martes, mayo 26, 2009

Bal Sagoth + The Ransack + Thee Orakle (Live Porto 2009-05-23)



Bands
: Bal Sagoth (UK) + The Ransack (Pt) + Thee Orakle (Pt)
Day: May, 23rd 2009
Place: C.C. Stop - Porto (Portugal)
Price: 12 € presale / 15 € doors

También en español aquí

Still with a whistle in my ears 1 day after the concert in Porto and enough tired I start writing this post that you can find in spanish language in Pagan Dreams as well.
I fear this whistle might join me some time more, but I think the effort was worth. We dont have the chance usually to see those odd genious under the mystical band name of Bal Sagoth around iberic lands.

At 7:00 PM we start the trip from Vigo to Porto and 1'5 h. later we arrive to Campanha, the Porto's train station and seek for the place. Meanwhile, francesinhas is a must once you arrive to the portuguese city. I'd even dare to say that those first minutes in Porto we were JUST searching for that typical dish XD

The neighbourhood was centainty a bit creepy. Smell was like old or dust, streets were not so clean and seemed somehow like a ghost area. Hard to believe that there should be any pub or disco for concerts there...
A bit disoriented but sure that was the right street we realized that CC Stop should mean Commercial Center Stop, a kind of shopping mall that looked like quite a desert...


Just few meters inside we met the easy recognizable Bal Sagoth guys and they corroborated us we were in the right strange place. As we are quite curious people :P we decided to explore a bit that shopping mall, and I can say that was a good place for a zombies movie -I wouldnt like to be there alone at night-; dust smell, shops and premises closed for many years, stopped escalators, rubble... and we reached to a point that we were just the only ones there.. almost the feeling of living a Romero's movie XD


10:00 PM and we saw some long hair and dark clothes close to a kind of room... Once inside, it wasnt any kind of pub or similar. It was closer to a rehearsal room, the scenary was just 20 ctmers. upper the floor, quite small, and dark walls all around...


After a brief waiting time and with punctuality, the locals Thee Orakle started with acoustic chords that recalled some Moonspell melody and suddenly the rest of instruments burst in with an amazing strenght.
We were doubtful in relation of the sound of the place when looking that small place and so many people over the stage, but sound was almost perfect. Volume was high but not the much that could damage our auditive capacity, and they sounded really powerful.
The music Thee Orakle plays is a kind of gothic doom with strong keyboards presence that gives their proposal an epic, intense halo. Catchy riffs that could remind to the old bands of gothic doom of the 90's made with good taste and nice rythm changes. Melodies could recall sometimes their compatriots Moonspell with that touch half arabic-half evil, but mostly to the first works of After Forever or Draconian, even Crematory in their first albums.
Someone told: "they look like After Forever were covering Theater of Tragedy". Not a bad trying of definition, I think.

I could bet the girl likes a lot Floor Jansen due her way of singing, and the male singer was closer to the typical black metal voice though he had some little moments of clean choruses.
Thee Orakle was indeed a great discovering and besides they had a great sound. Very enjoyable performance.


Little bit later, The Ransack started to play a powerful Death Metal. I dont dare to say they did a bad performance, public was more involved and they showed good attitude, but my mates and me thought a bit different.
Their music was not very original, they played the typical Death Metal riffs, but I guess the worst point was the sound. When they started blastbeats all was noise, we barely guessed the melodies or riffs, and quite impossible the solos as well. The feeling was that they were just one more band of Death Metal.
Strange that 7 people in that first concert sounded so fine and now 4 people were so chaotic. The sound technician seemed to be not so happy and he was coming once and again to our place, right, left, behind, closer... it was really an exaggeration (he could come and go like 5 times per song checking the sound in the room).


Their first song seemed to be closer to Melodic Death-Thrasher fields, but the following ones were much more powerful. Style could recall to those bands of Technical powerful Death like Hate Eternal.
I must say that I had no idea about this band, later I searched something about them and now I know they were introducing their second album "Vortex" and could be that they were a bit more popular than those first ones because they started 8 years ago in the portuguese underground.
Right now I am listening their myspace and it doesnt look so brutal as in live, so I believe I cannot be 100% objective with just that concert.
Anyway, it is clear that public enjoyed their show, more than us.

