Complexity Fest - Paatronaat Haarlem, 25 February 2023

Complexity Fest are back three years after the last proper edition February 2020. This would be the weird edition in many respects and admitted I was long time in doubt if I would attend. First weird part was in the line-up. Where was the proper progmetal big name? where was the Tech Death band for spicing matters up and why are half the bands playing duo's? In the end the time scheduel and the two headliners Kayo Dot and Tribulation made me go. Weird headliners, but more on that later. So after checking out most bands on Youtube I decided more or less which bands I wanted to see, with at some overlaps just experimenting what I would like best.

Upon arrival I started wise. Knowing from a clip that Neptunian MM would work more on my nerves than my joy I decided not even entering the main hall. At the lockers I already bumped into Alex, so we went to stage 3 (no longer a bar, but a proper small venue without the poles blocking views. When Alex is around it was no surprise soon Jonathan, Francesca, Marcel and Tom joined, which was nice as company was already sorted, All Progpower regulars would be at stage 3 at 16:30 since Crown Compass is the band best fitting PPE of the day. After a calm intro song (like on the album) they gave us a very good show indeed. A new band they might be, but experienced players with Daniel on vocals known from Textures. On bass there was Robin Zielhorst again. I just checked metal archives and I realized I saw him playing live with the following bands: Cynic, Exivious, Onegodless, Mourn and Our Oceans. The experience of the bandmembers paid out in one hell of a great show. I wondered why they have not been hyped all over Holland yet. As much as I loved their set I decided after half an hour to leave quickly. Here is my line of thought.  Zetra played the bigger Stage 2 and they sounded as at least give it a try. Crown Compass I guess I will see again this year somewhere on tour anyway. Well that did not work out fine. Entering stage 2 I saw the last three minutes of Zetra, not being overly impressed. They left stage after some 35 minutes, while having an hour on the schedule. So quickly back to Crown Compass, who after 40 minutes also called it quits. A running gag that would be repeated throughout the day. Bands not using their full allloted timeslot. 

Anyway on to the main hall and hallo Henriette on the way, while I only met Harry upon leaving the festival in the evening. Stake were on and they play lots of festivals in Holland lately. One energetic performance, with some anger issue around a guitar strap. I liked the bulldozerig wall of sound coming over me, but missed some variation to draw my attention for a full hour. So back to the bar area for some small talks. 

Next to the bar area is the entrance to stage 2 and that is when we heard Iron Jinn already started. Band members with some history in interesting bands, this was only their fifthe gig ever. Well the first great surprise of the day, as they sounded awesome. Stonerish, spacey, jamming and rocking hard they brought us a show with lots of smoke and more important lots of great songs. Their debut album is coming in April. Maybe this is music better heard live, but at least checking them out in due time.

As I now got animated with already two good shows I bumped into Ton and a friend. We headed for the big hall as Author & Punishment were on. Some industrial heaviness was presented and guess what another great show. This is not music I necessarily play at home, but live it sounded and looked nice. The industrial hits with the right hand on a sort of Vertical Iron (sorry can't describe it better). It was a one man show, but as they were a duo also  a guitarist was on stage presenting us the necessary heavy riffs. Very interesting indeed and rather successful.Now I lost Ton and friend while entering the hall too slow, but met Franka during the set. She told me her friend could not make it, but she went anyway even alone. Now that's the spirit and I told her we would hop halls together as I would bump into people again anyway. 

Next double line-up would be a choice between Aiming for Enrike and Tuskar. We started at Aiming, but they missed us aiming with an overdose of electronical softness. Stage 3 had Tuskar and that was much more to my taste. A heavy wall of sound duo full of energy. Turned out that in spite of the unknown names, the festival line-up was shaping into a day of lots to love anyway. 

Now that Tuskar finished, the first band I was properly looking out for was preparing themselves on the main stage. Kayo Dot soundchecking. Well that took long, so we were off for a late start. This day they would play their debut album Choirs of the Eye in full.  Now Kayo Dot are hard to describe as they change styles over albums. I loved their 2021 release Moss Grew... The album played tonight I don't own, but I listened to it in advance a few times. Ok, but calm. In fact I liked the predecessor band Maudlin Of The Well even better, as heavier. When the band finally started it turned out they were very calm indeed, It was hard to grasp for many, with the lack of speed and lots of instruments stepping in and out of their sound. I was a bit on the fence Yes it is impressive at times and third song The Manifold Curiosity being the standout track with a build-up to some heaviness. The band can play, but it was too hard for most as the hall got emptier by the minute. Ending with a small group of open minded sort of followers. I was wandering what would Rune think of this as he was dearly missed. For me it was interesting, but I would not go buy a ticket if they play this album again on a solo show. Than again if they play Moss Grew.... I probably will go see them again. 

