metaltown

» Metaltown 2004

~Written by Thomas, June 2004
--------------------------------------

About time.

Finally we got a metal festival in Gothenburg. I have been waiting for ages for this to happen. With the great metal climate and the many great bands that come from here it is a shame that there hasn't been a festival like this before. Gothenburg has seen the rising of many great bands and some of them is also included in the line-up of Metaltown with Mustasch, Evergrey, In Flames and one of the newest additions from the city - Kee Marcello's K2.

I really think that the responsible for Metaltown has been successful with the mix of bands that they have managed to assemble. A wide span over the different genres with the sleaze from Brides Of Destruction, the black metal from Dimmu Borgir, the power metal from Edguy and the headlining with Alice Cooper. Complete with a smaller stage where less known bands get a chance to showcase themselves.

Saturday - 19th of June

Band: Mustasch
Time: 13.30-14.30
Rockscenen

It seemed to be a solid performance from Mustasch that had the ungrateful task to open the festival in heavy rain and before the big turn up with people. I had to wait in a very slow line before I finally got in to the festival area and heard most of the songs from the outside. And it sounded really good from there with their great songs Black City and Down In Black among others. When I at last got to the stage they only had a few songs left and I can't really give a fair picture on how the concert actually went along. But they did well from what I heard and saw. Mustasch acted relaxed and with confidence on stage and looked pleased with the reception they got from the small crowd.

(Sorry, no setlist)

**********************************************
*********************************
********************

Band: Evergrey
Time: 14.30-15.30
Metalscenen

When Evergrey plays live it gets much more heavier than what it does on their albums. But at the same time they manage to keep the emotional sides as well and that makes Evergrey an interesting live act. They opened with Nosferatu and it actually took me a little moment to discover that because of the bad sound. Bass and drums was all that you could hear at the beginning, a problem that luckily got somewhat solved really quick. Evergrey act very mature on stage and Tom Englund manages to keep the emotions in his voice greatly balanced as the music gets harder live. The mighty track Recreation Day turned out to be one of the better songs this afternoon, the might of the song was intact but the power was increased as well as the harder edge making it absolutely brilliant. Despite the early time they were given Evergrey did a solid performance and left at least me satisfied.

(Sorry, no setlist)

**********************************************
*********************************
********************

Band: Kee Marcello's K2
Time: 15.30-16.30
Rockscenen

Former Europe guitarist Kee Marcello plays hard rock with a little raw touch and a somewhat bluesy feeling. It is pretty ok songs that the band has but in no way anything groundbreaking and they do need to practice on holding the concert together better. Kee Marcello shows that he is a good guitarist but it is Snowy Shaw (Dream Evil, Notre Dame, King Diamond) that stands for the biggest attraction on stage. With his drum-set in front on the stage and his cool style and very great drumming he did everything right. But as a band there is still work to be done.

Kee Marcello's K2 delivered a medley at the end with typical cover songs and that is probably something that he has been doing on and off since he left Europe and not has been working with his company Gem Publishing. K2 was great as a cover band, but honestly not much more. Superstitious works way better with Europe than with the version we got from K2, even if it was funny to hear a little different version of it, but it really isn't anything without Joey Tempest on vocals. The band is musically very good but they have a long way to go before they will get things right on stage.

(Sorry, no setlist)

**********************************************
*********************************
********************

Band: Edguy
Time: 16.30-17.45
Metalscenen

Edguy stood for the only representation from Germany at the festival as well as being the only power metal act. The funny guys lead by Tobias Sammet brought out just as many smiles from the audience as well as nodding of heads and raising of fists. Tobias Sammet really was on top this early evening constantly smiling and laughing while joking between the songs. And the energy level from both Sammet and the rest of the guys was very high and there was never a dull moment during their concert. Edguy started with Tears Of A Mandrake and all seemed to be going perfectly right from the start, only to increase with that which was to follow.

