|Wednesday| - |Thursday| - |Friday| - |Saturday|
~ Reviews by Tobbe/Mozzy/Bjorn/Tengan
~ Photos by Tobbe
Wednesday - June 06
Band: Crowbar
4Sound Stage 19.30 - 20.30
~ By Mozzy
After playing at Sweden Rock with Down in 2011, Kirk Windstein is back
at the site with Crowbar. It is the debut at the festival for the experienced
sludge metal crew, and there is a large gathering in front of the 4Sound
Stage when Windstein and co start their business. The combined sound of
guitars, bass and drums is all murderously heavy, with songs like The
Lasting Dose and New Dawn being good examples. Mostly offering slow, doomy
parts, there is also groove to the band's sound plus the occasional up-tempo
bits.
Over the music, Windstein's inimitable, rough vocals add a haunted and
piercing feel. The frontman does his best do heat up the crowd, informing
us that we will get our asses kicked. Regrettably, the band do themselves
no favour, as there are quite long pauses between songs when the band
adjust their instruments, with backs towards the crowd. The momentum is
lost and it becomes annoying to watch. This is a shame, as there are some
great moments in the set. Planets Collide is filled with tense emotion,
and fan favourite All I Had (I Gave) from the second album rounds things
off nicely.
Performance: 6 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 6 chalices of 10
Best: Planets Collide
Worst: The breaks between songs
(sorry, no setlist)
Band: Black Trip
Rockklassiker Stage 20:00-21:00
~ By Tobbe
I witnessed Swedish retro outfit Black Trip at Metallsvenskan festival
two weeks earlier and saw how they suffered for being put on a very narrow
stage. Rockklassiker stage at Sweden Rock is the smallest out of five,
but still sufficient for a band to act the way they're supposed to. The
privilege of being able to move in all directions on stage is a huge factor
to activate key moments. The five man strong band was truly inspired by
the occasion, saw the given opportunity and absolutely delivered a distinct
performance.
As far as I'm concerned, this set definitely rocked hard and I saw dedication and empathy to fulfill their given duties of old school hard rock and I wish that more people would have showed up to see this determined and awesome set. Lead singer, Joseph Tholl, stepped up to control the activities with passion and without any magnifying jaunts to show off. This is definitely one of the few newer bands, playing things that derive from over three decades ago, that I can stand listening to and I will without a single ounce of doubt see these guys live again when given the chance to do so.
Performance: 7 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 6 chalices of 10
Best: The band's empathy
Worst: Black Trip should have been
put on one of the main stages
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Setlist:
The Bells
Radar
Putting Out The Fire
Danger
Tvár Dábla
Outlaw
A Perfect Dream…
Voodoo Queen
No Tomorrow
Thirst
Goin' Under
Outlaw
------
Built For Speed
Band: Magnum
Sweden Stage 21.00 - 22.30
~ By Mozzy
After visiting Sweden for a few dates on their European tour this spring,
English legends Magnum are back in the country to headline (originally
billed as such although Queensryche play last) the first day of Sweden
Rock. Singer Bob Catley, guitarist Tony Clarkin and bassist Al Barrow
take the stage sporting stylish jackets, and the impression of the whole
band is a rather serious one to start with. It's soon obvious that the
likable gentlemen relish the moment, though, even the usually dour-looking
Clarkin grinning and giving the audience the thumbs-up.
The composition of the set is the same as during their last visit, with the first six songs taken from recent albums. They all sound great and are greeted with applause, but as expected, the mood in the crowd is raised a notch when classics like How Far Jerusalem and Vigilante arrive. After Kingdom Of Madness, which features some rare pyro at the end, the band return with The Spirit as the first encore. This old gem is a true highlight, with Clarkin and Catley starting it off majestically, alone onstage with superb acoustic guitar and vocals.
There are clearly those in the crowd who were waiting for more classic tunes from the 80´s, but the band stick with their recent, trusted formula. When all comes around, Magnum receive a warm greeting when the show is finished, after another quality performance by a legendary band that is still going strong.
Performance: 7,5 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: The Spirit
Worst: After all, another classic
from the 80's would have been great at a more party-oriented festival
Setlist:
Live 'Til You Die
Black Skies
Freedom Day
Dance Of The Black Tattoo
Blood Red Laughter
Unwritten Sacrifice
How Far Jerusalem
Les Morts Dansant
Falling For The Big Plan
All England's Eyes
Vigilante
Kingdom Of Madness
The Spirit
Sacred Hour
Band: Paul DiAnno vs. Blaze Bayley
4Sound Stage 22:30-23:45
~ By Tobbe
This event with two former Iron Maiden singers turned out to be two separate
parts, one good and one devastating. Blaze Bayley started up things with
five songs off his two Iron Maiden albums, The X Factor and Virtual XI.
He was highly active on stage, he was passionate and had energy to consume,
and his voice worked pretty well through this part. The hired guns backing
him up (and also later Paul DiAnno) did a good job, I must say, considering
that it's not too easy to recreate the groove of the origins of the songs.
Sign Of The Cross totally ripped and I was definitely pleased with this
first section.
Quite a few people had come down to witness this show and when looking at Paul DiAnno's effort, they totally didn't get their money's worth. DiAnno enters and decides to sit on the drum podium for the entire show, claiming that he had an accident in Russia earlier. The songs are of course awesome, but with the singer positioned in the stage's inner space, it becomes very lame, since people came down to see what DiAnno had to offer. His voice is almost terrible and the man is just a shadow of what he once was and he is obligated to rely on the songs solely.
Things got a little better eventually when the instrumental track Transylvania was up, even if a light rain was falling, and when Bayley returned to stage for the last two songs. Bayley was unable to release his energy again and he noticeably suffered from being forced to stand beside DiAnno and not being up front where he usually finds his space. Perhaps I shouldn't give DiAnno such a hard time and kudos to him for not canceling, since that would probably have turned out even worse for the crowd.
