Jag Panzer, Killer & Martyr - Baroeg Rotterdam, 22 January 2023

Rotterdam Rocks presents usually means some good old heavy metal. This afternoon the package was especially interesting as all three bands originating from the eighties representing three countries. There was a fourth band opening: Impact, but as my mother needed some emergency attention in the late morning and our national rail decided to repair lines on my route a detour brought me to Baroeg just before Martyr kicked off. It would have been nice if Ajax would have scored the 1-2 in the dying seconds when I enetered Baroeg, just to observe reactions. But football was over when Martyr kicked off and we could concentrate on our daily dose of metal.

Martyr opened the party for me and finally I got to see them on tour in support of Planet Metalhead. This album recently was voted best 2022 metal album in the Benelux at Metalfan and also reached the number one spot at a slighlty biased list by Alex and Theo. Lists mean little, but Martyr showed they are the best surviving heavy metal band from the eighties in Holland indeed. Church of Metal, La Diabla, Raise Your Horns Unite all sounded fast and furious. With their ballad No Time For Goodbyes they even treat Queensryche peak years territory. The live presentation of Martyr is known by now, unless you lived under a hard rock the last decade. Some personal comments to friends in the audience, jägermeister and I am pretty sure that the kid on stage loved to be invited. As the supporting bands had 45 minutes only, time flew by and I can already look forward to a next Martyr show, which won't be in Musicon later this year, as Progpower weekend rules (doesn't it Vinnie?)

It turned out that many known faces and people were walking this Sunday matinee, so breaks were good and then Killer came on. This Belgian metal institute from the eighties was never among my favorites, but they have some fast party metal songs. A few years ago I saw them also in Baroeg (with Helstar?) and they surprised me positively. This time I was slightly less impressed. Songs like Shock Waves, Wall of Sound or Kleptomania all metal on fine, but Killer sounded a bit old fashioned. Their playing and presentation are enthusiastically, but I guess timing was not best for me as I came to see Jag Panzer and just really enjoyed Martyr. Reactions they got plenty from the audience, so probably I was wrong.

After a slightly long break Jag Panzer came on and started their old skool set very old skool indeed with Metal Melts the Ice form their debut EP. Now I got into Jag Panzer really late, when I one day bought Ample Destruction. That album was released in 1984 when I loved bands like Maiden, Dio, Manowar and Virgin Steele, which all at times come back in their heavy power metal. So I now checked my De Nieuwe Aardschok archive to check what happend. In those scholar years on a tight budget, we followed Aardschok for tips probably a bit too much. So in Nr. 16 August 1984 Jag Panzer received an aweful review. In that same issue there are albums I did get/know from Dio, Fastway, Y&T, Cirith Ungol, Mama's Boys, VowWow and Quiet Riot. So my excuse for not getting into them from the start lies in one poor review. In hindsight I don't agree at all, even among the two best songs Generally Hostile is not mentioned and live that one definitely blew us away. Great to shout No Mercy!No Mercy! along there. Further the band went through their catalogue until 20 years ago. The playing was good, the presentation as well and at times we were back in the eighties indeed with the still impressive screams by The Tyrant. Near the end the solo guitar disappeared mysteriously from the mix during two songs, but a great show was had and I rushed satisfied out to make it to my train in time. Having to connect at Rotterdam CS to a metro homebound had the advantage that a warm sate kroket became dinner after a well spend afternoon/early evening at Rotterdam Rocks. Baroeg will be rebuild, but for shows this size, the atmosphere over there is always best, so curious already for the 2.0 version. Thanks for one fine evening where metal did melt the ice indeed as no more slippery walks were needed.

Sneeuwpop - Hofpark Wateringen, 21 January 2023

Sneeuwpop the great found name if you speak Dutch (the summer edition and bigger brother is called Waterpop). In The Netherlands Paaspop (Easter pop) usually brag that they open the outdoor festival season. They also sometimes state it can be cold. Well, in Wateingen people are build different  and the festival season opens in January. Yes it was around 0 degrees, but who cares. There is snow for the children to catch a cold in and there is beer plus music. A great reason for many of us to gather around a table and feel the cold finding it's way upwards starting from your feet. After two corona years  I forgot from three years ago it is wise to wear thick football socks, but we managed as Robert predicted until the bar closes. Well that was pretty fast after the last band finished the party around 20:30.

And then there is music. This year had a newby for me. Normally I go for the social and thirst aspect only, this time The Hague's finest OSDM band Melting Eyes were invited. Always good to see a general music festival reacting to some brutal death grunts. Their 2021 release My Final Resting Place makes part of The Hague's obligatory metal canon. Melting Eyes (recently called Melting Ice in an interview) did melt some speakers at Sneeuwpop as halfway through the second song we could only hear their sound from the stage monitors. Luckily all was fixed fast and it turned out that every time you see Melting Eyes they tend to be a bit tighter (if still possible) than the previous time. A good set of Death Metal, which was not for all at Sneeuwpop. Looking forward to see them again soon at warmer conditions.

Further musically there was not a lot going on. I recall an Alanis Morriset cover band and a band formed at the most sympathetic local football club closed the day. Outdoor Festival Season 2023 has been opened.

Her Fault, Morvigor & Hvalross - Musicon The Hague, 20 January 2023

Third Friday of the month and finally I am back in Musicon as I could not make it the first two metal Fridays. Not knowing what I missed 6 and 13 Jnauary, I picked a good night to return to Musicon. Whiteroomreviews Ralf (or is it Ralph, next time I ask) put together a triple package of bands I did not know. Turned out they all had their charm. Luckily I was not the only one deciding to check this package out as Musicon filled up reasonably with all three bands bringing some friends it seemed as many new faces to me were walking around and  drinking beer.

Opening band were Hvalross from Roosendaal. This band stayed musically closest to my comfort zone, with progressive elements through their metal. The event name-dropped Mastodon as comparison and especially on the guitar sound I heard what they meant here. Nice variation throuhout the set, with some calmer intro's before bursting out again. So when I later thought of picking up their CD, it turned out they only had vinyl. One to keep an eye on, for when they return to the area. I asked also what that hard to read name was all about, but my Norwegian friends could have told me.

Second band were Morvigor. from Alkmaar. I rarely saw a band putting me so on the wrong foot before starting. Sound issues made them delay kicking off, with everyone waiting and they slightly less comfortable on the stage by the minute it seemed. Their looks are as non metallic as mine, so I even jokingly asked Marko if the bassist would serve us a Latte Macchiato Decaf halfway the set with his barista looks. And then they started and blew everyone in Musicon away. Their music mainly Black metallish was all about dynamics and atmosphere. This music is for hearing not describing, but they were the biggest surprise of the night. I did get their last CD Tyrant from 2017, but understood new work is in progress. A wonderful bleak set of extreme metal they gave us and I guess they won over many new fans with only three (?) songs in around 45 minutes. This band woudl fit rather well at Complexity Fest I guess as there was something post and progressive blended in their sound too.

Closing the evening  were Her Fault from Belgium. Again we went on a trip along more extreme metal zones. The man making the show was the angry looking frontman. A real frontman he was with his expressiev presentation including walks of the stage and lots of metal poses. The band sounded good behind him, but for me musically least interesting as they were the most straight forward band of the day as well. This is a matter of personal taste as Rick seemd most impressed by Her Fault, which is a nice bandname and often so true. So one final beer before headig home, made my first gig of the year a surprising good one.