After Kayo Dot my program told me a good moment to grab some food. Unfortunately the food stand was calling it quits when I arrived packing up and go. So the Complexity beers were to feed me over the day after all. Nice beer by the way. A next choice was first Birds in a Row at Stage 2. They sounded to me like a heavier britpop, but from where we stood it was not catching and we went to see Youff in an empty stage 3. Now this vocalist was of an acquired taste. Let me put it different. I woudl not be afraid to go onstage after him at this year's PPE karaoke. The band on the other hand had lots of energy, something we just missed at Kayo Dot.

Then it was already time for my final band of the day. While most people I knew would stay over in Haarlem I needed to catch a train home. Tribulation would close the festival for me and musically the only band I expected to match Crown Compass my day openers. I saw Tribulation live before when they toured their masterpiece The Children of the Night. Their Gothic rock with lots of great guitars and black metal vocals works very well for me. I was looking out for an energetic highlight closing my day and got that only partially. Not because of the band, they were awesome. It was the audience that surprised me. First on it's small numbers and second by their obvious lack of knowledge of this band and their material. In advance I thought challenging looking Tribulation would be a perfect match for a festival like Complexity, turmned out I was wrong. So a half empty hall enjoyed, what for me would be the best show of the night. In the end I had a great day out in Haarlem. So thanks to Complecxity and it's organizers. I guess they learned some lessons as while the headliners pulled me in, they were not for many. The balcony was closed as well for that reason. Maybe a big progmetal name and a big tech death band will help getting more people in. The atmosphere was great again and the festival beer went down fine. Curious who they will book for 2024, as I probably will be back again.

Defazer & Fearwell - Musicon The Hague, 24 February 2023

An evening of local and almost local metal in Musicon, so we had to support. Good to see we (Marko and I) were not the only ones thinking so, as Musicon was filled decently for the evening. Defazer would open the evening and with for me a new line-up they sounded surprisingly tight. Defazer are the best thrash metal band of the region and they always guarantee a thrash fest. During the first two songs the audience was in wait and see mode, but soon thereafter a first pit was created and fun was had on and off the stage. Most songs from their EP Order Out Of Chaos and CD Burning Horizon passed by and the general consensus around me was that Defazer were great. So let's hope this line-up stays together and returns on local stages frequently. They are even heading for a German festival this summer so good luck to them.

Fearwell are from nearby Leiden and a new band to me. The event announced them as melodic death metal, but I saw more of a power metal band. Lots of chains on stage and on some of the bandmembers. After some initial soundissues, their wall of sound did sound good to me. Some pretty nice guitar work stood out most for me and the two voices blended well. They do have an album out released in 2022 Well of Fear. Unfortunately no CD's, but a hint to listen on spotify. Well spotify is against my religion, so checking youtube it will be. One song that stood out was about a battle during the 80 year war with Spain and had towards the end the first part of our national anthem in it, which was a strange intermezzo to me. But overall a good band I thought and they are already confirmed for Metal Experience Fest so more on them later this year.The good news on Musicon is that next week we can and shall be back for Finnish thrashers Prestige, Rages of Sin and a Belgian band I don't know yet.

Soilwork, Kataklysm & Wilderun - LAV Lisboa, Lisbon 15 February 2023

An evening with three different styles of metal justified a trip to Lisbon for us. Well nothing is as simple as it seems, so let me give the long introduction. With Josie's move back to The Netherlands we now are uncertain what to do with the beachhouse she lived in. Cleaning it up and make it look fresh for either sale or rent is definite.so we are spending three weeks in Portugal. Why we decided so fast to come in the winter we shall never know, but the wet cold house floored both of us ten days ago and we reduced our work rate dramatically. But before we flew out I already bought my ticket for our perfect one-day break in Lisbon. In order to make it a win-win we also would pass by some shops we don't like equally in order to get some stuff for the house. So the day started of weird, when we walked around in one of Lisbon's IKEA stores. A nice looking girl who at first seemed normal followed by a guy came up to us, asking if she could say a prayer for us. WTF indeed, but Josie was quicker than me and told her she could if she felt like it, but we would walk on. Knowing me well enough so quickly beat my reply "why, it's a bit late now that we obviously are in Hell already". But with blackouts, glasses and linnen bought we headed for our Airbnb comfortably close to LAV Lisboa. 