Performance (Blaze Bayley):
6 chalices of 10
Performance (Paul DiAnno): 2 chalices of
10
Stage sound: 6 chalices of 10
Best: Sign Of The Cross
Worst: Paul DiAnno
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Setlist:
Lord Of The Flies (w/ Blaze Bayley)
Futureal (w/ Blaze Bayley)
Sign Of The Cross (w/ Blaze Bayley)
The Clansman (w/ Blaze Bayley)
Man On The Edge (w/ Blaze Bayley)
Outro/Intro
Sanctuary (w/ Paul DiAnno)
Wrathchild (w/ Paul DiAnno)
Remember Tomorrow (w/ Paul DiAnno)
Killers (w/ Paul DiAnno)
Phantom Of The Opera (w/ Paul DiAnno)
Transylvania
Running Free
Iron Maiden
Band: Queensrÿche
Sweden Stage 00.00 - 02.00
~ By Mozzy
After the well-documented split with singer Geoff Tate, the remaining
Queensryche members have worked hard to rebuild the band's status. Closing
the festivities of the first day at Sweden Rock, it is clear that they
do it damn well too. The focus is nowadays on the old material, and the
show is started accordingly and in a marvellous way with Nightrider, Breaking
The Silence and Walk In The Shadows. Tate's successor, Todd LaTorre, once
again proves his tremendous capabilities. His interpretations of the old
material are awesome, his powerful voice hitting the high notes. In addition,
he is a dynamic, self-assured frontman, miles more entertaining and heavy
metal in attitude than his predecessor was at the end.
It is obvious that LaTorre's bandmates take pleasure in his input, and that they get satisfaction from playing more of the great tunes from the 80's again. The selections from their fine latest album are enjoyable too and get a good response from the audience. The musicianship is top-notch as usual from these men, and with an excellent sound as well Queensryche's music is just magnificent to hear tonight. Special mention to Michael Wilton's characteristic guitar playing, and the twin guitar parts with the younger Parker Lundgren, who adds great energy onstage, are brilliant.
The last part of the set is spectacular, with the glorious hits Eyes
Of A Stranger, Empire and Jet City Woman plus golden oldies Queen Of The
Reich and Take Hold Of The Flame.
The pure joy among the crowd cannot be mistaken, with wide grins and loud
singing. The atmosphere is great overall, and during the beautiful Silent
Lucidity earlier in the set it is simply heart-warming. This performance
by Queensryche is a real winner, and for this writer it ranks as the highlight
of the festival next to Black Sabbath's.
Performance: 9 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 8 chalices of 10
Best: The hit parade towards the end
Worst: The rainy, chilly weather,
but this music is the perfect way to withstand it
Setlist:
Nightrider
Breaking The Silence
Walk In The Shadows
The Whisper
En Force
Spore
Warning
Silent Lucidity
Where Dreams Go To Die
A World Without
Guitar Solo
The Needle Lies
NM 156
The Lady Wore Black
My Empty Room
Eyes Of A Stranger
Empire
--------
Queen Of The Reich
Jet City Woman
Take Hold Of The Flame
Thursday - June 07
Band: Jake E Lee's Red Dragon Cartel
Rock Stage 12:00-13:15
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(sorry, no setlist)
Band: Pretty Maids
Festival Stage 13.30 - 14.45
~ By Mozzy
When Pretty Maids played on this stage in 2010, they suffered from a weak
sound. This time, it is better, after some disturbances in the beginning.
Replacing Ratt that year, this time they have been hand-picked for the
Festival Stage and the performance is characterised by confidence and
spirit. Singer Ronnie Atkins proves his great frontman skills, making
good use of the middle stage ramp to get the crowd going. He is often
joined by cheerful guitarist Ken Hammer and especially bassist Rene Shades,
whose high energy adds valuable presence onstage.
While the band's splendid connection with the audience creates a terrific
atmosphere and response, it is of course the music that seals the deal.
The setlist is a mix of older favourites and more recent material, and
the newer songs stand up really well to the older ones, once more establishing
that Pretty Maids are enjoying a new golden era since the beginning of
the decade. It is quality material throughout, played tight and with finesse
plus sung with feeling by Atkins. He gets good help from the audience,
not least during a couple of singalongs conducted by the blonde singer.
After the crowd-pleasing Little Drops Of Heaven, two heavy metal jewels,
Back To Back and Future World, round it all off superbly.
Performance: 8 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: Yellow Rain
Worst: I See Ghosts could be replaced
by an even better tune
Setlist:
Mother Of All Lies
Nuclear Boomerang
Final Day Of Innocence
Red Hot & Heavy
My Soul To Take
I.N.V.U.
I See Ghosts
Please Don't Leave Me
Yellow Rain
Rodeo
Little Drops Of Heaven
Back To Back
Future World
Band: Feral
Rockklassiker Stage 14:30-15:10
~ By Tengan
"We are Feral from Umeå, Västerbotten and we hate everything!"
Needless to say, I liked them instantly. As the band correctly later in
the set claimed, Sweden Rock Festival is starved for death metal. For
those suffering from withdrawal, Feral serves a nice slab of pure Swedish
death metal with some interesting leads bringing Puteraeon to mind. Despite
a slightly low mixed guitar and an even more silent bass the leads are
still fairly audible making Feral stick out at least somewhat from the
slew of old-school revivalists.
When the set starts the crowd is probably the smallest during the entire festival. The band seems to care nought. Instead they put up a good show for those who have turned up, vocalist David Nilsson especially gives absolutely everything he got. The bands effort pays off as the crowd grows through the set, the newly arrived showing the band the same appreciation as the brave few who had turned up from the start. This is especially notable from the rapidly forming queue for the band's record sale next to the stage right after the gig. A nice touch by a band that seems comfortably rooted in the underground from where their sound stems. They love the underground and the underground loves them back.
