|Friday| - |Saturday|

The opening words

Last year marked a big change for Metaltown as the festival moved from the inner city to the woods outside of Gothenburg. This caused some logistical problems as transportation to and from the festival had to be solved independently from the city's own public transport. With this in mind, it was a relief to see how much better the logistics worked this time around than last year. The festival grounds seemed better planned as well, with smarter stage placements and better overall layout. These improvements made it possible to really appreciate the charm of the new festival grounds and I for one do not long back to the concrete pier where the festival used to be.

I was pretty disappointed with the running order though, as there were some pretty serious clashes between bands playing the exact same genre. I mean, while it was a shame that I had to miss Skeletonwitch as they played at the same time as Candlemass, it was an understandable scheduling as they're not really related genre wise. However, putting Hypocrisy and Vader on the exact same time slot is unforgivable and the clash between Mastodon and Gojira was equally mind boggling.

Despite missing Skeletonwitch, Vader and Mastodon, I had a really good time. Although a lot of the modern bands that play on the festival each year don't appeal to me personally, there is always a good bunch of really cool bands playing that I wouldn't miss for the world, such as Aura Noir, Kyuss, Mayhem and Candlemass. In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger - I'll be back.
//Bjorn

Reviews by Bjorn/Mozzy
Photos by Bjorn

Friday - June 15

Band: Kyuss Lives!
Blood Stage 16:55-17:40

~ By Bjorn
There is some turbulence in the world of Kyuss at the moment and following a legal battle with original guitarist Josh Homme bass player Nick Olivieri recently left the band. I had some worries that this show would be cancelled because of this but the new bass player Billy Cordell did a great job although Nick's back-up singing in El Rodeo was missed. It was great to see how Bruno Fevery seemed a lot more confident this time around compared to the gig I saw last year. He seems to grow more and more into his role and handled his duties with flying colours.

However, the best performances naturally came from the two original band members - singer John Garcia and drummer Brant Bjork. All-in-all the gig was great, as expected, although 45 minutes is painfully short for a band which could play for three hours and there would still be songs you'd missed in the setlist. Furthermore, a large outdoor stage doesn't really offer the kind of intimacy that makes their music grow to astronomical levels.

Performance: 8 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 8 chalices of 10
Best: Brant Bjork's drumming
Worst: Too big stage and too little time

Setlist:
Hurricane
One Inch Man
Gardenia
Asteroid
Supa Scoopa And Mighty Scoop
Thumb
Green Machine
El Rodeo
100°

Band: Machine Head
Fire Stage 17.50 - 18.50

~ By Mozzy
The night before their appearance at Metaltown, Machine Head played in Stockholm. Taking place at Gröna Lund, the city's renowned amusement park, the audience was a bit different than normal. The band soon got the energy going, however, and it ended up being a great concert. At Metaltown, there are far more devoted Machine Head fans present. Whatever the audience, the Americans' expertise and experience as a live act is always evident. Robb Flynn leads his troops with plenty of passion, and his bandmates have an exemplary attitude as well, with Flynn's guitar partner Phil Demmel in spirited form this afternoon. The band also have a splendid rapport with their fans. Flynn raises toasts in Swedish, and the request for a circle-pit in Aesthetics Of Hate gets a wholehearted reaction.

Song-wise, merely an hour's playing time means there is no room for more odd numbers like the previous evening. Nevertheless, the set is a terrific mix of older and newer favourites. It is clear that the newest material is already a vital feature of the set: I Am Hell is an epic opening, Locust offers awesome groove and Be Still And Know is a beautiful number. As a crushing Davidian ends the show, one hour has suddenly whizzed by - proof that an excellent time has been had. This is not one of the more spectacular Machine Head shows, and the sound is not great, with the drums too dominant in the mix, but it is without doubt another very good performance by the mighty Machine Head.

