Author: Rok Klemše
Photos: Sebastijan Videc
Venue: Kino Šiška, Ljubljana
Concert date: 19.11.2013
What Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica and related metal dinosaurs were for our generation, Korpiklaani, Amon Amarth, Eluveitie, Sabaton and yes, Children of Bodom are for today’s youth. I won’t get lost in long, pointless theorizing about why that is and whether it’s right or wrong; times (and tastes) change (sadly?). The younger crowd has adopted the Finnish lake-dwellers Bodom as their own, and frontman Alexi Laiho has been a real icon for quite a while now. One thing’s for sure, though: Children of Bodom didn’t earn that kind of status for nothing, but through hard work and countless miles on the road. This time they added a few more to the tally, on a European tour promoting the new album Halo of Blood, with a stop at Ljubljana’s Kino Šiška.
This time the Finns brought along, well, Finns. The honor of warming up European stages for Children of Bodom fell to the more modern-flavored death metal outfit Medeia. To me, honestly, a completely unknown name until quarter past eight, which changed fast, since the band has a few familiar faces. Most obviously, vocalist Keijo, who growls and screams in the much better-known Finnish grind machine Rotten Sound, and we’ve even seen keyboardist Laura around here before, a while back as a touring member of Finland’s MyGrain. Medeia, surprisingly, took the stage in front of an already nicely filled Katedrala at Kino Šiška and, considering what kind of musical abortions we usually sit through as support acts, were a pleasant surprise. The Finns aren’t discovering anything hugely revolutionary, but they play honest death metal dressed up in modern tricks, with a pronounced groove and a dose of atmospheric keyboards courtesy of the rather manly Laura. Led by the charismatic Keijo, the Finns delivered a seriously energetic set; the stage was truly packed, mostly with the guitar trio, flinging themselves around from the first second to the last. The band successfully presented their just-released record Iconoclastic, really warmed up the crowd, and threw in a funny bit of banter with Lucifer, who urged the audience to get even louder.
Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t hide the real reason I came to Tuesday’s show: the Polish technical death metal beast Decapitated is not just any old name among the most respected in the genre. Even the great Tomas Haake, Meshuggah’s inhuman drummer, has praised the Poles, and that’s not a reference you get easily. On top of that, I can’t remember a band coming back so mightily after such a terrible tragedy – the death of the exceptional drumming talent Vitek in a traffic accident, from which former vocalist Covan still hasn’t recovered – Waclaw »Vogg« Kieltyka, the only original member left, is the true embodiment of the motto »From Pain to Strength« (you’ll be able to read an interview with him soon). Decapitated are still flying high on the wings of the phenomenal comeback record Carnival Is Forever, which raised them from the dead, and this time too most of their allotted time went to that carnival of technical death metal. After a calm intro with Silence, the band instantly exploded into the nihilistic bomb Pest and, despite somewhat worse sound (echo on the vocals, and at times both drums and guitar too quiet), proved why they have the status they have. Behind the drums sat a newcomer again, a French drummer whose name I sadly didn’t catch. He replaced the recently fired Paul, who got dumped like an old pair of pants, and he played pretty solidly, but still stayed far from the level of Vitek or Krimh. Damn, I still miss that Austrian drumming animal (who, by the way, just released a very good solo record). Even so, Decapitated were once again a top-notch apocalyptic shot of adrenaline – Vogg is a true guitar-riff meat grinder and a masterclass in how a one-guitar band should sound and work. And although Vogg mostly carves out massive, groove-laden riffs, he absolutely killed it with the soloing in 404 and the thrash-inspired Lying and Weak. Rafal could have said a few more words to justify his role as frontman, but at least his monstrous vocal performance makes up for it. Decapitated also surprised with the killer Flash-B(l)ack from the album Organic Hallucinosis and closed with the indispensable classic Spheres of Madness. It’s about time for a new record, but live the Poles still grind like the wood chipper scene from Fargo!
Children of Bodom took the stage a little after ten (when most of the crowd should have been under curfew by then, heh) and confidently struck with the Hate Crew Deathroll wrecking ball Sixpounder. The crowd ate out of the band’s hands from the first second; I haven’t experienced a crowd that loud and responsive at Kino Šiška since Megadeth’s first show, and I’d dare say the packed Šiška was even louder this time. You can tell the Finns have been touring non-stop since the breakthrough record Something Wild, which launched them onto the metal scene. Children of Bodom are flawless on stage, and the good sound system worked in their favor this time too. Jaska Raatikainen’s drum fortress caused actual earthquakes, and the guy truly hammered those skins like the Hulk. Jaska smash, heh. The band’s »old man« Roope Latvala once again proved a masterful rhythmic backbone for Alexi’s high-flying, supersonic arpeggios, and Janne, a little bored at moments, once again countered Laiho’s fast-fingered string work over the black and white keys with ease (still, I can’t help quoting, more as a joke than seriously, Bruce Dickinson’s »You can’t play heavy metal with keyboards« from his chat with a Czech fan in the documentary Behind the Iron Curtain). All eyes in the crowd were of course on »Wild Child«, who kept the audience in his fist the whole time, even if with rehearsed, unspontaneous and clichéd banter, and proved he’s a man clearly fused with his guitar. At least Alexi has shaken off the excessive cursing of the past, which made him come across like an angry American teenager. After years of studio mediocrity, Children of Bodom got back on the right track with the new record, as proven by the almost black-metal-sounding title track Halo of Blood and then especially the epic march Dead Man’s Hand On You, which is a big departure from the often over-chewed repetition of arpeggio wars between Laiho’s guitar and Janne’s keyboards. The Finns also heated up Šiška with a fantastic light show (especially during the aforementioned Dead Man’s Hand, where the spinning »disco« lights took the epic vibe up another notch) and projections on the wall behind the band. These repeatedly spelled out the letters COB in venomous red, underlined the themes of the songs and fired up the crowd even more.
There’s not much to fault Children of Bodom for; they played a great show, even if with a small dose of spontaneity. But that’s what miles and miles on the road do to you. Halo of Blood is another studio win for the Finns and a record that is clearly growing their already wide fan base. And if Children of Bodom are a stepping stone for the younger, teenage crowd into… ahem… allow me a little metal elitism, more serious musical waters, all the better.
Setlist
DECAPITATED:
1. Pest
2. 404
3. Lying And Weak
4. A View From A Hole
5. Flash-B(l)ack
6. Homo Sum
7. Spheres of Madness
CHILDREN OF BODOM:
1. Sixpounder
2. Living Dead Beat
3. Silent Night, Bodom Night
4. Halo of Blood
5. Scream For Silence
6. Bodom After Midnight
7. Lake Bodom
8. Hate Crew Deathroll
9. Dead Man’s Hand On You
10. Are You Dead Yet
11. Blooddrunk
12. Everytime I Die
13. Towards Dead End
14. Hate Me!
15. Downfall
— encore —
16. In Your Face
Photo gallery