No bises for The Ransack and once they finished and with punctuality, Bal Sagoth jumped into the stage at close 00:00 AM
With a not familiar intro, maybe specially created for concerts (if I am wrong please someone tell me), Bal Sagoth walked between the public already quite tight in the first lines. So we could see the members with their painted faces like a kind of mask. Just few minutes later that mask was blured with sweat all around the face, not even kept stable the first song "Atlantis Ascendant". Lord Byron was dressed like a monk with a hood and a similar mask but in soft blue.

We were few ctmrs. far from Christ Maudling (guitars), one of the musical creators with his brother Jonny (keyboards) and I fear that made our perception of the sound was bad, really bad. But I doubt people behind us had a much better one when looking their faces.
I am having a whistle in my ears since yesterday and I believe it will stay for some time more. I dont understand yet howcome the youngest and less experienced band of the 3 and with more members have had the best sound of the night.

Song by song, Bal Sagoth was playing a complete setlist that took songs from every one of their albums and sometimes we thought sound was getting better, but that excessively strident guitar and those cymbals made the general sound to be too chaotic when they played a bit fast.
Keyboards, core of many of the melodies and very important part in the Bal Sagoth's epic world were really in a secondary scene. If you didnt know the songs it would be really complicated for you to know or follow some riffs and melodies.
Definitely not the best concert of that sound technician (that we saw already in Santiago de Compostela when Skyclad played one year ago! Maybe british bands have their own one for concerts in the north of Spain?)


Lord Byron is an odd frontman. He didnt move too much during all the concert, not even headbanging gestures, he just kept on singing with the help of his "voice pitch effect machine". His way of introducing songs was as well funny and bombastic, I guess he was very in the role... "indeeeeeed my mighty friends from Portugaaal.."


Thorough punctuality for starting and thorough as well for finishing, with not too many pauses they played 1 hour and half and went away in spite of important part of the audience was asking for a bis. Lord Byron, with careful and warm words appreciated the cheering of the portuguese people, that was very active in spite of such an irregular show.

Once they finished, we could see how the guitar player was quite angry with the performance, and be sure that looking a guy 2 meters tall x 1 meter wide with tension is quite shocking. In fact the first he said, even before we could ask anything, was something like "I'm fucking angry with the sound, I couldnt hear a fucking shit up there; Bal Sagoth will come again to Porto and will repeat again this fucking concert in a better place and with a better sound!"
We realized as well that they might have some kind of problem up there listening each others because they had some little mistakes of misalignments sometimes, and even had to repeat for 2 times one song when they were already playing like 10 seconds.

In spite of the mad moment he was having, Maudling seemed to calm down a bit and amaze when we said to him we came from Spain to see them there. He was really kind and was great with us all the time answering and chatting, like the others of the band.
The only one who stayed in the backstage all the time was the singer Lord Byron, already without hood but with a peak, very similar to the one he wore in that famous Wacken concert. Indeed a lame, cause it would be very interesting to talk with him a bit.
At least now we know that there will be a next Bal Sagoth album and they wont close the chapters with the hexalogy, but it will take time to elaborate a new album because they dont want to repeat themselves and dont want to create something that could be under the high level of the previous albums, and this requires a lot of time and work, in words of Chris. So, Bal Sagoth fans, be calmed now; there will be a new album of the epic-symphonic masters, but seems it will take time.




So, general opinion about the concert is not the best. The complex and original music Bal Sagoth creates didnt shine as we would like. It is definitely a difficult work to carry to a live show their songs, and just one keyboard doesnt give the pompous and bombastic feeling of the CDs, and worst if its sound is occulted by the rest of instruments. Those intrincated guitar riffs were marred by poor sound and high volume as well. Here I must say that being in front of him was quite amazing cause he didnt stop playing through all the neck up and down, down and up. And I also discovered why playing Bal Sagoth at home is that difficult, not only due the difficult scores: 7 strings!

Hope they come again closer and they have more luck with sound.


jueves, mayo 21, 2009

Mójate para Leo... (a arrogancia no rock)


Seguro que exigiron que a cámara estivese detrás dun espello destes tipo policía no que se viran reflejados... qué juapos que somos!

