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70 000 Tons Of Metal 2011

I was going to this magnificent event full of expectations. Just imagine a Royal Caribbean cruise ship with 2000 Heavy Metal fans and 42 bands sharing the same space. This was supposed to be an event like nothing before, heading from Miami, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico and then back to Miami again in four days.

My flight from Stockholm, Sweden left early Saturday morning at 07.00 to Paris, France to catch a connecting flight to Miami. I arrived to my hotel in Miami Beach at 17.00 and went out for dinner. Three hours later I found a small bar and I immediately hocked up with people wearing shirts with band logos. I stayed for several hours in that bar meeting people from Germany, the US, Brazil and New Zealand and we all were excited for what's to come.

Jet lag caught me Sunday afternoon, since I was awake for 28 hours the day before, so I decided to stay in my room and just prepare for the cruise.

Venues:
- Chorus Line Theater: Main Stage, located on deck 5-7
- Pool Deck: Open Air Stage, located on deck 10-11
- Spectrum Lounge: Club Stage, located on deck 8

~ Tobbe

|Monday| - |Tuesday| - |Wednesday| - |Thursday|

Reviewed by Tobbe

Monday - January 24

I woke up at 08.00 Monday morning and went down for breakfast and then checked out at 11.30 just to get a taxi to Port Of Miami, where the cruise ship, Majesty Of The Seas, was docked. I was waiting for two friends and while standing there, I met a couple of guys from two nights before. We boarded the ship at 14.00 and went for one of the bars on the Pool Deck. It was packed up there with both fans and band members. Everybody were in a good mood and that's how it was during the entire trip.

At about 16.30 we all had to go the muster drill that noone really cared about. People were chanting Beer, Beer, Beer and at 17.30 the cruise ship finally departured.

Band: Exodus
Chorus Line Theater 19:00-20:00 (delayed to 19:30-20.30)

Exodus was supposed to enter the main stage at 19.00, but were delayed due to the fact that the stage wasn't set yet. They went up on stage at around 19.30. That had energy and they were excited to be there, but in my opinion, something was missing. I've seen Exodus on many occasions and this gig is something that won't go down as one of their better. Unfortunately, due to the delay, I could only see five songs since I was heading for Nevermore.

5 chalices of 10

Setlist: (not complete)
Beyond The Pale
Iconoclasm
Chosen Ones
A Lesson In Violence
Blacklist


Band: Nevermore
Pool Deck 20:00-21:00

The band enters the stage on time and opens this gig with Moonrise (Through Mirrors Of Death) and immediately sets the pace for this gig. The crowd is connecting with the band right from the start. Jeff is playing his guitar as good as ever and Warrel uses his voice as a weapon. On this gig we see Nevermore without bass player Jim, but they have a great replacement in Dagna. She is doing a great job, due to the fact that she only had ten days to learn and rehearse the songs. Touring guitarist Attila seems to enjoy this event as much as everyone else.

They're continuing their show with songs from their four latest releases and all songs go down well with the crowd. When they play Born, the people on the Pool Deck goes nuts to this thrashing song and if there had been a roof, it probably would have lifted to its limits. They perform their ten song set like a walk through the park, yet professional. They have total control of their instruments and this was the best performance on the entire event.

9,5 chalices of 10

Setlist: (might be slightly incorrect)
Moonrise (Through Mirrors Of Death)
The River Dragon Has Come
Your Poison Throne
Born
Emptiness Unobstructed
Inside Four Walls
The Termination Proclamation
The Heart Collector
The Obsidian Conspiracy
Enemies Of Reality


Band: Gamma Ray
Chorus Line Theater 21:00-22:00 (delayed to 21.15-22.00)

Lights go down and the taped intro, Welcome, starts the show. One minute later Gamma Ray runs in smiling to Gardens Of The Sinner. This happy song is a great opener and the smiles are not ending here. Up next is one of my favorite songs, New World Order, and the band plays this heavier song with brilliance. Especially guitarist Henjo, who seems so relaxed, no matter what he is playing. He's making things look so easy, even the more complex parts.

The set continues with a pair of new songs from their latest album, To The Metal!, and a pair of hits. Unfortunately they're running out of time. Rebellion In Dreamland is abbreviated and so is Man On A Mission as well. The crowd is singing when the band stops to play and Kai says that he wishes us to continue singing, because their time is out. A good show was over.

