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This is an evening that can’t go entirely wrong.
Three bands on the bill, and all three happen to be three of my personal faves. Not everything will go as planned, but still, it turns out to be an ace evening with plenty of rocking music.
When I spoke with Bjørn from Dawn of Demise a couple of days ago, he wasn’t too optimistic. The pre-sales hadn’t been too good. But, lo and behold, the turn-out here at Godset is not at all bad and expectations are high for three of Denmark’s finest live bands.
DAWN OF DEMISE open the ball. The sound is a bit weird at first as the Silkeborg lads launch the killer piece Beyond Murder, however, knobs are twisted and things are fine after a short while. New tune Awaken The Aggressor sounds at first listen a lot like Dawn of Demise, something that will also be the case with the song Juggernaut that is aired later.
The follow-up to Dawn of Demise’s debut ‘Hate Takes Its Form’ and the EP ‘Lacerated’ will soon find its way to the stores and some of us can’t wait!
Anyway, the show goes on with Within the Flesh, Extinction Seems Imminent and Scott’s usual dry, sarcastic remarks about his Y-shape figure (see the images…) and how the sight of his belly is certain to own him a well-deserved blowjob later on. New guitarist Thomas Egede seems to have found his natural place in the band and looks comfortable on stage.
Then the proverbial shit hits the fan. A power cut of sorts leaves the technical death metal crew with only half the sound they need. A few minutes pass where the older Jensen brother has to fill in with the promise that he’ll down loads of beer afterwards, etc. (no surprise there, I reckon), and eventually Dawn of Demise can continue the slaughter with the title track from the debut, new tune Juggernaut and oldie but goldie …And Blood Will Flow. Fully approved gig, however short and broken up by the little mishap.
One of Europe’s best live bands is up next. HATESPHERE have proved that even the exit of all original members apart from one could not change this status. Watching the death-thrashers on stage is like an adrenalin rush.
When I first saw the new line-up back in the beginning of 2008, there were many sceptics around. I left the gig back then with a good feeling about the whole thing, and tonight I’m proven right: The music is grim and hard, yes, but the five guys on stage ooze positive energy and lots of it! These guys have fun doing this shit – playing around, doing glam metal moves, making faces at each other – HateSphere is just one big party!
The mixture of old and new material blends naturally, especially because front dynamo Joller gives the older songs a rougher edge than his predecessor behind the mic did. Sickness Within, 500 Dead People, Drinking With the King of the Dead, Let Them Hate, Damned Below Judas and other glories of the past are joined smoothly by the title track of the latest album, Backstabber, the ten ton hammer Cloaked in Shit, Oceans of Blood and the monstrously heavy Clarity.
By the look of it, HateSphere could very easily be the real headliner for some of the folk here tonight. A few members of the crowd have left the building when ILLDISPOSED enter stage, but that doesn’t mean that the veterans of Danish death metal hold back.
With the best sound of the evening, Bo Summer and his crew show no mercy and haul the audience through 14 years of brutality (since nothing was played from the first couple of releases). Franz Hellboss has long proven himself an asset for Illdisposed’s live performances, giving himself to the max on the right-hand side of the stage. Bar the unnecessary and out of place bad raps for Volbeat, Summer is in the best of moods and throws (unopened) cans of beer to the audience (and only hits one guy on the forehead).
As it was the case with HateSphere before them, the new songs from ‘To Those Who Walk Behind Us’ work like a charm with the old tunes. In Search of Souls, Now We’re History, über-cool tracks Throw Your Bolts and Near the Gates, Purity of Sadness, Submit, Still Sane, Like Cancer and A Child Is Missing go excellently along side For the Record, Just Come and Get Me, Seeking Truth – Telling Lies, To Those Who Walk Behind Me and last but not least the tune sung entirely in Danish, Nu Gik Det Lige Så Godt…
Since the last time I saw the current line-up of Illdisposed in action, they have landed more hours on the road, and you can certainly tell. Tighter, more focused than ever. Good one!
So, another confirmation that Danish metal is still alive and well. Both those who’ve been with us for a long time and the newer kids on the block are able to lash lethal doses of metal over the bar.
Horns up!
www.illdisposed.dk
www.hatespere.com
www.dawnofdemise.dk |
The man, the voice, the sexy
belly - Scott from Dawn Of
Demise
Front dynamo Joller -
HateSphere
An asset for Illdisposed -
Franz Hellboss
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