De todos é conocido por algún post anterior que o tipejo ese chamado Leo Jiménez, ex saratoga e ahora x-travaganzza (xa xa chiste malo.. XD) non me cae chispa. Aparte dunhas maneiras chulescas vomitivas sobre o escenario de "yo soy el mejor rock star del mundo, alabadme nenitas" e a súa forma de cantar que moitos consideran de calidad, pero que a mín causame desidia e cansancio por repunantes gorgoritos ouyeah... agora traenos unha "nova" para atraer a público ó seu concierto.
Bueno, antes de nada decir que temos concierto en Vigo deste individuo, na Fábrica de Chocolate este sábado 23 de Maio.
Acompañaranos un grupo que ainda que parezca incrible son ainda peores ca calquera dos grupos nos que está o Mr. Guapiño, uns tal Infernoise que son unha tremenda e infumable caca de la vaca.
Fan unha especie de power groove thrash copia exacta de Pantera, pero facendo cancións que nin as peores na peor época dos de Dimebag.

www.myspace.com/infernoisemusic

A cousa é que os individuos estes de Leo, que por certo, Vigo está cheo de carteles do seu concerto (...igual que no resto de conciertos de metal non?) ocurréuselles unha idea.. pero mellor lela do seu propio puño e letra:

"
VALIERI'S GIRLS - Te mojamos en el escenario

Quieres subirte al escenario en uno de nuestros conciertos? Te consideras sexy? Estarías dispuesta a que te mojáramos en el escenario? Te apetece cantar un tema con nosotros?
Da igual como seas, alta, baja, gordita, flaquita, fea, rubia, morena.... Compartirás unos momentos inolvidables con la banda...
Nosotros te invitamos!!!!!!!!
Dinos a que ciudad de la gira quieres ir, y mándanos las fotos más sexys que tengas y el mismo Ix Valieri te elegirá para que subas con toda la banda en la ciudad a la que quieras asistir.
Manda todas tus fotos a contact@go-onagency.com
No lo dudes!!!! Nos lo pasaremos en grande!!!!
"

A todo esto, o que se fai chamar co estúpido nombre de IX Valieri é o guitarrista de Leo e tamén de Infernoise.

Pois ahí o tedes...

http://www.leojimenez.net/noticias.html

Dudeino por un momento, asi que me fun á paxina oficial do Leo este e ahí estaba, así que é verídico ó 100%

Non sei... podería empezar a despotricar sobre dita banda de Gilipollas (con G maiúscula) e sobre si de verdade o machismo forma parte ou non do rock e do metal hoxe en día...
Eu o que creo é que realmente este tipo teno tan subido o de ser un genio del metal que dá puñetero asco... a todo esto...véuseme á cabeza o outro asqueroso del metal, Mr. Txus di Fellatio de Mägo de Oz. Dame igual que a idea fose do outro con nombre de detergente ou non, porque ó fin e ó cabo é Leo o jefillo do seu grupo, e con ese comunicado na súa páxina oficial é coma se o publicase él mesmo.

Non sei quén se cree que son, pero eso de incitar ás nenitas de 15 anos a que se suban ó escenario para que "se desnuden" ante eles, os maaaaaaaximos Rockstars do panorama Internacional (jah!) e que "se mostren" non sei con qué aviesas intencións......................
bueno, sí sei... pero vou evitar calificativos demasiado serios, ainda que todos os temos na cabeciña. Todos sabemos qué franja de idade teñen as rapaciñas que van ver a estes esperpentos...

Entón, poñéndonos un pouco serios, por un lado temos a actitude sexista e machista dun individuo/s X, pero por outro lado e mal que nos pese para os que somos aficionados ó metal, este individuo é un abanderado do heavy metal no país. Alguén que debería portar algún tipo de responsabilidade moral sabendo que é punto de mira e reflexo para outras personas e fans. ¿Qué está intentando demostrar con actitudes tan ... indefinibles coma ésta...?¿son o máis guay, o máis rockstar, o máis do máis... arrogante???

Así que xa sabedes, dá igual que sexades feas (é moito o destes gilipollas), guapas, gordas ou delgadas, a cousa é "divertirse" coa banda... (incluso podedes convertirvos en "groupies oficiales" se dades coa talla ;) abájatelas brajas!)