7 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Intro: Welcome (recorded)
Gardens Of The Sinner
New World Order
Empathy
Fight
Armageddon
To The Metal
Rebellion In Dreamland (2/3)
Man On A Mission (2/3)


Band: Sonata Arctica
Pool Deck 22:00-23:00

Sonata Actica used to be a great band, until they started playing this more progressive metal they play on their two latest releases. When they play songs from the first four albums, people in front of the stage knows a lot of the words, fists are up in the air, people are headbanging and are enjoying the show to the full. During the new songs the fists go down and much of the joy is lost. I understand that Tony, who writes all the songs, wants to move forward, but this is hardly the right path for the band.

I missed the first song, so when I got there, they had just started to play Victoria's Secret, which is, by far a better opener than Caleb. The band enjoyed the response they got from this song. Replica and 8th Commandment were also fan favorites. The set was closed with Full Moon, Don't Say A Word, and as always, with Vodka. This show would have gotten 5,5 chalices if they hadn't played Juliet.

5 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Caleb
Victoria's Secret
The Last Amazing Grays
Replica
8th Commandment
Paid In Full
Last Drop Falls
Juliet
Full Moon
Don't Say A Word
Vodka, etc.


Band: Blind Guardian
Chorus Line Theater 23:00-00:30 (delayed to 23.45-01.00)

Blind Guardian rehearse a load of songs before and probably during their tours, so you never know which setlist Hansi is picking for tonight. However, on this gig they play a set with a lot of hits and fan favorites. They open their show with Sacred Worlds. A good song, but a little too long to be the perfect opener. They perform old favorites like Welcome To Dying and Nightfall. Great songs, but I didn't really enjoy them as much as usually do. Hansi has his style, but maybe he should try to rock a little more, just to get the crowd going and it sometimes feels dead wrong that three sixths of the band are locked up in the back of the stage. The bassplayer, Oliver, should at least have a little more space.

When they continue with Traveler In Time and Valhalla, the gig suddenly turns into something great. The band, the fans and even I, are rocking again. I only get to see one more song, Bright Eyes, before I have to leave after 45 minutes. From what I heard, they performed a fantastic last thirty minutes, playing four hits, including the always wanted Majesty.

6 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Sacred Worlds
Welcome To Dying
Nightfall
Fly
Traveler In Time
Valhalla
Bright Eyes
Lord Of The Rings
Majesty
The Bard's Song - In The Forest
Mirror Mirror


Band: Fear Factory
Pool Deck 00:30-01:30

Fear Factory have always been one of my favorite bands, ever since I heard the bonecrushing Demanufacture for the first time back in 1995. With Gene Hoglan behind the drums, I think they have taken their music to another level, even though Raymond wasn't bad, noone can deny that Hoglan is one of the best drummers on the metal scene. This gig was supposed to be my highlight this Monday night and I just came in time to see them start the gig with Shock, followed by Edgecrusher.

When standing on the Pool Deck you could really feel the floor was shaking to their music and especially Hoglan's drums. A best of-set was played this night, including songs from their latest release Mechanize and older stuff from Demanufacture, Obsolete and Digimortal. The crowd was wild and a mosh pit was near constant. They closed their set with four straight songs from Demanufacture and the band really enjoyed playing on this ship and performed an awesome gig. Burton's voice during the clean vocal parts wasn't the best though.

8,5 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Shock
Edgecrusher
Smasher/Devourer
Powershifter
Fear Campaign
Acres Of Skin
Linchpin
Demanufacture
Self Bias Resistor
Zero Signal
Replica


Band: Finntroll
Pool Deck 02:15-03:15

I was up on the Pool Deck partying, so I checked out a couple of songs, just to see if I could hear what they were singing, since they are supposed to sing in Swedish. During the twenty minutes or so I watched them, I couldn't figure one single word out. Finntroll was nothing for me, but the crowd seemed pleased with their performance.

-- chalices of 10

(sorry, no setlist)

To the top

Tuesday - January 25

I went to bed at 07.00 this morning and only slept for two hours, so I knew that this was going to be a tough day. Eventually I sobered up a bit and had some breakfast followed by a beer and then I was ready for another day of 70000 Tons Of Metal.

