Authors: Aleš Podbrežnik, Sebastijan Videc
Photos: Nina Grad, Jerneja Jerak
Location: Tolmin / Slovenia
Concert date: 26.07.2013
Attendance: 15,000
Croatia’s Rising Dream from Zadar gave the scene a serious shake-up in 2008 when they dropped their debut studio album »Failed Apocalypse«. They even opened for Iron Maiden in Split back then! Time flies mercilessly, and in the five years leading up to their Tolmin show, Rising Dream changed quite a bit stylistically too. They now have a female singer, Ines. And Ines can be a real beast, because besides clean melodic vocals, she also unleashes proper death metal growls, which Rising Dream have solidly welded onto their original power metal melodicism. The new Rising Dream are noticeably angrier and sound way more extreme! The band also likes complex figures, so their music is packed with riffs and rhythms rooted in thrash metal. Of course, you can’t shake off the touch of melodic death metal anymore. But the front of the stage was totally empty. Ten to fifteen people, probably friends who’d made the trip from Croatia. The band promises a new studio album this year, titled »System Corrupt«. A Croatian Arch Enemy? Don’t worry. Not even close!
Slovenia’s Last Day Here, who birthed their second studio album »A New Begining« just days before the MetalDays festival, are considered one of the more interesting bands to emerge on our turf in recent years. That hot Friday afternoon, Last Day Here once again proved that, true to their slogan, they live every day (and every gig) like it’s their last. The half-past-two slot was, to put it mildly, brutal – blazing sun, temperatures above thirty degrees Celsius, and only tiny patches of shade around the main stage meant that just a handful of people caught their set. But despite all the adversity, the guys gave it everything. An incredibly energetic performance with a mix of songs from both albums left us anything but indifferent. If about fifty of us were enjoying the show at the start, the number had doubled by the end, and it’s also worth mentioning that Stu Block (Iced Earth) was in the crowd, visibly enjoying the musical energy pouring off the stage. The only question is whether it would’ve been better to put a band of this caliber on the smaller stage in the evening, or maybe even better, to slot them in as the local representative among the bigger names of the evening shows.
British death metallers Bloodshot Dawn showcased an excellent rhythm section in their massacre – dynamic and technically sharp. The closing Godless offered a real genre blend in its outro, from Celtic harmonies backed by modern »breakdowns«, which alarmingly smelled of the modern tracks of some of their countrymen Bullet For My Valentine. In short, Bloodshot Dawn are an excellently tight quartet who came without any pomp, chopped through their material, and seriously fired up the sparse crowd in front of the stage, who didn’t forget to demand an encore when the set ended.
And then came Gravewrom. The sun was beating down on our foreheads. Mercilessly and ruthlessly. And Graveworm were raising hell too. The South Tyroleans delivered their take on symphonic black metal, which likes to slide into death metal-style »melodizing«. The band, from Bruneck, once again ran into a pretty muddy sound, with the guitars buzzing like bees and the vocals seriously burying them. The show opened with the highly dynamic The World Will Die In Flames, and then through I – The Machine and Legions Unleashed, Graveworm screwed the nails into their coffins tighter and tighter. The keyboards (naturally) got »short-changed« in the mix too. But never mind. The band held it together properly, with a professional attitude, and although a decent bunch of curious onlookers were glued in front of the stage, they definitely made a handful of hot-blooded fans happy, who cheered them on throughout the set. Too bad, a lot of happy buzzing. The fact is that Graveworm never stray from a recognizable musical identity in their own material.
