Live Reports

A chronicle of day two of the traditional, now 22nd edition of the Jazz Cerkno festival!

A chronicle of day one of the traditional, 22nd-ever Jazz Cerkno festival!

Depeche ModeMay 14, 2017Ljubljana / Arena Stožice / Slovenia When cult British electro rock outfit Depeche Mode announced their new studio album "Spirit", already their fourteenth, the fan base seriously started to boil. Dave Gahan,…

Plenty of people in Zagreb's Arena were sorry to see the show by these indestructible rock veterans fly by in a blink, lost in the joy of Deep Purple's one-of-a-kind evergreens. The seasoned masters proved once again that nobody can touch…

Eleven years have passed since Depeche Mode, at one of the last concerts at a sold-out Bežigrajski stadion, presented one of their most recognizable records, "Playing the Angel". Back then, with Placebo warming up the crowd, they left a…

The day has finally come: Pyroxene, the up-and-coming Ljubljana heavy metallers of the "new era," have officially put their name on the Slovenian metal map with a proper studio release. The guys have spent the last few years tirelessly and…

As part of the official warm-up party for Rijeka's Dark "O" Metal fest, local heroes Eruption unveiled their new album Cloaks of Oblivion!

Last Thursday Panikk presented their freshly released album Discarded Existence in Ljubljana too, joined by their Croatian buddies Speedclaw!

For the 18th year running, Orto bar has been serving up a wide range of flavors as part of the Orto fest festival. Even the very specific ones. The night for the "specifics" went down on Thursday, April 27, 2017, when four brutal bands took…

Location: Velden am Wörthersee (Vrba na Koroškem), Carinthia / Bluesiana Rock Cafe / Austria Date: Tuesday, April 25, 2017 On April 25, 2017, Mr. Blaze Bayley played the famous Carinthian temple of music known as Bluesiana Rock…

On Wednesday night, as part of Orto fest, Blaze Bayley (ex-Iron Maiden) proved he wasn't picked to replace Bruce Dickinson by accident. And so the stage wouldn't go to waste, Postojna's Vigilance turned in another excellent show of their…

The day before stopping in Ljubljana, Blaze Bayley and his regular crew of backing musicians — Chris Appleton (guitar), Martin McNee (drums) and Karl Schramm (bass), who otherwise "do business" as three quarters of the band Absolva — turned…

Performing: Havok / Warbringer / Gorod / ExmortusLocation: Ljubljana / Orto bar / SloveniaDate: Thursday, April 20, 2017 Anyone who claims thrash is dead and played out should have been at Thursday's show (mainly for Warbringer,…

Opća OpasnostApril 21, 2017Ljubljana / Orto Bar / Slovenia Opća Opasnost is a Croatian hard rock outfit that's been at it since way back in 1992, formed in the town of Županja. After a decade-long break between 1997 and 2008, the…

Five seasoned masters of their craft took their positions in the Gabrijel bar around half past nine in the evening, and this time the gig ran in one piece, with the focus squarely on presenting Igor's latest studio album "State of KU".

Funny thing is, the band only made its debut on Slovenian stages in 2011, with a gig in Brežice. But the years roll on, and the group, who put out a new studio album in 2014 called »Rocker… to sam ja!«, finally made it…

Anyone who claims thrash is dead and buried should have been at Thursday's gig at Orto, because it was living proof that thrash is alive and kicking.

The band cast its spell over Šiška once again, flipped it upside down, turned it inside out. They unleashed and generated enormous quanta of energy that filled the hearts of everyone there. That's Prismojeni profesorji bluesa. They've…

Mid-April doesn't just bring the usual shitty weather and arteries clogged with Easter treats, it also brings something that gets welcomed with a lot more open arms. The traditional Metal Weekend at Trainstation Subart in Kranj!

Jardier, Slovenia's indie rockers, teamed up with Brežice singer-songwriter Daniel Vezoja for a night in Tolmin that showed off their great class, musical sensitivity, piercing artistic flair and a boldly powerful musical focus, which…

Location: Velden Am Wörthersee / Bluesiana Rock Cafe / Austria Date: Thursday, 04/13/2017 It doesn't happen all that often that a band from the days when glam metal was riding its commercial peak stops by somewhere near us. Ladies…

Elvis Jackson won everyone over again with their upbeat, high-energy show. Sure, a favorite or an older track went missing here and there, but there will definitely be plenty of chances for those.

It doesn't happen very often that a band from the days when glam metal was riding its commercial peak stops by anywhere near our neck of the woods. Ladies and gentlemen, this time the culprits behind that original sin are America's Enuff…

On their third return to our stages, with the new studio album Lykaia, Soen have wowed us once again.