Band: Agent Steel
Festival Stage 13:30 - 14:45

I hadn't seen Agent Steel before and wasn't going to see them this time either, but I went there to check out a couple of songs. It was a little strange to see two different guys singing, each holding a lyrics sheet in their hand while performing. From what I heard, their real vocalist fell ill just before the cruise and these two guys where fighting hard just to make it work. Kudos!

Just to make things even tougher for the guys handling the vocals, it started to get a bit windy, so their lyrics sheet were soon spread across the drum podium and the stage. I only had time to see 5 songs, since I was heading for lunch. These twenty minutes didn't convince me though. Perhaps I shouldn't review this gig at all, since I wasn't familiar with the band before and the singer situation wasn't really their fault.

-- chalices of 10

(sorry, no setlist)


Band: Sabaton
Chorus Line Theater 13:45-14:45 (delayed to 14.00-15.00)

Sabaton hits the stage with Ghost Division. Vocalist Joakim and bass player Pär are smiling, as always. The man behind the keyboard, Daniel, is headbanging, so this looked promising. The band continues with a lot of songs from their two latest releases, Coat Of Arms and The Art Of War, leaving most of the older songs until the end of the show. The crowd seems to enjoy every note played, even though most of us are hung over from yesterday's partying. The beers and drinks are flowing though.

Joakim is a great frontman, who knows to handle the crowd in front of him. No exception this afternoon, as he is charming everyboby with his talk between the songs. On this gig they don't reach their full capacity though. Just an ordinary day at work. Some of the new songs aren't as good as the older songs too and they can't take this show to another level. At the end of the show we get a couple of old favorites from Primo Victoria and they are closing the set with Metal Machine and Metal Crüe. All in all, the gig was good. Heavy Metal all through, with no ballads.

5,5 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Intro
Ghost Division
Uprising
40:1
Cliffs Of Gallipoli
Panzer Battalion
Saboteurs
Aces In Exile
Coat Of Arms
Wolfpack
Primo Victoria
Metal Machine (2/3)/Metal Crüe (1/3)


Band: Circle II Circle
Spectrum Lounge 14:45-15:30

Circle II Circle is fronted by Savatage's former lead vocalist Zak Stevens and this afternoon they play songs from their latest album, Consequence Of Power, mixed with songs from Zak's Savatage records. I missed the two first songs, due to the neverending delays at the Chorus Line Theater. This was starting to annoy me a bit. I got there just in time to hear the last chorus of Edge Of Thorns.

The band tried hard to make this a great gig with brand new guitarist Ronnie Feldmann. The Spectrum Lounge is a venue with a low ceiling, so the stage was no taller than two feet. This was a problem for the crowd and the bands. If you weren't standing in the front row, you couldn't see more than their faces up on stage. On this small stage they did a good job, performing songs like He Carves His Stone and Lights Out to please the old Savatage fans and new Circle II Circle songs to promote their latest release.

5 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Consequence Of Power
Take Back Yesterday
Edge Of Thorns
Out Of Nowhere
Episodes Of Mania
He Carves His Stone
Lights Out
Anymore


Band: Rage
Chorus Line Theater 15:30-16:30

Rage have been around for 25 years now, with different lineups through the years. Lead singer and bass player Peavy Wagner is the only consisting member. The band enters the main stage and fire up the show with The Edge Of Darkness from their latest release. You could see that they were focused on this gig. They continue their set with songs from 2002 and forward, which comes as no surprise, considering that guitarist Victor, who has been a member for over 10 years now, gets more and more space in this band. I was studying Victor's skills for a while during the set and his technigue is something extraordinary.

Before they played Empty Hollow, Peavy said that they were going to do another Lingua Mortis experiment in the near future. Heavy Metal on one side and a symphonic orchestra on the other. They did this in the mid nineties and gave it another shot in 2006 on the Speak Of The Dead album. I would prefer a solid Heavy Metal record instead, since I never think these experiments work out well. At the end of the show we get a pair of classics from the nineties, but not one single song from the eighties, which is a part of Rage I find as good as their latest releases. They are a different band now and the sound is completely different, so this is probably how it's going to be in the future.

