Concert Review: Triptykon, Slim’s, San Francisco, CA, 10-23-10 (Saturday)
For readers not familiar with Triptykon or Tom Gabriel “Warrior” Fischer’s (“TF’s,” vocalist, guitarist) previous bands Celtic Frost and Hellhammer, it can be difficult to convey their power and darkness. It is the auditory equivalent of having one’s head (1) run over by a steam roller (steam engine‑powered industrial construction machinery used to level roadways with a large drum fitted in place of wheels) or (2) rammed by a wrecking ball (heavy, steel ball hung from a crane used to demolish large buildings). On Saturday, October 23, 2010, Triptykon played at San Francisco’s 400‑seat capacity Slim’s nightclub that was half full (approximations presumed throughout). Triptykon played a seven‑song, 67-minute set from 11:23 to 12:30.
-Crucifixus (tape intro) (Shatter record, 2010). The show began with a pre‑recorded tape track of Crucifixus, a 4:10 instrumental essentially comprised of Vanja Slajh (“VS,” bassist) striking a very downtuned, distorted bass note every 10 seconds. The band members walked on stage. VS wore a black camisole covered by an off‑black spandex shirt with elbow‑length sleeves, black cotton skirt, black spandex pants, black sweatband on her right forearm, and black calf‑length combat boots. VS’s forehead featured a faint black greasepaint mark of an upside down cross. VS played a black five‑string bass with standard Fender Stratocaster body shape and used one Ampeg amplifier (“amp”).
1. Procreation (of the Wicked) (Celtic Frost cover: Morbid Tales, 1984) began with TF’s grunt of “Ugh” immediately followed by 10 bars of the mid tempo, hook‑laden guitar riffs during the 35‑second musical introduction preceding the first verse accompanied by Norman Lonhard’s (“NL’s,” drummer) mid tempo drum beats and VS’s bass lines. TF wore a black beanie, long‑sleeve button‑down off‑black cotton shirt (collar buttoned and untucked with short even hemline), black denim pants, and black combat boots. TF’s outfit was accented with (1) black greasepaint makeup around his eyes and five streaks of varying lengths around each eye that trailed down his face and (2) cross necklace with four onyx stones around a diamond. TF played an Ibanez Iceman model guitar with the entire face featuring artwork by Hans Rudolf Giger (Swiss surrealist painter, sculptor, and set designer who won an Academy Award for Best Achievement for Visual Effects for his design work on the horror film “Alien” (1979)) and used two 100‑watt Marshall amps. TF then sang the first verse in an ominous tone accompanied by alternating mid tempo, chugging guitar riffs and chord progressions, with the latter particularly effective in creating a fluid, syncopated feel. During the three‑second musical interlude between the first verse and chorus and first chorus itself TF and Viktor Bullok (a.k.a. V. Santura) (“VB,” guitarist) continued to play the same chugging guitar riffs and chord progressions. The chorus was comprised of TF twice chanting, “Procreation of the wicked.”
TF and VB then played six bars of the mid tempo, hook‑laden riffs from the song’s introduction. TF then transitioned without pause to the second verse and repeated the pattern from the first verse and chorus when he sang the second verse and chorus. TF and VB then played eight bars of the mid tempo, hook‑laden riffs from the song’s introduction, the difference being the addition of short, droning notes accented with vibrato. TF then repeated the pattern from the first and second verses and choruses when he sang the third verse and chorus, the difference being TF added the phrase “. . . of the wicked.” The third verse contains interesting lyrics, “Cain and Abel’s love and death. Love and hate is what we are. Dagger and grail are . . . fallen off the altar.” After the third chorus TF and VB played six bars of the mid tempo, hook‑laden guitar riffs from the introduction. TF then sang the fourth verse. During the 30‑second musical interlude between the fourth verse and chorus TF and VB added four bars of a new guitar riff followed by six bars of the mid tempo, hook‑laden riffs from the song’s introduction during which TF sang the following lyrics in a pain‑filled tone, “I’ve killed this old man because he limped. I’ve done it because he shouldn’t have to do it.” [TF’s lyrics give new meaning to the saying, “Putting someone out of his misery.” I wonder what TF would have done if the old man had a more dire condition than a simple limp?!] TF then sang the fourth chorus.
