MORBID ANGEL, KATAKLYSM, MARDUK, KEEP OF KALESSIN, ARSIS

Winter hell came to the harbour city

18.12.2008 Hamburg/ Markthalle (GER)

This morning I woke up very early. At 8.00 AM I was sitting already in a very comfortable bus, which had to take me somewhere far away from German capital city. Where? To the north – west of Berlin, where the another big city of Germany lies and at once the one of the biggest European harbours: Hamburg. Very big, wonderful and impressing – only with these three words I could to describe the city where I arrived the same day afternoon, walking down the streets, visiting the town hall, much of shops and the Christmas fairs. I would find probably more of curiosities that I could to have a watch for a longer visit, but my time was unfortunately strictly limited.

Not reasons of darkness falling everywhere above the city about 4.00 PM, but in due of the event announced those evening in one of the most venues in this city. I mean here of course Metalfest – the European Decembers tour organized by the Austrian Rock The Nation agency debuting first time a one year ago and continuing with the success in this year again. The line-up of Metalfest 2008 was not worse than before 12 months (perhaps even better), cause only just the names like MORBID ANGEL, KATAKLYSM or MARDUK were like for me the sufficient kind of motivation to move my ass and visit the city in northern Germany.

First of good impressions shortly after my coming to the venue was his general appearance. The positives of the Markthalle are of course not only the location and the distance between the railway/ bus station, but first of all the capacity letting to gather about 1000 or maybe even more of headbangers longing the confrontation with their idols. During all those time passing away very nice by the eating of sandwiches and drinking the cold tee I had an occasion to look up everywhere, being of course full of presumptions in due of the real marathon of extreme, that had to be opened at 7.00 PM. Everything comes to him who waits, so finally the event was began and joining to the crowd, filling the main hall of venue I could to watch in action first band of the evening. As the opener of this year edition was chosen the American and unknown for me to those moment crew called ARSIS. The quartet from West Virginia playing about 25 minutes the mix of death metal with thrash elements wasn’t maybe in my case the fulfillment of wet dreams, but I can’t to say the same about the shitty performance of the horde. ARSIS is beyond all of doubts very good death metal band, but that’s unfortunately only one from of them. The more of intensive impressions I experienced watching the children of Norwegian soil – KEEP OF KALESSIN. It’s a some difficult task for me to define the music of them, but the hybrid of black metal with epic fragments sounds at live version so good, that I watched the show of band with the honest pleasure. I am not a type of declared fan of this horde, so I am not able to estimate which of tracks from early releases were played, but the stuff of two latest albums like “Kolossus” or “Armada” was so crushing and so selective, that I had no questions anymore. A good sound is a half of success, that’s true! Maybe should I strike up an better acquaintance with KOK? I will try to make up all of lacks so soon as possible… After the solid dose of black sounds in Norwegian performing, a small change of glance on this art. In a Swedish style. Suppose, that’s no need to introduce the war machine from Nörrkoping invading still so much of lands and countries and leaving them to the ruins and burning ashes after every of attacks. Field Marshall Hakansson and his division agreed to take a part in the Metalfest ending the same their world battle invasions and doing their duties the same effectively like always. My seventh meeting with MARDUK on the stage confirmed to me that’s really not so much of extreme black metal hordes on this world being so dangerous weapon comparable just only with the PzKpfw VI “Tiger” tanks or V-2 missiles. But what’s strange within? A good commander and his three good soldiers with the highest war skills guarantees always the victorious offensives. “Cold Mouth Prayer”, “Burn My Coffin”, “Infernal Eternal”, “Seven Angels, Seven Trumpets”, “The Leveling Dust”, “Throne Of Rats”, “Bleached Bones”, “Asrael” or “Fistfucking God’s Planet” – the repertoire very differenced with the marked advantage on the stuff from the last albums. It hears, that the new drummer Lars B. acclimatized himself in the band for good, not forgetting of course about the smashing and sounding like always excellent bass of Devo and the iron throat of Mortuus, spitting his lungs outside. Long live MARDUK!!! A next change. This time regards of style and the latitude too. About the fact of keeping the highest quality of Canadian extreme scene doesn’t know probably only the ones, who listens the metal music since the last Sunday. Who does it longer, knows probably too the one of the most popular crews of this North American country, that not only invaded our planed along and broadwise during the all of long tours, but first of all recorded just their new full-length album, brutal and merciless like always, but titled this time as “Prevail”. Ladies and Gentlemen, who is it? KATAKLYSM, of course! I don’t remember in this moment how many times I observed Maurizio and his comrades in action, but every time I had to do with the true blasting massacre, turning my body into bloody piles of flesh. Another question, that the audience of this band’s admirers in Germany stays since many years the same numerous and meets always the honest applause. No other way was those evening, especially when the guys presented the pieces of most important points of their discography with the genial “Chains Of Power” on the lead. He, he, I suppose that for the next meeting with the masters of Northern Hyperblast I should to supply myself with the first-aid kit, cause so smashed and bloody mutilated I was after the show of KATAKLYSM! Good luck, guys and see you soon somewhere!