"The band plays with undiminished power and fury even in their latest lineup, and with some mileage the new forces in the freshly rejuvenated group will settle into optimal effectiveness. So? Yes! Demolition Group are moving forward!"

So RockLine pulled up at the Gabrijel bar again on Saturday, April 8, 2017. We had a round of excellent Salzburg wheat beer, the Stiegl brand, and soaked up a set from the trio fronted by Americans Mike Parker (double bass) and Frank Parker…

It's been quite a while since American outfit Dog Eat Dog last visited Slovenia, and even longer since their last album, “Walk with me”, came out in 2006. Still, the lively Americans brought their new EP, “Brand new breed”, to the…

That night Demolition Group »survived«. To be honest, I prefer the band's previous lineup, with the one-of-a-kind Joco on sax, but let's be fair. The band plays in its newest lineup too with undiminished power and fury, and with some…

Nocturnal Depression, the French crew from Grenoble, are old friends of ours. At the start of this April they paid Ljubljana another visit. Years ago they played Metelkova with the Danes Make A Change… Kill Yourself, but this time, with a…

On Sunday night, a Viking longship led by Amon Amarth sailed into nearby Graz, Austria. And so the sonic plundering wouldn't be over too soon, they brought along Finland's Omnium Gatherum and their legendary fellow Swedes Dark Tranquillity.

Expecting anything less than a stellar evening, both musically and performance-wise, would have been silly. Panda really stirred up the air on the upper floor of the Soho club.

No two ways about it. You're left speechless. 40 years of Peter Lovšin, the living rock'n'roll fossil and a man who has seen every era of Slovenian rock'n'roll and then some. And this very March he also notched up his tenth studio album,…

That night Edge Of Sins pulled off a solid, no-more-no-less performance at a sadly under-attended MINK, which now promises regular weekend shows. For anything more, the club would have needed more people in it. The band played a decent set…

If you're still stuck in post-festival depression a few days after it ends, you know you were at the right festival. Winter Days of Metal was definitely that kind of festival!

Unfortunately we didn't have time to cover the whole first edition of Winter Days of Metal, but on day one of our visit it was already clear that the festival has serious potential to become one of the best "smaller" festivals around.

Matic Ajdič, Martin Rozman, Jure Doles and Sergej Škofljanec let loose at Cvetličarna that night. And why wouldn't they? It was their party! The sound the engineers cooked up for them was excellent. Pretty much flawless. The show itself…

Neil Zaza is yet another in a line of guitar super-titans, or action superheroes of guitar playing, who belong to the purist current of instrumental guitar, heavily inspired by the look and work of the classics.

The time has come to shoot a documentary about Slovenian metal and hard rock as the eighties knew it. Well, a slice of the seventies too. Denis Brnčič, the brave driving force behind the project, will see it through. No matter what. Come…

"After 18 years and more than 1,000 shows in over 50 countries around the world, Sabaton proved once again on Monday night that they're a force to be reckoned with and that their moment is far from over."

On Monday, Sabaton once again conquered the Zagreb hall, which was packed with plenty of Slovenian fans, and before them Accept served up a proper old-school heavy metal lesson!

Asking Alexandria blew us away a second time. They managed to stretch their setlist, and with their great form they showed that the years aren't catching up with them just yet.

Simple. If it can't be Whitesnake, Bon Jovi or Scorpions, then Gotthard are of course the perfect stand-in for those wet dreams. Always! Vienna was no different. The incredible form and amazing camaraderie of these tough, hard-driving Swiss…

Location: Ljubljana / CUK Kino Šiška / SloveniaDate: 01.03.2017 It's unreal how time flies. Barely two and a half years have gone by since American alternative metallers Helmet dropped by CUK Kino Šiška on the tour where they played…

Slovenian folk metallers Zaria marked the official last show with singer and flutist Inez Osina at Orto bar, with Italian friends of kindred genre persuasion M.A.I.M. as guests.

Post-apocalypse and catharsis finally got going this evening, in the company of Helmet!

So on the last day of this February, for one of their standalone shows, Pretty Maids struck a deal with the famous Bluesiana Rock Cafe club, located in Velden in Austrian Carinthia, where they had already played once, back on 15.05.2014.

"That night, Helstar were greeted at Orto bar once again by all the people whose hearts beat for metal. Decked out in proper metal outfits, with proper metal attitude. That feeling when you walk into a gig and know you're in the right place…

Despite the small crowd, Malignancy, Nader Sadek and company played more than decently at Orto Bar and showed just how merciless death metal can be today.