Performance: 7,5 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 6 chalices of 10
Best: Be Still And Know
Worst: The excessive drum sound

Setlist:
I Am Hell (Sonata in C#)
Imperium
Beautiful Morning
Locust
Aesthetics Of Hate
Be Still And Know
Halo
Davidian

Band: Opeth
Blood Stage 19.00 - 20.00

~ By Mozzy
Ahead of the rendition of Deliverance, Opeth's charismatic frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt instructs the spectators to prepare for the heavy number by banging their heads. They gladly obey, creating a priceless sight of audience members headbanging in unison, to no music. Another awesome proof of the appealingly cheerful side of the Swedish band. As for the music, Opeth are masters at what they do - in their own, unique style as well - and this they verify at Metaltown. Out of sevens songs in the set, the first four are taken from the latest opus, Heritage. While not as heavy and metal as the earlier material, these are indeed classy compositions containing some captivating progressive parts. Naturally, they are a bit heavier live as well. Then, the really heavy material is aired. Demon Of The Fall, The Grand Conjuration and Deliverance are delivered in colossally heavy, immense versions. Magnificent stuff. The musicianship is of course outstanding and great to witness, as is the interplay of the five members. Opeth's performance is without doubt one of the best this weekend.

Performance: 8 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: Deliverance
Worst: The soundchecking that annoyingly takes place on the other stage

Setlist:
The Devil's Orchard
I Feel The Dark
Slither
The Lines In My Hand
Demon Of The Fall
The Grand Conjuration
Deliverance

Band: Shining
Death Stage 19:30-20:15

~ By Bjorn
I wasn't really sure what to expect from Shining's gig as singer/main man Niklas Kvarforth is a peculiar person, to say the least. He cause quite a bit of scandal in Swedish media in 2007 after the release party of Shining's fifth album, V - Halmstad, where drank his own urine, got beat up and cut himself with razors onstage, among other things. From what I hear, Kvarforth has toned down these things quite a lot since then.

I can't really say that the Metaltown gig was especially good, though. The band sounded like they didn't really had rehearsed the songs and Kvarforth spent a lot of time doing strange, random noises and heckling the audience instead of just singing. When he actually did sing, it sounded okay if you could disregard the bad sound but looking at the setlist it's hard to understand how it's possible to do such a boring gig with such good songs.

Performance: 4 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 3 chalices of 10
Best: "Thanks for tonight, now you can all go watch In Flames or some other gay shit."
Worst: The sound during the first half of the gig

Setlist:
Låt Oss Ta Allt Från Varandra
Vilseledda Barnasjälars Hemvist
Ytterligare Ett Steg Närmare Total Jävla Utfrysning
Människa O'avskyvärda Människa
Ohm (Sommar Med Siv) (Seigmen cover)
Submit To Self-Destruction
Förtvivlan, Min Arvedel

Band: Aura Noir
Death Stage 21:15-22:00

~ By Bjorn
"Gothenburg! We are the ugliest band in the world!" must be one of the best opening phrases I've ever heard at a concert. And from the first second to the last, the ugliest band in the world showed how it's done. Naturally, it's hard to fail with songs such as Hades Rise, Black Metal Jaw, Hell's Fire, Destructor, Conqueror, Trenches and a cover of Venom's Heaven's On Fire.

Initially, the sound was pretty bad but after a couple of songs the technicians got it right. Apollyon and Aggressor shared the singing duties, as is done on their albums, and they did their respective songs really well. This was easily one of the best gigs of the festival. In some strange way, they manage to sound really evil while seemingly having a lot of fun.

Performance: 9 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: Hades Rise
Worst: ---

(sorry, no setlist)

Band: Lamb Of God
Blood Stage 21.20 - 22.20

~ By Mozzy
From beginning to end, Lamb Of God have the crowd in a firm grip. It's so obvious that this is a live act in full control, boasting tons of confidence, via many years of relentless touring. Despite naming the location Stockholm and Copenhagen before realising it's actually Gothenburg, singer Randy Blythe manages to generate an impressive reaction from the crowd, displaying superb frontman skills. A circle pit is in motion virtually throughout the set, there are regular chants of the band's name, loud singing in Now You've Got Something To Die For, and an excited atmosphere overall.

