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The 12th edition of House Of Metal did not have a sensational headliner like last year when none other than Anthrax visited Umeå in Northern Sweden. Nevertheless, the headliners this year - Nocturnal Rites and Meshuggah - were appealing, and the fact that both bands originate from Umeå added a special element. Combined with reliable names like Danko Jones and Unleashed and some interesting newer groups like Dead Kosmonaut, the line-up was very solid. The attendance was as well, which was visible not least when said headliners performed. When it comes to the festival experience, nowadays you simply know that you will have an enjoyable time at House Of Metal and that everything will be smooth and accessible. This is of course thanks to the well-oiled and experienced staff who know exactly how to organise everything at the venue. And like always, there were additional features during the festival like meet-and-greets, official pre-parties and exhibitions. As for the latter, renowned album cover artist Kristian Wåhlin exhibited his stunning works featuring for example Dissection and At The Gates cover art. Once again, House Of Metal gave us a great weekend
that truly enriches the winter season. And to have two bands headlining
a big festival in the city they come from is actually remarkable. Having
such a distinguished festival in Umeå, having successful bands from
Umeå with fans all over the world, and then seeing these factors
join together this year is indeed testament to the strong metal scene
in the city. In fact, not just the metal scene but the music culture overall.
Horns up for Umeå! Friday - March 2Band: Solstafir ~ By Mozzy There are beautiful, melancholy melodies aplenty, and the music often
generates a meditative, soothing mood that one is drawn in by. Apart from
the skilful playing, one gets the feeling that the band's Icelandic heritage
has contributed in creating a unique sound. Another vital component is
frontman Addi Tryggvasson's vocals, which are very soulful and sometimes
of a distressed nature, and his singing fits the music. Singing in Icelandic
certainly contributes to the unique sound as well. The band get a warm
reception from a good-sized crowd, and although they do not keep your
constant attention, Solstafir deliver an enjoyable performance and start
to the weekend. Performance:
7 chalices of 10 (sorry, no setlist) Band: Nocturnal Rites ~ By Mozzy It is very nice to hear Lindqvist's great voice again, though it feels
like he is sometimes holding back a bit, also being assisted in the higher
range by Eriksson and guitarist Fredrik Mannberg. The other guitarist
is fairly new in the band but it is none other than the celebrated Per
Nilsson, sometimes even referred to as one of the premier guitarists around
in the metal scene. It is a flawless fit, of course, and Lindqvist highlights
Nilsson's skill, shaking his head in awe. As the set concludes, as always
with old staple The Iron Force, Nocturnal Rites receive loud ovations.
Although there are a couple of more average numbers in the set, this performance
is terrific and one is eager to catch more live gigs from the quintet,
now very pleasingly back on the scene. Performance:
8 chalices of 10 (sorry, no setlist)
Saturday - March 3Band: Hulkoff ~ By Tommy He is joined on stage on this first gig ever by renowned drummer Anders Johansson (Strokkur, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen, ex-Hammerfall) as well as Johansson's sons Kalle on guitar and Niklas on bass. Despite the latter guys youth it is indeed one tight and heavy rhythm section which this night performed with utter confidence and playful ease. The audience is responding well to Hulkoff, him playing more or less on home turf, and the singalong bits lift everything up a notch in almost every song. It is grand and mighty, and an already great album grows even a bit more in a live situation. Hulkoff himself was as fired up and passionate as he always is on stage and one can not help being caught up in the moment and dragged along with his enthusiasm. I felt a sense of hunger and excitement on stage, but without letting it stand in the way of the serious tone and feeling of the songs. We also got to hear one unreleased song, Beast Mode, due for release in the beginning of this summer. It is a really fast smoker pretty much forged from the same formula as the rest of the material on the debut album. I have a hard time judging that one in depth since the fast songs don't go down that well this evening due to the somewhat blurry sound. It is however safe to say that fans of the debut album in general won't develop a disliking of it. A solid world premier gig by an experienced and determined man who delivered
just on the level expected. Performance:
8 chalices of 10 (sorry, no setlist) Band: Danko Jones ~ By Mozzy As always, Danko himself is an entertaining frontman with strong presence and assurance onstage. His banter with the crowd is always entertaining and tonight he also delivers a brilliant speech in salute to House of Metal and its visitors. The Canadian thanks the organisers of House Of Metal for "letting a rock n roll band into their house" and salutes the openness of the audience members by branding them "refined, tasteful metalheads". The band's connection with their audience is formidable overall, with cheerful and cool bassist John Calabrese assisting Jones very well in this department. It is surely so that because Danko Jones stands out a bit among the other,
mostly harder acts during the weekend, it becomes a refreshing factor
that works in the band's favour. After the speech, the festive atmosphere
even lifts to another level. Personally, I felt beforehand that it would
be cool to see Danko Jones again, but did not expect anything special.
Reflecting after the festival, if I must choose a favourite performance,
it will probably be Danko Jones, who deliver rock n roll entertainment
the way we love it, bringing us pleasure and making us forget all else
in life. Performance:
8 chalices of 10 Setlist: (might be
slightly inaccurate) Band: Creeping Flesh ~ By Tommy With a great sound on the smallest but still spacy stage, and with more focus on groove than speed, they deliver a delicious mix of the best elements from bands such as Bolt Thrower, Grave, Deicide and to some extent Asphyx, Hail Of Bullets, Centinex and Entrails. The great and articulated growling courtesy of Robert Karlsson fits their sound picture splendidly and adds that extra icing to the massive cake. The gig was well attended and the response was very good, as far as I could tell. A class act with overall competent musicians which I urge you to check
out and with any justice left in the world they should be able to enjoy
a bright future in the genre. This was a big and nice surprise and definitely
one of the highlights of the festival. Performance:
8,5 chalices of 10 (sorry, no setlist) Band: Meshuggah ~ By Mozzy As the band go straight into their metal, the colossal heaviness and rhythms sucks you in and you soon find your neck and body moving. It is a treat to witness the musicians´ amazing skill and how tight they are, playing complicated and challenging parts. Also obvious is how massively experienced and professional this band is by now, having toured the world relentlessly. While all the instrumentalists in the band showcase their abilities, it is unavoidable to give drummer Tomas Haake a special mention. Guitarist Per Nilsson also deserves one as he is, as expected, a perfect substitute to Fredrik Thordendal who is having a time off. It is a memorable weekend for Nilsson, playing with both Nocturnal Rites and Meshuggah, and it further proves his versatility and skill. Singer Jens Kidman, fronting with great authority and presence, comments
that it is special to play in Umeå, the origin for Meshuggah, again
and the packed Idun give the quintet a heartfelt response throughout the
concert. The fabulous light show and mighty sound also contribute, and
as a whole this is an exciting live experience. There are plenty of true
Meshuggah fans present and it is evident that they love the concert, but
even when you're not as big a fan you become impressed. This homecoming
of Meshuggah is another milestone in the history of the festival. Performance:
7,5 chalices of 10 Setlist: (might be
slightly inaccurate) Band: Utmarken ~ By Tommy An abundance of great melodies and the use of a few unconventional instruments
made for a good and enjoyable gig which peaked at times when it turned
a bit heavier and the interaction with the crowd was great, closing in
to a real party mood towards the end of the night, and I suspect these
skilled instrumentalists had as good of a time as the audience. Performance:
7 chalices of 10 (sorry, no setlist) Related links: www.houseofmetal.se
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