The joint tour of Arch Enemy and Behemoth passed through São Paulo last Sunday, the 13th, with Audio packed in all sections to witness a devastating night of metal.
The night had already started very well with the historic opening of the bands Crypta and Nervosa , who took to the same stage for the first time. Shortly after 8 pm, about 20 minutes late, the stage was taken over by the tempestuous force of Arch Enemy to the sound of "Deceiver, Deceiver", the title track from the band's most recent album.
With a captivating sound and a platform structure that put drummer Daniel Erlandsson in the spotlight, the stage seemed small for them, with the first highlight right at the beginning of the set with "War Eternal".
The mosh pits that had been present since the first show of the night grew in size and intensity with the arrival of Arch Enemy on stage. During "My Apocalypse," Alissa White-Gluz invited the audience to raise their cell phone lights, creating a small constellation in the venue before restarting the sonic onslaught.
With the fans singing along in an exemplary manner, “Eagle Fly Alone” and the recent “Handshake With Hell,” featuring a moment of Alissa singing in clean vocals, were other highlights of the show, which ended showcasing beauty and brutality in equal measure.
Right after the Arch Enemy show ended, the crowd emptied out considerably, giving people one last chance to refill their drinks, go outside for a smoke, and stretch their legs before returning for the final act of the night.
All of Behemoth's stage preparation and soundcheck took place with the curtains open, with some of the more enthusiastic fans headbanging to the sound of the technician adjusting the drums and an almost solitary shout of "Olê, olê, Behemoth, Behemoth!" chanted in the audience as the scheduled time for the show approached.
Shortly after 11 p.m., the lights went out and the object of this devotion took the stage. With the dance floor properly filled, despite having greater comfort in the back, “Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer” began the show to a warm reception from the fans.
At first, alternating between red and blue lights, the show seemed to freeze the atmosphere of Audio into a fervent, satanic cult, and the mosh pits were momentarily replaced by raised hands, introspective dances, and little horns cutting through the smoke in the room.
Nergal 's hypnotic and commanding performance , beneath his dark cloak and half-hidden face, was able to evoke screams from the audience and silence everyone with just a gesture, but it also brought charisma and complicity with his loyal fans.
It didn't take long for Behemoth to bring back the intensity in response to the frontman's call for "chaos and mosh pits," opening up two effervescent circles in the audience in a setting befitting the technique and intent of the music.
See the photo coverage by our contributor Leca Suzuki of the Crypta, Nervosa, Arch Enemy, and Behemoth shows in the gallery. (If you are not seeing the photo gallery, click here ).
READ ALSO: Crypta and Nervosa perform on the same stage for the first time in São Paulo
