LIVE FROM THE PIT: Heaven Shall Burn, The Black Dahlia Murder and Frozen Soul

Judging by the striking mix of fans gathered outside The Garage in Glasgow, it was almost impossible to tell what kind of night awaited. However, the uncertainty quickly vanished the moment the first riff escaped the walls of the venue, and it became clear we were in for pure, unrelenting carnage. Touring in celebration of their latest release, Heimat, German extreme metal titans HEAVEN SHALL BURN stormed into Glasgow as part of their Heimat Over Europe run.

They last graced the city over three years ago, where they were part of an iconic triple-headline tour alongside TRIVIUM and MALEVOLENCE. With support from death metal units FROZEN SOUL and the melodic brutality of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, the stage was set. Given the headliner's impressive slew of performances over the years, this was shaping up to be essential viewing for any heavy music devotee.

Texas may seem an unlikely hotspot for heavy music, yet it gave rise to the devious death metal quintet FROZEN SOUL back in 2018. Taking us through a whiplash journey of their glacial discography, the group launched the crowd into motion, repeatedly summoning circle pits and unrestrained chaos. Within this sonic blizzard, the set took a brief yet poignant turn as frontman Chad Green reflected on the pain that came with losing his younger brother. Cutting through the distortion, he explained, “We do this for the love and the community of metal… and most importantly, because you are our family.” With that, he urged the audience to go hard before diving into Arsenal of War. Despite the sombre message, the crowd honored the command, sustaining a relentlessness all the way to the final notes of Crypt of Ice.

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER have been tearing through the melodic metal scene since 2001, enduring not only the genre's shifting tides but also personal tragedies. Stepping onto the stage came Brian Eschbach, the 2022 replacement of lead vocalist after the death of Trevor Strnad. He appeared in understated, plain clothes, allowing the music to speak for itself. What followed was a blistering onslaught that Strnad himself would have been proud of. In just fourty-five minutes, the band delivered a set that reaffirmed their enduring ferocity. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4JgY2wKIgk

Blasting straight into their most popular track, What A Horrible Night To Have a Curse, the room ignited and immediately dissolved into chaos. The set leaned heavily on tracks from their newest album, Servitude, yet longtime fans were rewarded with older, deeper cuts, stretching as far back as A Vulgar Picture from their 2005 album Miasma, its introduction met with unrelenting excitement. They closed with the punishing pairing of Everything Went Black followed by Utopia Black, and the end arrived with a sudden, almost jarring, finality. The crowd's reaction told its own story; chants of “One more tune!” bounced across the room, as if THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER had headlined rather than deliver a masterclass in how to perform mid-set.

The orchestral swell of Ad Arma oozed throughout the room, regenerating the buzz of excitement that had dissipated between acts. As the members of HEAVEN SHALL BURN emerged one-by-one, the unmistakable riffs of War Is The Father Of All detonated, and a circle pit immediately swirled into existence. By the time the band reached Black Tears, their tribute to long-time friends of the band EDGE OF SANITY, vocalist Marcus Bischoff paused to acknowledge the chaos-infused joy emanating throughout the room. “You’re having fun… I can tell you’re enjoying this, ja,” he grinned, before gently urging the crowd forward; a stark contrast when compared with the ferocious growls that had just shaken the room.

Ahead of Übermacht, guitarist Maik Weichert shifted the mood with a moment of reflection. Touching on the song's historical roots and briefly taking us back to World War Two, he joked that, “this time, we come in peace,” before recounting the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, and extending the sentiment to express solidarity with Ukrainians amid the ongoing war. The weight of this message settled heavily, and despite the track's punchiness, the pit momentarily fell still. The subdued intensity carried through March of Retribution and into the apparent closer, Tirpitz. 

As the house lights rose and a generic backing track drifted in, confusion spread across the room, and the disappointing question of “was this the end?” lingered. This was swiftly interrupted with the bands laughter as they paraded back onstage and unleashed The Weapon They Fear. Any uncertainty dissolved into a cathartic release, and the crowd appeared satisfied with an explosive finale as uncompromising as the night itself.

Words: Chloe Sodeau

Photos: Lizzie Jones