Keep of Kalessin & Hate - Musicon The Hague, 29 April 2024

Musicon Metal Mondays gotta love them. This evening two bands I knew of name and not of music. Still both rather big in the underground I was going to check them out for sure. This Monday fell afer a double closing party at Baroeg and Kingsday weekend. Still many people found their way to Musicon and it was pleasantly filled up.

Keep of Kalessin were the first band on and in metal archives they are said to be playing melodic black/death metal. That might be true, but I mainly was impressed with the epicness of it all. Heavy choirs over double guitars and keyboards of tape. These Norwegians brought a German drummer along who was pretty damn fast and tight. As I did not know any songs no point of recognition for me, but when they played a song of Armada I did understand why that album got great reviews at the time. I would have liked to correct that blank in my CD collection, but their offer of the CD collection (7 albums) for 30 euros only was sold out unfortunately. 

Than something happened I never saw before at Musicon, Hate put on a Metalish curtain to change the stage for their blackened death metal set. Admitted the stage looked great when the curtain came down with lots of skulls and horns. The band played impressive too.This was more purish Black metal which also means less interaction with the public. Again unaware of their albums I was easily drawn into their show and performances were top. So even if not knowing much in advance I did get two bands of headliner status in a busy Musicon. What better way to spend your Monday nights? you tell me.

Bruce Dickinson - The Moor - Out of Darkness

Some more CD's I bought over the past weeks/months  which you might have to check out too.

Bruce Dickinson: The Mandrake Project

Are either Iron Maiden or Bruce Dickinson going to surprise us completely ever again? probably not. Still after seeing clips of Afterglow of Ragnarok and Rain on the Graves I knew I would pick up this CD. Respect for Bruce after recovering from cancer delivering such strong vocal performances first with Maiden and now also solo. Solo this is as the album was written and recorded with his mate Roy Z alone. Comparing Bruce solo with Maiden might go in favour of his solo work at the moment. I believe a bit more variation in both the songs and his vocal performance. All that is to be said on this album and the comic book that I don't have has been written when I come so late to the party. Still I bought this album as I am considering going to see him live in 013. In the nineties I saw Bruce touring Balls to Picasso in a not sold out Paradiso (the nineties were shite for metal) and Accident of Birth in Rio. That is 27 years ago, so about time for a new show I'd say.

The Moor: Ombra

A band called The Moor immediately brings Opeth to mind. And yes in a way they are treading Opeth territories. But if I should go for name dropping at times they remind me more of Disillusion and Green Carnation. They go for progressive metal with an occassional grunt and haunting melodies of darkish rock. The second tip of this abum comes from the title: Ombra. Yes, The Moor are Italians and come from Venice, the city that introduced today access passes for tourists. I do own their 2012 debut Year of the Hunger, but missed the 2018 Jupiter's Immigrants. So they work in 6 year cycles apparently. Well taking the time does result in a beautiful album which is very worthwhile checking out. Not an overly active band on the live front so to see, but I believe a perfect PPE band.

Out of Darkness: Out of Darkness

Ton tipped me on this band as he knows I do like my Progressive Power metal bands from the USA. At times from Europe too, but Americans do it less cheesy. When checking them out on Youtube my first thougt was WTF is that beard? Taste shall never be discussed, but uncomfortable this must be. That is Eric Barrios who takes care of vocals and guitars. Most famous band member is Brent Smedley who also drummed with Iced Earth and Sons of Anarchy. On my CD Bill Staley completes the band, but on metal archives a bass player Dan Callahan is announced to be with them since 2023. This is their debut full lenght after an EP in 2020. For the music think US metal mixed with progpower bands from across the ocean. I was hooked after first hearing and shall keep on playing it through the year I'm sure. Hope these few words help them getting out of the darkness a bit, as I did not see much about them online nor on paper.

  

Martyr - De Zwarte Ruiter The Hague , 19 April 2024

The middle week of April 2024 shall be remembered by me as the week of great free metal gigs. Last Wednesday Riot City presented their speedmetal masterclass and two days later it was Martyr's turn to show us why they remain among the best Heavy Metal bands in Holland. The location to show this was at least surprising with de Zwarte Ruiter. This bar does also play rock music when no bands are around, but I would not expect a Heavy Metal band down there as their usual crowd is a tat too fashionable for old school metal. In advance people were warning about a busy bar, but with the hipsters looking for alternatives this evening it was all very easy regarding standing place and bar access. What we did get was many known faces. So the evening was already a success before it even started. 