Eu desde aquí animo a desprestixiar a personaxes coma estes e bandas coma esta de tales impresentables.
Ninguén debería ir a Vigo a velos. Animo a deixalos solos no seu concierto.
Que (se) toquen entre eles. A ver si descubren algo novo e lles gusta máis que este tipo de incitacións.

Se se enteran os dos telediarios poñennos a todos os "jevis" de patas pa baixo, se xa de por sí estamos suficientemente crucificados neste país.

Veña chicas, que igual vos leva despois polo arenal a bailar un reggaeton... "mojaos" para Leo....



A todo esto, estou oíndo unha entrevista deles no Rafabasa, e oficialmente poido decir que lles falta un par de vraos a ambos individuos cando falan do concurso en cuestión.
Ademáis o Vilineri este dice que quere facer como un club de fans por internet ou algo así de las "chicas del detergente" en cada pueblo para que se vaian enseñando as tetas polos seus conciertos ó redor do país....
cooooomo me molo e qué rockstar que soy....
Abaixo con Leo-037!
Por cierto, todos os que critican a Stravaganzza e Leo, son en palabras de Leo Jimenez: "pesaos frikis" xa me dou por alulido XD... sisi seremos os demáis... é o que teñen as estrellas del rock... que o resto somos bazofia que critica por criticar detrás dun ordenador... seguídevolo crendo.

...buuuuuf logo de esta noticia e oír a estes 2 elementos durante a media hora larga da entrevista a miña antipatía multiplicouse ata cotas insospechadas...

miércoles, mayo 20, 2009

Alternavigo 2009 - Novos fichajes II

Amon Amarth súmanse ó día de metal.

Día 7:
Amon Amarth
UDO
Dark Tranquillity
+4

Día 8:
Stravaganzza
Hamlet
Skizoo
+4

http://www.alternavigo.com/

martes, mayo 19, 2009

Dimmu Borgir lánzase ó comic!


O que me faltaba por ver, logo de que Lordi xa fixeran o propio fai uns anos, cun cómic que anda por ahí pola casa en finés... moi bonito de ver, porque polo demás non me entero nin papa... "Dimmu Borgir: Dark Fortress" é o novo merchandising que sacan os noruegos.
¿Seguirán á competición con Lordi na cadena de hamburgueserías e "rocktaurantes"?
Bueno, así o nombre xa famoso entre detractores do grupo tería alomenos un uso
"Dimmu Burger, con happy meal e festas de cumpleanos a organizar! Proooximamente no teu pueblo!"


Ah que non sabíades que Lordi tamén tiñan hamburguesas hehe
dádelle unha visual:
http://www.rocktaurant.com/menu2_en.html

"con carne de lordi chamuscada no inferno marca da casa, as hamburguesas saben mellor ;) qué son 10 € de nada???!"
Ollo co Viiiiiiiiiiiip price de un supeeeeeeerdescuento de 1 peaso Euro! sólo si eres fan de verdad reconocerás dónde está a calidad...





"Terminal Press and Nuclear Blast Records have teamed up for one of the most brutal comics of the year with “Dimmu Borgir: Dark Fortress.” This is the first in a series of books influenced by the lyrical, artistic and musical concepts from Nuclear Blast’s polarizing roster of bands translated into the comic medium by the creative teams at Terminal Press.


Three reluctant men are chosen to quest to the Dark Fortress in a desperate attempt to protect their land from a growing evil. Despite a legend warning that the harsh land built upon lava fields is actually the gateway to Hell, they make their way across the treacherous path, encountering horrors, madness and death along the way. The three men will either survive the journey and learn the secret behind the legend of the Dark Fortress, or meet a most gruesome demise.

"Dimmu Borgir: Dark Fortress" utilizes the artistic vision and lyrical themes of the biggest Black Metal band in the world, DIMMU BORGIR, to create a powerful and thought-provoking fantasy horror comic book.

“I am artistically influenced and more passionate about metal music than any other genre or medium” says Terminal Press publisher and writer Brian Ferrara. “This is a project that I have always wanted to do and have thought about for years. I wanted to bring metal bands into comics in a way that would do them justice. These are books for fans of the bands, but they will also be able to stand on their own.”