Performance: 6 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 6 chalices of 10
Best: The dedicated performance despite
the sparse audience at the start
Worst: The inaudible bass does not
really make the music justice
(sorry, no setlist)
Band: Black Stone Cherry
Festival Stage 16.30 - 18.00
~ By Mozzy
After taking shelter from some heavy rain, it's off to the Festival Stage
to check out Black Stone Cherry. The Americans have drawn a very large
crowd - including a great number of female representatives - and their
performance displays much confidence and enthusiasm. Guitarist Ben Wells
and bassist Jon Lawhon are very energetic, covering the whole stage to
rock out, while singer/guitarist Chris Robertson is more static at his
microphone stand. Behind them, John Fred Young has a wild drumming style
that is entertaining to watch.
The group is serving us an enjoyable dose of Southern American rock with
great groove and swing, and the songs are catchy with strong, soulful
vocals from Robertson. This is indeed a typical example of radio-friendly,
chorus-driven American rock, and it is logical that so many people are
attracted to it and that Black Stone Cherry have had much success on the
single charts. The performance never reaches any extraordinary levels,
however, and the songs being similar in style it becomes a bit repetitive.
That said, BSC are quite enjoyable this afternoon and it is a good bet
that they will continue to be a popular band in their field.
Performance: 5,5 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: The groove in the songs
Worst: The similarity of the material
Setlist:
Maybe Someday
Me And Mary Jane
Ghost Of Floyd Collins
Yeah Man
Like I Roll
Rain Wizard
In My Blood
Blind Man
Fiesta del Fuego
Hell & High Water
Rocky Mountain Way
Drum Solo
White Trash Millionaire
Blame It On The Boom Boom
Lonely Train
Band: Tesla
Rock Stage 18:15-19:45
~ By Tobbe
Californian rockers Tesla hasn't played Europe, and definitely not Sweden,
regularly during the band's three decades of activity, so this show was
something I looked forward to quite a bit. With my anticipations set high,
I pretty much got what I came for, as the quintet delivered one of the
festival's greater performances, as far as I'm concerned.
Lead vocalist, Jeff Keith, was cheerful and acted happy all throughout the set. He's a great frontman whose appearance indeed is contagious and he's making things look so fun upon the stage floor. It's also fascinating that he's able to keep this high level throughout the gig and never seem to run out of fuel. The band backing him up basically only has to follow his steps to come out successful. They actually don't make it that easy for themselves and truly acts with confidence and coolness while they run through the classic material, topped with a few songs from after the band's return. Personally, I would have enjoyed seeing a little more new stuff, but with the brand new album, Simplicity, released June 6th, I honestly wasn't expecting much to be played off it and we eventually ended up pretty short with solely one new song.
Tesla weaves in a few heavier songs, like Into The Now, to make the set
more varied. In this case, the band most definitely didn't pick its best
song and that was really evident when seeing the crowd's vivacity radically
drop. Although I've heard the hits on many occasions before, I still value
what was played and this really was an awesome experience with great empathy
and commitment from a band that should visit these parts of the world
more frequently.
Performance: 8 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 8 chalices of 10
Best: Jeff Keith
Worst: Little Suzi and Into The Now
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Setlist:
Intro
I Wanna Live
Hang Tough
Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)
Mama's Fool
Into The Now
MP3
The Way It Is
What You Give
Signs
Love Song
Gettin' Better
Modern Day Cowboy
Little Suzi
Cumin' Atcha Live
Band: Masterplan
4Sound Stage 20:15-21:30
~ By Tobbe
I had no clue what to expect from this unit, considering that it has been
pretty quiet in the Masterplan camp for a while and that this band never
had consistency with all the singer swaps taking place every so often.
It has been a rather confusing period for the fans, not knowing if there
still was a Masterplan to reckon with.
The latest singer addition to the band, Rick Altzi, sings the older songs with some success and he's, from time to time, not that far from recreating what Jorn Lande did to the songs earlier. Naturally Jorn's work is tough to reproduce, but Rick absolutely gives it his best shot. Although his charisma doesn't shine as the world's greatest, quite similar to the former singer for sure, he seems to have a good time anyway. In fact, no one in this band really has a bright shining aura, so this turns out a show where the songs definitely have to finalize the result to make this a memorable gig.
They play the songs with newfound power and Jari Kainulainen truly is
a talented bassplayer. Roland Grapow's guitar play could have been better
this evening, but the foundation in his play is still dominant to my ears.
Masterplan performed songs from the entire catalogue, but almost half
the set consisted of songs off the self titled debut album. That album
is indeed really great, yet this move was a little excessive from my point
of view. In the end, a good show and I left pretty satisfied with what
I had seen.
Performance: 6 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 6 chalices of 10
Best: Crystal Night
Worst: Keep Your Dream Alive
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Setlist:
Enlighten Me
Spirit Never Die
Lost And Gone
Betrayal
Black Night Of Magic
Crimson Rider
Back For My Life
Time To Be King
Keep Your Dream Alive
Crystal Night
Soulburn
Crawling From Hell
Heroes
Band: Rob Zombie
Rock Stage 21.45 - 23.15
~ By Mozzy
"Who need perfection when you can fuckin' party?" quips Rob
Zombie after a couple of numbers. He is implying that the band is a bit
rusty, but there's no rustiness to speak of here, with an animated show
taking place at the Rock Stage. As for Mr Zombie himself, he is a full-blown
pro performer onstage. He is working hard, has command of the audience
and is constantly moving, dreads flying. After an early drum solo, he
gets down into the pit between the stage and the fence during the White
Zombie's anthem More Human Than Human. Getting in physical contact with
the thrilled fans at the front, this cool treat is repeated later on in
the set.
His band put on a good show as well and their presentation of the songs
is very solid indeed. It all sounds muscular and the groove is awesome.