5,5 chalices of 10

Setlist:
The Edge Of Darkness
Soundchaser
Hunter And Prey
Drop Dead!
Empty Hollow
Set This World On Fire
War Of Worlds
Black In Mind
Down
Higher Than The Sky


Band: Iced Earth
Chorus Line Theater 19:00-20:00 (delayed to 19.10-20.10)

Iced Earth was just another American metal band in the nineties for me, but then they released Something Wicked This Way Comes in 1998 and they were beginning their claim for fame. Their two latest records are a bit too complex in my opinion, with all these short songs to make them into concept albums. This night they have chosen to open their set with Burning Times, followed by tonight's best song, Declaration Day. You could see that the band were very focused to nail this gig.

They continue their set with a bunch of old classics and fan favorites from the nineties. In fact, Declaration Day was the only song in the set, released later than 1998. Melancholy (Holy Martyr) and The Hunter gets the best response from the crowd, who seem to enjoy every minute of this one hour gig. As usual they end their set with Iced Earth, which must be one of the worst songs to close a show with. I really can't see what's good with that song. All in all this was an enjoyable show and the crowd were satisfied.

6,5 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Intro: 1776 (recorded)
Burning Times
Declaration Day
Violate
Pure Evil
Melancholy (Holy Martyr)
Dark Saga
The Hunter
My Own Savior
A Question Of Heaven
Iced Earth


Band: Sanctuary
Spectrum Lounge 20:00-20:45

Sanctuary released two albums twenty years ago and when they disbanded, some of the members formed Nevermore. They only played one gig in 2011 prior to the cruise, so this was a highlight for many old and new fans. When I enter the Spectrum Lounge, they have just started to play Die For My Sins, which is my favorite Sanctuary song, and I could immediately hear that this was going to be something good.

Warrel was singing these old songs with great emotions and the other guys were determined to make this gig something to remember. They nailed most of the songs and I was leaving this gig with a smile and I think most of the crowd did that as well.

8,5 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Eden Lies Obscured
Die For My Sins
Battle Angels
The Mirror Black
Seasons Of Destruction
Future Tense
Sanctuary
Taste Revenge


Band: Amon Amarth
Chorus Line Theater 20:45-22:00 (delayed to 21:00-22.15)

Another highlight for me, and for a lot of people I spoke to, was supposed to be Amon Amarth. This Death Metal act has improved with every new release since their debut album. Nowadays, like many other Death Metal bands, they play most of their songs from their latest releases, who is a bit more melodic than their predecessors. The band starts this show with high intensity with Guardians Of Asgaard. The headbanging from the guys with the strings is there right from the start and Johan's voice is as good as ever.

The crowd is wild and goes even wilder when Asator is played. The headbanging continues through the set, that has a best of touch, with songs like Death In Fire. The mosh pit is constant through the whole gig. They close their set with four of their best songs, to make this a gig to remember.

9 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Intro
Guardians Of Asgaard
Asator
Varyags Of Miklagaard
Death In Fire
Where Silent Gods Stand Guard
Cry Of The Black Birds
Runes To My Memory
Twilight Of The Thunder God
The Pursuit Of Vikings


Band: Death Angel
Spectrum Lounge 22:00-23:00

Due to the constant delays, I only get to see twenty minutes of Death Angel. The guys were thrashing as always and they always put up a good show. No exception this night at this club stage. Lead singer, Mark, told us he was very excited to play on this cruise and did his best up there.

6 chalices of 10

Setlist: (not complete)
Buried Alive
Mistress Of Pain
Claws In So Deep
Seemingly Endless Time


Band: Saxon
Chorus Line Theater 23:00-00:30

Saxon has been on the metal scene for well over thirty years and are still on top of their game. On their first gig on the cruise, they have decided to play the album Wheels Of Steel in its entirety. Motorcycle Man starts this gig and Stand Up And Be Counted is the second song. The band is as professional as ever. Then something happens. Everybody is waiting for 747 (Strangers In The Night), but the band has decided to play the album in a different order, so this is a bit disappointing.

They play all these classics songs. Some of them should, of course, never be played, due to the fact that they aren't good enough. This is however a great thing to do. To give the fans something different on an already special event. They end the Wheels Of Steel set with the title track, which I find pretty boring nowadays. Probably because they have played it on every Saxon show I have ever attended, and that is quite a few. The show continues and ends with a couple of other classics and a new song. A good show that could have been better if they had played a better album, for instance Denim And Leather.

