- Posted By: Dark Emperor
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Braving the shit-tastic traffic into San Francisco on a Friday evening, we made our way to The Warfield to catch one of the most stacked tours in 2026. Hulder and Dimmu Borgir on their return to North America after many years away. Sadly Hypocrisy was not able to make it, but this meant that Hulder had a bigger spotlight and completely delivered. Having just recently released their best album to date "Verbolgen" (read our review here) earlier this month, this North American outfit has been on the rise in the last couple of years. The band usually delivers some intense and ravaging shows, and their San Francisco stop was no different. Balancing out some of their older material with songs from "Verbolgen", their show was intense, fiery, and punishing. Sometimes opening bands do not get much traction, but the crowd was going nuts for these guys.
As you can see from our pictures, the mood and vibe was eerie and smoky, creating a very cavernous environment for their pummeling music. We can only hope that Hulder returns as a headliner so we can enjoy their ritual again.
Hulder setlist:
A Beacon From Darkened Skies
View From Nemeton
Sylvan Awakening
Verses in Oath
Vessel of Suffering
Drie Raven
...And We Shall Sing
Finally returning to North America, Dimmu Borgir also comes riding high from the success of their "Grand Serpent Rising" (read our review here ), this Norwegian outfit is out to showcase their new killer songs alongside their masterful repertoire of hit songs they have collected over the years. From the ammount of Dimmu Borgir shirts in the audiece, many people were really excited to see the band. Having constantly improved their show and sound over the years, we were psyched to see these guys at this venue that has killer sound and pretty solid lightning, not to mention great views from the balcony area.
Dimmu Borgir setlist:
Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel
Mourning Palace
Kings of the Carnival Creation
Council of Wolves and Snakes
As Seen in the Unseen
Ascent
Stormblåst
Reptile
The Insight and the Catharsis
The Serpentine Offering
Puritania
Gateways
Progenies of the Great Apocalypse
Perfection or Vanity
Nicely covering deep cuts like "Stormblåst" and "Mourning Palace", alongside newer tracks, Dimmu Borgir completely destroyed the crowd with their precise execution and masterful stage. The band has been doing this for a while and you can tell on how well they cheered the crowd while delivering great renditions of their classics, new and old.
We would like to thank the staff at The Warfield that are always very accomodating and friendly, and Austin at Secret Service PR for hooking us up for this show.
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