This time, the setlist includes covers (apart from the White Zombie songs,
then) of two well-known tunes which sure gets the crowd going: Am I Evil?
And School's Out. During the latter, not played in its entirety, Zombie
makes the crowd scream "so that Alice can hear it from his dressing
room". However, my argument last time Zombie performed at Sweden
Rock in 2011 concerning his own material stands: it is not consistently
of the highest standard if you compare to other big players in the business.
All in all though, this is an entertaining concert full of fun and rock
'n' roll - clearly an improvement of 2011's visit.
Performance: 7 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: The showmanship of Zombie and
his bandmates
Worst: The early drum solo
Setlist:
Meet the Creeper
Superbeast
Scum Of The Earth
Living Dead Girl
Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Supertown
Drum Solo
More Human Than Human
Sick Bubble-Gum
House Of 1000 Corpses
Trade In Your Guns for a Coffin
Never Gonna Stop (The Red, Red Kroovy)
Am I Evil?
Thunder Kiss '65
Guitar Solo
School's Out
--------
The Lords Of Salem
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Dragula
Band: Dark Angel
Sweden Stage 00:45-02:00
~ By Tengan
Sweden Rock Festival's specialty is reunion gigs from the heroes of old.
2014's most important reunion without doubt is that of Bay Area thrashers
Dark Angel. Rivalled only by Slayer for the title of North America's most
extreme thrashers in the mid 80's, Dark Angel had a huge impact on the
extreme underground but never saw the big stages back in the days. Despite
getting their fair share of recognition in retrospect, the crowd awaiting
the Californian squad is embarrassingly small and it does not grow considerably
as the night falls deeper.
The chosen few who have their senses intact and showed up do whatever they can to show their appreciation, heads banging, fists flying and the mosh pit continues tirelessly. Dark Angel deserves it all, from 'Darkness Descends' to 'Perish in Flames' the band is tighter than a virgin's... pants. Ron Rhineheart has the fans in his grip and does a tremendous job as frontman without turning to any cheap tricks or extravaganzas, he relies solely on pure passion. Gene 'the drum machine' Hoglan shows technical skills rivalled by few and Mike Gonzalez shows that he deserves way more credit for his bass play.
The sound crew is doing their best job on the entire festival, the sound
at Sweden stage being poor on gigs before and after. During Dark Angel,
however, the pieces fit perfectly, only Rhineheart's vocal's tends to
fade somewhat on a few occasions. Together with an amazing performance
by the band, the night grows ever darker to the sound of the devastating
classics. Dark Angel's return to Sweden is not only a return to the fold,
but also a return to form. The band loves being on stage and the audience
worships. An amazing gig!
Performance: 9 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 9 chalices of 10
Best: Death Is Certain (Life Is Not)
and the memories
Worst: They deserved a bigger crowd
than this
Setlist:
Darkness Descends
We Have Arrived
The Burning of Sodom
Time Does Not Heal
No One Answers
Never to Rise Again
Welcome to the Slaughterhouse
Death Is Certain (Life Is Not)
Death of Innocence
Merciless Death
Perish in Flames
Friday - June 08
Band: Kings Of The Sun
4Sound Stage 11:30-12:15
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(sorry, no setlist)
Band: Talisman - A Tribute To Marcel Jacob
Rock Stage 12.00 - 13.00
~ By Mozzy
After their farewell tour seven years ago, which included a performance
at Sweden Rock, Talisman are back together at that very festival. The
reason behind this is a tribute performance to Marcel Jacob, who tragically
left us five years ago, thus the addition of "A Tribute To Marcel
Jacob" to the band name. Despite the circumstances, there is an upbeat
spirit in the air. The jokes between the band members are infectious and
band and audience turn this into a cheerful celebration of the music Jacob
was instrumental in. It is very fitting, and it is obvious many have missed
Talisman.
The pure class of songs like Colour My XTC, Mysterious (This Time It's Serious) and Dangerous is indisputable. The remaining Talisman men - Jeff Scott Soto on vocals, Jamie Borger on drums and Pontus Norgren on guitar - put in an effort with much skill and passion. Replacing Jacob on bass is Johan Niemann from Evergrey - a difficult task but one he performs honourably. There is also a fifth musician onstage: BJ Vocal, from Soto's solo band, who contributes excellently with keyboards and vocals.
Together, the band treats the crowd to a show with high-quality melodic
hard rock which is most pleasurable in the sunny weather. During the big
hit I'll Be Waiting, Soto instructs us to sing so loud so that Marcel
can hear it from above. It is a touching moment and the audience sure
obeys, screaming their lungs out. This is definitely a worthy tribute
to one of Sweden's all-time greats in hard rock, and a splendid start
to the festival day.
Performance: 7,5 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: Mysterious (This Time It's Serious)
Worst: That this tribute performance
is not given longer playing time
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Setlist:
Break Your Chains
Colour My XTC
Fabricated War
Mysterious (This Time It's Serious)
Tears in the Sky
Sorry
Just Between Us
If U Would Only Be My Friend
Frozen / Crazy
Dangerous
I'll Be Waiting
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Standin' On Fire
Band: Joe Bonamassa
Rock Stage 14.00 - 15.30
~ By Mozzy
Blues rock has been a regular feature at Sweden Rock, with a couple of
acts of that kind playing every year. This time, the festival is graced
by the presence of Joe Bonamassa, whose increasing popularity has made
him a household name in the genre, selling out big venues.
Bonamassa is a very cool cat onstage, elegantly dressed in costume and
sunshades on. While his face reveals passion for his playing, he doesn't
use big gestures and there is very little talking between songs, but it's
not necessary either. The music does the talking, and it certainly speaks
for itself. The American really shines on his guitar, delivering superb
solos as well as great riffing, everything with marvellous feel and proficiency.
It's simply awesome to listen to his playing, at times spellbinding. The
Gary Moore cover Midnight Blues is amazing, producing a wonderful atmosphere.