2. Goetia (Eparistera Daimones, 2010) is an 11‑minute opus the first 40 seconds of which featured two bars of TF and VB’s slow tempo, brooding guitar chord progressions. The next 65 seconds featured even more slow tempo, brooding guitar chord progressions augmented with ample feedback from TF and VB’s Marshall amps. During the next 25 seconds NL played a slow tempo drum beat with ample use of his cymbals while TF and VB played recurring distorted guitar notes. With a few hits of NL’s snare drum the song’s tempo suddenly shifted to a frenetic thrash pace for 25 seconds during which NL played thundering double bass drums and VS a heavy bass line while TF and VB continued to play recurring, distorted guitar notes. NL wore a black tank top and played a black‑to‑orange fade Mapex drum kit, double bass drums, Sabian cymbals, and the drum heads featured the white Mapex logo against a black background. NL’s drum set was on a 10‑inch high off‑black felt pad riser. TF sang the first verse in a hybrid thrash‑death tone augmented by NL’s thundering double bass drums, VS’s galloping, heavy bass lines, and TF and VB’s mid tempo, ominous guitar riffs reminiscent of early Black Sabbath. The lyrics set the mood for the song, “Satan, savior, father. Lord, constructor of my world. Master, destroyer, redeemer. Guide me, I am the open wound.” [Candid, haunting lyrics, particularly for an impressionable young fan, including me when I first heard this song in 1985. Dr. Seuss (pen name for American children’s books writer, cartoonist Theodor Seuss Geisel) writes about green eggs and ham while TF writes about subjects so dark I felt as if I would observe the stage rumble, smoke billow out from beneath an ever‑widening fissure (i.e., crack), and Lucifer’s wretched hand extend out to grasp TF around his hips.]
TF transitioned without pause to the first chorus, which he sang in a death metal tone augmented by his and VB’s mid tempo ominous guitar chord progressions and NL’s up tempo snare drum beats. The tempo then momentarily reduced to a slow tempo pace as TF sang the second verse during which he and VB played the ominous, guitar riffs from the first verse, albeit at a slow tempo. During the 25‑second musical interlude between the second and third verses the tempo resumed the frenetic thrash pace preceding the first verse with NL playing thundering double bass drums and VS playing a heavy bass line while TF and VB continued to play recurring, distorted guitar notes. TF then repeated the pattern from the second verse and first chorus when he sang the third verse and second chorus (repeat of first chorus), the difference being that the third verse also featured NL playing his tom‑toms. The tempo then once again momentarily reduced to a slow tempo pace as TF sang the fourth verse (repeat of second verse). During the 30‑second musical interlude between the fourth and fifth verses TF and VB played slow tempo guitar riffs.
The tempo then resumed a mid tempo pace as TF chanted the fifth verse in a hybrid thrash‑death metal tone, “Bearer of light, thou haveth fallen from heaven. Evoke thy servants and release their eternal spell. My heart is black, my heart is dead. Spirits enter into me, let me ascend.” During the 90‑second musical interlude between the fifth verse and third chorus (repeat of first chorus) TF and VB played a combination of mid tempo ominous and chugging guitar riffs with the latter reminiscent of Reign in Blood era (1986) Slayer. TF then sang the third chorus (repeat of first chorus) still at a mid tempo pace. The tempo then once again momentarily reduced to a slow tempo pace as TF sang the sixth verse (repeat of second verse) followed by VB’s 40‑second guitar solo augmented by TF’s mid tempo guitar riffs. TF then four times repeated the bridge in an ominous tone, “Lie upon lie mankind shall die.” The song ended amidst a sea of guitar feedback. [At the end of the song I felt as if someone had taken a ball peen hammer and steadily whacked my brittle skull like a semi‑hard‑boiled egg.]
3. Circle of the Tyrants (Celtic Frost cover: To Mega Therion, 1986). Before Circle of the Tyrants TF said, “Thank you for making us feel at home even before we got on stage. Enough sentimental words.” [Given the lyrical content and ferocity of Triptykon’s songs, sentimentality is not the noun that comes to my mind, but rather death, destruction, despair, doom, desecration and a host of other words beginning with the letter “D.”] During the 20‑second musical introduction to Circle of Tyrants TF and VB played four bars of two different sets of up tempo, complicated guitar riffs augmented by NL’s tom‑toms. TF then sang the first verse while he and VB played up tempo, chugging guitar riffs. During the five‑second musical interlude between the first verse and chorus TF and VB played four bars of another series of up tempo, complicated guitar riffs. TF shouted the chorus, “Circle of the tyrants!” and then repeated the pattern from the first verse and chorus when he sang the second verse and chorus, the difference being the second verse was preceded only by the second of the two sets of up tempo, complicated guitar riffs from the introduction.
