Live report HYPOCRISY, ABBATH, VOMITORY & VREID, Gruenspan, Hamburg – April 21, 2026

A Scandinavian metal package will stop at Hamburg’s Gruenspan tonight, bringing some raw death and black metal to town. Swedish metal veterans Hypocrisy are touring with none other than the Norwegian black metal force Abbath as a special guest. Accompanying these two bands are Vreid and Vomitory, who have both just released new albums.

Black metal force Vreid are the first of these four bands to take to the stage. I almost missed them as public transport wasn’t as reliable as it should have been. Fortunately, I only missed the first few notes of Vreid, and since the band released a great new album a few weeks ago, I’m excited to listen to some of these songs in a live setting. Songs such as “From the Woods” and “The Skies Turn Back” represent the band’s latest output. Unfortunately, I must say that the band doesn’t get the best sound today, and these songs certainly sound much better on the album. Vreid are definitely eager to give their all, but the crowd isn’t getting too excited. Even when frontman Store Dingsøyr asks for some headbanging during the massive “Lifehunger”, the reaction is rather reserved. Nevertheless, Vreid offer great music, and perhaps it just wasn’t their night.

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Next are death metal veterans Vomitory , opening with an earlier song. “Revelation Nausea”, the title track from the 2001 album, is the first burst of metal tonight, and it quickly becomes clear that we are in for a night of raw, unbridled metal and plenty of headbanging.
Vomitory play for 30 minutes, using the time to give a good overview of their musical career without going back further than 2001. They also embed two new songs in their set: “For Gore and Country” and “Wrath Unbound”. The band delivers a power-packed performance, and have the fans on their side. After 30 minutes, everyone at Gruenspan is fired up which results in a thunderous applause and everybody is ready for the next bands.

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It’s been a while since I last saw Abbath live. If I remember correctly, it was in September 2018 when they played at Gebr. de Nobel in Leiden, and I recall the performance being an intense black metal experience. Tonight, eight years later, I am here to have that positive impression reconfirmed, and I can say that Abbath deliver.

Abbath is a real veteran of black metal, having started out with Immortal, one of the most influential bands in the genre. The bandleader’s stage presence is impressive, and he fills the stage by himself again tonight. Of course, he has his band with him, but there is no doubt that all eyes are on him.

Abbath start with “To War!” and go on to play a 50-minute set featuring a solid selection of songs from the debut album, as well as from “Dread Reaver”.

An Abbath show would not be complete without songs from Immortal. Fans celebrate each of these blackened metal moments, such as when the band starts “Tyrants”, which gives everybody in the room an extra dose of gloom.
It’s impossible not to be fascinated by the hellish spirit that fills Gruenspan. It’s the thumping headbangers like “Dread Reaver” and Abbath’s charisma and entertainment factor that make everyone focus on the stage. With no long speeches, just a few barked words to the fans, it’s all about the music and the spirit — a devilish grin runs through Gruenspan for 50 minutes.

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It’s time for the headline act. Hypocrisy are currently on the ‘Mass Hallucination’ tour, and most fans are showing more of a ‘mass fascination syndrome’ tonight. Peter Tägtgren and his band open with “They Will Arrive”, and they certainly arrive with a bang. The song, taken from the latest studio release “Worship”, is the perfect start to a 70-minute death metal spectacle, striking a balance between harsh metal attacks and melodic moments. The first are the main driver tonight, and they will be driving the action.

Hypocrisy offer a great overview of their musical achievements, with “Worship” and “Abducted” adding the most songs to the set. We also go back to the early ’90s with a song called “Inferior Devotions”. This song shows that many of the metalheads in the audience have been following the band since the beginning, as “Inferior Devotions” is received extremely well. The same goes for “Deathrow”, which has a dramatic start and a riff that hits you like a punch in the face. The atmosphere is enhanced by a lot of stage fog and a light show that complements the musical expression.
Hypocrisy regularly tour and play at many festivals. However, experiencing the band in a club show setting is much more thrilling. The heaviness and gloom of their death metal is much more intense in such an atmosphere. Peter Tägtgren and Hypocrisy are death metal veterans, and tonight they exemplified why.