Martyr opened their set with Raise Your Horns, Unite and thereafter they did what they usually do. Metal on, apart from their Queensryche alike ballad. The known faces in the room all have seen Martyr plenty of times over the past years, so this turned out to be an evening of likeminded souls and no surprises. Death walked around the room during their closing song and I don't know what fake blood I got over my head, but still traces of red are upon me. This was one fine evening of metal again and maybe a few Zwarte Ruiter regulars have been introduced to the joy of live metal shows and find their way to more gigs one day. Finally the afterparty was by a DJ. With a name like Motorkontje I expected a biker chic in bikini. Well we did not get that, but a guy with a metal wig on and sunglasses. To his credit the evening did not die in horrible sounds and the atmosphere continued lively and pleasant.

Riot City - 013 Next, 17 April, 2024

Riot City making their debut on Dutch soil in 013 Next. That was what yesterday was all about. So I could write about Roadburn festival, or at least the other two bands of the night but I won't do so very long. First Roadburn, an epic festival which is hugely popular in Portugal I found during my Portuguese years. This four day event always has bands I would love to see on the bill, but split over the days I was so far never bothered to attend. This year Blood Incantation playing one day their ambient album and the other day their prog death would attract me most. But as I said I won't go. Than looking at the other two bands of the Wednesday night Final Gasp would come on too late to keep us bothered to check them out, considering the longish drive home and Sonja was not my thing with their mid tempo rock and not so interesting vocal performance. So it was all about Riot City for Ton and I and that turned out to be more than enough for another very fine evening of live metal.

Before looking at the band one more heads up to Roadburn as their pre-party warm-up show was for free. In times where many shows are discuessed and the American idiocracy of sky high ticket prices is reaching Europe this was a relief. Lately I saw on social media discussions on ticket prices for AC/DC, Priest and Dream Theater, so a free evening of top class Heavy Metal was very welcome. To my luck anyway I do prefer smaller venues with normal prices over mass events anyway, so I myself am not very bothered.

So Riot City finally made it to The Netherlands and let me put my Riot City ballpark out first. I was supposed to see them first in Greece 2020. My first ever Up The Hammers with lots to love on the bill and than Covid cancelled the festival on the day it was supposed to start and I was already in Greece. Two years later my revenge was scheduled as they played Antwerp Belgium with Seven Sisters. Ticket in the pocket, train and hotel booked Antwerp was the place to be. That was until  I got a light Covid attack  the week before and could not risk contaminating any of the bands, so I stayed home. Last year I finally saw them live for the first time when Ton joined me to Dortmund for an amazing night together with Hellripper and Jag Panzer. That evening Riot City showed their class in full style and I ranked their show as favorite gig of 2023. So no wonder that both Ton and I did not even have to think twice when this show was announced in Tilburg. Somehow the only flaw of Riot City is that when I decide to be the desiganted driver it pisses down from the skies. Not as bad as last year's return from Dortmund, yet the drive down to Tilburg was shitty again. So apart from still being unable to control te weather Riot City were brilliant on all fronts again. Finally those who do follow my blog (all three of you) might wonder why Riot City never appeared among my albums of the year. This because I got both at the begin of the year following it's release so too late to qualify.

At 19:55 an intro tape started and at 20:00 sharp Riot City hit the stage opening with The Hunter. 25 seconds into their set Jordan released his first high pitched scream and many would follow. For those not knowing them yet it quickly became clear what they would bring to the evening. Heavy Speed metal of the highest level, with a band firing on all cilinders. A set-up as it should be with a strong rhytm section, two amazing guitars soloing twin or apart all the time and a voice that screams so high that we were transported straight back to the glory years of speedmetal in the eighties. Steel Rider (whowhoahoawhoahoo) followed and we saw and heard all would be good this evening. Only downside was they only got 45 minutes, so no time to lose along the way. The set visited both Burn The Night and Electric Elite and mentioning highlights makes no sense as all was good. One song shows to me why Riot City represent current Heavy Metal best. That song is Ghost of Reality. First a slow(ish) intro shows Iron Maiden how to start a number at slower speed while still interesting. Than a scream that would make Eric Adams proud is the sign to up the speed and we get a great Heavy Metal Anthem at fast pace. Still was this the highlight, or was it the shouting along with Warrior of Time where "On Our Way" asks for a range that I can reach.In the end we got 45 minutes of pure entertainment again and Riot City showed to me being the future of speed metal. I don't know if this style is popular enough among the younger generations, but anyone who grew up on eighties metal should love these Canadians really. After Sonja showed in a few songs they were not for me, we bumped downstairs into the band and unfortunately as driver I could not accept their "have some beers later on". That will be corrected next time I see them. Looking at the back of their Tour T-shirt I see they return in June to European venues, but I won't be around then. So this was Roadburn 2024 to me and I can say very brave of a festival to put the best band of five days as first one of the pre-party evening on stage. Those who do Roadburn, do enjoy your festival. I myself shall stay in free concert mode as Friday Martyr play De Zwarte Ruiter at home for free (so the ticket price discussion can go to bed for a while).