The intensity they deliver, both on record and live, is well beyond what you’d expect from a 10€ show in the basement of a concert venue.
The 360° setup at Witloof Bar allowed them to fully connect with the crowd and create a surreal energy. Being so close to the band, with the ability to see them from any angle, made for a rare and immersive experience. Special mention to the lighting tech for matching the sensations to the dot.
As for the show itself, it’s hard to fully capture what was witnessed; you had to be there to feel the impact of Witch Club Satan. They opened with ‘Birth‘, the first track from their self-titled album released in March, then inviting the audience to join in a primal scream evoking the feeling of birth. Their interaction with the public, looking at each and everyone deeply in the eyes made it impossible to to think about anything else than the ritual-like performance unfolding. Between songs, they delivered theatrical monologues, notably detailing the violence inflicted on so-called witches and women during history and criticizing the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the surrounding territories through their song ‘Black Metal Is Krig’. For them, Black Metal is War—war against war, war against oppression, war against genocide.
After a sirenic rendition of ‘Mother Sea’, the lights dimmed. Johanna, Nikoline, and Victoria left the stage, only to reappear minutes later among the crowd, wandering completely naked, marking faces with fake blood. It felt like stepping into a dark forest mid-ritual, as they reclaimed their bodies from society’s relentless sexualization. After what felt like an eternity, Witch Club Satan returned to the stage, picking back up with ‘I Was Made by Fire‘.
The sentiment felt for the rest of the concert is hard to put into words, it was somewhere between shock, awe, understanding but at the same time not being able to grasp exactly what was happening and so much more. A second wardrobe change happened following ‘Hysteria‘, as they returned in white gowns and intricate headpieces, symbolizing some sort of transformation.
Closing the night off, the Norwegian trio honoured the audience with their first-ever live performance of ‘Blud‘ as an encore, thanking the public for their unwavering support during what was both the longest and shortest hour I’ve experienced in a long time.
In conclusion, Witch Club Satan breathes fresh life into Black Metal, showing us that there’s more to conveying a message than just talking between songs. If you haven’t heard of them, go listen now! And to Belgian promoters—bring them back, so more can witness this level of stagecraft and musical artistry.
Setlist: Birth – Fresh Blood, Fresh Pussy – Black Metal is Krig – Steilneset – Mother Sea – Fire – Reverse This Fuck – Wild Whores – Hysteria – Hex – Salvation – Mother – Solace Sisters – Encore: Blud