6 chalices of 10

Setlist: (might be slightly incorrect)
Motorcycle Man
Stand Up And Be Counted
Freeway Mad
See The Light Shining
Suzie Hold On
Street Fighting Gang
747 (Strangers In The Night)
Machine Gun
Wheels Of Steel
Dogs Of War
Demon Sweeney Todd
Crusader
Power And The Glory


Band: Testament
Pool Deck 00:30-01:45

Just like Saxon, Testament had promised to play two album in its entirety on this cruise. This night Testament's choice was their debut album, The Legacy. I missed the first couple of songs and entered the Pool Deck in the beginning of Burnt Offerings. The band was rocking hard, but you could see by the response of the crowd, that it was getting late and most of stayed up until early morning the night before.

Burnt Offerings was fading out and I was waiting for Raging Waters, but they did C.O.T.L.O.D. instead. It later turned out that they already played Raging Waters. They continued with the album and ended it with Apocalyptic City. I had really been looking forward to see them play the entire album, so I was disappointed to miss the first couple of songs. Chuck was, as always, in a good mood and did his best to get the crowd going. He sometimes managed to do that. They closed the set with two songs from their latest release, which I think is their best album ever.

6 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Over The Wall
The Haunting
Raging Waters
Burnt Offerings
C.O.T.L.O.D.
First Strike Is Deadly
Do Or Die
Alone In The Dark
Apocalyptic City
More Than Meets The Eye
The Formation Of Damnation

To the top

Wednesday - January 26

Waking up, hung over again, at 09.00, but at least I had a couple of more hours of sleep than the night before. We had breakfast and then decided to take a stroll in Cozumel. Did this for a couple of hours and then headed back to the Majesty Of The Seas again. This was the only day with good weather. Partly cloudy and a bit windy with temperatures around 26° C (79° F).

We went up to the upper Pool Deck for beers and just enjoyed sitting there. Kai Hansen of Gamma Ray showed up on the deck below and we were talking about if he was going to be able to play, when he was wasted four hours prior to their show. No bands were playing when the ship was docked. The ship left Cozumel at 17.00 and we were preparing for another night of great shows.

Band: Gamma Ray
Pool Deck 20:00-21:00

The band enters the stage and you could see that Kai hadn't sobered up. They start this second show with the blasting New World Order, which is a great opener, just like Gardens Of The Sinner at the previous gig. They play a pair of new songs and the rest of their set are fan favorites. They close the set with two Helloween classics and the crowd were wild during these two songs. The guys in the band did a great job and so did Kai, even though he was still wasted. So were many of us, and I guess this is how it's supposed to be. Just having a good time on the cruise. In fact, this show was even better than their first one on the main stage.

7,5 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Intro: Welcome (recorded)
New World Order
Empathy
Abyss Of The Void
Armageddon
To The Metal
Rebellion In Dreamland
Ride The Sky
I Want Out


Band: Fear Factory
Chorus Line Theater 21:00-22:00

I was speaking with Gene Hoglan a couple of hours earlier and he said that this set was going to be even more brutal than their previous. He was right about that. They changed their setlist a bit from Monday. Three new songs in and four out. They were all doing a good job up on stage. Burton's clean vocals were working a bit better. Maybe because the temperature was a bit higher indoors than outdoors?

Fear Factory always do great shows and this was no exception. The band really do know how to play a brutal set, yet partly melodic. Maybe they shouldn't have played Martyr and picked another song from that album, like Scapegoat or Scumgrief.

7,5 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Intro
Demanufacture
Self Bias Resistor
Martyr
H-K (Hunter-Killer)
Shock
Edgecrusher
Powershifter
Fear Campaign
Christploitation
Replica


Band: Rage
Spectrum Lounge 22:00-23:00

I was hoping for a bit more of an eighties and ninities gig this time, since they hardly played anything from those eras on Tuesday. But, just as on their previous gig they played nothing from the eighties. This gig, was however slighty better than their first one, on the main stage. Rage are used to play in clubs and gets the job done. They even played a cover song this night, Highway To Hell by AC/DC, joined by Steve Smyth of Forbidden. As they often do, they closed their set with Higher Than The Sky and I was walking away from there satisfied with what I had just seen.

