Witch Club Satan are a Norwegian black metal trio who subvert the genre’s usual codes by injecting a strong dose of emotion and feminism into both their lyrics and their stage presentation. Musically, they shine brightest on their mid-tempo material, which reminded this reviewer of early Venom. The faster, blast beat driven songs are less effective in a large arena setting, where nuance tends to get swallowed by sheer volume. Given the short slot and the challenge of winning over a crowd that had mostly come for Avatar, it might have been wiser to trim some of the theatrical interludes and lengthy introductions and focus on the songs themselves. Still, one suspects that in the tighter confines of a club like Petit Bain, which they played last year, Witch Club Satan could truly tear the place apart. They at least succeeded in getting the audience to notice them.
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