Author: Rok Klemše
Venue: Izbruhov bazen, Kranj
Concert date: 02.10.2009
Attendance: 0
The year flew by, October rolled around, and with it, of course, time for a new Metalfest at Izbruhov bazen in Kranj. The Bazen is and remains one of the liveliest spots for metal on home turf, and the unique “old-school” atmosphere of the hall is the reason metal events at the Bazen always stay in the memory. Going to Izbruh’s Metalfest every October is pretty much a must, since over two days the crew serves up a nice bunch of great local acts. With an emphasis on those you can’t catch in every dive bar, every village procession, and at least twice a week.
Warming up the Bazen on the festival’s second day were Woli Wo from Grgar. They delivered a solid half hour of alcoweed thrash, a relaxed performance, and a lovably wasted frontman, Beni, who sounds like Abbath on speed. The music itself is nothing special, but the show was confident and energetic, the rum balls were probably sweet, and tracks a la Satan iz gozda sound like a metal version of Slon in sadež/Zmelkoow.
Aeonic were supposed to be up next, but sadly they lost their drummer and as a result cancelled their Metalfest slot. Still, more than a worthy replacement was found. Back on the Bazen stage after two years were the masters of progressive/technical death/thrash metal from Carinthia, Wartune. The gig was hotly anticipated, since apart from Metalkramp, Wartune hadn’t been seen on stage for a good two years. Given how (in)frequently Wartune take the stage, seeing them live is a true pleasure. These guys are a balm for ears that love “slightly” more complex music, and Wartune have tricks up their sleeves that neither Death, nor Pestilence, nor Cynic, nor Atheist would be ashamed of, and plenty of them. For a solid three quarters of an hour it was a real lesson in how to keep your head on a neck that just won’t stop spinning. The new-old Wartune lineup is fantastically tight and visibly enjoying itself on stage. Technical riffs fly effortlessly from the fingers of the guitar duo Ozi/Piko, phenomenal solos full of atonality and dissonance come flying from every direction, and even Masvidal wouldn’t turn down these ideas. What Tilen does on bass is on the edge of human capability, and the lines aren’t just technically unbelievably complex but also well thought out, diligently complementing the guitars. Lenart’s pounding on the poor drums is also something to marvel at, and Hosta sounds even better vocally than the last time I saw Wartune. The intensity kept building from the first track, Sights of Remorse, to the closer, and Wartune also threw in a philosophical Death classic, played so well that Chuck himself would be proud. I don’t know whether it’s the iron coming out of the Ravne ironworks (Metal!) or whether Carinthia has an unusual number of crossroads where the guys sell their souls to the devil Robert Johnson-style. But one thing is clear: Wartune are one of the best Slovenian bands, and I can only repeat the sentence I write at the end of every Wartune report – when’s the record coming!?
The youngsters Shutdown took us back to the old-school days of real heavy metal, serving up three quarters of an hour of true, very high-quality heavy metal in the style of old Judas Priest, Saxon and Iron Maiden on one side, and hard rock a la Van Halen on the other. The result is catchy, singalong hard ‘n heavy, which Shutdown deliver live with enormous energy, mostly thanks to the unstoppable vocalist Egzi, who quickly outgrows even a bigger stage than the Bazen’s. The headbanging was fueled by heavy metal anthems that are becoming real homegrown metal evergreens, which is no wonder, since the delivery is fantastically energetic and the choruses of the heavy crushers Križarji, Valkira and Virginia are so catchy that they stick in your head after just a few listens. And what’s most commendable is that Shutdown are still “kids”, averaging a fresh-faced 18 years old, yet on stage they act like old concert tomcats who’ve been torturing the stage boards since 1989.