Bridear2/20/2017Ljubljana / Orto bar / Slovenia Bridear, a Japanese all-female metal quintet formed in 2011 in the city of Fukuoka, stopped by the Slovenian capital on their European tour. The girls came to present their debut…

More vampiring and clinking glasses of rough blood with the one-of-a-kind legends of old-school American speed/thrash metal, Helstar!

Location: Vienna / Simm City / AustriaDate: February 16, 2017 The legendary Glenn Hughes is the man who picked up the flattering nickname "The Voice Of Rock" a long, long time ago. After a good while away, and especially after his…

When it comes to what the female world can pull off musically, Bridear are a one-of-a-kind attraction and an enviable phenomenon that you absolutely have to experience live at least once in your life. Five absolute “sweeties” who summon a…

Location: Zagreb / Tvornica kulture / CroatiaDate: February 12, 2017 Genius? Madman? As the saying goes, there's only one small step between the two. Canadian music wizard Devin Townsend is said to be both, though as he himself…

Glenn Hughes remains one of the best-preserved musicians of that generation of uncut diamonds from rock's pioneering days, the ones who stood rock'n'roll tall in the seventies and, with their musical insight, vision and sheer genius, opened…

Location: Udine / Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine / Italy Date: Thursday, 09.02.2017 Udine's Teatro Nuovo Giovanni played host to a world-class music legend. Rick Wakeman, the English keyboard wizard who made his name as a member of…

Devin Townsend Project dropped their eighth studio album toward the end of last year, and after a long, impatient wait they're finally bringing it to European soil.

One of the greatest keyboardists of all time showed, even in a solo set in Udine, that he's still in a class of his own when it comes to piano renditions of some of the most beloved classics from his solo career and assorted evergreens from…

"HammerFall remain a waterproof, rustproof machine that keeps up an incredible level of performance conviction and a unique charm and charisma."

Location: Graz / Explosiv / AustriaDate: Saturday, 28.01.2017 The day had come when the author of this piece, a die-hard Grave Digger fan with a long career of fandom behind them, set off for their (round-number) tenth show by this…

It's safe to say that HammerFall have passed every test of defiance, durability, endurance and sheer stubbornness. That's twenty years, no less, since their debut studio album »Glory to the Brave« totally unexpectedly kicked off a metal…

An outstanding evening with the legendary German heavy metal band Grave Digger, who built the set around songs from the new album »Healed By Metal«, while still delivering an incredibly sharp and convincing show.

Last Friday, right on the heels of Dirty Skunks' 15th anniversary bash, came another 15th birthday party: the one for On Parole, the country's only homegrown metal label!

Another year has rolled around, and the Slovenian live underground's favorite pets have blown out another candle!

Bands that hide their identity have always held a special pull for audiences thanks to the mystique around them. It's simply human nature to be drawn to the mystical and mysterious, and that's surely the biggest reason behind the huge…

Even though we'd already caught the night's “stars,” Fleshgod Apocalypse, last year in Tolmin at the Metal Days festival, the evening promised a lot. The headliner was said to give the most of themselves on club stages. Judging by what we…

Bakalina are true local stars. Everybody there knows them. They first sold out their Tolmin show scheduled for 10.01.2017, and given the incredible demand from the folks, they added another date on top of that, Sunday 8.1.2017, which at…

"The run of classics from the Beatlemania days carried on with »Eight Days A Week«, which is also the title of the documentary mentioned above about the live tours of the unforgettable foursome."

With their short but heartfelt set, HELP! got everyone in a great mood ahead of the screening of a documentary that fans of the unforgettable 'Fab Four' simply have to see, since the big screen has never offered such a detailed look at…

For the last few years, Space Unicorn on Fire have made a December tradition of galloping into Orto bar, and along with their metal Santa Claus they've become a staple for everyone who can't quite stomach mulled wine and accordions.

Bar Pr' Gabrijel celebrated 21 years in business this year. We're talking, of course, about the famous Cerkno music mecca located nowhere else but in Cerkno. For the occasion, the organizer put together an interesting night of live music,…

"This Dirkschneider show on the »Back to the Roots« tour was the only confirmed date on Czech soil. But it was special for another reason too: the band picked this very gig to film, since they plan to release a live DVD next year."

Ten bands for Zmajevih deset! An enticing, genre-spanning lineup of ten acts, no admission fee, in the last fleeting moments of the dying year. At Ljubljana's Cvetličarna. Kicking off at eight in the evening.

The Dead Daisies delivered a serious showcase of their work, once again proved they're an outstanding stage act, and after a good hour and a half wished everyone happy holidays and a great 2017. The Answer, meanwhile, fully justified their…

In great spirits, Saxon 'conquered' Kino Šiška with ease and 'riddled' it with a hefty dose of their most beloved classics. Even on their 40th anniversary, the NWOBHM champions are still a one-of-a-kind live attraction.