7 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Soundchaser
Carved In Stone
Into The Light
Empty Hollow
Refuge
Guitar Solo
Solitary Man (2/3)
Down
Drop Dead!
Highway To Hell
Higher Than The Sky


Band: Saxon
Chorus Line Theater 23:00-00:30 (delayed to 23:15-00.30)

On Saxon's second gig on the cruise, they had decided to play another album in its entirety. This time Strong Arm Of The Law, which I think is a better album than its predecessor. Lights go down. We get the three first songs of Strong Arm Of The Law, but then they have decided to cut this album in pieces as well. They continue with Metalhead, which I think is a great song, but it doesn't fit here, followed by The Thin Red Line. Biff tells us that he had promised some guy to play this song, even though he have no clue why he promised it.

The rest of the songs from the album is played. Biff and Paul Quinn gets a good laugh, when talking about if they are still in the hungry years. They end the Strong Arm Of The Law set with the fast track 20,000 Ft. and I must say that this second show was better than the first. The energy is higher and the songs are better. They then close the set with two of their greatest hits and the crowd seems pleased with this gig.

8 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Heavy Metal Thunder
To Hell And Back Again
Strong Arm Of The Law
Metalhead
The Thin Red Line
Taking Your Chances
Sixth Form Girls
Hungry Years
Dallas 1 PM
20,000 Ft
Denim And Leather
Princess Of The Night


Band: Iced Earth
Pool Deck 00:30-01:30

This time Iced Earth enters the stage with Behold The Wicked Child. They seem focused to play another good gig on the cruise. This time on the open air stage on deck 10. A couple of hits are played, among them, one of my favorites, Ten Thousand Strong. A little later in the set they play the entire Something Wicked trilogy, which is much appreciated. A couple emotional songs are played too, like I Died For You and Watching Over Me. The guys seemed the enjoy playing outdoors, even if it was a bit cold late at night. The set is closed yet again be the song Iced Earth. All in all a better gig than their previous at the Chorus Line Theater.

7,5 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Intro: In Sacred Flames (recorded)
Behold The Wicked Child
Vengeance Is Mine
Ten Thousand Strong
I Died For You
Dracula
Prophecy
Birth Of The Wicked
The Coming Curse
Watching Over Me
Iced Earth


Band: Marduk
Pool Deck 02:15-03:15

I'm not into this kind of Black Metal, but I saw most of the show, while I was standing on the Pool Deck drinking beer and talking to people. After seeing Marduk I still won't be interested in Black Metal. They had a good crowd though, so there was music for everybody on this cruise, no matter what kind of metal you're into.

-- chalices of 10

(sorry, no setlist)

To the top

Thursday - January 27

Waking up at 09.00 with a light hang over, since I at least got five hours of sleep this night. Circle II Circle is on stage in one hour, so I take a quick shower and brush my teeth, and then head for the Spectrum Lounge.

Band: Circle II Circle
Spectrum Lounge 10:00-10:45

Circle II Circle is up for a challenge here, playing this early. A decent crowd shows up and the band enters the stage. Just as at the previous gig, the guys try hard to make this a good show. They change a couple of songs in their setlist, which I think, is for the better. This time I get to see all of Edge Of Thorns and they do it well. Breakfast was calling and since this was the fourth time in three months I've seen the band, I left thirty minutes into the set.

5,5 chalices of 10

Setlist: (not complete)
Consequence Of Power
Symptoms Of Fate
Take Back Yesterday
Edge Of Thorns
Out Of Nowhere
Anathema


Band: Sanctuary
Pool Deck 11:30-12:15

I missed the first twenty minutes and came just in time for Future Tense. On Sanctuary's second set it felt like thay had lost their inspiration. Jim was looking pale at this noon time show and the songs didn't click as good as they did on their previous set.

