When an underground European band comes to the US to perform, it can often be like a lightening strike – blink, and you'll miss it. Secrets of the Moon made their first ever excursion to the United States this month, and it was one of those special engagements that is seen by few but talked about by many. Despite the fact that the band is now 14 years old, they have spent most of their time performing on the European continent where people don't have to be cajoled into liking a band. Accordingly, they are considerably less known in America, but hopefully this tour will change that.
The Warehouse Music Venue is a typical San Antonio club in that it is out of the way with nothing of interest nearby. Unlike Austin's corresponding district, many of the warehouses here are still functioning as such so there's nowhere within walking distance for dinner or anything else. This usually means a smaller turnout, and in this case a more intimate concert , but in some ways it worked in the group's favor as their performances are highly ritualized and tend to resonate strongly with a concentrated audience.
A playback of booming tones and weird chants ushered the group to the stage where they then stood with their backs to the crowd. Despite their strong black metal leanings, Secrets of the Moon has since shed the corpse paint and and moved towards a stripped down presentation more befitting of journeymen mystics; weathered jeans and black button-ups are the standard now, but in this case the muted image further allows the music to speak for itself. The band turned to meet the audience and began with the massive new cut “Sulphur” off of their brand new Privilegivm album. At just over nine minutes, this song is particularly hefty, but it was tight and powerful throughout. The unit alternated between brand new tracks and ones from their previous album Antithesis, but the transition between the two was seamless. The new release is a clear continuation of the previous, so the tone was set and upheld from beginning to end. The new material translates fantastically live, which is no small feat considering the breadth and scale of the pieces in question.
For all the bombast, guitarist/vocalist sG played with an unassuming concentration that demanded close attention; where most guitarists of his ability would be sensationalizing their moves and tricks, he was subtle to the point where his solos almost seemed like sleight of hand. This was augmented by the stellar rhythm section of new guitarist Ar and bassist LSK, but the other real sensation of the night was Secrets' long time drummer. As much as sG's performance was measured and introspective, skinsman Thelemnar battered out the songs with sensational energy and technical acumen that matched the best work of Absu's Proscriptor McGovern. His hair was flying as he played, and his sticks whipped across the cymbals and snare like machine gun fire. It's not every day that a drummer jams as hard as the frontmen, but ultimately it was his combination of flash and accuracy that made it remarkable. Many metal bands tend to treat their percussionists as nothing more than muscle, but when a powerfully talented and charismatic player is behind the kit it takes things to a whole new level of involvement.
The best aspect of the set was that the band clearly played it for themselves. It felt as if they would have turned in work of this caliber even if nobody was watching. Fortunately, everyone in the room was sold on their efforts; as mentioned above, the audience was somewhat small for such a large room but there was no lack of interest or enthusiasm for the German quartet. It was reassuring to see the band taking many pictures and signing autographs at the end of the night. The only drawback of the affair was that they were in an early support slot and only had twenty-five minutes to play, which is hardly enough for a band that writes such long songs. Nevertheless, the message was clear - Secrets of the Moon is not the kind of band to take for granted. Here's hoping this outing will give them the leverage they need to return to America soon.
For more info: Privilegivm is out now in North America and Europe, and review of the album is here. Additional live reviews can be found here.
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