Two hours of phenomenal communion with the legacy of the mighty Accept, courtesy of Udo Dirkschneider and crew. If you miss Udo fronting Accept these days, you got your fix.

The year's incredibly varied run of concerts is slowly winding down, but before it signs off for good, Krampus, since we'd been naughty this year, left us a blasphemous package.

In the final days of 2016, Kranj's Armaroth gave birth to their full-length studio debut Zenith, and its release shook them out of a few months of live hibernation at Trainstation Subart in Kranj.

When it comes to any live show by experimental 'heavyweights' like King Crimson, who have more claim than any other band to the title of 'fathers of progressive rock', it's always hard to find enough words of praise, and their second night…

Moonlight Sky delivered a top-notch atmospheric experience at SiTi Teater, serving up not only an outstanding take on their latest studio effort but also a colorful selection of evergreens from the treasure chest of Macedonian musical…

Amon Amarth paid our neighbors in the Croatian capital a visit for the fourth time, bringing their fellow Swedes Grand Magus along to turn a Tuesday night into one proper Viking party.

"Seriously professional. Played and sung at a top level. Flawless. Precise."

Lacuna Coil, the long-running gothic metal fortress from Milan, who put out their eighth studio album »Delirium« at the end of this May, have been hanging out right next to Slovenia's western border these days as part of their new tour.

On 11/24/2016, quite a few concerts took place in Ljubljana, its surroundings, and across Slovenia in general. Over in Villach, Carinthia, Austria, Canadian blues-rock guitar ace Pat Travers played the same day. As for RockLine, we stayed…

Lips is Lips and, as the band's new album puts it, Anvil is still Anvil.

Steve Harris in a club setting? Yep. What more could an Iron Maiden fan possibly wish for? Iron Maiden at a club show, of course. A pipe dream. Well, the British Lion show Harris delivered in Graz on 11/18/2016 is just the right "band-aid"…

On 17.11.2016, Tilen Pusar's new studio album "New Life" officially came out. As befits such a celebration and turning point in life, the man booked a gig at the Sputnik café, where he played the new record live for the first time.

Teaming up with an orchestra and a choir, The Bohemians pleasantly surprised us and delighted us with an interesting selection of Queen standards, and they managed to convince most of the crowd at Hala Tivoli that this is a top-quality…

Jean-Michel Jarre put on a spectacle worthy of his reputation at Stožice in Ljubljana, and proved why, after all these years and despite legions of younger imitators, he's still the most important and most distinguished name on the…

The softer you play, the hotter emotions and passions burn. Tindersticks once again crawled under our skin, the way only they can. Masters of building up a deeply atmospheric effect that floats on the purism of organic sound and flawless…

"Riding the wings of the untamed, phenomenal Bobby "Blitz," whom the years simply refuse to touch and who once again stunned with an unbelievable vocal performance, the band saved one more surprise: Elimination from the album "The Years of…

Overkill, old-school thrashers from New Jersey, are one of those bands that don't understand or accept the word "break". The show with legendary sludge masters Crowbar confirmed the untamed youthful energy with which Overkill conquered…

We waited a full 34 years for Voivod to finally make a stop in Slovenia, but last Wednesday we finally got them. With Entombed A.D. and Lord Dying.

Obscura, Revocation, Beyond Creation and Rivers of Nihil packed out Orto Bar and, with their outstanding playing, proved that technical and progressive death metal is still full of surprises and innovation.

Finally, another trip to Cerkno and its famous bar Pr' Gabrijel. A fresh free-jazz session, pretty much the first since the three-day May storm, when the legendary Jazz Cerkno festival ruled the town. So. The destination is familiar. The…

Matevž Šalehar, the one and only Hamo, a man whose heart belongs to the rich legacy of this galaxy's blues rock voodoo, and his band Tribute 2 Love are celebrating ten years together these days. To mark the anniversary, the band put on a…

" Top-notch, eye-catching, wholehearted, and played with incredible delight and a hefty dose of full-blooded fun. Throughout, the show also came with just the right amount of cheekiness and dark humor, which Hamm used to talk to the crowd…

The duo of Rotting Christ and Inquistion delivered what's probably the best black metal show of the year a week ago!

Looks like Swans, the famed standard-bearers of the American "no wave" movement, have found their permanent home in Slovenia. Two years on, they were back at Kino Šiška (their third visit overall). This time they brought a new record, their…

"Enslaved proved once again that they're world-class musicians who've got pretty much no equal in Norwegian black metal."

Norwegian veterans Enslaved won the crowd over before they'd even properly started, with the sampled voice of Alex, brilliantly brought to life by Malcolm McDowell in Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, summoning everyone to the stage.