Bonamassa also demonstrates throughout the performance that he has a good
voice with lots of feeling.
His backing band consists of incredibly competent musicians, all adding wonderful and vital parts to the combined sound. It's awesome to watch them in action too, being totally into the music as well as joyful when playing, and the interplay between all men onstage is outstanding. While there is an irresistible groove and swing to it all, it also features excellent heavy parts too which demonstrates that Bonamassa can surely rock out as well. In a setlist slightly adjusted for Sweden Rock, The Black Country Communion tune Song From Yesterday proves this.
The musical experience is also enhanced by a massive and overwhelming
emotion and soulfulness, one which you can genuinely feel in the air.
It is only musicians with an expertise and passion in their instrument
who master this, and these gentlemen undoubtedly have those qualities.
The Ballad Of John Henry is a brilliant conclusion, and the band receive
most well-deserved praise from the crowd. To put it simply, Joe Bonamassa's
performance is a joy both to hear - also aided by an excellent stage sound
- and watch. It is no doubt one of the highlights of the festival, and
it also offers nice variety from the harder stuff. There is no wonder
that Bonamassa has become a big star and live attraction in modern blues
rock.
Performance: 8,5 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 8 chalices of 10
Best: The all-round skill of the musicians
Worst: Occasionally, it becomes a
bit slow, as one is not used to blues live either
Setlist:
Oh Beautiful
Story of a Quarryman
Midnight Blues
Who's Been Talking
Slow Train
Song Of Yesterday
Love Ain't A Love Song
Sloe Gin
The Ballad Of John Henry
Band: Kvelertak
Festival Stage 15:30-16:45
~ By Bjorn
Having seen Kvelertak twice before I have learnt to expect a lot from
their live performances. I left this gig disappointed, however, and this
was mainly due to two things. Firstly, the insane live experience that
is Kvelertak was not at all suited for the biggest stage of the festival
- the huge distance between the band and the audience took the edge off
of the intensity.
The second thing that bothered me was how slow a lot of the songs were
played. Kvelertak's music should be played as fast as the instruments
allow but instead many songs were slowed down to boring aliases of themselves.
Granted, I was happier with the second half of the concert than with the
first, probabably because the crappy sound was improved somewhat by then.
Performance: 5 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 4 chalices of 10
Best: Erlend Hjelvik, a fantastic
frontman
Worst: The slow tempo
(sorry, no setlist)
Band: Annihilator
Sweden Stage 16:45-18:15
~ By Tengan
Last time I saw the Canadian technical thrashers was at Sweden Rock Festival
2007. To put it frank, they impressed me little. Seven years later they
do a far better job. Despite playing in daylight, this time around they
seem far more vital. Mainman Jeff Waters is leading the show, firing up
the crowd at every given opportunity with humour and passion. Dave Padden
is more anonymous delivering a nice performance, but letting the main
interaction with the audience stay with Jeff. It seems the band is happy
to be there and the front section of the audience equally happy to see
their heroes.
Somewhat remarkable is the moshpit which at times seem to have an average age of 40. Annihilator does their job well, but part of the experience is ruined by an utter worthless performance from the mixing staff. Padden's vocals disappear for two full songs and key instruments vanquish in certain passages. At its best the mix is well balanced, but Annihilator deserved better this afternoon.
Performance: 7 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 4 chalices of 10
Best: King Of The Kill
Worst: The mixing job
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Setlist:
Smear Campaign
King Of The Kill
No Way Out
Deadlock
Set The World On Fire
Reduced To Ash
Alison Hell
W.T.Y.D.
Ultra Paranoia
Road To Ruin
No Zone
Phantasmagoria
Brain Dance
I Am In Command
Fiasco
Human Insecticide
Band: Kamelot
Festival Stage 18:30-20:00
~ By Tobbe
Kamelot came out strong and well prepared and a few bursts of flames set
the tone for the evening, which actually really is like daytime at this
time of the year, even in the southern parts of Sweden. In total, this
performance turned out a rather odd experience. Lead vocalist, Tommy Karevik,
was thrilled to play at home turf in Sweden and spent a large amount of
time out on the sixty feet long ramp, making the rest of the band looking
a little like bystanders far behind his back. For people up front it became
an even more weird situation, since they had to turn their bodies away
from the actual stage to be able to get a glimpse of the excited singer.
Kamelot has neglected its four first albums for quite some time now. I frankly don't care much for the first three, but it's a damn shame, the way I see it, that nothing is played off The Fourth Legacy and especially the title track of that one. Still, the songs performed, minus a few, are great and perhaps I'm just being an ass over this matter. The band was in fact rather triumphant and with female vocalists Elize Ryd and Alissa White-Gluz in the back, they get great depth in the performance, which rarely is the case when using pre-recorded choirs and backing vocals like a lot of other bands tend to do. The crowd generally seemed very satisfied with the show and so was I.
Performance: 7 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: Torn and Sacrimony (Angel Of
Afterlife)
Worst: March Of Mephisto and Rule
The World
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Setlist:
Rule The World
Ghost Opera
The Great Pandemonium
Veritas
Center Of The Universe
Torn
When The Lights Are Down
Sacrimony (Angel Of Afterlife)
Drum Solo
The Human Stain
My Confession
Forever/Du Gamla Du Fria (national anthem of Sweden)
------------
Karma
March Of Mephisto
Band: W.A.S.P.
Rock Stage 20:15-21:45
~ By Tobbe
Have we heard these songs live before? Yes, we have and I'm trying to
figure out why Blackie Lawless continues to play almost identical sets
every time I get to see him and his unit live. The Torture Never Stops
wasn't totally expected I must admit, but with the same songs as always
off the two first albums, a The Crimson Idol medley, the cover The Real
Me and two newer songs, Heaven's Hung In Black and Crazy, it gets a little
too predictable and some of the magic never come to life when most people
know what will be on the schedule.
