Performers: Xaon, Diabolical, Krisiun, Septicflesh
Location: Ljubljana / Orto bar / Slovenia
Date: Wednesday, 27.03.2019
Greek symphonic death metallers Septicflesh never rest. They promoted their latest album Codex Omega (2017) all over the world, but before locking themselves in the studio, the band decided on one more European tour, which of course made a stop in Slovenia too. You could maybe accuse them of visiting a bit too often, but this time the package was more than good enough reason for death metal fans to catch Septicflesh live once again. The band was joined by Brazilian death metal veterans Krisiun, Sweden’s Diabolical and Switzerland’s Xaon.
Swiss band Xaon opened the show, kicking off in front of a practically empty hall. The only people there were the photographers up front and a handful of curious souls. But luckily, a few more people trickled in as Xaon played, giving the young band a chance to win them over with their take on symphonic death metal. They gave it a real go, but there was nothing that really stood out. The new album is in play, and a few tracks from it were performed, so there’s some progress happening, but Xaon still have quite a bit of grinding ahead of them.
This wasn’t Diabolical’s first time in front of a Slovenian crowd. Years ago at Metelkova they didn’t quite win people over, but ever since vocalist Sverker Widgren left Demonical and put Diabolical first, things have started to look up. The band recently released the album Eclipse, and they drew their set from it, with a few tracks from Neogenesis in the mix too. Diabolical basically play death metal, but with a few black metal touches thrown in to give everything a more atmospheric sound. You might think of Hypocrisy, but Diabolical take a different approach. They have dark moments with clean vocals, and some orchestration too. But there’s also the odd fast number in a more traditional style. It’s a conceptually interesting thing that will need some more time to reach bigger crowds, and above all, more frequent touring.
Brazilian death metal trio Krisiun probably need no special introduction. They’ve visited Slovenia a few times over the last ten years, and they were especially convincing at the Metaldays festival. The band, led by three brothers, shows no signs of letting up. They delivered brutal death metal, which to this day is a synonym for fast, precise playing. It’s hard to say who stands out most. The brothers are perfectly in sync, and despite the breakneck speed, you can’t catch a single mistake. At first drummer Max Kolesne might really stand out, but it quickly becomes clear that guitarist Moyses Kolesne and bassist Alex Carnargo aren’t lagging behind in the slightest. The only problem Krisiun have is that they can get a bit one-note with all the fast songs, but a slower number does pop up here and there, and for a bit of variety they threw in a Motorhead cover, Ace of Spades. After almost three decades, when stamina is already a question mark, Krisiun still come out on top: fast, brutal and uncompromising.
Last up were Septicflesh, who first made themselves noticed in Slovenia in 2008 as the opening act for Hate Eternal. The band had already been around for many years by then, but that was exactly when they started down their new path with the album Communion, which got more pompous thanks to the introduction of a symphonic orchestra. After Communion, Septicflesh released three more successful albums, their listener base grew, and their shows are pretty solidly packed too. Septicflesh have visited Slovenia several times in the last decade, and with every show they’ve had more support from the Slovenian crowd.
This time Septicflesh were wrapping up the tour for their latest album Codex Omega (2017), which they presented at Orto bar a good year ago. They touched on the last four albums, which are also the most acclaimed among fans. The crowd’s response was phenomenal. In the front rows people were going wild in every way imaginable, and there was even a moshpit to be seen. There’s not much to complain about in the band’s playing, the rhythm section doesn’t falter, and Spiros Antoniou’s vocals are still strong and deep, which underlines the darkness of the band’s lyrics nicely. Where it stumbled was the sound, which never reached its full power. All the orchestration coming off the backing tracks got lost in the mush too, which left the sonic picture incomplete. With their sound concept, Septicflesh are simply not made for smaller halls like Orto bar. But given the band’s current popularity, you just have to settle for a situation like this. Septicflesh are a must-see live, but it’s hard to guarantee they’ll satisfy every single person in the crowd.
Gripes aside, Septicflesh, Krisiun, Diabolical and Xaon put on a killer show at Orto bar, serving up a heaping helping of brutality, orchestration and darkness.
author: Primož Novak
photos: Robert Zupančič
