 |
| I am not much of a photgrapher either |
I arrived at the venue about half
an hour before the doors would open for the public. It has been over two months
since a saw a concert and also it was my first time that I would see
Primordial. I was excited and a bit cold. More than twenty people were waiting
outside with me at that time and since I did not see any familiar faces I
decided to merge myself into the atmosphere with a beer.
Half a liter later the crowd was
more than fifty people and a queue was formed in front of the door. I stood
there marveling at the stylistic choices of the metal heads, both guys and gals.
Even though I am a metal head my wardrobe doesn’t give any clue. One might say
that I was dressed for a night out at a white collar bar, or for a congregation
along with members of Akercocke. To each his own.
When we stepped inside, I chose a
spot at the center of the venue where I could see the stage and stand between
the two main big speakers. To my left I saw a couple of guys talking in English
and drinking beer. Something inside me was sure that one of them was about to
climb on stage and start doing something. Maybe play guitar or sing. I grabbed
another beer and my mind was fixed on smoking. I was thinking about cutting it
down a bit, but beer, or any alcohol related beverage, is the best friend of
smoking, so I opened my heart to this nasty habit and enjoyed myself until the
show would start.
I chatted a bit with some
friends, which as they informed me, Battleroar always give a great show. But,
dear lord, I wasn’t ready for that. That guy that was standing next to me, now
was at the center of the stage and welcomed as all to what would turn out to be
an amazing night. With an emphasis to their latest album ‘Blood of Legends’ the
night started with ‘The swords are drawn.’ Gerrit P. Mutz was in
great form and talkative between songs, creating a nice relaxed atmosphere.
This is epic metal and we were all hailed as comrades in the fantasy lands that
they took us. He then welcomed Babis on stage, who was about to play the electric
violin, an organ used by Battleroar with an immersive way that ads up to their
music. ‘Poisoned well’ followed and everyone’s feelings were going through the
roof with this highly melancholic and beautiful song with great solos and Mutz’s
voice standing great.
‘Warriors! Forget them not.’
Here’s the thing about ‘Blood of
legends’. It is an excellent album. And here is another thing. They fucking
played with their hearts. From the song with the album’s title, to ‘Immortal
Chariot’ and ‘Valkyries Above Us’ there are little to be said and more to be experienced.
Everyone was focused and at the same time having fun and there is nothing more
to expect. Well, maybe another beer.
During the intermission I chatted
a bit more with my friends. In comparison with other times, the only thing that
they had to complain about their show was the sound. That only comes in play if
you have similar experiences to compare. I could listen to every instrument throughout
their show and I can’t complain.
The venue was warm and getting
warmer. There is a deep love for Primordial and everyone was excited. ‘Where
greater men have fallen’ gave the signal for Primordial’s war. Alan Averill has
a dominant presence on stage and his theatricality and movement gave life to
the stories that Primordial were singing to us.
I have to admit that I didn’t
like the sound at first and after a couple of songs I felt the need to change
places. Maybe it is this tendency that we all share when we want to see something
we like and our critical point of view is biased from our expectations.
Something similar happened to me when I saw Tool for the first time. ‘Gods to
godless’ you might say and you are probably right. This was going to be a great
night.
‘Babel’s Tower’ is an impressive introspective
song which also has a great video and it was the first time where I felt
emotional. The band was tight and Alan was all over the place. As I said before,
they embody the true meaning of tragedy.
I can’t remember clearly the
order of the songs, since I was a liter and a half deep into beer and I am not
much of a drinker. But I do remember the emotional impact that the songs had. ‘No
grave deep enough’ and ‘Bloodied yet unbowed’ from their previous album, had me
singing and trying to look over a couple of tall dudes that were standing in
front of me. I saw Alan kneeling down, hugging fans while singing and jumping
up, raising his hand and looking at us with a fierce gaze. Turning the mic to
the crowd and orchestrating our voices.
At some point I went upstairs,
because I wanted to have a more clear view. The sound was better and decided to
stay there for the rest of their show. Both the guitarists were communicating
with ease, giving Alan the ‘space’ to perform his best. They are veterans and
legends in the metal scene and it showed.
I was watching both excited and
curious to see the orchestration of the songs come to life. ‘Wield lightning to
split the sun’, ‘Heathen tribes’ and ‘The coffin ships’. We are talking about
some of the deepest, most emotional and classic songs. Not only for Primordial
but, also, for the entirety of the metal and rock scene. Disprove me. I dare
ya.
I wanted to listen to a couple of
tunes from ‘Storm before calm’. That was my first album of theirs and has a
special place in my heart. ‘Sons of the Morrigan’ came to appease my appetite
and justify in my head that Primordial are one of my most beloved bands. I have
spent countless hours listening to their albums and as a fan I have to admit
that I will never be satisfied when seeing them performing live. Is it unjust
and unfair? Yes. But I left the venue wanting more. They played for two hours,
they gave their hearts and everything they had in them and I am just a selfish
prick. I am OK with that.
Until next time lads.
0 σχόλια:
Post a Comment