The songs are nonetheless awesome and I think the show finally turned out a great experience, although Blackie's vocals are to a certain degree prerecorded, but maybe that's for the better when looking at the totality in his performance. I think he's acting with confidence and commitment, even if his shape has seen better moments. Naturally everybody knows who's running the show and all things that come with it, yet his wingers, bassplayer Mike Duda and Doug Blair, don't hold back on their duties and both, in my eyes, never really end up short in the shadow of the frontman.
Even if I never reach to a point of something unexpected in the list
of songs, the laws of nature took care of the unforeseen in the end, since
the band's PA broke down or perhaps someone pulled the plug two thirds
into the last song Blind In Texas. The band looked puzzled and left the
stage, never to come back. Maybe I'm a moron for seeing that breakdown
as something a little valuable, but hey, in a few years that's what I
will remember the best from this show.
Performance: 7 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 5 chalices of 10
Best: Chainsaw Charlie (Murders In
The New Morgue)
Worst: A little too much pre-recorded
vocals and the same old songs
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Setlist:
Intro
On Your Knees
The Torture Never Stops
The Real Me
L.O.V.E. Machine
Crazy
Wild Child
Sleeping (In The Fire) / Forever Free (snippet)
I Wanna Be Somebody
The Crimson Idol Medley:
- The Titanic Overture (recorded)
- The Invisible Boy
- I Am One
- The Gypsy Meets The Boy
The Idol
Drum Solo
Chainsaw Charlie (Murders In The New Morgue)
Heaven's Hung In Black
Blind In Texas
Band: Black Sabbath
Festival Stage 22:00-22:30
~ By Bjorn
Having heard some really worrying recent live clips of Ozzy's singing
I was glad to hear him perform well this evening. Sure, he's not flawless
and sounder somewhat weaker the longer the concert progressed but overall
he actually did a damn good job. The absolute highlight of the evening
on my part was when Black Sabbath was played. It's one of the heaviest
songs ever written and hearing such an amazing live version of it left
me with goosebumps. Furthermore, the sound at this gig was impeccable
and probably the best I've ever heard at Sweden Rock.
I'm one of those people that were pissed off when Bill Ward was replaced a couple of years ago but even though I tried, I had a really hard time missing him behind the drums this evening. Tommy Clufetos did an outstanding job and really seemed to lift the entire band. Although his drumming style lacks some of the groove from the early Black Sabbath albums, I think that the Bill Ward of today would have done a much, much worse job, sadly.
Overall, this was surprisingly enough a fantastic experience that exceeded
my expectations of a Black Sabbath gig in 2014 by far. Perhaps this was
the last chance to ever see Black Sabbath on Swedish soil but I'm keeping
my fingers crossed that Tony will have the energy to keep touring.
Performance: 9 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 10 chalices of 10
Best: Everything, I guess.
Worst: Black Sabbath and Into the
Void
Setlist:
War Pigs
Into The Void
Snowblind
Age Of Reason
Black Sabbath
Behind The Wall Of Sleep
N.I.B.
Fairies Wear Boots
Rat Salad
Iron Man
God Is Dead?
Children Of The Grave
-------
Paranoid
Band: U.D.O.
Rock Stage 23.30 - 01.30
~ By Mozzy
Following Megadeth's late cancellation - a big bummer indeed but understandable
because of family reasons - Sweden Rock took to an old familiar, trustworthy
name as replacement: U.D.O. The sound appearing from the Rock Stage is
recognisable indeed: muscular, stead-fast German heavy metal. Four of
the five first songs are picked from last year's Steelhammer, and while
they are good enough the start of the show is anything but spectacular.
The band now features two fairly new faces: guitarists Andrey Smirnov
and Kasperi Heikkinen. One can tell that the young axemen are thrilled
to be in the band, playing for such a big audience, as they are constantly
smiling and are lively onstage. As for Udo himself, he does not make a
vital impression tonight. He is of course 62 years of age now, but his
vocals and effort this evening seem to suffer a bit.
It was also announced that this performance would include some extra
Accept classics. This seems to have eluded the band, as apart from four
of the usual classics as encores there are no other Accept songs in the
set. There are however some tunes from the first U.D.O. albums played
which is cool as this hasn't been that common for a long time. Still,
as this concert is this festival day's last, the impact and atmosphere
would have been livelier with more Accept material which is more recognisable
among the huge crowd. It could be that worshipping the mighty Black Sabbath
at the Festival Stage just before plays a part, but I simply fail to feel
any real excitement about this U.D.O. concert. A solid display as always
by the German legend and his band, but this was not of one of the memorable
ones.
Performance: 5 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: I'm A Rebel
Worst: That the show never lifts to
the next level
Setlist:
Steelhammer
King Of Mean
Future Land
A Cry Of A Nation
Stranger
They Want War
Animal House
In the Darkness
Never Cross My Way
Man And Machine
Stay True
No Limits
Metal Machine
Go Back To Hell
Timebomb
Metal Heart
Balls To The Wall
I'm A Rebel
Fast As A Shark
Band: Death SS
4Sound Stage 23:45-00:45
~ By Tengan
There are cult bands in the underground and then there is Death SS. Legendary
live shows, not as legendary music. With the darkness firmly settled over
the Blekinge field the band enters in an odd combinations of outfits.
To summarize we have Nergal on bass, 80's Blackie Lawless on vocals, Luca
Turilli on guitars (naturally), the Phantom of the opera on keyboards
and the face mask guy from Chthonic on drums and more odd it gets. For
every song there is a video playing on the backdrop substituted screen
churning out various b-division horror flicks.
They are crude and would be quite mindfucking were it not for the messages on said screen declaring "no source" and the title of the files. Though adding to the underground atmosphere they become amusing rather than fulfilling their supposed purpose of putting the audience in a desired state of mind. The cherry on the top of the show cake is a dancing schooled lady making appearances every now and then. Starting out in a monk's robe with bosom hanging out from two well-placed holes, she then switches to a veil only for a full frontal and ends up in something that can best be described as the cover of Marduk's 'Fuck Me Jesus' demo turning the gents in the audience into giraffes. Truly one of the most fucked up live shows yours truly have ever witnessed.