In many ways, the Richmond outfit's music is perfectly suitable for the live stage. With massive doses of aggression, adrenaline and groove, it's impossible not to be affected. Add some catchy hooks and you have a very strong recipe. While this is an incredibly tight unit, both in sound and camaraderie, when it comes to the visual aspect, two of the members stand out: bassist John Campbell and Randy Blythe. Forming a fabulous rhythm section with drum maestro Chris Adler, Campbell is as usual cool as hell with his grey, Gandalf-resembling mane. Blythe, then, is a whirlwind onstage, running around and continuously galvanising the crowd. The passionate support from the audience culminates with a huge circle pit and serious mayhem the closing numbers Redneck and Black Label. Just like countrymen Machine Head, Lamb Of God yet again demonstrate their extraordinary capacity as a live band.

Performance: 8 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: Redneck
Worst: The soundcheck that annoyingly takes place on the other stage

Setlist:
Desolation
Ghost Walking
Walk With Me in Hell
Set to Fail
Now You've Got Something to Die For
Ruin
Hourglass
The Number Six
Contractor
Laid to Rest
Redneck
Black Label

Band: Hypocrisy
Close-Up Stage 23:00-00:00

~ By Bjorn
My last gig of interest for the evening was Hypocrisy, the good of Peter Tägtgren's two bands. Featuring Horgh from Immortal on drums which actually means that two thirds of Immortal performed on the festival within two hours, the other third being Apollyon from Aura Noir. With this in mind, it's a shame they couldn't bring Abbath and do an Immortal gig while they were at it but what the heck.

So hey, what about Hypocrisy? They gave a solid performance with a lot of energy from all of the band members although Peter's growling isn't brilliant at all times. I forgot to write down the setlist but some of the songs played were Fire In The Sky, Fractured Millennium, Eraser, Killing Art, Roswell 47, Pleasure Of Molestation and Weed Out The Weak. Good stuff.

Performance: 7 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 6 chalices of 10
Best: Horgh on the drums, sounding like there were actually two or three drummers onstage
Worst: Peter's growling

(sorry, no setlist)

Band: Vader
Death Stage 23.00 - 23.45

~ By Mozzy
The clash of stage times between Vader and Hypocrisy was very unfortunate, but as a couple of years ago had passed since I saw Vader, I picked them. The veteran Polish death metal act is known for its live power, and that soon manifests itself. In an absolutely crammed tent, we get to witness an amazing lesson of quality death metal, and with the rain starting to pour down outside, Vader's set proves very vitalising indeed. From start to finish, this is a relentless attack of brutal, intense death projectiles, performed with much skill, not least from English drummer James Stewart. The sound is excellent too; crisp and incorporating all instruments very well, which certainly benefits the impact and experience.

Led with authority by the constant original member, singer/guitarist Peter Wiwczarek, the band put in a powerful effort onstage, playing and headbanging with genuine dedication. One clearly realises that no matter where they play, giving 100 percent is the only alternative. Apart from the quality death metal, this attitude no doubt wins over the crowd. The Poles get a warm response which they really seem to appreciate, and there is a splendid connection between band and audience. After an immense Helleluyah!!! (God Is Dead), the band leaves the stage, leading to loud chants for an encore. The wish is fulfilled as the quintet return for an annihilating This Is The War. This is quite the opposite of shows with big, fancy productions, but just as impressive. Performed without compromise and with remarkable talent and dedication, it's simply an awesome display.

