The Dark Heart of Everything UK Tour 2025

Introduction

A show I’ve been looking forward to for a few months now. Ultha are one of those bands that every time I stick them on I think “I really must listen to more of them as they’re so good”, so my knowledge is more surface level, but I appreciate them very much. Although I did see them at Fortress Festival 2024, but that was a day when I was overwhelmed with impressive live acts. Ante-Inferno I have seen three times (2022, 2023, and 2024) so I suppose it is becoming an annual tradition at this point.

Ahead of the show itself, naturally, my friends and I visited Solid Rock for some drinks ahead of the show — the default watering hole for any rock and metal fans in Glasgow. Discussions of other gigs we’ve been to recently, what’s upcoming, and life chat in general — before a notification popped up on my phone from the events page. Doors had been moved forward half an hour! We quickly downed what drinks we had left, and it was just a short walk to Audio — a venue I have become very familiar with since I moved up to the area.

Wolvesrot

Our local support for tonight, a band I was previously unfamiliar with until they were announced — and still quite unfamiliar as they took to the stage. They had only a two track demo available on their Bandcamp to check out ahead of time.

And, wow. This is one to keep an eye on for sure! Rhythmic blast beats and a classic black metal style dominated most of their short set — broken up with occasional clean guitar sections that were beautifully played.

I caught up with their lead guitarist Barrett afterwards to give my compliments and have a chat. Turns out this is their first gig in a year due to their drummer leaving and finding a replacement. However, they already have more shows later this year lined up and hopefully, their debut album should be released by the end of 2025 if all goes well.

Ante-Inferno

Next up, the North Yorkshire-based black metal act. A band I first discovered when they were the support for Fuath back in 2022 – a sadly very poorly attended gig that I seem to remember had audio issues as well — tainting my initial opinion of their live performances (though I did still pick up Antediluvian Dreamscapes on vinyl at that show). Thankfully, they blew me away at Fortress Festival 2023, proving that it was just an unfortunate one off, and once again at Fortress ‘24 they were fantastic.

However, how about tonight?

The smoke machine spurted out thick plumes, candelabras lit the stage, incense was lit and filling the air with its aroma — the stage just oozed atmosphere. The house lights go off, the backing track starts and the four take to the stage.

Kicking off straight into Cold. Tenebrous. Evil. They delivered a punchy sound, with that catchy riff getting everyone in the crowd headbanging along to it. The vocalist Kai letting out a mix of deep growls and harsh shrieks to deliver the bands’ more aggressive style of black metal.

The gloomy smoke – filled candlelit stage lasted throughout their set, as they rattled through fantastic song after song, possibly the best I’ve heard them sound in my four times catching them live.

Ultha

The melancholically themed Germans rather unceremoniously took to the stage, and delivered a simple message to the crowd: “We’re here to play five songs over fifty-five minutes”.

And you know what, they stuck to their word and did exactly that. Their debut show in Scotland delivered a powerful sorrowful performance, heavy with a thick atmosphere bathed entirely in red light, and a wonderful mix of dispirited shrieking vocals, synths, and tightly performed black metal. I lost myself in there, just being one with the music and connecting to their harrowing exploration of black metal. 

At the end of their five songs, they placed their instruments against the amps, causing the feedback to ring out as they departed the stage. And that was that, the evening finished.

Conclusion

The show itself was fantastic, everyone I talked to at the venue following it had nothing but positive things to say about every band, the sound quality, the darker gloomy tone of the entire show.

I picked up some merch from the table — including a beautifully silkscreen printed poster made for The Dark Heart of Everything UK Tour 2025 which was designed by Misanthropic Art.

Ultha and Ante-Inferno next take the tour to York, Newcastle, Manchester, Nottingham, Norwich, Brighton and finishing in London over the next two weeks — before Ultha tours mainland Europe with Sun Worship and Russian Circles through June.

How was your latest concert?

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