TF and VB then played four bars of the second set of up tempo, complicated guitar riffs from the introduction after which the tempo abruptly reduced to a mid tempo pace immediately before TF sang the third and fourth verses with no pause between the two verses. TF and VB then played four bars of droning guitar riffs after which TF sang the fifth verse and then transitioned without pause and repeated the fourth verse. TF and VB then repeated the four bars of droning guitar riffs that preceded the fifth verse after which the tempo abruptly escalated to an up tempo pace. The band then engaged in a 40‑second jam that included the up tempo, complicated guitar riffs preceding the first chorus and a 25‑second VB guitar solo. VB wore a long‑sleeve button‑down black cotton shirt (collar unbuttoned and untucked with short even hemline), black denim pants, and black tennis shoes. VB played an Ibanez Iceman model black guitar and used two 100‑watt Marshall amps. The tempo abruptly again reduced to a mid tempo pace immediately before TF and VB played four bars of the droning guitar riffs preceding the fifth verse. TF then sang the seventh and eight verses.
4. Abyss Within My Soul (Eparistera Daimones, 2010) is a 9:25‑second opus that began with five bars of TF and VB’s slow tempo ominous, descending guitar riffs augmented by NL’s cymbal crashes that they continued to play once TF began to sing the first verse in an ominous tone. Given the lyrics TF’s tone was fitting, “The dead are never gone. I can feel them all around me. I am drowning in an ocean. How I wish that you would join them.” [I expected actor Haley Joel Osment to appear uttering his famous line, “I see dead people,” from director M. Night Shyamalan’s psychological thriller, “The Sixth Sense” (1999).] TF transitioned without pause to the first pre‑chorus that he sang in a tone neither thrash nor death metal, but more hellish and augmented by his and VB’s droning, downtuned guitar chords. [The music reminded me of the soundtrack and noise effects for Clive Barker’s British horror film, “Hellraiser” (1987).] TF then sang the first chorus in the same tone four times repeating the phrase, “Rise, abyss within my soul” augmented by his and VB’s chugging mid tempo guitar riffs. During the 20‑second musical interlude between the first chorus and second verse TF and VB played two bars of descending, mid tempo guitar riffs and a recurring, drawn out guitar note.
TF then repeated the pattern from the first verse, pre‑chorus, and chorus when he sang the second verse, pre‑chorus, and chorus. During the 50‑second musical interlude between the second chorus and third verse TF and VB once again played two bars of descending, mid tempo guitar riffs and a recurring, drawn out guitar note followed by two bars of heavily distorted guitar notes. TF then sang the third verse in an ominous tone augmented by his and VB’s slow tempo descending guitar riffs from the first two verses. During the 30‑second musical interlude between the third and fourth verses TF and VB once again played two bars of heavily distorted guitar notes. TF then repeated the pattern from the first two verses, pre‑choruses, and choruses when he sang the fourth verse, third pre‑chorus, and third chorus. After the third chorus TF and VB played four bars of the heavily distorted guitar notes from the two preceding musical interludes followed by four bars of a slow tempo guitar chord progression.
5. The Usurper (Celtic Frost cover: To Mega Therion, 1986) began with a 35‑second musical introduction featuring three sets of varying up tempo guitar riffs by TF and VB (four, two, and four bars, respectively). TF and VB continued to play the third set of guitar riffs while TF sang the first verse. TF then transitioned without pause to the first chorus that featured a different series of up tempo guitar riffs. During the 20‑second musical interlude between the first chorus and second verse TF and VB played the third set of guitar riffs from the introduction. TF repeated the pattern from the first verse and chorus when he sang the second verse and chorus with the second chorus a repetition of the first.