One of the most eagerly awaited performances was definitely that of American old-school heavy metallers Metal Church. A real little »treat« for all connoisseurs of heavy metal’s primal heritage. No kitsch, no glitz, no stage sets. With Metal Church, only the guitar riff has ever counted. The power of its expression! And it always had charisma and hunger. The lineup of Kurdt Vanderhoof (guitar), Ronnie Munroe (vocals), Steve Unger (bass), Rick Van Zandt (guitar), and Jeff Plate (drums, ex-Savatage) took the stage in the worst heat of the day. They smashed straight into your teeth with the catchy crusher Ton Of Bricks. Ronnie Munroe proved to be an outstanding vocalist, effortlessly recreating the vibe of classic Metal Church shows from when the late Dave Wayne was still singing for them. Excellent stage execution. From the first second to the last. Sadly, the heat dragged down the band’s mood. They even brought heaters onto the stage during the set. Most visibly of all, band leader Kurdt Vanderhoof was suffering, wincing miserably the whole time as sweat poured down his face in torrents. Despite an excellent set that included Gods Of Wrath, Watch the Children Pray, A Light In The Dark, Start the Fire, Fake Healer, and Beloynd the Black, the band wrapped up a bit earlier than expected. So they didn’t play the song Metal Church, which in principle has to be at every one of their shows. Still, we got a real fistful of dynamite straight to the face from the legendary band, who chopped out some unforgettable riffs that shaped metal’s early history across the pond. Truly one of the most interesting concerts at the festival. Especially for those of us who love rarity gigs. Those of you who own the 1986 »bootleg« titled »Live!«, released through SPV Records in 1998, must have experienced a real little reprise of this show, with Metal Church rolling out classic after classic in the middle of Tolmin. Until recently, Metal Church’s future looked sealed. The band officially retired in 2009, then reunited last year and officially announced they’re recording a new album. Let’s hope the promotion for it might bring them to a club gig in Ljubljana!
Irish oddballs Primordial could quite justifiably be called, for many people, the band of the festival’s fifth day they were waiting longest to see on stage. They delivered one of the best sets not just of the last day, but of the entire festival. Excellent veterans and extreme metallers who’ve been kicking since 1987 offer a unique musical mix that, on one hand, comes from the foundations of black metal, to which they add traditional elements of Irish folk music. But they don’t do it with tin whistles, accordions, and violins; rather, they do it through their own unique prism of tempering a sinister, metal-sharpened sound, which leaves neither the living nor, let alone, prisoners behind. The band opened the show around five in the afternoon. And with the first track of their current studio album »Redemption at the Puritan’s Hand« (2011), called No Grave Deep Enough. After an opener like that, nobody expected a show full of joy and good cheer. Darkness fell over MetalDays for an hour. Primordial stole the day, turning the heavenly bodies into a solar eclipse. All that was missing was a cloudburst, and the cup would have been full. Vocalist Alan Averill (aka A.A. Nemtheanga) is an outstanding leader. One of the best frontmen in metal, period. He’s pushed his stage scenario and performance to the max. His stage presence and charisma recall another vocal character, David Bower of the NWOBHM band Hell. Alan never runs out of ammo for creating the drama of the moment. Passionate, immersed, and relentless. Incredible adaptation of his vocal character to the message of the verses! Band outstanding! In every respect! In top gear, they delivered one of the best performances of the festival. A show that’s over before it’s even begun, and one that makes you say afterward that you’ve got to see them on stage again as soon as possible!
It’s incredible how far Powerwolf (once true kitschy short-pants guys) have climbed. They’re power metallers who draw ideas for their stage shtick and shtick-y theatrics from the legend of the Transylvanian count Vlad II, affectionately known as Dracula. A thoroughly generic musical statement, but backed up and packaged in a vampire fairy tale. And that’s enough. There’s a pile of bands like that, and it’s the only way to redirect the audience and keep them from digging too deep into your music, so they don’t discover how generic you actually are. Let the crowd busy itself with the spectacle of your shows instead. So American logic is increasingly eating its way into the pores of the old European continent, warping the healthy European mindset and the healthy nurturing of, care for, and sense of art. Sadly. The band released their new studio album »Preachers Of The Night« barely a week before coming to Tolmin. Of course, the main figure on stage is singer Attila Dorn, who has gained tremendous stage confidence in the last few years and so came across as very convincing during the set. The crowd simply had a blast. Bread and circuses! No two ways about it. I remember Powerwolf at the Bang Your Head!! Festival in 2009. It was ten in the morning, and the band had 40 minutes. They were green. Very green. Combined with that day’s lineup, which included Laaz Rockit, Cloven Hoof, Driver, and Sacred Right, they were instantly lost in the shuffle. But the guys deserve congratulations for steering their ship, in defiance of it all, so far and, in fact, so high.
