Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Location: Gradisca d'Isonzo / Slot bar Prestige / Italy
Concert date: 12.10.2014
Attendance: 150
Ticket price: €0.00 (free entry!)
Once upon a time, there was Fury UK. In 2011 they toured Europe through November and December as the support act for Iced Earth. The band, whose main figures were Chris (guitar, vocals) and Luke Appleton (bass), split up in 2012. On that Iced Earth tour, Luke clearly made a serious impression on the great Jon Schaffer with his playing, and after the tour Jon invited him to become Iced Earth’s permanent bassist. The guy couldn’t possibly turn that down, which also meant the end of Fury UK. Soon after Fury UK fell apart, Chris Appleton rebuilt the trio under a new name: Absolva. In 2012 they put out their debut studio album, »Flames of Justice«. The following year brought a live CD and DVD, which is a fairly surprising (and brave) move for newcomers on the scene. Now I’m holding the second studio album by Absolva, which means Chris managed to keep the creative charge of the debut alive. And then some. This past March, Blaze Bayley (ex-Iron Maiden) »borrowed« Absolva as his backing band for a new European tour. At one of those shows, in March 2014, Blaze Bayley and Absolva visited the little town of Gradisca d'Isonzo. Absolva kept in touch with the promoter, who invited them back for a new show! As part of their own headlining European tour. With free entry. Again. It just goes to show that our western neighbors never run out of enthusiasm when it comes to organizing this kind of gig!
To make the event even more »punchy« and effective promotionally, the promoter invited three Italian bands to warm up the club before Absolva hit the stage as the evening’s headliners. So we got Animal House, Bluerose and Kiss of the Queen! Because of daily obligations, we left Slovenia really late that day, so we dropped into the venue a little after ten in the evening, just as the club was on a break and everybody was waiting for Absolva to go on.
This tour is a special one. Only for this run, by a lucky twist of circumstances, bassist Luke Appleton (Iced Earth) returned to the lineup.. By name, Luke is without a doubt the »heaviest« member of Absolva right now, so the promo copy for the band’s tour leaned heavily on mentioning Iced Earth. The band was pushing the new studio album »Anthems of the Dead«, released this May, and as expected they also squeezed a few tracks from the debut »Flames of Justice« into the set. The hour-and-a-half show drew a total of 70 fired-up metal heads in front of the stage, and the band came at them with everything, spewing fire from every possible angle! Chris Appleton especially impressed with his performance. The man is an outstanding musician. A great vocalist and a superior guitarist. All in one. A real »deadly weapon«. Absolva built an exceptional sound (thanks for that to the sound engineer, too!). Three people produced an incredibly packed, noisy, massive wall of sound. The band didn’t care about the modest turnout and just dove into the »grind« without holding back. Chris is phenomenal. He covers a huge amount of ground with just one guitar. Holding up the other end are his brother Luke with his playing technique and the wild drumming locomotive Dan McNee. Chris Appleton proved himself an excellent frontman. He delivered in every section, even the highest ones. The man, strapped into a black Gibson »SG«, kept the mood cheerful throughout with colorful, typically British black humor. He probably picked that up on the previous tour, with Blaze Bayley as his sidekick, and we all know Blaze’s tongue runs like it’s well-oiled! So the reactions from the crowd, small as it was, were very intense. The band is still small as far as name recognition goes! So it has to put a few »magnets« in the set list to keep the crowd glued to the stage. That’s why they played two Iron Maiden covers, Powerslave and, near the end of the show, Fear of the Dark. Chris got the crowd roaring along a few times on the originals too. Absolva didn’t skip the Fury UK songs either! Around the halfway mark Chris announced the first Fury UK track, Athena, and the regular set closed with another Fury UK song, Death by Lightning. For the obligatory encore, Absolva played one more cover. The riff everybody knows, a huge classic: Heaven And Hell (Black Sabbath).
The show was over in the blink of an eye. Great sound from the first second to the last note of the classic exit. It’s a joy to watch the drive and dedication of Absolva in every second of their set. They win you over instantly. With flawless playing and plenty of heart! Chris especially, who is a fantastic guitarist. Absolva are the modern heirs of the NWOBHM invasion of the early eighties. There’s no doubt about it when it comes to their musical style. Chris is also an excellent screamer, which this style demands, but above all it’s the jagged riff sharpness combined with venomously fast playing, with the trio’s high-octane, adrenaline-rush voltage, that wins you over on the spot! Very few mistakes could be heard. The trio is incredibly tight! The great musical value of the songs is, of course, inherited first and foremost from the life and work of Iron Maiden.
A great concert night. A success in every way. A charming club, a friendly crowd, good beer and, of course, what counts the most. Good heavy metal! Big thanks go above all to the incredible faith and dedication of the organizer of this event, Luigi. Without people like him, we wouldn’t have seen Swedish doom-metal fortress Candlemass at the same venue this August, or Blaze Bayley this March, or, last year, Crucified Barbara and Threshold as part of the Ciao Luca festival. We’ll definitely be back at Slot Bsr Prestige at the first chance, and soon!
Setlist
1. Intro
2. The Devils Mouth
3. Victimiser
4. Anthems to the Dead
5. Never Back Down
6. Live for the Fight
7. Killing Season
8. From Beyond the Light
9. Athena (Fury UK)
10. Silent Sacrifice
11. Taste the Blood
12. Drum Solo
13. Powerslave (Iron Maiden)
14. Flames of Justice
15. Code Red
16. Fear of the Dark (Iron Maiden)
17. Death by Lightning (Fury UK)
18. Heaven And Hell (Black Sabbath)
Photo Gallery