Performance: 9 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 8 chalices of 10
Best: This Is The War
Worst: It is indeed very tight in the small tent and therefore very hot as well

Setlist:
Return to the Morbid Reich
Sothis
Come and See My Sacrifice
Devilizer
Cold Demons
I Am Who Feasts Upon Your Soul
Sword of the Witcher
Wings/Carnal
Decapitated Saints
Helleluyah!!! (God Is Dead)
This Is The War

Band: In Flames
Blood Stage 23.45 - 01.00

~ By Mozzy
Being possibly the biggest Swedish group of today and playing in their hometown on top of that, a huge audience is waiting for In Flames' headline appearance. The entrance of the band is spectacular indeed: Cloud Connected is performed with the members placed up in the air on huge scaffolding covered with a transparent screen that is showing various projections. A very cool and elegant opening. Stylishly dressed too, it is clear that In Flames aim to make this a memorable show. The light show is tasteful, the digital backdrop is streaming continuous images and a huge amount of pyrotechnics is used during the concert. Only For The Weak features large flames that warm the audience at the front, and is as usual a great live number.

As for the music, there are some treats there as well. As second and third number come Gyroscope and Artifacts Of The Black Rain, both rarely played in recent years. These melodic pearls are a joy to hear, not least for fans preferring the older material. There is also the return to the set of The Chosen Pessismist, a solemn and dark composition that is moving and one of the highlights tonight. It is also accompanied by extensive pyro to enhance the impact, just like the following Fear Is The Weakness. Otherwise, the set comprises lots of quality as usual, but the sound is not perfect and the volume a bit low. Singer Anders Fridén also struggles from time to time, clearly with a throat not in its best condition.

While Friden and co enjoy a warm response, there is not much of that exhilaration and electricity in the air which often transpires at an In Flames show. It never really lifts to those marvellous heights. Persistent raining doesn't help the atmosphere either. And at the end, technical matters mean they have to stop barely a minute into My Sweet Shadow. Instead, they finish with an impromptu version of Pinball Map which works so and so. Overall, though, this is definitely an enjoyable and most competent display, not least visually.

Performance: 7 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 6 chalices of 10
Best: The Chosen Pessismist
Worst: The sound debacle at the end

Setlist:
Cloud Connected
Gyroscope
Artifacts of the Black Rain
Only for the Weak
Reroute to Remain Dial 595-escape
Crawl Through Knives
Delight and Angers
Where the Dead Ships Dwell
The Chosen Pessimist
Fear Is the Weakness
All for Me
Deliver Us
The Mirror's Truth
Take This Life
My Sweet Shadow (snippet)
Pinball Map

Band: Soulfly
Close-Up Stage 01.00 - 02.00

~ By Mozzy
When Max Cavalera played Metaltown last year, with Cavalera Conspiracy, the musical content was most satisfactory. However, the main man's own effort left a bit to be desired, as it looked like the Brazilian simply did his job without much enthusiasm, a bit like a day at the office. Tonight, in the Close-Up tent, he looks more upbeat and is more active onstage, although nothing like his younger years. Resistance and World Scum - the intro and first song respectively - from the latest album Enslaved kicks things off. It continues with Blood Fire War Hate which generates loud singing, before Sepultura classic Refuse/Resist creates a wild mosh-pit. The remainder of the set includes a string of Soulfly staples as well as the obligatory Sepultura anthem Roots Bloody Roots.

Starting with the Enslaved sessions, Max and guitarist Marc Rizzo have been joined by bassist Tony Campos and drummer David Kinkade, and they both fit in splendidly. Campos delivers thunderous bass lines as well as strong backing vocals, while Kinkade showcases great skills and some ferocious, superb double kick drumming. Together, the band supply a devastatingly heavy and aggressive sound. Towards the end of the show, we get the usual treats, which are in all honesty not the most essential parts of the show. First, a kid from the audience is lifted to the stage to take part in some tribal drumming. Then, Max's son Igor and stepson Richie contribute vocal parts in Revengeance. All in all, this is not excellent throughout, but still an enjoyable, brick-heavy display by Max and his band.