TF then sang the bridge that featured a different series of up tempo, churning guitar riffs that transitioned without pause to a 65‑second jam during which VB played a 30‑second guitar solo. TF repeated the pattern from the first verse and chorus when he sang the third verse and chorus. At the end of the song TF simply said, “Thank you.” [I echoed the same sentiment to Triptykon. Thank you TF and VB for pummeling my brain with a battery of guitar riffs that converted my brain to a consistency akin to mashed potato. Thank you NL for subjecting my ears to a flurry of bass drums that made me feel as if I was within earshot of the rotors of an Apache fighter helicopter. Thank you VS for playing bass lines so heavy and deep‑seeded I realized I possess a small intestine.]
6. Synagoga Satanae (Celtic Frost cover: Monotheist, 2006) is a 14:20‑second opus epitomizing metal. The first 1:45 minutes were comprised of TF and VB’s guitar feedback through their dual Marshall amp stacks augmented by NL’s tribal beating of his tom‑toms at a slow tempo pace while TF, VB, and VS stood with their backs to the audience. TF and VB then played five bars of a crushingly heavy, slow tempo, two‑chord guitar chord progressions with ample feedback augmented by NL’s drum beats, which they continued to play when TF sang the first verse with anger and valiance. [The feedback would have brought pride to Jimi Hendrix (late Black American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter) and Ritchie Blackmore (English rock guitarist formerly with Rainbow and Deep Purple).] The lyrics provide a chilling insight into TF’s psyche, “Internalized conflict externalized as war. Hymning thy rebellion Lucifer morning star. Bringer of light, forever shrouded by night. I am hell, a sulphurous lake of fire and suffering.” [Demented, poetic, insightful, alarming and a whole host of other conflicting adjectives describe TF’s outlook, perfect for TF to itemize in his on‑line dating biography. If Ted Bundy (American serial killer) managed to get a slew of marriage proposals while incarcerated, TF must be the jewel in the eyes of many admiring female fans.]
As TF uttered the final word of the first verse (i.e., “suffering”) the tempo escalated to a mid tempo pace and he and VB transitioned to playing four bars of churning guitar riffs they continued to play when TF began to sing the first pre‑chorus with equally chilling lyrics, “My blackened heart is a writhing mass of poisonous snakes. Grotesquely slithering as I slowly shed my dying skin.” As TF uttered the final word of the first pre‑chorus (i.e., “skin”) the tempo reduced to a slow tempo pace and he and VB began playing chugging guitar riffs they continued to play when TF began to sing the first chorus augmented by two‑chord guitar chord progressions and NL’s frequent hitting of his cymbals, “In darkness . . . thou shalt come unto me. In darkness . . . thou shalt worship me. In darkness . . . thou art mine eternally.” [TF’s lyrics are fitting for a Valentine’s day card . . . that is . . . for the macabre.] TF then repeated the pattern from the first verse, pre‑chorus, and chorus when he sang the second verse, pre‑chorus and chorus. The second verse also contains noteworthy lyrics, “Thy curse . . . all of my lies . . . be blessed . . . lord of the flies . . . scapegoat . . . shunned and despised. My church is my sacrifice. Follow after me into the halls of my damnation. I wield death like a scythe, reaping my annihilation. A monarch enthroned upon my throne of guilt. I am hell, a barren shrine to decay and neglect.” [The image conjured in my mind is of TF’s armor‑plated frame sitting atop a throne in a dark castle with gothic ceilings with a single light shining on the wall behind TF’s head causing the upside down cross adorning the brick‑laden wall to shimmer.]
As TF uttered the final word of the second verse (i.e., “neglect”) he and VB transitioned to playing four bars of mid tempo, churning guitar riffs they continued to play as TF began to sing the second pre‑chorus, “Uninhabitable . . . the darkened depths of cold empty space. My necropolis . . . the catacombs and tombs of disease. Monumental . . . the fallen temple of dead deities. My necrolog . . .an eternal curse lost in the abyss.” TF then repeated the first chorus during which the band stopped playing for three seconds when TF uttered the phrase, “worship me!” and turned his back to the audience. The 70‑second musical interlude between the second chorus and first bridge was comprised of a combination of exceedingly heavy slow tempo guitar riffs accented by a series of five recurring, ominous guitar notes by TF and VB that they continued to play (sans the guitar notes) accented by a flurry of cymbal crashes by NL. [The quantity and power of NL’s cymbal crashes felt like brittle wine glasses repeatedly being smashed against my ear canal.] VB sang the first bridge in German in an anguish‑filled tone. TF then sang the second bridge that continued to feature the same guitar riffs, the difference being TF sang the second bridge in Latin and a chilling tone.