5 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Die For My Sins
Battle Angels
The Mirror Black
Seasons Of Destruction
White Rabbit
Future Tense
Sanctuary
Termination Force
Taste Revenge


Band: Sonata Arctica
Chorus Line Theater 15:30-16:30

After a slow start with a couple of new songs, this gig becomes fantastic. Even though Flag In The Ground is a new song, it has a chorus like the old songs, I must say. They played a lot of old fan favorites and you could actually see that the crowd started to move when their older songs started. This must be frustrating for the band. Personally I enjoyed Blank File the most, since it was I a while since I saw that song live. The final six songs of the set, Vodka not included, were one of the best parts on this four day cruise and this is how Sonata Arctica is supposed to sound. It's what they do best.

7 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Caleb
Flag In The Ground
Juliet
Victoria's Secret
Replica
Blank File
The Misery
Full Moon
Don't Say A Word
Vodka, etc.


Band: Death Angel
Pool Deck 16:30-17:30

I don't know why I stayed to see the end of Sonata Arctica's Vodka, just to miss the first song of Death Angel. They were really tearing the Pool Deck down with their Bay Area Thrash. This was truly an awesome gig, with a band who wanted to make this show and the whole event memorable. The band mixes classics with new stuff, both equally good. I wished they had closed set with another song than Thrashers though. It has never been one of my Death Angel favorites.

8 chalices of 10

Setlist: (not complete)
3rd Floor
Buried Alive
Claws In So Deep
Seemingly Endless Time
Truce
Voracious Souls
Thrashers


Band: Dark Tranquillity
Chorus Line Theater 17:15-18:15

I checked out Dark Tranquillity for about twenty minutes. What I remember from hearing them before, was that they weren't my kind of metal. These twenty minutes didn't change my opinion.

-- chalices of 10

(sorry, no setlist)


Band: Sabaton
Pool Deck 18:15-19:15

It was starting to get a bit chilly as the sun was going down. Sabaton started this gig with Ghost Division, just like they did in the Chorus Line Theater two days earlier. This song usually is a good starter, but today it felt a little boring to start both sets with the same song. The Art Of War was the second song and things turned to the better and continued in that direction. Hits like Cliffs Of Gallipoli, The Price Of A Mile and Rise Of Evil were played. All this to Joakim's constant talking about his penis and them being a gayband.

This was a much better gig than the first one. More energy and determination. The crowd was roaring and the Pool Deck floor was shaking. At the end of the show, during Metal Machine, Joakim had his dreams come true, when he was carried by ten guys from the front rows and thrown into the pool, located a hundred feet from the stage. One of the guys left on stage sang the last verse of that song.

7,5 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Intro
Ghost Division
The Art Of War
White Death
Cliffs Of Gallipoli
Attero Dominatus
The Price Of A Mile
Saboteurs
Rise Of Evil
Coat Of Arms
Primo Victoria
Metal Machine


Band: Testament
Chorus Line Theater 19:00-20:15 (delayed to 19:20-20.10)

For the first time on this cruise a delay was good for me. This meant that I could see the whole Sabaton show and then go see Testament, playing their sophomore album, The New Order, in its intirety. An intro started the show before the band entered the stage with Eerie Inhabitants, followed by the hits The New Order and Trial By Fire. The guys were doing a good job on stage and Chuck led his troops through the first couple of songs. Into The Pit starts and a giant mosh pit is forming on the theater floor. They play this thrashing song with joy and the crowd is wild.

When Disciples Of The Watch is fading out, everybody is waiting for The Preacher, but we get A Day Of Reckoning instead and after the end of that song Chuck says "OK, now we've gone through it". Five seconds later they start The Preacher and they are thrashing more than ever. I was hoping to hear Nobody's Fault, the Aerosmith cover song, but they decided not to play it. They closed the show with two songs from The Gathering. This was a better show than the one on Tuesday. A little more energy is just what it takes.

7,5 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Intro
Eerie Inhabitants
The New Order
Trial By Fire
Into The Pit
Hypnosis
Disciples Of The Watch
A Day Of Reckoning
The Preacher
D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)
3 Days In Darkness


Band: Forbidden
Spectrum Lounge 22:00-23:00

Forbidden have never been something I've listened to, but I checked them out for a while. I found out sitting at home that the songs I saw, were from their debut album and their latest release.