Performance: 7 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: Refuse/Resist
Worst: The tribal drum segment

Setlist:
Resistance
World Scum
Blood Fire War Hate
Refuse/Resist
Frontlines
Prophecy
Back To The Primitive
Seek 'N' Strike
No Hope = No Fear
Intervention
Porrada
Drums
Tribe
Revengeance
Roots Bloody Roots
Jumpdafuckup/Eye For An Eye

Band: Year Of The Goat
Death Stage 16:00-16:45

~ By Bjorn
Year Of The Goat is one of those occult rock bands that have appeared in large numbers in the last couple of years, following the hype around bands such as Ghost, The Devil's Blood and Graveyard. Although I hadn't really been impressed with what I'd heard by them beforehand, they really impressed me. The music came alive fantastically in concert and if it weren't for the fact that Candlemass was about to start playing I would have seen more than half the gig. I will definitely give Year Of The Goat another chance.

Performance: 7 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: The older songs
Worst: ---

(sorry, no setlist)

Band: Candlemass
Blood Stage 16:30-17:30

~ By Bjorn
After the departure of singer Rob Lowe only a couple of weeks before the festival I was thrilled to hear that they would still be performing the scheduled concerts this summer. I was even more thrilled when I heard that Mats Levén, known from Leif Edling's side project Krux among many other bands, would join the band as a temporary replacement singer.

Having seen Candlemass three times before, once with Messiah and twice with Rob, I have to say that this was easily the best gig as I for once had no remarks at all about the singer. Mats sung both the older and the newer songs with confidence, charisma and, above all, amazing skill. Having adapted to Rob's boring scene persona and inability to learn the lyrics, it was great to have a singer that knew all the lyrics perfectly - after only a couple of weeks of rehearsing, mind you - and actually interacted with the audience. The rest of the band was solid as always, with an extra gold star to Lasse Johansson who played the guitar solos amazingly well.

Performance: 9 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 8 chalices of 10
Best: Mats Levén's singing
Worst: ---

Setlist:
Intro: Marche Funebre
Prophet
Bewitched
Dark Reflections
Dancing In The Temple (Of The Mad Queen Bee)
Waterwitch
Black Dwarf
Psalms For The Dead
At The Gallows End
Solitude

Band: Unleashed
Death Stage 19:30-20:15

~ By Bjorn
Shortly put, Unleashed did what they do. No surprises but no disappointments either. I would have liked to hear more songs from their first two albums as Before The Creation Of Time was one of the big highlights of the show. A lot of the new songs feel too simply constructed and chorus-based and while this works out well live, it gets a little boring. I couldn't help but admire vocalist/main man Johnny's passion onstage - he really got the audience going and looked like there was no place he'd rather be than right there on that stage.

Performance: 6 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 5 chalices of 10
Best: Johnny Hedlund's energy and passion
Worst: To a certain extent, the choice of setlist

Setlist:
This Is Our World Now
Destruction (Of The Race Of Men)
The Longships Are Coming
Fimbulwinter
Wir Kapitulieren Niemals
Your Children Will Burn
The Great Battle Of Odalheim
Hammer Battalion
Before The Creation Of Time
Death Metal Victory

Band: Anthrax
Fire Stage 20.10 - 21.10

~ By Mozzy
A little less than a year since last time, Anthrax are back in Gothenburg. On their previous visit, at Ullevi Stadium with Big 4 colleagues Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth, guitarist Scott Ian was missing due to child birth. Although Sepultura's Andreas Kisser filled in well that time, the absence of Ian, an integral, founding member, was big. This becomes even more noticeable now that Ian is back onstage, characteristically stomping about and fervently delivering those classic riffs. The opening is first-rate, with Caught In A Mosh and Got The Time, and the rain soon becomes a non-issue. This being the last gig of the tour, the boys seem intent on putting on an entertaining show, and this we certainly get. With a set filled with momentous Anthrax tunes, the band impress with a very inspired and energetic display. Two tracks from the excellent comeback album Worship Music fit in great as well. The atmosphere is terrific, with an enthusiastic moshpit.