As TF sang the final word of the second bridge (i.e., “blasphemiae”) TF and VB struck one simple heavy chord after which TF whispered the 17 lines of the third bridge in German solely accompanied by guitar feedback. [My brain transcended to a near comatose state.] As TF whispered the final word of the second bridge (i.e., “Amen”) he and VB began playing a wicked guitar chord progression they continued to play when TF began to sing the third pre‑chorus, which contains the most chilling lyrics, “Bow down before thy lord below. I shall rise. I shall rule in blasphemy . . . and in the end when thou art mine thou will be like me. In saecula saeclorum. In stagnum ignis et sulphuris.” As TF uttered the final word of the third pre‑chorus TF and VB began playing chugging guitar riffs they continued to play when TF repeated the first chorus for the third time while VB headbanged. The final 120 seconds of the song featured the band pummeling the audience’s senses with the wicked guitar chord progression from the third pre‑chorus and a flurry of NL’s tom‑toms. [At the end of the song the carnage and brutality of what had taken place left the audience in silence, an understandable reaction after being subjected to a song so heavy I would not have been surprised to observe fans emitting foam from their mouths with their eyes rolled toward the back of their heads.]
7. The Prolonging (Eparistera Daimones, 2010) is a 19:20‑second epic that began with six bars of VB’s slow tempo, distorted guitar notes augmented with NL’s sporadic cymbal hits that they played while TF and VS had their backs to the audience. TF and VB then played eight bars of the same slow tempo, distorted guitar notes at a lower octave augmented by NL’s simple drum beat and missing the five‑second pause between each bar present during the first six bars. With TF’s chant of “Ugh” he and VB switched to playing four bars of downtuned guitar riffs. [TF and VB’s guitars were so downtuned I thought the tuning peg on their Ibanez Iceman guitars would warp and melt, emitting a foul acidic odor from the depth of the underworld.] TF then sang the first verse in a hellish tone augmented by his and VB’s trudging two‑chord guitar chord progressions with heavy distortion and NL’s simple drum beat. The lyrics are particularly poignant, “As you descend, I shall rise. Your demise shall be my conception. Your failure shall be my triumph. I shall feed from your decay.” [Self serving, perhaps. But TF is not one to mince words. During our pre‑show conversation the subject turned to Exodus (American thrash metal formed in 1980 in Richmond, California). TF opined by simply stating, “I hate Exodus, except for the first record.” (“Bonded by Blood” (1980).] During the 60‑second musical interlude between the first and second verses TF and VB played eight bars of an ascending guitar riff followed by eight bars of chugging guitar riffs.
TF then repeated the pattern from the first verse when he sang the second verse with the addition of four recurring, ominous guitar notes. TF sang, “Your despair shall give me strength. As you degenerate, I shall prosper. Your misfortune shall make me jubilant. As you suffocate, I shall breathe.” [TF’s lyrics epitomize extremes fitting for the yin yang concept by describing how seemingly contrary forces are not only interconnected and interdependent, but also give rise to each other.”] During the 80‑second musical interlude between the second and third verses TF and VB once again played eight bars of an ascending guitar riff, the difference being that, with the introduction of NL’s snare drums, the tempo escalated to an up tempo pace and TF and VB played eight bars of catchy guitar riffs accented by NL’s thundering bass drums. TF then sang the third verse while he and VB continued to play the up tempo, catchy guitar riffs from the musical interlude. The song’s tempo then suddenly and dramatically slowed down during the 25‑second musical interlude between the third and fourth verses during which TF and VB played trudging, chugging guitar riffs.