Wintersun were the most anticipated band of the day. For most of the people who came to the festival this year. The entire MetalDays festival crammed itself in front of the main stage. All fine, and the canned intro starts playing. The first minute goes by. All fine. All normal. But then comes a »pop«! And then everything croaks! The lights die, everything dies. The crowd whistles its disapproval, the festival falls silent. A good while passed, about 15 minutes, while they sorted things out, and the band could finally begin the show. But it didn’t last long. Maybe twenty minutes, when the story repeated itself. And again there was waiting and waiting, and the crowd was sad and grumpy. Wintersun really are hot and crunchy. Like fresh bread rolls. Metallers who are, by their own account, basically melodic death metal, but mix in absolutely every possible metal subgenre, from power metal to folk metal, and some even add the label progressive metal. In short, Wintersun delivered six songs to the audience at MetalDays, showing all their heart, great willingness, and respect for their fans, whom they absolutely refused to leave in the lurch. It happens to even the »best« sometimes. Well, let’s hope Wintersun make it up soon with a new tour to all the fans who left the main stage area starving for their music!
And for the finale, a great comeback, a great debtor, and in that respect one of the sweetest surprises of this year. The lost-and-found sinister son of metal and master of the creepiest tales. King Diamond. King Diamond hasn’t changed an inch. Everything stays the same. From the stage set to the famous face paint. Before the show began, there was real, genuine tension in the air. It felt like people didn’t care at all what the King would pull off on stage; only one thing mattered. That he plays. That he shows up on stage. One way or another. We really missed him! For quite a few years, the belief was that the man had retired and had no intention of performing anymore, or even releasing albums. Especially after November 2010 came around. Right in the days when his bassist Hal Patino was helping out his Danish countrymen and colleagues Pretty Maids on tour, who were presenting the album »Pandemonium!« around Europe, it almost looked like we’d be left without King Diamond. He suffered several heart attacks in a row, but a successful operation gave him a triple »bypass« and saved his life! And so King Diamond, luckily, brought himself and the horror with him. But no spells. Or did he?
King Diamond remains King Diamond. Vocally he’s superior. Just like on the records! His instantly recognizable falsetto landed at full force during the set. On his left, forever his loyal servant Andy La Roque, on his right first bassist Hal Patino and then Mike Wead, and behind the drum fortress, Mad Thompson!
No point wasting words on the show itself. An improvised house porch with a fence set right at the edge of the stage – so you had to watch the whole King theatrical production through the bars. From time to time, the King’s head with its lolling tongue poked out between the bars. As always, with the microphone attached to two crossed bones. The stage came alive with the opening classic The Candle (»The Fatal Portrait«, 1985), and before long a tough granny in a wheelchair rolled onto the stage too (Saxon would yell in unison: “She’s got Wheeels, Wheels of Steel!!!”), as the band continued with Welcome Home (»Them«, 1987). The shtick theater unfolded fast. The concert was a kind of stroll through King Diamond’s discography! In fact, thanks to the constant changes of scenery and shots, things moved quickly and the minutes flew by. In principle, King Diamond made use of the improvised stage platforms on the left and right and the balcony, while the others climbed up there only occasionally. La Roque took maybe two steps left and right of his home spot on stage during the show, whereas hyperactive Hal Patino crisscrossed the stage from end to end. The excellent chemistry between Wead and La Roque sparked in a few unforgettable riffs from King Diamond’s career. The setlist was excellent, made up of songs on which King Diamond built his cult monument in the golden eighties. As expected, and to the crowd’s great delight, the band also dropped two Mercyful Fate classics (Come to the Sabbath, Evil). The only “newer” song was Shapes Of Black from the latest album »Give Me Your Soul« (2007), and King Diamond brought the regular set to an end relatively quickly, closing with The Eye Of The Witch (»The Eye«, 1990). The King and his crew took us into an intense finish with two »Abigail« classics and salted the obligatory encore to everyone’s taste with the track Evil from Mercyful Fate’s debut »Melissa« (1983).
A somewhat short set and the drum solo in the middle suggest that King Diamond isn’t as fresh as he used to be. Still, with his vocals and stage theater he created exactly what we came for. Of course, with excellent playing from his loyal servants. No slip-ups were felt during the show, just some energy-saving and a repertoire at least 15 minutes too short. A new studio album is in the works. Then we’ll be waiting for a new tour. I can conclude that, aside from the energy-saving remark, King Diamond’s show lived up to expectations as one of the highlights of MetalDays 2013.
The main headliners of the evening on the second stage were Swedish doom metallers Candlemass. Original members Leif Edling (bass) and Mats Björkman (guitar), alongside Jan Lindh (drums), guitarist Lars Johansson, and the newest addition, vocalist Mats Leven, hold the reins, while keyboardist Per Wiberg (ex-Opeth) helps Candlemass out live as a sixth member. Candlemass aren’t letting up, and they definitely delivered one of the best shows of the whole week at the festival. The right choice for a proper band that has the honor of closing the festival! Last year Candlemass released the new studio album »Psalms For The Dead« (2012), and they opened the evening with the album’s first track, called Prophet!