“Dimmu Borgir: Dark Fortress” is written by Brian Ferrara (Silent Assassin, Debbie Does Dallas), with art by Narek Gevorgian (Silent Assassin, Tell Them Johnny Wadd is Here).

A “Dimmu Borgir: Dark Fortress” preview book containing original artwork and pin-ups created specifically for this edition will be available as a San Diego Comic Con Exclusive at the Nuclear Blast Records booth (#116). The Limited Edition print run will only be available at the convention and through TerminalPress.com.

“Dimmu Borgir: Dark Fortress” will be available later this year from Terminal Press."

http://www.terminalpress.com/index.php/tp-blog/


lunes, mayo 18, 2009

A! Metal Night


Bands: Mongollica (Metallica cover band) + Ephemereal (Death Metal) + Nocheni (Heavy-Rock)
Day: 16th March 2009
Price: 8 € presale / 10 € doors
Place: Sala A! - Vigo

Teño algún problema de indecisión de qué lengua usar para este post, pero vou segui-la miña política de facer os concertos en inglés ainda que este sexa un evento certamente local.

Last saturday we had in Vigo one of the biggest metal parties I have ever been. People from pubs of Santiago de Compostela and Vigo were organizing this event. It consisted in 3 galician bands playing and different lotteries.
I guess the experience was positive cause I could see in that place more people than in other concerts like Behemoth, Firewind or After Forever.
Anyway, the thing started a bit later than thought cause of soccer and because of usual spanish behaviour XD

First band playing were Ephemereal. They did a kind of agressive Death Metal with technical touch. Well, sound wasnt the best so we quite guessed that technical part. Anyway, their songs were not the most brilliant thing on Earth. Seemed like they played the random buttom when uniting parts of a song and it could last 3 min. or 9 min. because structures just didnt exist.
I didnt like at all them, even not liking too much their attitude, but that's a more personal view.

I can say they had nice guitars (I know, I'm a bit rough, but...)



Beer comes beer goes... friends come friends go.. lots of familiar faces in the place...
and the first lottery of guitars...
Seems they draw for 3 guitars, each one of them signed by one rock star. I know there was one signed by Gary Moore and another by Doro Pesch.. third.. no idea.
And that's probably the only black point of the night. The prize was a bit unclear, I mean, they just told one number and the winner came... but... much later, almost at 5:00 AM they told this is the guitar and this is the winner. I asked my friends and none heared any number. And the third one.. I dont know but if they wanted to make a lottery at 8:00 AM not too much people would wait for that. We left at 6:00 AM almost and we decided that waiting more in the place wasnt worth. Besides, 50% of the people already left when we went away. Strange draw.

The second band was Nocheni. An old band that I have seen 2 or 3 concerts already. They are quite different from the previous ones, softer and melodic rock-metal. My friend told me it was the first time that he saw a keyboardist-singer.. indeed it's a bit strange, seems like he is a politician XD
Nocheni - Los Rockeros Van Al Infierno



Their music isnt anything special, but it works in live. They made public to enjoy and I think everyone of us was pretty satisfied with their show. A cover song from the classic band Barón Rojo, some funny remixes and games with audience and some free shirts that the singer throwed to us was just perfect with their effective music and performance.
Sound was as well much better than with Ephemereal.



Again a bit long waiting, again beer comes beer goes... and the last band was coming: Mongollica came dressed like mexican pressing fighters/ghosts with long clothes. I have no idea what's the point of that or the relation with Metallica (maybe that Metallica is dead and they come playing the old and only one good stuff they ever made?). They played all the typical songs of the americans and people enjoyed a lot, we saw even some moshing and the place was full and cheering up (quite unbeliavable in this place). The concert was completely satisfactory, listening those songs in live is always interesting and captivating...



Summing up, a night to remember, first because it's not usual at all seeing so many "metal people" in the same place. Just in 80's metal concerts you can see it here, though a lot, we still think there should be much more people there, but some might be tired or didnt want to spend more money because the previous night there was a concert in that same place (Doro).
And second cause in general was a total entertainment. Hope we can have more of this kind of parties and people start going out to see music in live instead of complaining at home that big bands dont come close...