Mayhem, Mortiis, Imperial Triumphant and New Skeletal Faces at the UC Theatre in Berkeley

Thanks to Decibel Magazine, an evening of black metal descended upon Berkeley’s UC Theatre with the legendary Norwegian band Mayhem ripping through a 2-hour career-spanning set that left no one wanting.

The artfully curated lineup kicked off early with Los Angeles death rockers, New Skeletal Faces, who pumped the stage full of smoke and proceeded to wow the audience with some unexpected glam.

Next up, masked trio Imperial Triumphant stunned the audience with not only their appearance, but their sonically diverse style of metal that pulled heavily from jazz. Definitely add this band to your ‘must-see’ list the next time they pass through your town … you will not be disappointed.

Mortiis cooled the crowd down a notch. Backed by just a drummer, he brought the chill to the room with eerie synth punctuated by the echoing boom of the toms. The rapt crowd hung on ever note and were vocal in their appreciation of each number.

Headliners Mayhem took the stage just past 9:15 pm after an intro video featuring the band’s controversial legacy set the tone for what was to follow. The 2-hour set celebrated the band’s catalog starting with “Malum” from their 2019 release Daemon and working backwards through the highlights of their storied catalog ending with “Pure Fucking Armageddon” off their 1987 debut EP, Deathcrush.

Setlist