The minimalism of the stage lighting suited the band’s nature enormously. The ambience suited it even more. The little woods. Especially when they hit with the song Under the Oak. Mats Leven sadly will never be Messiah Marcolin, but his singing still captured the story of the atmosphere that only Candlemass can create. Leven is a seasoned man. He already worked with Björkman in the band Krux, and he’s also got a pinch of theatricality in his little finger, having previously worked with Therion. An experienced artist, then. Of course, the charisma of his stage presence is cut from entirely different cloth than Marcolin’s, but execution counts first and foremost. And the Swedes on stage are genuine in their actions and perfect in execution! A manifesto of true Scandinavian perfectionism, with the sincere passion of the musicians glowing from somewhere underground as they relentlessly settled scores with the riffs of the repertoire. Both the newest ones (Prophet, Waterwitch, Psalms For The Dead, Black As Time) and the most anticipated ones, which offered mocking “face-lifted” versions of classics like Emperor of the Void, At The Gallows End, Bewitched, Dark Reflections, Crystal Ball, and, as expected, Solitude at the close. The MetalDays 2013 show overshadowed their Balingen set from the warm-up day of the Bang Your Head!!! festival. Simply because of the ambience in which Candlemass played in Tolmin. They felt great. They radiated even more relaxedness and even more communication and openness toward the audience, which filled every last corner of space in front of the stage. It was, after all, the last show of the festival, which was quietly and slowly fading out. And with Candlemass, what a handy band name, the last festival candle went out too. A brilliance of a show and an atmosphere where the chemistry between the crowd and the band reached an extraordinary homogeneity, and where you could feel that saying goodbye would be hard. Goodbye to this year’s MetalDays festival. See you next year!
Setlist
METAL CHURCH:
1. Terminator 2 Main Title (intro)
2. Ton of Bricks
3. Start the Fire
4. A Light in the Dark
5. Fake Healer
6. Gods of Wrath
7. Badlands
8. Watch the Children Pray
9. Beyond the Black
SVART CROWN:
01. Intro
02. Apocalyptic Triumph
03. Into a Demential Sea
04. In Utero: A Place of Hatred and Threat
05. Nahash the Temptator
06. Profane
07. Ascetic Purification
08. Revelation: Down Here Stillborn
PRIMORDIAL:
01. No Grave Deep Enough
02. Gods to the Godless
03. Bloodied Yet Unbowed
04. As Rome Burns
05. Traitors Gate
06. The Coffin Ships
07. Empire Falls
POWERWOLF:
01. Lupus Daemonis (Intro)
02. Sanctified With Dynamite
03. We Drink Your Blood
04. Amen & Attack
05. Werewolves of Armenia
06. In the Name of God
07. Resurrection by Erection
08. Coleus Sanctus
09. All We Need Is Blood
10. Kreuzfeuer
11. Raise Your Fist, Evangelist
12. Lupus Dei
13. Wolves Against the World (outro)
WINTERSUN:
01. When Time Fades Away
02. Sons of Winter and Stars
03. Beautiful Death
04. Death and the Healing
05. Winter Madness
06. Starchild
AURA NOIR:
01. Upon the Dark Throne
02. Blood Unity
03. Abbadon
04. Hades Rise
05. Deep Tracts of Hell
06. Black Deluge Night
07. Hell’s Fire
08. Shadows of Death
09. The Stalker
10. Black Metal Jaw
11. Conqueror
12. Sons of Hades
KING DIAMOND:
01. The Candle
02. Welcome Home
03. At the Graves
04. Up from the Grave
05. Voodoo
06. Sleepless Nights
07. Drum Solo
08. Dreams
09. Come to the Sabbath
10. Shapes of Black
11. Eye of the Witch
—encore—
12. The Family Ghost
13. Evil
14. Black Horsemen
CANDLEMASS:
01. Marche Funebre (intro)
02. Prophet
03. Bewitched
04. Dark Reflections
05. Waterwitch
06. Emperor of the Void
07. Under the Oak
08. At the Gallows End
09. Psalms for the Dead
10. Black as Time
11. Crystal Ball
12. Solitude
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