BEHEMOTH Demolishes Milwaukee on THE GODLESS IV Tour

“THE GODLESS IV” tour rolled into Milwaukee last Friday night (4/24/26), bringing Behemoth, Deicide, Immolation, and Rotting Christ to The Rave/Eagles Club. Outside, the early spring air carried a bite, cold even with sunlight hitting fans in the early evening. The brisk air didn’t stop the line of fans from snaking down the block. Leather jackets, patched vests, and corpse paint dotted the crowd as fans entered the venue in anticipation for what promised to be a relentless night of extreme metal.

The Rave/Eagles Club in Milwaukee stands out among other live music venues across the Midwest, being the largest independently owned convention and entertainment center, known mainly for hosting concerts of any genre, but specifically metal performances. The original construction of the venue was in the 1920s as a social meeting place for the Fraternal Order of Eagles. With its large ballrooms and impressive architectural features, the place stood as one of Milwaukee's finest landmarks until the end of the 20th century when it declined in popularity. However, at the start of the 1990s, it regained popularity by becoming an important concert facility known as "The Rave," thus becoming a major attraction for local and national touring musicians. Some of the well-known metal artists who have performed at this location include Slayer, Slipknot, and Lamb of God. The Rave became more than just another club venue due to its legacy in heavy music concerts.

Inside, The Rave’s cavernous dark lit room set the perfect stage. The venue’s high ceilings and shadowy corners gave everything a sense of looming intensity, while the floor quickly filled shoulder-to-shoulder with fans pressing toward the barricade. Red and violet lights bathed the room as fans chatted about the upcoming show, but once the house lights dimmed, everything quieted and moved to a singular focus, the stage.

Starting off the night of extreme metal, Immolation wasted no time waking up the crowd. The death metal band from Yonkers, New York, have been known for their dark, complex sound and philosophical, often anti-religious themes. Formed in 1986 (originally under the name Rigor Mortis), the group solidified their identity in the late 1980s and became a key part of the New York death metal scene. Immolation finally gained widespread recognition with their 1991 debut album, Dawn of Possession, which helped define the genre’s brutal technical mix.

Immolation started their set with, “These Vengeful Winds,” which was their first track off their new album, “Descent”, which was released two weeks prior on April 10, 2026. The rest of their set list goes as follows, with most of the tracks off the newly released album,

1. The Ephemeral Curse

2. Swarm of Terror

3. Attrition

4. An Act of God

5. Adversary

6. Immolation

7. Bend Towards The Dark

Following Immolation, Greek extreme metal band Rotting Christ took the stage much too many fans excitement. At this point the room has been warmed up with crowd, surfers going up every song and the mosh pit taking up a good part of the venue. Rotting Christ is a pioneering extreme metal band from Greece, formed in 1987 in Athens by brothers Sakis and Themis Tolis.

Emerging at a time when the global black metal scene was still taking shape, the band helped define the genre’s early sound by blending raw aggression with atmospheric and melodic elements, setting them apart from the other bands in the scene. Their early releases played a key role in establishing the Hellenic black metal style, influencing countless bands with their darker, ritualistic tone and emphasis on groove and melody.

This night you could really hear the darker tones, and with heavy head banging, fans moshed to the following set list;

1. Dies Irae

2. Demonon Vrosis

3. Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy

4. Like Father, Like Son

5. Elthe Kyrie

6. dub-sag-ta-ke

7. Societas Satanas (Thou Art Lord Cover)

8. Grandis Spiritus Diavolos

   
   

And for the last opener of the night, Deicide gave fans a show that demonstrated why they were the second to last on the bill. Commanding the crowd, the energy was like

no other. A mosh pit that didn’t stop for a single song, and more crowd surfers than I can count, Decide made a statement; They can put on one hell of a show.

Deicide is a pioneering death metal band formed in 1987 in Tampa, Florida, originally under the name Amon. The classic lineup consisted of vocalist/bassist Glen Benton, guitarists Eric Hoffman and Brian Hoffman, and drummer Steve Asheim. They adopted the name Deicide in 1989 and quickly became one of the defining acts of the early 1990s Florida death metal scene, alongside bands like Death and Morbid Angel. Their self-titled debut album Deicide was released in 1990, followed by Legion (1992), both noted for their aggressive sound and controversial anti-religious themes.

Throughout the 1990s, the band toured extensively across North America and Europe. Deicide continued touring globally through the 2000s and 2010s, appearing at major metal festivals and headlining tours. Later releases like Overtures of Blasphemy (2018) and Banished by Sin (2024) reaffirmed their longevity in the genre. Over decades, Deicide has maintained a consistent presence in death metal and ability to take over a venue with a setlist like;

1. When Satan Rules His World

2. Bastard of Christ

3. Behead The Prophet (No Lord Shall Live)

4. Once Upon The Cross

5. Sacrificial Suicide

6. Serpents of The Light

7. Forever Hate You

8. They Are The Children of The Underworld

9. Scars of The Crucifix

10. Dead by Dawn

11. Homage of Satan

By the time Behemoth took the stage, the room was hot and sweaty, and everyone was ready for spectacle to come. Draped in theatrical lighting and ritualistic imagery, the Polish titans turned the stage into something closer to an altar than a concert. Frontman Adam Nergal Darski stood at the center, leading the band through a set that was a mix of power and theatrics.

From the opening song, “The Shadow Elite,” a single released last year 2025, Behemoth’s sound was massive, a mix of layered guitars, thunderous drums, and choral elements. Smoke punctuated key moments, while the band’s synchronized movements added to the sense of calculated chaos. Nergal’s presence could be explained simply as magnetic, commanding and always in control of the room’s energy as the band played the following setlist;

1. The Shadow Elite

2. Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer

3. Thy Becoming Eternal

4. Conquer All

5. The Shit ov God

6. Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica

7. Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel

8. Nomen Barbarym

9. Bartzabel

10. The Return of Darkness and Evil

(Bathory, cover)

11. Ov Fire and the Void

12. The Deathless Sun

13. Chant for Eschaton 2000

Encore:

14. O Father O Satan O Sun!

The extreme metal band, formed in 1991 in Gdańsk, Poland, organizes started by frontman Nergal when he was just a teenager, the band evolved from early black metal roots into a more complex fusion of black and death metal over the decades. With a career spanning more than 30 years, Behemoth has become one of Poland’s most internationally recognized metal acts. Known for their intense live performances and controversial themes, Behemoth has built a global following while continuously pushing the boundaries of extreme metal.

Closing the night, Behemoth left little doubt about their status. Their performance wasn’t just any metal show, was immersive, and most notably beautifully theatrical. As the final notes rang out and the lights came up, the crowd lingered, laughing and catching their breath. l