While Watain’s Erik Danielsson is an affable, articulate and charming character, it’s very clear that to him black metal is life and death. For some, that kind of confidence is both disturbing and off-putting. For Danielsson, who grew up and into a scene that at the time was much reviled and demonised, it makes sense that he would have such strong and personal opinions on how black metal and in particular, Watain is viewed. We asked Cheryl Carter to sit down with Danielsson prior to his band’s December show here in London, to ponder those issues at length.

They conducted this interview in the dark. Fitting.

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We’re not sure if Erik Danielsson was casting an unholy spell on the audience at Watain’s show at the Camden Electric Ballroom. He seems like the type. He’s certainly got all the smoke and fire and stench to carry out all manner of rituals. We asked Cheryl Carter if she could resist the hexes long enough to write a review which we’re only posting now because we lost it down the back of sofa, or whatever the digital version of that excuse may be.

6 things we learnt at watching Watain in London:

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Watain
The Wild Hunt
Century Media
19 August 2013

by Lee MacBride Parker

You don’t need to mention the name Watain to many headbangers to conjure up a range of divisive opinions ranging from the nothing-more-than-a-Dissection-tribute accusers, to the fanatical shit-your-pants best-black-metal-band-in-the-world fanboys. There’s no question that the black metal trio have made a name for themselves; they’ve carved out their position within the genre’s elite, so to speak, on the back of hard graft and infamous live performances – a veritable orgy of pigs’ blood, Satan and a shitload of fire.

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Despite Tom Dare’s fears on our pre-Bloodstock preview podcast, Watain’s blood’n’fire approach to black metal went down a storm over on the main stage here at Bloodstock Open Air 2012.

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Watain are in town? Shining – the crazy depressive Swedes, not the crazy jazzy Norwegians – are supporting them? Yeah, it was predictable one of us was going to be there. Again. Don’t worry, we locked him in the bathroom until he’d washed the stench out of his hair and burned his clothes before finding out what he learned.

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