The event told us, doors open at 18:00 and first band on at 19:00. In Portugal that does not mean all, so I decided I wanted to be at 18:30 at the hall in order not to lose a possible earlier start. After a bite and drink in a nearby shopping (pint at Eur 2,30 Happy Hour so that made it 1,15) Arriving just before 18:30 I found the hall closed with a small queue outside. Special mention to the half liter cans and liter bottles Superbock, being consumed before entering. The hall looked like an old factory and at 18:45 doors opened to a pleasant space with merch stands and a bar on the left and on teh right side stairs to a balcony area. Unfortunately that area was closed due to a not sold out place. In the end LAV filled up decently for a Wednesday. Especially if you take into account that this week also Electric Callboy, Apocalyptica/Epica and Bullet For My Valentine play Lisbon. So Entering the hall as one of the first I did get my spot at front row on the right, since great things were expected early in the evening. 

Opening band were none other than Wilderun. The band that in 2019 released my second favorite album of the year with Veil of Imagination (only losing to Arch/Matheos). Their progmetal with  steps into extrem and folky metal is fairly brilliant and the songs on that album were amazing. A well deserved spot at progpower followed, but than Covid broke us all. Last year they came back with Epigone and I must admit being slightly underwhelmed at first hearings. It all sounded a bit too calm for my taste and in the endless stream of good releases I maybe did not give it enough time. Playing the album the last week twice it is another hit after all, even if calmer indeed. So when Wilderun came on I was pleased to hear that all sounded as good as I hoped for. The set was opened with something of Veil (was it Tyranny?) The long songtitles of Veil do not tend to stick all that well in an old man's memory. After the long opening track Evan told us we would be treated on some Epigone songs. When Identifier and Passenger came live in full blast over me I realized I was wrong on Epigone after all. What a class songs these are and what an atmospheres and mood swings we got. This slowly turned out to become one hell of a show and in spite of the lots of guitar tuning during their set I also loved their cool way of presentation. When speaking to us in either Portuguese or English, the band came over sympathetic. What was even better is that they saved the best for last: Far From Where Dreams Unfurl. When shouting along So run far leads you into one of the catchiest chorusses of the last  years. So my hopes were high for Wilderun live and they managed to surpass same. As this happens a visit to the merch stand is needed and when asking for a T-shirt the guy selling same asked if I was Dutch.. Yes and so was Paul, this resulting in some talks during the break on the obvious joined history in Dutch metal shows. During a second break Wayne from Wilderun joned in and it seems to me they are nice guys as well, so a band to look out for.

After the first break I would catch another pint and wait for Kataklysm. Now it seemed to me that the bar was not very busy for a metal show. Probably the prices being Ducth venue alike did not help. Remember the ones mentioned above? here a pint would cost you 5 Euro. Fair in Holland, rather expensive in Lisbon. Anyway with my beer in hand I waited for all things Kataklysm. Now I don't own any of their albums, but have heard songs on samplers or online. Live Kataklysm is an all destroying machine and they drew me into their set from start to finish. It seems impossible to me to stand unimpressed and still when Katalysm bring their songs like Guillotine, Where The Enemy Sleeps, Crippled & Broken or As I Slither. A romantic bunch they are, but their Death Metal did create the biggest pit and loudest crowd reaction. I also loved this set full of energy and positive aggression.

Final band were Soilwork from Sweden. They told us this was their first ever clubshow in Lisbon. For a band being around over 25 years it just shows how Portugal is too often ignored on metal tours. I first saw Soilwork some 20 years ago when opening for Annihilator and Nevermore. I only really got into them some five years ago. Their melodic Death Metal has a focus on melody and Bjorn Strid is one of the more versatile voices in the genre. Tonight he came on with two cocks on his shoulders, which after the Eiffel dildo earlier in the evening made it a true macho metal night. The setlist was an overview of many albums and of course one song was dedicated to David Andersson, the guitaris and songwriter the band and the world recently sadly lost. In advance I was curious if I would stand the full show till the end with still limited condition, but Soilwork pulled me through. With additional space for shredding guitars this also was one fine show. So in the end we got three slightly different styles, but also three topshows. I can recommend anyone to go and see this long tour when somewhere in your area. Now I should reconsider 30 April Amstelveen, but that week already five shows are pencilled in and only time will tell therefore.