The more brutal follow-up came from the worshippers of vulvas, the only local porn grinders, Vulvathrone. If Shutdown wrapped the stage in the romantic, nostalgic rhythms of heavy metal, Vulvathrone deflowered it in the most perverse way possible with the very first track, Allure of Domination. Reduced to a Sexual Object hehe. The guys dominated the stage with a mix of cuts from their debut and their just-released new album, Passion of Perversity. Vulvathrone successfully brutalized everyone in the hall, and charmed the gentler part of the audience with little numbers like Kurva, Toilet Slut and The Cult of Vulva. With the new album’s tracks they proved it’s a big step forward from the debut, and the three brutal, aggressive vocalists still work great.
With Eruption we thrashed our way into Lifeless Paradise, the band’s just-released debut. The guys played the whole record and, led by Tim, took us on a good three-quarter-hour ride starting with the excellent instrumental intro to Twisted Reality, full of great lines and a dynamic, varied structure. What followed was an uncompromising blast of proper old-school thrash metal full of raw riffs, virtuoso solos and a crushing rhythm section. Eruption of course can’t do without the unmistakable Bucot, who nailed the vocal duties. Sadly, though, Eruption got the worst sound of the night, with the squealing and crackling seemingly never ending. Even so, they confidently presented their excellent debut despite the technical problems, a record full of aggressive thrasher anthems that are and will become concert classics on local stages.
The perfect finish to Metalfest 2009 came from Lene kosti, who earned their headliner spot. Right from the start the unforgettable frontman Milan Krušič delivered another surprise, striding out from behind the stage dressed in the psychopathic surgeon’s garb of his alter ego Dr. Evil, swimming across the Bazen and greeting us with the classic I Got the. With every gig, Lene kosti more than justify their return to the stage, and the Kranj show might have been the high point of all the concert activity of the reunited lineup. The band marched energetically into a set of classics mixed with new tracks that will appear on the upcoming record they’re currently recording. After the heavy metal crusher Stones of Death, guitarist Giovani Kavaš slung an acoustic guitar around his neck, which could mean only one thing – a fantastically performed Judas Priest (Joan Baez) classic, Diamonds&Rust, in which the evil doctor shows off what kind of vocal chops he’s got! Later on, the not-at-all-lazy Lene kosti (considering how active they were on stage) offered a teaser of three new tracks that sound seriously promising, delighted us with a ZZ Top classic, and rattled off hit after hit, classic after classic, without breathing or stopping. The anthemic heavy metal crushers, which Lene kosti in their own unique style mix at the right moments with energetic, almost danceable boogie rock influences, were also interrupted by the novelty Play With Fire and the interesting instrumental The Sting. The band’s probably most recognizable song, Russian Girl, was this time led by drummer Miha “Bomber” Nedoh, and Milan greeted the loyal and fanatical fan club from neighboring Croatia, who came to Kranj especially for this gig. Hats off! Lene kosti made a really smart move with the comeback, since with every gig they conjure up the special vibe of a proper metal/rock party. We can hardly wait for the album!
Photos: Robi Lipej (Vulvathrone, Lene kosti)
Nina Grad (Shutdown)
Setlist
WARTUNE: 1. Sights of Remorse 2. Endless Cruelty 3. Return of the Wolves 4. I Am Become Death (The Destroyer of Worlds) 5. Indentified Progression 6. The Philosopher 7. Wartune VULVATHRONE: 1. Allure of Domination 2. Reduced to a Sexual Object 3. Cum-Socket 4. Maxxed Out 5. Kurva 6. Toilet Slut 7. Metaphysics of Torture 8. The Cult of Vulva 9. Psychopatia Sexualis ERUPTION: 1. Twisted Reality 2. Democracy 3. The Sands of Time 4. Electrified 5. Prayers Betrayers 6. The Auditors 7. Inner Wasteland 8. Monumental Mind 9. Playing With Matches LENE KOSTI: 1. I Got the 2. Stones of Death 3. Diamons&Rust 4. Uninvited Guest 5. Nightmare 6. Sunrise 7. Tube Snake Boogie 8. Iron Dragon 9. Play With Fire 10. The Sting 11. Time For Love 12. Warrior 13. Russian Girl 14. Rock Power 15. Do Or Die — encore — 16. Russian Girl 17. Rock Power
Photo gallery
