That was the case with MORTIIS

September 07, 2025, Leipzig, Hellraiser

On September 7, Mortiis played in the small concert hall of Hellraiser Leipzig, which holds around 160 guests and, with its proximity to the stage, offered an intimate, almost familiar atmosphere. It was clear from the support act that this evening was not going to be an ordinary one: Alexander Kaschte, known as the head of Samsas Traum, appeared masked and wrapped in a dark cloak as Dungeon Boy. He presented a purely instrumental synthesizer set that seemed like a dark ritual. Without vocals, but with floating and threatening soundscapes, he created a world between dream and nightmare. Many visitors closed their eyes and let themselves be carried away by the hypnotic atmosphere – a strong start that both challenged and fascinated the audience.

When Mortiis entered the stage, the atmosphere changed immediately. With his masked presence and dark charisma, he dominated the room from the very first second. His music was anything but restrained that evening: the sounds were powerful, punchy and made the walls of the Hellraiser shake. The mixture of electronic heaviness, driving beats and the characteristic darkness of his compositions hit the audience with full force. Classics such as “Parasite God” or “Decadent & Desperate” were celebrated frenetically and showed how powerful Mortiis’ industrial phase is on stage, while more atmospheric pieces provided moments of immersion.

The confines of the small concert hall heightened the intensity. Every note was physically palpable, every bass line vibrated through the floor. Where the silence was almost palpable during Kaschte’s set, the energy exploded during Mortiis’ performance – a constant interplay between immersion and eruptive discharge. The audience gratefully absorbed this dynamic, listened intently and celebrated the climaxes all the louder.

This made the evening at Hellraiser a special experience: two artists who created dark worlds of sound with completely different approaches, supported by a location whose intimacy made the experience even more immersive. At the end, what remained was the feeling of having witnessed a rare, almost secret ritual – a concert that was not only heard, but above all felt.

Text: Annika Lehnert

Photos: Patrick Lehnert

Setlist Mortiis:
– “Født til å herske, Part I” – “En mørk horisont” – “A Dark Horizon Pt. I” – “Født til å herske, Part II” – “Visjoner av en eldgammel fremtid” – “En mørk horisont Pt. II” – “A Dark Horizon Pt. II” – “Visions of an Ancient Future Pt. I” – “A Dark Horizon Pt. IV” – “A Dark Horizon Pt. VI” – “Visions of an Ancient Future Pt. VII”