Parisian parties dedicated to Black Metal, a musical genre often pigeonholed and singled out, are a rarity. But theOlympia did, and the fans were there. On Friday April 11, 2025, the legendary Paris venue was packed to the rafters. Metalheads had gathered to attend the eagerly-awaited Behemoth concert, with special guests Rotting Christ and Satyricon.
Although the first band was announced at 7pm, the music finally started at 6.40pm. Surprised, some of the spectators who had been waiting patiently by the bar start running to get back into the room as quickly as possible. We follow them and discover Rotting Christ about to finish their first song.
With such a name, the band formed by the Tolis brothers has not escaped controversy. Despite this, Rotting Christ continue to tour Europe almost 40 years after their formation. And the Greek black metal band put on a heavy show on Friday evening, lasting almost 45 minutes. The Tolis brothers succeeded in drawing a large part of the audience along with them, and creating an overexcited mosh pit, thanks to heavy, fast riffs and ultra-powerful, controlled beats. Special mention goes to the impressive and dynamic bassist Kostas "Spades" Heliotis, who has joined Rotting Christ in 2019.
The set change is rather quick. Satyricon took to the stage at around 7.45pm. Considered one of the pioneers of the Norwegian black metal movement, Satyricon can count on a solid fan base, loyal since its formation in the early 90s. Satyricon may officially be a duo made up of Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven and Kjetil-Vidar "Frost" Haraldstad, but there are far more of them live. This Friday evening, 6 of them take to the stage atOlympia. And it doesn't take long to see some of the fans - with arms raised and horns waving - slamming into the pit.
With his powerful, deep voice, the charismatic singer Satyr is a real eye-catcher and an undisputed leader. The vocalist and drummer, along with the 4 other, more self-effacing musicians, deliver a powerful, furious performance. On this Friday evening, Satyricon - who remembered their first Parisian gig at the Gibus - took the opportunity to honour some good old hits, including " Now, Diabolical ", " Walk the Path of Sorrow ", " Mother North ", not forgetting " K.I.N.G. " as a finale, which drew rapturous applause.
About an hour into the set, the lights come back on. A large white curtain is then unfurled, now hiding the stage. It's 9.15pm when the lights go out again. And theOlympia is now packed to the rafters. Behemoth fans are ready for the big show. And what a show it is! Thunderous, fiery, transcendent... words fail us to describe this ultra-polished, deeply powerful set, served up by Adam Darski, aka Nergal, in top form!
After a short video projected onto the curtain, the latter falls, revealing the quartet and the imposing scenography. On either side of the stage, two metal platforms have been installed, whileInferno 's drum kit is raised, allowing the whole audience to admire it in action. At the back of the stage was a backdrop in honor of the visuals for the forthcoming album, due for release on May 9. At the front of the stage are the imposing microphone stands of Nergal, Seth and Orion.
If the set design is precisely crafted, so is the band's imagery, with some very fine costumes. Imposing headdress, hood, mask and long toga... Nergal will be changing outfits several times this Friday evening. Don't forget the white make-up on his face and upper torso, and his black-painted forearms. The result? A far cry from the world of Me and That Man, Adam Darski's other musical project. With Behemoth, the Polish singer and musician metamorphoses into Nergal, the"god of the underworld and war". And the artist embodies this role masterfully. At times, the concert takes on a theatrical aspect, but in a good way. Arms raised to the sky, seemingly invoking the darkness, Nergal impresses.
With his dominating stage presence, the Behemoth frontman kicks off the set with the powerful " The Shadow Elite ", taken from the forthcoming album. Pyrotechnic effects (flames and CO²) soon follow, sublimated by an ultra-polished light show. A feast for the eyes and ears!
Nergal is in top form, occupying the stage incredibly well and displaying tremendous energy. His guttural voice is as powerful and impressive as ever, adding depth to every track. As for the setlist, Behemoth offered a fine selection of their discography produced since 1995. From " Demigod " to " Wolves ov Siberia ", not forgetting " Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer " and " Ov Fire and the Void "... fans rejoiced at every track and every pyrotechnic effect, delivering a sensational mass to the glory of Behemoth.
The musicians continue to put on a show, notably when Seth and Orion climb onto their respective platforms during " Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel ". And what about " The Shit ov God ", the title track from the new, 13th album? Over 6 minutes of pure exhilaration for this track already taken up in chorus by euphoric fans. Behemoth don't forget to perform the excellent " Bartzabel " or " Chant for Eschaton 2000 " with force and fervor, a track during which Nergal has become accustomed to spitting blood.
The rhythm is sustained. The riffs are razor-sharp and pierce us like arrows. Some fans seem to have gone into a trance, while the mosh pits and slams multiply, giving the staff in charge of receiving the slammers a hard time.
Nergal also takes the time to address the audience. He recalls his incredible show at the Philharmonie de Paris in 2024. It was the first time a Blackened Death Metal band had played at this Parisian venue, which is more accustomed to classical music concerts. The singer and musician also took the opportunity to underline the richness of European black metal, evoking the Polish origins of Behemoth, the Greek origins of Rotting Christ and the Norwegian origins of Satyricon.
Nearly 1h20 into the concert, Behemoth 's incredible show came to a close with the excellent " O Father O Satan O Sun! The Polish band left the Olympia stage without waving to the crowd, but to the shouts and applause of their conquered fans. All in all, the concert left us truly blown away by a set that was both dark and luminous, powerful and transcendent, and an unqualified success. Special mention also to the sound quality!
Location
L'Olympia
28 Boulevard des Capucines
75009 Paris 9