TF then sang the fourth verse in an ominous tone augmented by his and VB’s heavily distorted, trudging four‑chord guitar chord progressions. TF sang, “I shall tie your mortal limbs. I shall invade your thoughts. I shall belittle your aspiration. I shall obliterate your hope. I shall break your will. I shall devour your flesh.” [I shall make a note to plead with John Carpenter and Wes Craven (American horror‑film directors) to cast TF as the lead psychopath character in their upcoming films.] During the 70‑second musical interlude between the fourth verse and first chorus TF and VB played four bars of a slow tempo guitar riff followed by four bars of the spaced out, slow tempo, distorted guitar notes from the introduction. TF then sang the first chorus during that he repeated eight times, “As you perish, I shall live. You shall drown in my contempt.” TF switched between hellish and ominous tones for each of the two lines and also switched the sequence of the two lines each of the eight times he sang the chorus. TF and VB played a series of ominous guitar riffs during the 30‑second break between the first and final four times TF sang the chorus. During the 20‑second musical interlude between the first chorus and fifth verse the tempo escalated to a mid tempo pace and TF and VB played four bars of an ascending guitar riff. TF then sang the fifth verse in a hellish tone augmented by his and VB’s mid tempo guitar riffs and NL’s rollicking tom‑toms. TF ended the fifth verse by screaming, “Liar!” TF then repeated the pattern from the fifth verse when he sang the sixth verse.
The tempo dramatically slowed down as TF began to sing the seventh verse, “As you deteriorate … I shall create my kingdom. As you sink into waves of darkness … I shall find my brightest light.” During the 90‑second musical interlude between the seventh verse and second chorus the first 60 seconds featured guitar feedback and NL’s slow tempo tom‑toms after which the band stopped playing for one second and TF and VB then resumed with four bars of the downtuned guitar riffs from the introduction. TF then sang the second chorus over an 180‑second period and during which he 12 times repeated the phrase, “As you perish, I shall live.” TF’s singing was augmented by NL’s cymbal crashes and VB’s recurring, drawn out, high guitar note. VS and NL left the stage while TF and VB turned their back to the audience and stood within one foot of, and held their guitars up to, their respective dual Marshall amp stacks as they played indecipherable riffs dominated by feedback during the final 100 seconds of the song. At the end of the song TF said, Thank you. Triptykon bows to you.” TF and VB then left the stage. [I would have bowed to Triptykon, but the show’s brutality left me, in the immortal words of Pink Floyd (British progressive, psychedelic rock band), comfortably numb.]
-Winter (Requiem, Chapter Three: Finale) (tape outro) (Celtic Frost cover: Monotheist, 2006). After the band walked off stage the show ended with a pre‑recorded tape track of Winter (Requiem, Chapter Three: Finale), a 4:35 instrumental that initially featured soothing cello notes followed by atmospheric keyboard chords.
Venue: Slim’s is a 400‑seat San Francisco club that rhythm and blues artist Boz Scaggs opened in 1988. Slim’s is located within three miles of San Francisco’s financial district. The club decor is simple and includes chandeliers, brick walls, and a bar inspired by the facades of New Orleans manors. Within five feet of walking through the entrance are six steps that lead immediately up and into the general admission floor approximately 20 feet from the stage. At one end of the main floor is the stage that measures 29 feet wide by 16 feet deep. The stage is three feet and three inches from the club floor and features a moveable drum riser eight feet by six feet and a very narrow photo pit. At the other end of the main floor is a small balcony with 14 tables and seating for 70 people. The sound console is located in the rear by the steps leading up to the balcony. The L‑shaped bar runs the length of the floor stage left. The general admission floor also includes six pillars. Located downstairs are three dressing rooms, coat check, and additional restrooms.
Opening Bands (first to last): Yakuza and 1349.
Arash Moussavian, Entertainment Law Attorney
arashmoussavian@cal.berkeley.edu
www.linkedin.com/in/arashmoussavian
All photos taken by Arash Moussavian. This article and all photos are protected by copyright. Please contact me prior to use, or I will make shish kabab of your loins.
Set List
Song Album Title Release Year
– Crucifixus (tape intro) Shatter 2010
1. Procreation (of the Wicked) (Celtic Frost cover) Morbid Tales 1984
2. Goetia Eparistera Daimones 2010
3. Circle of the Tyrants (Celtic Frost cover) To Mega Therion 1986
4. Abyss Within My Soul Eparistera Daimones 2010
5. The Usurper (Celtic Frost cover) To Mega Therion 1986
6. Synagoga Satanae (Celtic Frost cover) Monotheist 2006
7. The Prolonging Eparistera Daimones 2010
– Winter (Requiem, Chapter Three: Finale) (tape outro) Monotheist 2006
(Celtic Frost cover)