It continued in a great way with tracks like Babylon, Lavatory Love Machine and King Of Fools among others before the encore with Out Of Control.
Tobias Sammet is not only a genius when it come to create music but also a great artist on stage. He gets the crowd going and works the entire stage and it looks like he wants to be further out in the crowd than what the stage actually allows. He is jumping and running around as well as laughing on stage when he is not singing and that is also something that he does very well. Edguy played the last song on "overtime" and Sammet humorously told the audience that they had to bribe the stage manager in order to get some extra time. And as this was one of the highlights of Metaltown they could have been getting much more extra time if you ask me.

Of the two times I have seen Edguy this was by far the better one. They have definitely grown as a band since the last time I saw them a couple of albums ago. I really hope that they will live up to the promise that Sammet made about that they will be returning within less than two years.

(Sorry, no setlist)

**********************************************
*********************************
********************

Band: Turbonegro
Time: 17.45-19.00
Rockscenen

I have never really understood what it is about Turbonegro that makes them so popular, their music is absolutely nothing if you ask me.
But I really must give them some credits for their live performance, they are going the full length with what they do. With a holier than thou attitude and their dirty hard rock 'n' roll they actually is a rather good live act even though their music isn't something for me. Singer and leader of the pack Hank Von Helvete has an fetish to throw stuff at the audience like feather pillows for the crowd to shred and throwing beers and spitting wine when not throwing buckets of blood at the audience.

Cocky speeches between the songs and Hank makes a funny joke about him being the son of Alice Cooper, well, at least they have borrowed a lot and been inspired by Cooper with their stage show. The denim band gets the crowd going rather well and for many Turbonegro seemed to be the main attraction this evening. And I wonder how drunk the band really was? Turbonegro is a party band and it seemed like they had been partying themselves before the show.

(Sorry, no setlist)

**********************************************
*********************************
********************

Band: Dimmu Borgir
Time: 19.00-20.15
Metalscenen

Dimmu Borgir separates themselves a great deal from their fellow countrymen in Turbonegro. While Turbonegro goes for the party mood Dimmu Borgir goes for the dark and aggressive side. And seriously guys, corpse paint doesnt work, at least not for me. Dimmu Borgir definitely has the music to look evil to but when they try to look hard and mean with their painted faces all I can do is smile. Their tough attitude falls further more when they starts to smile themselves, it really looks silly. Although they kick some serious butt with their aggressive black metal. It is raw and furiously and at the same time as it can be melodic beautiful.

Dimmu Borgir use a lot of pre-recordings, especially in the tracks from their latest album Death Cult Armageddon and it takes away a little of the raw pure energy from the band. Lose those parts and simply just let go and it will be way much better. The rumors I've heard about Dimmu Borgir being a lame live act is luckily proved wrong, much energy and aggression but also very melodic at times. And it is great to see them pounding out all of what they got in the furious fast parts of their great music.

(Sorry, no setlist)

**********************************************
*********************************
********************

Band: Brides Of Destruction
Time: 20.15-21.25
Rockscenen

Brides Of Destruction can be seen as an L.A. Guns and Mötley Crüe hybrid. With Nikki Sixx from Mötley and Tracii Guns from Guns the sounds turns out thereafter as well. It is quality sleaze rock from Brides Of Destruction and you can see that these guys has been around before. But if I'm gonna be judgmental you can also say that probably noone would have cared if it hadn't been for these guys. Musically, as well as performance wise, it is good, but the music really isn't that fascinating. Great to listen to but probably nothing I would go out and buy. The guys flirt with their former bands with a taster of the L.A. Guns classic ballad in the song Ballad Of Jayne but it is with the Mötley flirting their performance really gets kicking. The ending with Live Wire and Shout At The Devil is the highlight of their concert and my wishes for a Mötley Crüe re-union gets even bigger.

(Sorry, no setlist)

**********************************************
*********************************
********************

Band: In Flames
Time: 21.25-22.30
Metalscenen

Impressive In Flames.
Don't know how they do it but they always manage to make an outstanding gig, and this time was no exception for In Flames. As always high intensity right from the start and the band is just as enthusiastic about being back at home as the big crowd is to see them. Vocalist Anders Fridén has no problems with getting the crowd going and as usual Cloud Connected turns out to be biggest favorite amongst the audience.

