Bands – Emperor & Blood Incantation
Venue – The Fillmore
Location – Detroit, MI
Concert Date – April 1st, 2026
Words & Photos – Porous
When I first started writing concert reviews and shooting photography, Emperor was one of my bucket list bands. And holy hell, I’m still buzzing from seeing them live with Blood Incantation this past Wednesday evening. Not only because of the lore surrounding that early 1990s Norwegian black metal scene they were a part of, but also simply that Emperor’s music has influenced my own creative endeavors. And witnessing their infernal majesty upon that stage in Detroit’s gorgeous Fillmore theatre was perfect.
BLOOD INCANTATION
When Blood Incantation dropped their 2024 release, Absolute Elsewhere, I had a similar reaction to virtually everyone else who heard it. Simply put: whoa this is incredible. This band is one the best progressive death metal groups around right now and seeing them perform that release front-to-back was beyond impressive and flawlessly executed. Which is no small feat, considering how complicated some of those arrangements are. If you’ve not heard Blood Incantation, it’s not that they’re technical or progressive in name only, they truly weave together both psychedelic and nightmarish sections into a hypnotic journey.
These guys all had engaging stage presence as well. If you follow my photography, you’ll know I’m a sucker for flailing hair shots; these were in no short supply with Blood Incantation! But there was also a gritty stoicism emanating from each member that I felt made the music even more sincere. Stage-wise, they lit incense and played in between two tall pillars (or tablets) that matched the album’s heavy cosmic ambience. And once they concluded playing through Absolute Elsewhere, we were treated to a heavy callback to their first album. But you’ll have to see them live to find out which 😉
EMPEROR
The Emperial Wrath tour 2026. I was so stoked to see this announced, as I had so desperately wanted to see Emperor last year with Wolves in the Throne Room, but I just couldn’t make it work. This year I made it work though! And it was so surreal walking into The Fillmore Detroit a few nights back and just soaking in that present moment. Seeing their merch table, all the black metal shirts and patches, and corpse paint… It was the kind of atmosphere I’d love to be around every night. And then when Emperor erupted on that stage, it was like a dream I never wanted to wake up from.
Most of the band’s set consisted of tracks from In The Nightside Eclipse and Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk. Both are regarded as two of the most influential albums in all black metal history. So you can imagine that their legion of fans in attendance went completely rabid getting to experience these songs live. Especially since Emperor hasn’t played in North America too often in their decades-long existence.
It really was a special night for so many of us. A first-time (myself included) getting to see Ihsahn (guitar/vocals), Samoth (guitar), and Trym (drums), taking up musical weapons of mass destruction and unleashing their classic black metal hell upon us. Touring members Tony (bass) and Jørgen (synths) went all out as well. Some of my favorite shots of the night were of those two! And while I do enjoy the corpse paint and theatrics of so many black metal bands, it’s truly a testament to how great their music is that Emperor don’t do any of that and simply blow our minds with their live performance, stellar songwriting, and musicianship.
The North American Emperial Wrath tour concludes April 12th in California. That’s a week out as of publishing this article, so there’s still time to get tickets and witness one of the best two band bills I’ve seen in quite some time. I cannot wait to bang my head along with Emperor and Blood Incantation in person again.
Follow @porousphoto on Instagram to see more photos from the show.
Biography: Porous has been possessed by heavy music for the vast majority of his life. For a good chunk of it, that love was exorcised by playing metal, punk, and hardcore with other musicians. Nowadays Porous writes/records music mostly on his own, but engages with the community by supporting/encouraging other artists, and one of those ways is through writing! In early 2025 he joined MoshPitNation to contribute album/show reviews, concert photography, and hopefully an infectious love for metal, punk, and hardcore. For more photography, visit his digital portfolio.