Oh yes, the music. Basically we are treated with a keyboard-laden heavy/doom hybrid. Though fairly catchy, the memorable pieces mostly lie in the doom-influenced tunes, particularly given the highly mixed bass which gives a nice heavy edge. The main problem however, apart from the nearly inaudible vocals, is the clash between the show and the music offered. They just do not add up properly. Though fairly heavy, the music is still to 'nice' for the stage show.
The balance that artists like Alice Cooper manage to cope with is something that Death SS really have not found. One would guess it was more fit in the 80's in a country were heavy music and blasphemy individually caused Pavlonian teeth grinding. Nearly 30 years later in a secularized country, Death SS becomes more of a curiosity than a reckonable underground force.
Performance: 5 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 6 chalices of 10
Best: Vampire
Worst: The incompatible music and
live show
(sorry, no setlist)
Saturday - June 09
Band: Monster Magnet
Rock Stage 12:00-13:15
~ By Bjorn
Having missed opportunity after opportunity to witness Monster Magnet
live, I was glad to finally get to see them. In spite of an almost unbearable
heat and the sun burning at full strength, the band gave their all and
did a really good gig. Seeing as they often end their shows with Powertrip
and Space Lord I was worried when they finished these songs with fifteen
minutes to go - if there's one thing I hate it's when bands don't use
their entire designated playing time. Luckily they got back out onstage
again to wrap the gig up with two more songs and left me wanting more
- hopefully they'll tour Europe again soon.
Performance: 7 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 8 chalices of 10
Best: Last Patrol, the only song from
the latest album
Worst: Only one song from the latest
album
Setlist:
Superjudge
Medicine
Nod Scene
Dopes to Infinity
Last Patrol
Look to Your Orb for the Warning
Powertrip
Space Lord
------
Hallucination Bomb
Tractor
Band: Madam X
Sweden Stage 12:15-13:15
~ By Tobbe
Madam X draw some attention in Sweden three decades ago with its debut
and only album We Reserve The Right. When this pretty sought after act
after such a long time finally decided to show up in Sweden, a pretty
decent crowd of old-timers and also a few younger people had come down
to the festival grounds at noon and was eager to see what the two men
and two women could achieve in this day and age. With above mentioned
album and the new single, Another 80's Rock Song, to pick the setlist
from, the opportunities were, in terms of songs, definitely limited to
a small amount of material.
Bassplayer Chris "Godzilla" Doliber broke a bass in half when
he was banging it with his right hand and another one he just smashed
a few times to the stage floor to end up with the same outcome. With his
mad behavior, like hitting the bass to his head repeatedly, he stands
out as the only one in the band that is able to make this a rather decent
show since the song material isn't sufficient enough to make things a
blast. To increase the length of the set, room was made for a number of
solos and it wasn't until the very end with Metal In My Veins and High
In High School that I finally found some excitement.
Performance: 5 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: High In High School and bassplayer
Chris "Godzilla" Doliber.
Worst: ---
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Setlist:
Dirty Girls
She's Hot Tonight
Come One, Come All
Cat's Got Your Tongue
Reserve The Right To Rock
Stand Up And Fight
Drum Solo
Good With Figures
Bass/Drum Solo
Guitar Solo
Metal In My Veins
Another 80's Rock Song
High In High School
Band: The Rods
4Sound Stage 14:00-15:00
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(sorry, no setlist)
Band: Sodom
Sweden Stage 15:00-16:15
~ By Tengan
The most reliable of the Teutonic thrash giants, Sodom has both a legacy
filled with classic and a strong latest album to bring on stage. The selection
from the older material is spot on in the afternoon sun and integrates
well with the strong new material. The only missing piece is S.O.D.O.M.
which on 'Epitome of Torture' seems written for a live environment. A
minor detail though when tunes like 'Agent Orange', 'Remember the Fallen',
'Ausgebombt' and 'The Saw Is the Law' gets the mosh pit going and the
other fans banging heads and throwing their fists in the air.
Tom Angelripper courts his audience, losing his shirt mid-set was supposedly one for the ladies, and the rest of the band tries to tag along. Still, the gig never really takes off. The low mixed guitars and the microphone trouble in the start aside, it seemed a bit like another day at the mill for the trio. Their last gig I witnessed was somewhat hampered for the same reason. It might simply be the approach the band has settled for, but I can not help to think how this could be turned up a level.
Performance: 6 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 5 chalices of 10
Best: Agent Orange
Worst: Why keep playing a Motörhead-cover
with such a legacy of their own to choose from?
(sorry, no setlist)
Band: Powerwolf
4Sound Stage 16:15-17:15
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(sorry, no setlist)
Band: Necrophobic
Rockklassiker Stage 19:00-20:00
~ By Tengan
Some bands will never play the big stages and some never should. Given
how Necrophobic simply dominates both the stage and their audience with
a firm grip using authority rather than excess movements, I hope never
to see them on anything bigger than a club stage. Bands like this are
simply made for a more intimate environment where they, despite the shining
sun, can spew forth their quite catchy death/black declaring chaos and
mayhem.
Returning vocalist Anders Strokirk seems like he never left and bassist Alex Friberg appears to be the most evil man on earth, or at least the near proximity. Apart from a well-performed gig, Necrophobic is also blessed with a well-rounded mix. The Rockklassiker stage offered, despite the size of the bands palying there, the best sound of the festival. All in all, a nice mood-setting gig for the coming darkness later in the evening.