-- chalices of 10

Setlist: (not complete)
Omega Wave
Dragging My Casket
Forsaken At The Gates
Through Eyes Of Glass
Chalice Of Blood


Band: Blind Guardian
Chorus Line Theater 23:00-00:30 (delayed to 23.15-00.45)

After the usual delay Blind Guardian enters the stage with Into The Storm, which is a better opener than Sacred Worlds. The band and the crowd connects almost instant when many of their greatest songs are played. Marcus is thrashing his guitar and sings the backing vocals louder and with more intensity than ever. They perform almost two completely different sets on this event. Only three songs stay in the setlist from Monday night. The other bands should take this as an example.

About one hour through the set, a drunk John Schaffer of Iced Earth enters the stage, hugs the guys and is telling them that he's so happy for knowing them for twenty years. When it's time for Valhalla, Kai Hansen of Gamma Ray enters and sings the choruses and one verse, which makes the crowd go wild again. All good things must end and Mirror Mirror is played, followed by Barbara Ann, which noone think is a good song. Not even the band, but they play it occasionally just for fun.

8,5 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Intro: War Of Wrath (recorded)
Into The Storm
Born In A Mourning Hall
Time Stands Still (At The Iron Hill)
The Script For My Requiem
Lost In The Twilight Hall
This Will Never End
Mordred's Song
A Voice In The Dark
Imaginations From The Other Side
And Then There Was Silence
The Bard's Song - In The Forest
Valhalla
Mirror Mirror
Barbara Ann


Band: Nevermore
Spectrum Lounge 00:30-01:30

I only had time to catch five songs of Nevermore on their second gig, due to conflicts with both Blind Guardian and Amon Amarth. I were there just in time to see Born and the thirty minutes I saw were good, but I was thinking back on how great they were three nights earlier and I could see that this club stage didn't fit them at all. It's hard for a band to connect with the crowd, when they only can see ten faces up front.

6 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Narcosynthesis
The River Dragon Has Come
Your Poison Throne
Born
Emptiness Unobstructed
Inside Four Walls
The Termination Proclamation
This Godless Endeavor
Moonrise (Through Mirrors Of Death)
The Obsidian Conspiracy
Enemies Of Reality


Band: Amon Amarth
Pool Deck 00:30-01:45

I came up to the Pool Deck to see Amon Amarth playing the first chords of Thousand Years Of Oppression and the floor was shaking and the band was headbanging, as always. It was windy though, so the guitarist's and the bass player's swinging headbanging didn't work out that well. This night was chilly and people were standing fully dressed with jackets and all. This wasn't as impressive as two nights earlier. Up on stage they were working hard, but the crowd was lame, due to the simple fact that everybody were freezing. I could tell, by the thirty minutes I saw, that this was a very good gig and I'm lucky that I get another chance to see them in May.

7,5chalices of 10

Setlist:
Intro
Twilight Of The Thunder God
Free Will Sacrifice
Runes To My Memory
The Beheading Of A King
Valhall Awaits Me
The Hero
Asator
The Fate Of Norns
Thousand Years Of Oppression
Live For The Kill
Death In Fire
Victorious March
The Pursuit Of Vikings

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Friday - January 28

I was crawling out of my bunk at 07.30, just so I could get breakfast before we disembarked. At 08.30 we gathered in the Boleros Lounge and nearly 2,5 hours later we finally were on solid ground again. We went straight to Miami International Airport for our 14.48 flight, just to find out that this flight was cancelled. We eventually were told that our flight plan had been changed and at 18.00 we were on our way back home to cold Sweden.


Saturday - January 29

At 13.00 CET (07.00 ET) I was standing on my porch, wondering why all this was over.


Closing Words

This was a festival that I never will forget. Just think of the absurdity of having 42 metal bands play on a Caribbean cruise ship. I've been to many metal cruises on the Baltic Sea, but they only last for 24 or 36 hours, with 6 to 12 bands playing. I'm already thinking of going to 70000 Tons Of Metal next year as well. In no more than two weeks we know where the cruise will be heading in 2012.

All wasn't great on this cruise though. Until next year they have to figure out a way to stop the delays at the Chorus Line Theater and another good thing would be if they left a ten minute gap between the band's sets.

All the bands had only good things to say about this cruise. I talked for a while with Paul Quinn of Saxon before we disembarked and I was asking him if he would do this again if they were invited. He said they would. That says it all…

~ Tobbe

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Related links:
www.70000tons.com