Batushka – Tuning Fork, 12 December 2024: Review & Photo Gallery

‘Tis the yuletide season, so it seemed befitting to have the religious pomp and ceremony of Batushka grace our shores last night for one of their very last shows worldwide as Batushka.

To begin the night, Abyssic Grave, recently seen at Neck of the Woods supporting the one and only RVKKVS, a death/grindcore band who are already turning heads and playing support for international bands such as Full of Hell and Thou.

As an adjective, Abyssic means relating to the bottom of the ocean, while the word abyss comes from the Greek word ábyssos meaning bottomless, unfathomable. The infernal regions conceived of as a bottomless pit, if you will.

And that is exactly how Abyssic Grave sounds, and it is truly glorious. In what is only their fourth live appearance since their inception.

The four-piece arrive under a cloak of darkness and subtle blue lighting, the periodic glint of silver from vocalist Femon’s gauntlets the only colour to be spoken of.

Those who were fans of Skuldom will be well pleased to see the return of a vocalist whose screams literally send shivers of delight down the spine while simultaneously threatening to eviscerate you from under a waterfall of jet-black hair.

Behind them on drums a tour de force, and a familiar face to those who are fans of Malevolence, Vassafor and Arcane Relic. Call from the Grave, who for those who were there, did indeed build the spectacular bone totems that adorned the stage (yes, they arereal, and yes, they are incredible) was completely raw and visceral on the skins, a true lesson in Black Metal drumming, with fast tempos, blast beats and an authenticity rarely witnessed.

Flanking Femon, Detragus on guitar (ex- Winter Deluge) and Z Troll (aka Zekenfraut, vocalist of Anno Domini Mortus), the latter whose backing vocals came thundering in during certain tracks like a freight train.

They were unhinged and animalistic and if heard in a dark forest in the middle of the night would more than likely make you want to make peace with whatever god you prescribed to.

Together Abyssic Grave decimated the stage, many of their tracks still to be released.

Never fear, eight tracks for the debut album have already begun being recorded at Blackdoor Studios. In the meantime, you can still check out their Demo 1 featuring Demise and I Am The Wilderness on their Bandcamp page.

Winning the crowd over easily with their nefarious sound that seeped into your very flesh. More of this live please.

The Tuning Fork already has rather plush red velvet curtains hanging from their walls, which certainly suited the aesthetic of the headline act. Unfortunately, due to health and safety, they also had rules, which meant no open flames.

So, the church-like feel that Batushka usually provide with their set up, had to be dialled back a bit. The candles still present, just not lit, a few LED stand-ins doing the job, while incense (the copious amount of it soon seeing security guards opening up side doors for a little while) cleansed the stage and its surroundings, ready for the arrival of the band.

Before going any further, many reviews dive into the backstory of Batushka, and which version was playing. This will not be one of those reviews.

For those who were too lazy to investigate it, last night featured Krysiuk’s Batushka.  After the 13th of December the band will continue as Patriarkh.

And frankly anyone who didn’t come to witness their first and last live appearance in New Zealand under the name Batushka due to them being fake, only did themselves a disservice, as what was on stage was six phenomenal musicians.

As a backing track played that again made one feel as if they should pay silent reverence as they were now ensconced in an Eastern Orthodox Church. The audience took the chance to drink in all the adornments.

Displayed in front of a black and gold banner, was a drum kit of epic proportions, religious paintings carefully placed in front of it.

Each mic stand was dressed in red and gold style altar cloths and eilitons. At the front two stands held at least a dozen taper light candles, censers holding the still faintly smouldering incense quietly swinging below them.

 

The arrival of the band was met with enthusiastic applause. Their hooded vestments of black, which featured Cyrillic writing along the edges and several images, all in white quite breath-taking.

Each of the members faces are hidden by black cloth, and they appear barefoot, which only enhances the ceremonial aspect of the whole experience.

Taking up their places, the biggest cheers are reserved for vocalist Bartłomiej Krysiuk, who arrives dressed exactly like the others, except for the fact that his robes are white with black detailing, and from his wrists and hands dangled an assortment of crosses and what looked to be a Panagia, around his neck a Pectoral Cross.

Standing with arms raised it was quite the sight to behold, the visual aspect of Batushka. Much like Heilung (who toured here just last month) in grandeur and to a lesser degree Behemoth.

A far higher calibre than most other Black Metal bands. Theirs is a ritual, a ceremony that you are invited to partake in. A set that is steeped in liturgy, albeit black.

As is well known, all Batushkas music is written and performed in Old Slavonic. Not exactly something that many can sing along to.

Regardless, last night’s crowd was entranced as Krysiuk chanted, screamed, and sang in rumbling baritones that were just divine.

The backing vocalists only enhanced the immersive experience, their vocals swelling from underneath and providing depth as well as a fullness to the words that were befalling the room.

As Batushka moved through tracks such as Yekteniya and Powieczerje, Krysiuk would move about the stage, taking the paintings from behind him and holding them aloft.

Images of the Madonna and Child, with a black stripe covering their eyes, beautiful to behold. Krysiuk often kissing them before placing them on the altar before him, his arms gesturing skywards, encouraging the crowd to cheer.

Throughout the performance however it was hard not to be transfixed by their drummer Paweł Lech Jaroszewicz (Rootwater, Vader, Christ Agony) who was an absolute beast behind the kit.

His blast beats on point, his stamina despite being dressed exactly as the others, awe inspiring.

Couple this with Rafal Tarlachan Lyszczarz and his eight-string guitar precision wizardry (his hand gestures and double thumps to the body of his instrument) along with everything else, and a wall of sound was created that filled the venue.

At times it was melodic, a hint of sadness running through its undercurrent. At others it was Black Metal in all its glory pulsating through collective veins. A mosh pit soon forming in the centre of the room.

It mattered not that no one in the audience could understand the language of the songs themselves, the music and the accompanying imagery spoke to all who were present in its own way.

All too soon the end of the set arrived. The two vocalists who at times had stepped forth holding human skulls aloft, or handed taper lights to those in the front row, remaining as the others left.

Only to return to deliver an encore whose sound appeared so much crisper and louder that it made for a perfect ending.

Krysiuk excelled as his vocals clawed at the ceiling, the three tracks WIERSZALIN (II, III & IV) a glimpse into the future for this band. His final act being to flick holy water over his guitarists and those down front.

A final prayer (of sorts) and each member quietly filed out. Everyone cheering in gratitude and respect for the performance they just had bestowed upon them.

One thing is certain, Patriarkh will usher in a whole new chapter and with it a new album entitled PROPHET ILJA which will be released on the 3rd of January 2025.

Long live Patriarkh and Batushka.

Sarah Kidd

Photography by Mark Derricutt

Batushka

Abyssic Grave