The finale of the Crypt of Ancestral Knowledge tour punctuated one of the most dynamic groupings in extreme music on the year. Topped by black metal mystics Wolves In the Throne Room and doubled with indigenous ferocity of Blackbraid, the run was bolstered by the opening intensity of Gaerea and emerging unit, Hoaxed.
Concluding at Denver's Oriental Theater, the artistry on display from the collective framed the expansive, evolutionary quality of extreme music - ranging from the atmospheric to the assaultive. Particularly for the tour's headliners, Wolves In the Throne Room asserted a menacing musical mastery with selections from their 2023 E, Crypt of Ancestral Knowledge, that transported fans to an otherworldly realm.
Blackbraid continued their run of dominance, showcasing the enormity of their Adirondack-inspired aggression. Flawlessly executing the pageantry of their second self-titled LP, along with instant classics from their debut LP, it was all too apparent why the band's stock has seen such a spike in the last two years.
Portugese punishers Gaerea dropped the hammer with cuts from their 2022 opus, Mirage. Arguably one of the most versatile and visceral outfits in the space of modern black metal, the band's onstage delivery characterized by a live volatility that is as impressive as it is intense.
Check the comprehensive gallery of images from the Crypt of Ancestral Knowledge Tour finale, as captured by photographer Maurice Nunez.
WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM
