10th February 2008 concert in Vigo of Behemoth + Suicide Silence + Devilish Impressions

Finally!
Yes finally I got some more pics and I am able to make a review. It wouldn't be the same if I just write and write.... I wanted to get some specific photos, so I waited until now.
Well, Behemoth is one of my weakness since I discovered them with 2 albums of Death Metal (some of the best I have ever listened) Satanica (1999) and Thelema.6 (2000). So when I was told the polish ones will come to Vigo my heart beated hard, and I couldnt wait for seeing them in concert being the headlines. At first Kataklysm, another great Death Metal band from Canada would join them, but they had some problems... or they wanted to finish their next album and cancelled that tour with Behemoth. Pity.
The substitutes were 2 unknown bands like Suicide Silence and Devilish Impressions. Absolutly no idea about those bands, never heard before. I supposed another 2 beginners of death metal.

Well, the day came... and I felt again my boiling blood after quite a lot of time of no concerts (here we dont have so much luck with concerts of known bands).
The first band, Devilish Impressions did a so so show. They played a quite typical black metal with keyboards. Sound didnt join their show... but it was ok for having started the concert and warming up the ambient. They had some flashes of good moments, but not enough to say they will be a band that I will consider on future. There are too many like them.



This is a flag Devilish Impressions brought:
"Satanic Chaos Society"
And below..
"There is no God or Satan"
....
Then..
Why that society.. if there is no Satan??? XDD

After them and quite quickly, Suicide Silence jumped over the scenary. Meanwhile they were placing all the stuff ... my friends and me started to be afraid of what kind of music we were about to listen because of the looking of some members of the band. And yes, it couldnt be other style than Hardcore Death. The looking and clothes of the people up there ... mostly the singer was... oufh
I still dont know whose the idea was of bringing to the Behemoth's tour a Deathcore band. It would fit much better one death, black, melodic or extreme death or black, even I would rather see one doom or thrash metal band. And looking at the people in the concert I bet some more would rather too. Well, yes, you can blame me that I dont like that style, yeh, I dont like it at all, but... I still dont see the point of bringing some hardcores to a Death/Black show.
Well, they got started with a "powerful" sound some would say. It just sounded like noise without too much rythm and with faltering melodies and fast blastbeats .. like all bands of hardcore death I have listened before. But with a difference, those were not in live, and it supposed to me an annoying and boring time until they finished.




The singer though slim and emo-looking had a really guttural and shrilled voice. I would say, and I have listened more people there also talking about the same comparison... "like if you were attending to the killing of a pig". It was a hard time to support.. too hard... all the songs were the same "taca ... tacataca... taca.... tacataca.... tatatatattatatatatatatatta...". Pretty bored time if it wasnt for the few fans of that band from California, and their pretty funny way of dancing that one friend baptized like Extreme-reggaeton (I would add Extreme-imaginary friend fight-crazy-weird-reggaeton).
If someone thinks that kind of style and teenager dancer fans have something linked with black or death metal movement.. I would like to have a conversation about that, because I dont consider myself and I think most of people who like metal bounded at all with that fashion movement that appeared few time ago called Hardcore.
But, isn't it funny to watch these guys "dancing"???

So yeh, time passed extremely slowly with Suicide Silence, so we were watching those teenagers who did that dancing and laughing at them XDD

There was also another woman of around 40 years old also quite funny. She was there alone in the first line and seemed she liked every band :D and every few time between song and song she shouted to the guys, whatever the band, "hey handsome!!!" or "metaaaal yeaaaaah!!!" XDD
Later she came to talk to us, and in a very old-fashioned 80's spanish metal language told us something like "yeaaah I am spacing out (or getting high) with this fucking concert, dudes!" :)

Well not much more about the second band.. just saying that maybe for fans of Hardcore they gave everything over the scenary (I dont doubt that).
Oh! and that strange singer with afterlife growls also made quite strange funny movements that you can see also in some pics here.
Surprising, by the way, that those few harcore fans of Suicide Silence left the concert just before Behemoth started. I really dont understand that, cause if they enjoyed with that noise (that I am sure they couldnt extract ANY melody in ANY song), they would enjoy much more a technical brutal and proffesional band like Behemoth. But I guess this is "blind fans". I think if I pay that expensive ticket, I would stay at least until the "big band" of the concert started, and if I dont like them, then ok, leave but at least to know how they play.
Behemoth came the last ones and after some minutes of waiting, they got started with the intro and first song of their latest album "The Apostasy". So "Rome 64 CE" and "Slaying the Prophets Ov Isa" sounded just brutal, awesome. And almost with non-stop they showed why they grew up that much in popularity but keeping an amazing compositive and technical level in the last years since their change from black to death metal.
They also showed the so much presence and image they have over a scenary.
Truly proffesionals. No mistakes, no problems of sound. Hopefully they brought their own sound technician. It was one of my main fears. Sound technicians in Spain, what I've heard until now are just awful. And the last concert in that place I have seen we suffered a lot that guy who had no idea of giving a good sound to a metal band.









So the show was absolutly great. Inferno is a master in drumming, and he showed also how to spit fire (very black metal hehe but cool).

The show didnt fall down for even a while.. it was a shot after shot, no pause. And with the coming of the last songs they started spitting blood over the nearest ones (thanks the scenary was a bit far, but even.. I saw one big blood stain just few centimeters far from my feet hahah), and in one of the lasts, I dont remember exactly which song (already few days ago hehe) Nergal took the mask he is wearing in the pics of the band in "The Apostasy"... cool! :)
Not very good quality.. but here you have some vids :)
Intro + Slaying The Prophets Ov Isa

Drum Solo + Slaves Shall Serve

I really enjoyed like a child that concert, and it would be much better if they did a bis, but they didn't do it. I guess due to the few response of the public.
Yes, I have met quite a lot of people who said it was a great concert and so on... but I realized people here (at least in Vigo and Galicia) are just not answering, they dont move, they almost dont scream, they dont ask for more.
COME ON!!! WAKE UP!!! They should go to other places around Europe and see how people responses to concerts. (check in youtube some video of Behemoth in concert out of Spain.. or see one of the ones I went: Korpiklaani and look).
I was quite disappointed Behemoth didnt do a bis, but they did ok, I guess, if I see people who are standing and almost dont move a muscle of the throat (even when they are asked to do that) I would go away like they did. In fact.. I was the one who started to shout "BEHEMOTH BEHEMOTH BEHEMOTH!!..." when they finished their show. It's for sure that if you want they go on with it you have to show you are interested, but surprisingly just me, my friends.. and after 2 or 3 guys more near us joined in our chants. The rest just waited 2 minutes and left.
So after that demonstration, I really believe we deserve what we have here in relation to concerts. Few concerts and moreover, even when they are good and people are happy with them, people dont involucrate in that. The public from Vigo is a shame, and I dont fear that some of them are reading this. The worst thing is that they always ask for more when you talk with them, but first they dont involucrate going to concerts (someone told the concert of Behemoth there were many people, but thinking that just us, that we are not natural from Vigo, and I met there 5 more from a place far... and more that sure came from out the city, there would be few from Vigo); and then the few ones we are attending dont make almost noise, dont cheer up the band and of course dont sing...
Vigo has almost 400.000 habitants, around 100 bands of all styles of metal (where are all those ones who want people in their concerts?) and it's amazing that in concerts like the one of After Forever, a reknown international band, we were around 100 persons or few more.
What a shame!
With Behemoth we were a bit more.. but still ... I didnt see so many people. Ok, maybe the ticket was expensive, but we wont have again the chance of seeing bands like this one so often. And much less if the public is so few. And for every one who likes something about metal in the extreme side, it was an obligatory date. I dont regret of paying those 22 € at all. But ok, if they dont want to come... then dont complain about few concerts in this place.
I will complain once and again for all in every concert I assist telling that public of Galicia is bored and pretty static and dont like to go to concerts cause they are too expensive... they prefer to waste that money going out and drinking some drink for 6 € each one...
Well, I really needed to say that. This is not against nobody in special, just for fans of metal and rock from here in general.


UN POUCO MAIS (deixo o inglés por un momento):

Bueno, espero que entenderades mais ou menos todos o de ahí arriba no meu inglés farfulleiro.
Xusto hoxe acabome de atopar cunha crítica do concerto este no portal Friedhof Webzine.
E a verdad chamáronme a atención varias cousas, non sei se os que atendestes ó concierto estaredes de acordo conmigo. Vou por partes:

"En aquella ocasión tocaron en la infame sala Anoeta ante poco más de 80 personas. Seis años y medio después las cosas han cambiado bastante y lo que entonces era un pequeño, aunque prometedor, grupo de Death/Black Metal volvía ahora convertido en uno de los principales exponentes de la escena extrema."
Prometedora banda?? penso que despois do xenial Thelema.6, Behemoth xa tiña un suficiente bagaxe underground, e con suficientes fans por Europa adiante. Que aquí houbese 80 personas non me dice nada. O público de Vigo, como dixen antes diceme bastante pouco. Un bon exemplo foi o concerto de Catamenia, con case ninguén, e Catamenia é unha banda con suficiente reconocimiento europeo, creo eu. After Forever sería outro exemplo.

"Consecuentemente, el caché de los polacos ha subido como la espuma y tanto el elevado (por no decir abusivo) coste de las entradas (ni más ni menos que 22 euros anticipada, 25 en taquilla), como su reciente fichaje por la todopoderosa Nuclear Blast, así lo avalan."
Bueno, o caché de Behemoth subeu, deso estou seguro. En poucos anos non solo se seguiron mantendo nun inmellorable nivel compositivo, e as ventas e popularidade subironlle, pero esa non é a razón, creo eu, para ese prezo. De feito, After Forever, con un nivel de popularidade quizais non tan alto dentro do Gothic Metal coma Behemoth dentro do Death Metal cobraron unha cantidade bastante parecida.
A cuestión penso que pode ir máis de cara ó que xa dixen antes. O público non responde, e os organizadores pensan que hai uns fans que son os fixos que veñen ó concerto. Logo, se puxeran un prezo menor, as ventas non subirían, porque seguirían vindo os mismos fans, entón perderíase diñeiro. É dicir, o prezo ponse en función das expectativas (vaia como me está sonando esto ás teorías económicas que estou estudiando). Se se cree que a partir dun prezo para abaixo non se vai achegar máis xente, entonces deixase ahi.
Porque, vamos a ver... se puxeran a entrada a 15 €... iba vir moita mais xente? Sinceramente, eu creo que no, ou poucos máis. A diferencia entre os que iban vir por esa rebaixa e os que fomos por un precio superior, estimouse que daría perdas, así é como o vexo eu.
Caso de Skyclad, sendo un dos grupos máis influentes de todo o folk metal a nivel mundial, e sen deixar de sacar discos con calidade, tiñan a entrada a 7 € e prácticamente non veu ninguén!!!
Eu penso que perderon cartos, porque tanto min coma moitos outros estaríamos dispostos a pagar o doble ou incluso máis por un grupo dese calibre. E no concerto eramos unhas poucas decenas...
Outro exemplo que poido poñer, porque o vivín, era o de Estonia, no que os concertos rara vez pasaban de 15 €. E falo de
Moonsorrow + 2 grupos locales : 8 €
Korpiklaani + Metsatöll (grupo máis internacional de Estonia, e son pagan-heavy) : 10 €
Leave's Eyes + Atrocity + 2 grupos locales : 14 €
Swallow The Sun + Skyforger + Metsatöll : 10 €
non me acordo de mais.. pero ultimamente vin que foron
Rotting Christ + Krisiun + Immolation e non sei se outro : 12 ou 14 €
Alí as salas enchíanse, e o público dabao todo, asi que non necesitaban subir moito os prezos porque sabían que a media de xente estaba sempre a casi encher a sala e normalmente había moitos concertos e se empezaban a desvariar con prezos, a xente elexía ir a outro, sí, eles tiñan a cousa de poder elexir. E non, non é un pais de pobres, fai pouco foi Nightwish e cobraron 40 ou 50 €, igual que o poderían facer por aqui.
Que a xente se involucre máis nos concertos tamén sirve para rebaixar un pouco os prezos dos mismos, que de paso, agora que me acordo... é de AUTÉNTICA VERGÜENZA que a na entrada esté reseñado que LLE PAGAMOS UNHA PARTE DO TICKET Á SGAE!!! Eses tíos non saben xa por onde roubar. E este pode ser outro motivo de que as entradas en España en xeral se encareceran nos ultimos tempos.
Asi que... qué vos parece? Por ver a Behemoth, un grupo que nin pinta nin despinta na actualidade musical nin de ventas neste país, estamoslle dando uns euriños de propinilla a Joaquín Sabina, Ana Belén, Miguel Bosé, Perales, Miguel Ríos e similares personajes...

