Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Location: Ljubljana / Orto bar / Slovenia
Concert date: 02.03.2017
Attendance: 100
Ticket price: €5.00
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.
The night was opened by Slovenia’s own Zaria. The sextet played mostly their own material, backed by a hundred or so loyal supporters keeping them company in the crowd. Totally confident and dignified, even if musically Zaria bring neither revolution nor progress. Folk metal firmly propped up by a wall of riffs from two guitars and a high level of musicality, stringing together musical solutions of trivial predictability. Most eyes were on the charismatic Inez, who once again proved herself an excellent singer and a very good flutist, while the band as a whole, aware that this was in fact their last night with the singer (who worked with the band Brezno before joining Zaria), radiated cheer and good vibes. A likeable, confident and satisfying set. Potential candidates who dig folk metal with Slovenian lyrics, which luckily gives Zaria their own identity, you’re warmly invited to get in touch with the band and join up as lead singer.
M.A.I.M., Italian folk metallers, took the stage after Zaria, which made it even more crowded up there, since M.A.I.M. are a septet. Sadly, the good-natured Italians, who radiated serious commitment and cheerfully, in the best of spirits, urged the crowd to join in, didn’t get the same support and reception, as the audience had thinned out by at least half. Despite that, M.A.I.M. kept up that commitment. The band will have to hone its musical vision going forward. Even though they came across as quite fun with their face paint, they need to decide whether to stick with a vocal style that isn’t exactly compatible with the rest of the songs’ character. The vocalist is a real enigma. Dressed like a proper biker in a Motörhead shirt and with a “robber” cap pulled down over his head, and with vocals that came across as more annoying than inviting, he’s maybe not the best solution for the band’s future. M.A.I.M. are definitely still searching for themselves, so their set didn’t feel as confident and convincing as Zaria’s, who in terms of developing a vision for their musical identity are simply a few steps ahead. The Italians also sounded a bit out of tune at times, they allowed themselves a few flubs, and the guitars were off toward the end, but the good energy never ran dry, which of course counts for something in the final tally.
All in all, a night tailor-made for fans of symphonic folk metal. If Nightwish, Epica and Delain are an investment that brings promoters in Slovenia nothing but losses and gray hair, Zaria offered a little band-aid for the hearts of shortchanged fans who have to travel abroad to see Nightwish. We here at the editorial office of our webzine also wish Inez all the best on her path ahead, and the Zaria crew continued success and musical growth!
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