Supports: Bezwering
Location: Musico, Den Haag
The new album by the German band Firtan ranks among my top favorite albums of 2026, even though I only recently learned about it from a very good friend and colleague, who raved about “Helios.” As soon as I realized that Firtan were playing in The Hague, I immediately got in touch with Musicon, which was delighted to agree to collaborate with us on that event.
Bezwering
Arriving on time at what has now become my favorite venue, I began to take in the atmosphere and get ready to take photos. The fact that Bezwering (who describe themselves as “Geldrian undeath metal”) were opening the night was a bonus for the whole experience I was about to have. A good crowd had gathered at the venue early on, and that’s always a positive sign for the musicians’ morale. Unfortunately for the bands, most people were crammed as close to the bar as possible, fortunately for me, though, I had more room to maneuver with my camera in hand.
Unlike other bands in the black metal scene, Bezwering stands out for having two vocalists: one handles the harsh vocals, while the other takes on the more epic ones, which reminded me of the Norwegian band Kampfar.
The entire band was painted in black, fully aware of the atmosphere they wanted to create, with Alfschijn on epic vocals capturing my attention more than anyone else with his intense, theatrical movements.
Unfortunately, the sound wasn’t on par with the beautiful stage presence I was seeing in front of me, and I was forced to take off my earplugs so I could hear the vocals a little better. Nevertheless, Bezwering’s overall performance that night was a positive experience, and I’ll try to see them again at the first opportunity.
Their drummer, Onmens, was a real standout, painted like a warrior ready to fight alongside Braveheart.
Their set lasted over an hour, which was also a big plus. The crowd gave the musicians a warm round of applause as they made way for the German guests.
Firtan
Our German neighbors, Firtan, took the stage and stood with their backs to the audience, just before embarking on their journey into the rugged landscape of their music.
With their imposing vocalist Phillip Thienger and their incredible violinist, Klara Bachmair, drawing most of the attention (mine certainly), they had a cleaner sound than Bezwering, and their synthetic darkness enveloped Musicon in no time.
Their musical aesthetic is strongly reminiscent of their fellow Germans Der Weg Einer Freiheit, but the noose tightens even more around your neck when the violin enters the mix.
The stage, generally dimly lit, fit Firtan’s vision like a glove, and the hair of the other string players spinned at every opportunity, providing the perfect metal spectacle. Of course, Miss Bachmair’s exquisite dance-like swaying was so in sync with the music that I really had a hard time taking my eyes off her.
While the foundation was black metal, Firtan’s sound breaks down barriers and broadens the spectrum, shattering the monotony for those who don’t want to live in perpetual disharmony and limited growls.
The contrast between Philip’s harsh and imposing presence and Klara’s delicate figure was a living embodiment of the contrast between black metal and Firtan’s more psychedelic post-rock side, but it would be unfair not to mention the creators of the on-stage atmosphere. The two guitarists, Strobel and Massinger, were doing their part by weaving melodies, while Mr. König on bass formed the perfect rhythmic duo with David Kempf on drums.
Firtan is a very tight-knit band with an incredible stage presence, which didn’t falter even on a small stage like Musicon’s (it’s not easy to accommodate six people), and I’m sure my fellow concertgoers will agree that this evening was an absolute success.
Although the band has been around for over 15 years now, it was this year that they caught my attention, and it’s no surprise to me that they’re on the AOP Records roster.
Vangelis, thank you for discovering them.
I’d also like to thank Ian and the rest of the team at Musicon for making me feel so welcome.