Gods of gods. Maybe it sounds a little bit idiotic, but I can’t find the other words for the power of music created by their minds and hands, not forgetting of course about their grandness beyond all of times. It’s simply a fundament, the mile stone, without of them there’s no talking about death metal the same like there’s no talking about Berlin without of Reichstag or Brandenburg Gate. MORBID ANGEL – the almighty, one and neverending. Can’t hide a fact that first of all only for them came those evening everybody, who filled so closed the inside of Markthalle. Not so often have we last time an occasion to observe in action the creators of so almighty works like “Altars Of Madness”, “Blessed Are The Sick” or “Covenant”, isn’t it? Supposed everyone who crawled down oneself into the venue left it fully satisfied. Someone writing these words includes himself into this throng for 100 %, but how could to be otherwise, taking into consideration the true love and respect for this band, which survived all of difficulties and probably won’t capitulate yet very, very long? I believe that the forthcoming and unreleased yet album of MORBID ANGEL “Iblis The Great” recorded again with David Vincent soon will confirm the domination of Americans in the world death metal pantheon. But let us to concentrate for this moment on the genial show of the legend, that can to describe simply with two words – class and masterpiece. Who won’t agree with me, that the passion flowing through the veins of David, Trey and Pete has no mirror in the quality of sounds producing by them? Thor Anders Myhren known probably to some of you as Destructhor playing his guitar passages in MYRKSKOG completes the line-up not worse than Richard Brunelle, Erik Rutan or Tony Norman, but his longer presence in MORBID ANGEL stays for this moment unforeseeable. But there’s no exaggeration in my opinion, that all of classics played with him trampled down me into the ground the same painful like always. “Rapture”, “Pain Divine”, “Maze Of Torment” and “Sworn To The Black” – blasting and massacre, faster than on the record, simply the madness!!! As the next one a piece of new coming stuff – “Nevermore”, sounding very promising and the same dangerous like the rest. “Lord Of All Fevers And Plague”, “Fall From Grace”, “Chapel Of Ghouls”, “Dawn Of The Angry”, “Where The Slime Live”, “Blood On My Hands” were the next points of the tracklist, but after the last of them – a surprise. Who of you could to suppose, that everyone will hear the one song from the “era without Vincent”? Yes, that’s true – “Bil Ur-Sag” as the one piece of “Formulas…” I didn’t and to this moment I don’t know or was it true, but who knows – maybe the admirers of all albums recorded after “Domination” will be soon satisfied like the maniacs of very old stuff and Mr. Vincent will break his resistance? The power of classics is however unimpaired, so two last shots – “God Of Emptiness” (naturally, hearing the last words of the lyric “…Bow to me faithfully… Bow to me splendidly…” the gooseflesh was only one what I felt) and “World Of Shit” crowned this unrepeatable show of Floridian legend and the same the Hamburger stretch of second edition the winter tour massacre. No doubts, that the hundreds of people enjoyed the show from begin to his end and the heroes of all gigs could to be at least satisfied. Similarly like they I felt no tiring too, accompanying them during the after party, including among other things the visit in the Hamburger Dollhouse, the famous worldwide zone of sexual adventures. I won’t however to reveal the secrets, who knows, maybe the children reads these words too, ha, ha? Sex is still more depraving than Satan…