Warlord & Killer - Mezz Breda, 25 August 2024

40 years ago I bought an LP which was a live album, but videoetaped without an audience. By lenght it was more of an EP nowadays. That album was And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun.... I loved it then and I still love it now. Through the years Warlord came and went and every now and then released a new album. I picked up most of their discography over time, but seeing them live on stage just would not happen to me. That was until last night when Mario managed to get them making a Dutch live debut 40 years after their first full album. In 2021 Warlord sadly lost their guitaris and founding member Bill Tsamis. I thought that was the last we would hear from Warlord, but than this year suddenly a new album was released with songs based upon riffs Bill had left behind and songs he wrote in the past: Free Spirit Soar. Than a tour was announced which included their first ever Dutch show. Now I did know I needed to see this. So did Magchiel and Ton and off to Breda we went. I offered to be bob (designated driver) this time as trains back showed delays due to works on the line 

Arriving well in time, we bumped into many known faces, with Vito as surprise, who probably drove 200 meters behind us from The Hague to Breda. Maybe I should start an app, where people can share rides to shows. Anyway opening band were Killer from Belgium. Killer are also from the eighties and this power trio does play music not miles apart from Motorhead. Now I saw Killer a few times before over the past years. I remember liking them the first time quite a bit, but tonight not as much. Our collective memories brought up, that they once supported Jag Panzer in Baroeg, where we were present. At the time 3rd band of the day (several beers down the line) I thought them to be OK. Tonight as designated driver almost trembling by lack of alcohol I was not so much impressed. Their music is very straightforward and the final song announcement asking a hall filled with bold and grey men if they liked, alcohol, sex and heavy metal was crinching our toes. Well at least woke passed them by, which is good I think for eighties metal.

Another short break brought us, what we all came to see in a decent filled Mezz. Bad Company was the intro tape and then it al kicked off with Lucifer's Hammer. That did sound good and we would be in for a treat. For those not knowing the band, Warlord are among the founding members of power metal, progmetal and folk metal alike. Their songs are build around guitar melodies. more than riffs. So every song brought the duo of Diego Pires (do Salvador, Brasil abraços) and Eric Juris centre stage for their twin soloing. Even if they could have varied presentation a bit, I loved their playing and the fact that we got two guitars made the sound a bit thicker than on album. 

The setlist took us from one highlight to the other where maybe personal highlights came in Mrs. Victoria, the horror story proving that killing your annoying granny is not the solution and Black Mass the doomy fest. Closer to the end someone tipped my shoulder. It was Frank with beer in hand for me. He just arrived very late as his train delayed two hours (!) due to problems with a train before him. Designated driver or not one beer is ok when sharing his pain. Again the ride sharing app would make sense.

During War in Heaven I realized how Warlord do manage giving us a song with calmer intro and outro filled with epicness in five minutes. Nowadays a certain Iron Maiden takes 11/12 minutes to tell the same, Twin guitars ruled the night, but Mark Zonder on drums and Philip Bynoe on bass were very tight throughout. A new A-Z album with both of them is on the way hurrah. I thought it a pity that the stage was too big in Mezz and Mark Zonder was far behind the action centre stage. .Jimmy Waldo was hidden in smoke and hard to hear most of the time. Than finally Giles Lavery on vocals should be mentioned. I believe all five albusm I own hold different vocalists. He managed to sing equal to all of them from the soft introductions to the heavy metal screams way high up. Interesting enough the new album he sings on was not included in the set. Possibly the best was saved for last, when Deliver Us From Evil and Child of the Damned were played to close the night. Another great evening of live music in this month that already gave me so many highlights. Thanks to Warlord, Mario and all Mezz people involved for this debut after 40 years.