Performance: 7 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 8 chalices of 10
Best: The Nocturnal Silence
Worst: ---
(sorry, no setlist)
Band: Avatarium
4Sound Stage 20:15-21:30
~ By Bjorn
After reading a lot of praising reviews of Avatarium's live performances
I was slightly disappointed this evening. Don't get me wrong, they did
a decent gig but the songs just wasn't as good as on the album. With mastermind
Leif Edling not attending Anders Iwers once again took over the live bass
duties in Avatarium and seeing as he and drummer Lars Sköld play
together in Tiamat, there's probably no better musician for the task.
Still, the overall impression I got from the gig was that it sounded sort
of fragmented - in a weird way almost as if there was an instrument missing
at times. Maybe I just set my expectations too high, maybe Avatarium should
be seen indoors or maybe they're just better on album than live.
Performance: 6 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 6 chalices of 10
Best: Boneflower
Worst: That strange feeling that something's
not entirely right
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Setlist:
Moonhorse
Bird Of Prey
Boneflower
Tides Of Telepathy
Deep Well
Pandora's Egg
Avatarium
Band: Emperor
Sweden Stage 21:45-23:00
~ By Bjorn
Seeing Emperor this night was truly something special. First, they played
In The Nightside Eclipse in its entirety for the first time. Second, it
was their first time playing in Sweden ever. Third, it was the first gig
with Faust on drums since 1993. With those conditions, it's safe to say
that the expectations were sky high and by the end of the gig I don't
think anyone was dissatisfied. Ihsahn sang like a god (or the Devil, perhaps)
and seemed to play every guitar solo perfectly. I was lucky enough to
see Emperor during their last reunion tour in 2007 but this was even better,
and the magnificent version of Bathory's A Fine Day To Die which closed
the set was my absolute highlight of the entire festival.
Performance: 9 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 8 chalices of 10
Best: Inno A Satana and A Fine Day
To Die
Worst: Samoth seemed kind of uninterested
in being there altogether
Setlist:
Intro
Into the Infinity of Thoughts
The Burning Shadows of Silence
Cosmic Keys to My Creations & Times
Beyond the Great Vast Forest
Towards the Pantheon
The Majesty of the Nightsky
I Am the Black Wizards
Inno a Satana
--------
Ancient Queen
Wrath of the Tyrant
A Fine Day to Die (Bathory cover)
Band: Ted Nugent
Rock Stage 21:45-23:15
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(sorry, no setlist)
Band: Flotsam And Jetsam
Rockklassiker Stage 22:15-23:30
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(sorry, no setlist)
Band: Asphyx
4Sound Stage 23:30-00:30
~ By Tengan
When I talked to Asphyx earlier in the day (link below), they firmly declared
how a band should act on stage to give their audience their pay's worth.
Everyone who witnessed Asphyx on this closing day of the festival can
surely agree, the band practice what they preach! From start to finish,
the Asphyx quartet gives absolutely everything they got. Rather than giving
us an honest day's labour, they give us the feeling of being chosen to
witness something special. Tight and well-played (Paul Bayeens guitar
work is truly impressive given his constant headbanging), awesome attitude
and Martin van Drunen's talk between songs is thoroughly entertaining.
Even without the well-rounded mix giving room for all instruments, this
would still surely have been a gig to remember.
I could keep praising almost everything about this gig, the choice of
songs (despite the lack of personal favourite 'The Incarnation of Lust')
etc etc, but words will not make it justice. This was one of those gigs
that simply had to be experienced. The midnight massacre was Asphyx's
first gig on Swedish soil since '91 and hell knows how we made it for
so long without this cohort reminding us what death metal is all about!
Performance: 9,5 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 8 chalices of 10
Best: Last One on Earth
Worst: Headbanging-induced neck stiffness
See also: interview
with the band the same day
(sorry, no setlist)
Band: Arch Enemy
Sweden Stage 00.30 - 01.45
~ By Mozzy
With their new album released only a couple of days ago, Arch Enemy step
onstage for their first appearance at Sweden Rock since 2006, and their
first in Sweden with the new line-up. Handling the vocals, after Angela
Gossow stepped down to the manager role only, is the Canadian Alissa White-Gluz,
and much attention is naturally directed towards her. Unfortunately, some
technical mishap means that her vocals initially are low if not heard
at all. This annoyance continues for quite some time but eventually is
corrected.
It is evident she is working hard to prove herself to the Arch Enemy legions, but at the same time her frontmanship is natural and competent. She is a whirlwind onstage, connects with the crowd, talking to them continuously. And with her vocals coming through properly, it is clear she is a very potent replacement for Gossow. She has powerful pipes and interprets the older material very well.
Two tracks from the fresh album, War Eternal, are played early in the set, and both the title track and As The Pages Burn get great feedback. Otherwise, we are served a terrific selection of Arch Enemy favourites containing delicious melodies as well as brutal metal attacks, such as in the vicious, awesome Ravenous. As always, Mike Amott and his fellow instrumentalists deliver a musical performance of much professionalism and expertise.
The songs sound great, also thanks to the stage sound, and the impact
is impressive. In addition, the music is framed by cool video clips on
a big screen plus an effective light show. The crowd reception is enthusiastic
overall, not least from the die-hard fans spotted. The fabulous finish
with anthems We Will Rise and Nemesis sees an ecstatic response. With
White-Gluz, Arch Enemy is still a powerful force in their field of metal.
Performance: 7,5 chalices
of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: The tasteful blend of melody
and brutality
Worst: The sound problems for Alissa
in the beginning
Setlist:
Intro: Tempore Nihil Sanat (Prelude in F minor)
Yesterday Is Dead And Gone
War Eternal
Ravenous
My Apocalypse
As The Pages Burn
Bloodstained Cross
Under Black Flags We March
Dead Eyes See No Future
No Gods, No Masters
Dead Bury Their Dead
We Will Rise
Guitar Solo - Nick Cordle
Intermezzo Liberte
Nemesis
Outro: Fields Of Desolation
Related links: www.swedenrock.com