close_up_boat_2010_part

» Close-Up Boat 2010 Part 1

Reviewed by Martin
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Special guests: 2000 metalheads
City: The frozen Baltic Sea
Venue: Silja Galaxy
Date: 25 February 2010
Bands: Bullet, Cult Of Luna, Entombed, Deathstars

Taking place in the end of a miserably cold February, the Close-Up Boat is an event well worth visiting if you want 24 hours of pure joy. Hosted by the leading Scandinavian metal magazine Close-Up Magazine, the cruise started as a crazy idea in editor in chief Robban Becirovic's head when he visited a regular cruise to Finland - which of course had no metal whatsoever.

Bullet

Renowned for their eerily similarity to AC/DC, Bullet is a band I have discarded as a copycat-band when listening to the band's music. Live however, I have to say, the band is a force to be reckoned with. While the band still sound like AC/DC the group's energy is nearly palpable - a fact which makes me capitulate somewhat. Bullet has toured extensively during 2009 and the churning on the road has really honed this group into competent entertainers - and you can really appreciate the joy the band sends forth onto the audience. Especially singer Dag Hell Hofer has a good connection with the audience, regularly thanking and praising the crowd. Bullet's concert was a really good start to the cruise!

6 chalices of 10

(sorry, no setlist)

Cult Of Luna

We totally missed Cult Of Luna's gig, due to the fact that me and my friends were famished. Some grilled lamb and a few pints of Finnish beer later we returned to the concert of...

Entombed

If there was a band that needed no introduction on the cruise it was the death metal pioneers Entombed. This bands résumé speaks louder than the volume at a Motörhead concert. Led by the mighty L-G Petrov the band opened with "Chief Rebel Angel" one of my favourite tracks in the band's catalogue. But pretty soon the problems become evident - L-G's microphone isn't working properly, and Nico Elgstrand's bass simply dies. When these hick-ups are fixed the band bounces back with a force that sends the audience reeling like seasick sailors.

The songs are hitting like bullets: "Like This With The Devil", "Out Of Hand", "Left Hand Path", "Stranger Aeons" and "Demon" make the audience go absolutely bezerk out of joy. Alex Hellid is moshing like hell, and sometimes I get the impression that he thinks his instrument is a lethal weapon that is best put to use in an axe-swinging motion directed at an imaginary being at his kneecaps - well you get the idea right? When the band launches the solid groove it has built into its collective spine we get a mighty performance from a band that still has a solid amount of energy left to channel.

7 chalices of 10

(sorry, no setlist)

Deathstars

Quite a few pints later Deathstars take to the stage as the headliner of the evening. Opening with the track "Night Electric Night" the band easily ignites the audience - until the PA simply gives up on the band. Quite a frenzied activity from the stage crew later the band makes a new attempt - a successful one this time. Personally, the Germanized deathsynth that the band has spewed forth on its albums hasn't worked for me, and I didn't even have the stamina to listen to the entire album "Synthetic Generation". Boy, do I have to take that back!

Even though most of the band's songs follow the same pattern - a heavy intro with churning guitars, then just the drumming of Bone W Machine with some atmospheric keys and the singing of Andreas Whiplasher Bernadotte Bergh until the guitars and bass comes back into action - I have to say that the band puts on a good performance. Above all, I really enjoy the voice of Whiplasher Bernadotte that has a very powerful vibe to it. Deathstars communicate very well on stage, and the members are very much on fire the entire concert, a concert that is a good closing on the evening's festivities - music wise.

6 chalices of 10

(sorry, no setlist)

Stay tuned for part 2 of the Close-Up Boat with reviews of Tribulation, Caliban and Sonic Syndicate - coming soon!