The questions surrounding the specifics of heaven and hell, let alone whether either exists in the first place, will always be a mystery to those who remain alive on earth. For many, the closest they may get to the latter will be listening to songs and viewing shows with a hellacious theme.
Sunday night at Hi-Tones may have provided as close to a heavy metal hell soundtrack — and preview to what might take place in the afterlife “down there” — in as eerily intimate a setting as one might ever find.
A trio of bands headlined by Houston natives Necrofier, direct support from novice Austin project Varenth and opening with local quartet Fluxus Mortis unveiled an evening of black metal artistry not often seen or heard in the Alamo City, never mind on the St. Mary’s Strip.
But the candlelit bar was the place to be for roughly 30 diehard metal fans, friends, significant others and family members of the bands who showed up just a few hours before school and work beckoned the following morning.
Necrofier was wrapping up its fourth Texas show in as many nights after playing Austin, Dallas and hometown of Houston touring in support of its second full-length album, 2023’s Burning Shadows in the Southern Night.
Fronted by singer/rhythm guitarist Christian Larson, the tone was set as the band hit the Hi-Tones floor and stage as a figure draped in black lit candles off to the side while the P.A. played brooding new-album intro “The Fall From Heaven.” From there, Necrofier blasted into “Darker Than the Night” from 2021’s Prophecies of Eternal Darkness.
The surprisingly short headlining set of 43 minutes picked up even more chilling black-metal steam via latest-album tracks “To the Wolves,” “On the Wings of Death We Burn the Sky” and “Destroying Angels,” each of which can be viewed below.
Larson, who is also in Night Cobra as well as the founder of the annual Hell’s Heroes festival, which will take place for the seventh time March 19-22 at White Oak Music Hall in Houston, kept the Hi-Tones patrons engaged by periodically informing them of the frightening tunes to come, such as ATM’s Facebook Live footage of “The Black Flame Burns” and “Forbidden Light of the Black Moon.”
The pounding drums of Dobber Beverly meshed with lead guitarist Semir Ozerkan, both of whom help comprise Houston’s female-fronted metalcore unit Oceans Of Slumber. Ozerkan also played bass in a pair of San Antonio groups: Aeternal Requiem and Nahaya, the latter having won the Texas State championship in the 2019 Wacken Metal Battle, advancing to the national final in Los Angeles before falling short of playing Germany’s renowned multi-day festival.
Necrofier bassist Mat Aleman also has a preceding part of his resume, having played in War Master.
Varenth out of Austin was marking one year of its formation at Sunday’s show. The trio released full-length Under Reign of Hellfire in September, and you can watch a trifecta of those tracks via ATM’s Facebook Live footage of “Beneath A Morning Star,” “Sulfuric Winds” and “Depths of Eternity.”
Fluxus Mortis kicked off the evening having the honor of being the lone local band on the bill. Its five-song EP When Pleasure Becomes Torture dropped last month, and they offered up a taste here. They’ll be offering up even more Saturday, April 26, at Vibes Event Center when they share the Chaos & Carnage stages with Dying Fetus, Cradle Of Filth, Fleshgod Apocalypse and more (tickets here).
Various subgenres of metal have made their stamp in the Alamo City over the years, ranging from ‘80s bands to the 2000s to death-metal angst. Black metal shows, however, have been few and far between. As with most things in life, some entities usually start out small before they can expand.
If Necrofier, Varenth and Fluxus Mortis have their way and are any indication, word deserves to get out in San Antonio of the black-metal movement. Because it’s only a fact of life that, no matter what our final destination may ultimately be, we all go through our own personal hell from time to time.
Why not have piercing vocals, shrilling lead guitars, bombastic drums and pure darkness come along for the ride?
NECROFIER setlist: The Fall From Heaven; Darker Than the Night; To the Wolves; On Wings of Death We Burn the Sky; Destroying Angels; The Black Flame Burns; Forbidden Light of the Black Moon; Blood Is Thicker Than Water; Total Southern Darkness