I myself, on the other hand, like In Flames best in the track Behind Space with its fast pace and great energy. It nice to see that they had done some changes in their setlist compared with their concert at Sweden Rock Festival one week earlier, even though they were small it was nice to get some change. And with track like Touch Of Red, Episode 666 and Trigger on the list it is impossible for a band like In Flames to fail. They grow for every time that I see them and I get impressed that they show no weaknesses and has become one of my absolute favorite live bands.

If you haven't seen In Flames live you better do it, you wont be disappointed.

(Sorry, no setlist)

**********************************************
*********************************
********************

Band: Alice Cooper
Time: 22.30-00.00
Rockscenen

He must have had a bad day this evening Mr. Cooper. He didn't say a word to the audience until he said thanx and left the stage before the encore. Not a word between the songs. When one song ended the next one started and he didn't address the audience one single time, that is not how you treat your fans, bad day or not. The band he brought with him gave their best to make a great concert but with Alice himself it seemed to be going on routine. While the band was enthusiastic and kept going Alice didn't seemed to very impressed by anything on stage and simply delivered the songs and acted in the theatrical moments as rehearsed. Don't get me wrong now, it was very good and perfect delivery of the tracks from Alice. but I expected so much more of him on stage, his presence were absent at times.

It started with the song Hello Hooray and kept going with lots of old classic Alice Cooper songs like No More Mr. Nice Guy, Billion Dollar Babies, Gutter Cat vs. The Jets, Muscle Of Love, Only Women Bleed, Schools Out and so forth. We are talking about the old stuff, mixed with tracks like Backyard Brawl, What Do You Want From Me and Between High School And The Old School from the latest album The Eyes Of Alice Cooper that musically blends in perfectly with the older stuff. Like always with an Alice Cooper show it was theatrical, but where was the guillotine? There was no headchopping going on this time. Although we got a staged street fight in Gutter Cats vs. Jets and Alice slit the throat of a woman (his daughter by the way) in Halo Of Flies and we also got a look of his pet snake in Sick Things. And yes, the straight-jacket was there as well. The otherwise great band destroyed Halo Of Flies with an endless drumsolo, it started effect full with the two guitarists beating on drums together with the drummer while the bassist kept the rhythm. But then as every drum solo tends to be boring this one was no exception and kept going for like forever as it felt.

With the encore it was like it became another concert, even if it all was good earlier now it all lifted a notch. It got heavier with the track Brutal Planet embedded with Wicked Young Man and there were also an energy that came forward that hadn't been there earlier. Not to mention with Poison and the final song Under My Wheels. A different setlist with that much of the older stuff and perhaps the best setlist of the times I have seen Alice Cooper live with just one objection. Where were the song He's Back ( The Man behind The Mask)? That track has always been going great with the Swedish audience so why leave that one out this time?

The old man still knows how to make great concert but you can see in his face that he is getting old although I really think you can expect more of him than what he showed on stage this time.

(Sorry, no setlist)

Other Bands

Notre Dame, Rising Faith, Ram, Totalt Jävla Mörker, Debase.
These were the smaller bands that played on the only indoor stage at the festival. With the schedule of the other bands there were not much time given to check these bands out. I went by Totalt Jävla Mörker (translated to Total Fucking Darkness) and their name says it all. Aggressive grindcore as far as I could tell by the short look I got and definitely nothing that falls under my taste.

The turn out must be seen as rather ok concerning the weather. It rained constantly almost the entire time and the Swedish west coast did not show itself from its best side with the lousy weather. The arrangements with the scenes were absolutely fine and there is nothing to complain about there.
The foodservice on the other hand leaves a lot to wish for, long lines to the few places that served food and if you were unlucky your expensive burger could just as well be as cold as distasteful. And you were not allowed, due to age restrictions, to take your beer outside the bar area and that takes away some of the "festival-feeling" according to me. And the fact that the beer was expensive didn't exactly help either.

Apart from this, it was a really well organized festivity and I really hope that Metaltown will be an re-occurring event. There is a need in the city of Gothenburg for a festival like this, even if it only lasts for a day. I don't know how many tickets that went on sale but the attendance were somewhere around 5500 people and if it hadn't been for the shitty weather Im sure there would have been many more.