" Al rato salieron a escena Suicide Silence. El Deathcore de los californianos no pegaba mucho en el cartel y menos aún el corte de pelo a lo emo de su cantante, por lo que más de uno se los miró con recelo. Puro prejuicio. Lo cierto es que su propuesta a mi me convenció plenamente, y es que su mezcla entre Death brutal y breakdowns pegadizos funciona muy bien en directo. Además tuvieron un sonidazo, sin olvidar que su presencia escénica era muy buena y su ejecución, notable. Eso sí, se les podría acusar de tener unos temas un tanto unidimensionales, pero no hay que pasar por alto que “The Cleansing” (el trabajo que venían a presentar) es su álbum debut, por lo que es de prever que en el futuro mejoren a nivel compositivo."
Si, todo deben ser prejuicios. Esa parece ser sempre unha boa excusa para todo. Eles non pegaban no cartel, senón preguntádelle ós 4 fans que levaron e se foron antes de ver a Behemoth...
Non, nin pegaban, nin fixeron un gran papelón, e aquí sí creo que non fun o único que o notou, mais xente ca min estaba máis mirando os "pases" que daban os fans e rindo para entreternos en algo mentres a maraña sónica que descargaban Suicide Silence martilleaba os nosos oidos canción tras canción. Porque.. non direi que non lle puxeron ganas... pero poido apostar a que se as cancións as poñen noutro orden ninguén se daría cuenta de si seguían o setlist fixado... ou mellor ainda.. se repetisen a primeira 4 veces entre as 8 ou 9 que tocaron aposto que ninguén o notaría.
"Mellorar a nivel compositivo"... hm xa...
Eu creo que todos agradeceríamos mais se metesen a un grupo de Death ou Black calquera antes ca Dethcore.

"Teniendo en cuenta la juventud de los miembros de la banda (21 años de media), lo bien que lo hacen sobre las tablas, y que después de esta gira van a hacer una con Nile y luego otra con Slipknot, no me extrañaría que su nombre empezara a sonar con fuerza en el futuro. Veremos."
Si, claro, algo totalmente normal, unha banda que saca o primeiro disco e vaise de gira con gigantes coma Nile, e grandes ventas coma Slipknot... non ule algo raro ahi???
Sona a chanchullo polos 4 costados e a cartos invertidos en Suicide Silence que bueno...
Esto recórdame a un artículo que lin non sei onde sobre Evanescence, que de ser un grupo que sacara unha demo por ahi no 1999, creo, moi experimental, con bases ritmicas a veces electrónicas, incluso guitarras acústicas e corte intimista, da noite á mañá empezaron a ter ofertas para tocar en todos sitios incluso antes de sacar o Superventas "Fallen" no 2003. Parece ser que un dos membros decía que estaba sorprendido que tiñan ofertas para tocar cando nin sequera eran casi un grupo, porque sólo tocaran unhas poucas veces xuntos antes. Eso ule raro, tanto coma que un grupo novel se fose de xira con grandes tendo experiencia cero.. e con grandes de estilos diferentes coma Nile ou Behemoth... eso xa.. parece demasiado extraño.

"Tras una razonablemente larga prueba de sonido, Behemoth tomaron el escenario entre aplausos. Soy de la opinión de que su imagen (muy similar a la de Dimmu Borgir, pese a quien le pese) es excesivamente Black Metal para la música que vienen realizando de un tiempo a esta parte. Y para ser sincero, lo de escupir fuego en plan Immortal se lo podían ahorrar."
Bueno, e esto ven do mesmo que dice que non se recibiu ben ese grupo de Hardcore por prexuízos.. e esto qué é?? noooo non debe ser prexuízos que "teñen unha imaxe demasiado black metal para tocar o seu estilo" ou que "o de botar fuego en plan Immortal o debían aforrar" .... pero vamos!!!

Bueno, ensañeime con este, porque hai certas cousas... que no, non se dan aceptado, e creo que xa collen a calquera para facer unha crítica. Vale que aprobara periodismo, e incluso que lle guste a escena, pero eso non necesariamente implica que o seu gusto sexa do máis obxectivo e que as críticas sexan nin moito menos decentes. Sempre, claro está, podese estar de acordo ou non con certas crónicas.. pero aquí encontrei moito que no.. e decidín soltalo.
Polo menos gustoulle Behemoth, se non xa era pa caerse de narices :D
Pero bueno, espero que non se moleste ninguén por criticar a unha crítica ou a un crítico, ainda que xa sei que parece políticamente incorrecto...

Fuentes de fotos:
jako_the_one
Friedhof Webzine
Propias