goteborgskalaset

» Göteborgskalaset 2006

~Written by Thomas, August 2006
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Metal Monday

Göteborgskalaset, or the Gothenburg City Festival, is a yearly event that fills the streets every summer with beer-tents, happenings, events and a whole lot of concerts. This year it took place simultaneously as the European Athletics Championships and the city of Gothenburg hosts more than a weeklong party called The Championships City Festival. Every night there is concerts to attend if you like (the best of all is that they are all free) and on Tuesday the 8th of August it was time for the metalheads to get their share of the goodies. Bloodbound, Burst and Arch Enemy along with a bunch of un-signed bands took charge of the stages and raised some hell in the warmth of the summer-night.

Bloodbound

Setlength: 40 min.

Bloodbound went on stage a little later than what was announced, and apparently according to the local newspaper it was because vocalist Urban Breed felt an urge to head back to the hotel in order to take a shower!? Anyway, that is of lesser importance since it was what they performed on stage that mattered to me. As it turned out this was the farewell concert with Urban Breed as vocalist in Bloodbound, this news did not come clear until a couple days after the show was done but somehow I got the feeling that all was not right in Bloodbound as I watched them. Although they seemed to be high in spirit and goofing around there was something that gave me the feeling that all was not well.

Nevertheless I would not want to complain on what they delivered, their catchy tunes come out greatly live and even if the voice from Urban wasn't on top I enjoyed every moment of it. As they where the first band out on the major stage the crowd had not turned up in any larger number yet which felt a bit sad since this is a band that according to me deserves a bit more recognition. The band was backed up by female backing vocals that unfortunately couldn't be heard that well but otherwise the sound was very good. Along with corpse paint, gates to Hell, pyro and a big cross where Urban was crucified, Bloodbound did good with the forty minutes they had at their hands and even if things could have been better the only thing I missed was the song Fallen From Grace.

(Sorry, no setlist)

7 chalices of 10

Arch Enemy

Setlength: 45 min.

I couldn't resist buying an Arch Enemy T-shirt as I left the area after their performance, and on the back of it big letters say: Pure fucking metal. And I can't think of a better way to summon up a performance from Arch Enemy. This band seriously kills on stage and has become as reliable as Motörhead, you know what you get and what you get is good.

Arch Enemy are skilled, acts professionally, have a front-woman in Angela Gossow that can handle the audience, and most important - they have songs that are great live. The thing I like about Arch Enemy is how they mix melodies and aggression and further that it works so well on a stage.
There really isn't that much to say otherwise then that Arch Enemy is one of the greatest live bands at the moment and that they never cease to amaze me. The guitars were impeccable as always as Michael Amott and Fredrik Åkesson lashed out amazing melodies combined with brutal riffs while Daniel Erlandsson behind the drums must be one of the most underrated drummers of our time. Seriously, that guy is absolutely awesome. The highlights where many, but My Apocalypse came out very powerful and heavy. The most convincing song this evening was Bury Me An Angel where Angela surely gave hell in this older Arch Enemy song. The crowd turn up must be seen as rather good and as I could see the response the band got was really good. And how could it not be when they end an already good set with the killer tracks in Ravenous and We Will Rise. That ending raised some pure fucking adrenaline in me.

(Sorry, no setlist)

8,5 chalices of 10

Thomas, August 2006