Aside from the several thrash hits that are provided, Joey Belladonna has a leading role. The frontman is in a brilliant mood, covering every inch of the stage, and even stepping off it to get in the faces of the fans down front. He also snatches the camera off a surprised stage camera man to film the crowd. This showmanship of course rubs off on the audience who respond with some loud singing. Before the standard finish with I Am The Law, we get two treats in Deathrider and Neon Knights. The latter Sabbath cover is dedicated to Ronnie James Dio, while the former thrasher is just wonderful and prompts your Metal Covenant scribe to join the headbanging frenzy at the front. This is a very positive display by Anthrax in great form, entertaining with a fun show packed with awesome tunes.

Performance: 8 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: Deathrider
Worst: The short rendition of I'm The Man is not really necessary

Setlist:
Caught In A Mosh
Got The Time
Fight 'Em Till You Can't
Antisocial
Indians
The Devil You Know
Madhouse
Neon Knights
Deathrider
I'm The Man (snippet)
I Am The Law

Band: Gojira
Close-Up Stage 21:30-22:15

~ By Bjorn
Due to an unfortunate scheduling conflict I had to choose between Mastodon and Gojira, two similar bands genre wise, and since I'd seen Mastodon three times it seemed like the logical choice to watch Gojira for the first time. And I didn't regret my choice for one second as it was probably the most visually stunning concert of the entire festival with the stage lights perfectly coordinated to music. Additionally, they played their complex and intricate songs to perfection, with almost unreal technicality. They seemed genuinely surprised by the great audience response and promised to come back to Sweden this winter, hopefully on a headlining tour.

Performance: 8 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: The songs from The Way Of All Flesh
Worst: ---

Setlist:
Oroborus
The Heaviest Matter Of The Universe
Backbone
Love
Flying Whales
Toxic Garbage Island
L'Enfant Sauvage
Vacuity

Band: Slayer
Blood Stage 23.45 - 01.00

~ By Mozzy
One week ago, Exodus performed at Sweden Rock without their guitarist Gary Holt. With Jeff Hanneman still recovering from his arm injury, Holt is replacing him in Slayer once again. That Holt, arguably the central figure in Exodus, is playing with another band instead reveals just how much he is needed in Slayer at the moment. It is easy to see why. Just like last summer's Big Four show in this city, Holt is the star of the Slayer performance. With an infectious enthusiasm, the axeman thrashes like hell, headbanging intensely and roaming the stage in a commanding way.

Regarding the other members, they are solid as usual. Then again, Holt's vicious, expert riffing most certainly contributes to the overall impact. It is a very vital delivery we get from Slayer tonight; it's raw, diabolical and simply outstanding. The setlist is brilliant, with a clear focus on the old classics, and Tom Araya's voice is in fine shape. In addition, the light show is impressive in its dark, red-dominated style, while the sound is excellent, with a proper volume too, thankfully. While Jeff Hanneman of course belongs in Slayer, there can be no doubt that Gary Holt's entrance has given Slayer - not always as dominant onstage in recent years - an injection. This is indeed a marvellous conclusion of this year's Metaltown.

Performance: 8,5 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 8chalices of 10
Best: Gary Holt
Worst: Snuff

Setlist:
South Of Heaven
World Painted Blood
War Ensemble
Die By The Sword
Chemical Warfare
Hell Awaits
Mandatory Suicide
Hate Worldwide
Seasons In The Abyss
Altar Of Sacrifice
Jesus Saves
Snuff
Postmortem
Angel Of Death
-------
Dead Skin Mask
Raining Blood

Band: Mayhem
Death Stage 23:50-00:30

~ By Bjorn
Even though Mayhem doesn't always put on the best performances live and they've only been really good once in the four times I've seen them, there is always something that makes me want to see them again and again. Maybe I'm expecting them to suddenly do an incredible gig, maybe it's Attila's creepy scene persona or maybe it's just that the songs are so good. I do still have my objections about the live guitarists who still sound like an industrial metal duo - they should really consult someone on how to get a fitting guitar sound for a black metal concert. This was in no way an incredible gig but still enjoyable and I'll keep on going to Mayhem concerts in the future.

Performance: 5 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 5 chalices of 10
Best: Freezing Moon
Worst: The guitarists

(sorry, no setlist)

Related links:
www.metaltown.se