The World’s Most Extreme Metal Cruise

Abiotic - Artillery - At The Gates - Brujeria - Corrosion Of Conformity - Grave - Hackneyed - Havok - Headcrusher - Loudblast - Mayhem - Moonspell - Morgoth - Municipal Waste - Napalm Death - Necronomicon (CAN) - Possessed - Rotting Christ - Sacred Reich - Sanctuary - Seita - Sepultura - Sólstafir - Zanthropya Ex

Tuesday morning at 10 am… and I’m way too tired to get my ass out of the bed to see :: ARTILLERY :: Sorry, *closes eyes again and turns over*…

:: pics ::

A little later and after an extraordinary breakfast but before the lunch I make it to :: MORGOTH :: who just enter the Pool Stage. Sun is shining bright at a stiff breeze. Death Metal the Caribbean way or so ;) And it works fine. Just some cold brewski would be nice now. Ok, it’s a bit too early for that ;) MORGOTH anyway leave nothing than scorched earth and play an impressively hellish show. Not soooo many peeps in front of stage, means the response is… lame, which is a pity, especially since this show is the very last one on a big stage for MORGOTH. They in fact will play another show on Thursday, but on the small Spectrum Lounge stage. As it’s ALWAYS a pleasure to watch MORGOTH performing live, I once again got a great show to experience and had a great time watching them :)
Setlist: Suffer Life, Lies Of Distrust, White Gallery, Travel, Sold Baptism, Body Count, Selected Killing, Burnt Identity // Pits Of Utumno

As already mentioned I decided to leave the Spectrum Lounge aside I enjoy the sun, relax and join :: LOUDBLAST :: These French groove metallers always get a high rating in our mag and to be honest I love their music! “Controlled aggression, hellish groove, felicitous guitar solos, a dark and rough voice – that’s enough for head-banger’s heaven!” – couldn’t have said it any better ;) Asskicking!

Next up are heavy weights :: SACRED REICH :: who don’t look that happy with the bright and hot sun above. Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona they should actually be used to it. Meanwhile the metal folks are awake too and appear numerous. Finally some action and response from the crowd’s site. SACRED REICH are kind of a phenomenon. Wherever they play, they are always awesome and a guarantor for having an exceptionally great evening. I never ever have seen any bad show from them. These dudes are so likeable and play with so much enthusiasm, irresistible!

Yep, it’s late enough for a first drink ;) On stage again Mr Shane Embury gets prepared. For the second time, with a different band. Now it is :: BRUJERIA :: who have… um… a lady aboard, providing some female grunts. I guess she is also meant to be somewhat of an eye-catcher for the dick-driven part of human mankind. For me she was rather a deterrent example for *coughs* esthetic surgery. By the way, next to Shane (Napalm Death, Brujeria and Lock Up) also Adrian Erlandsson is very busy on the BARGE TO HELL, playing in 3 bands, every show twice (Brujeria, At The Gates and Paradise Lost). Respect to those two guys for their work! BRUJERIA anyway were not spectacular but entertaining.

:: SOLSTAFIR :: is today’s exception for the Spectrum Lounge. That one is almost empty and really cold inside. Well-fitting to the Icelandic guys ;) Their music and show is - as always - intensive and magical. One song kicked them out what made singer Aðalbjörn Tryggvason apologizing with „sorry, that’s not very professional“. Did not do any harm, that’s for sure. And 45 minutes playing time are once again way too short. *sighs*
Setlist: Ljós I Stormi, Þin orð, Fjára, Goddess Of The Ages

Up to the pool deck, defrosting, another drink and :: CORROSION OF CONFORMITY :: Another legend and a band I never saw playing live before. And it was… stunning! I got blown. I really love this 70s influenced and grooving crossover and their trenchant lyrics.

And again Shane Embury, with :: NAPALM DEATH :: Singer Barney Green is of course not to stop while going wild on stage, jumping and running, ranting and raving against religions and about politics. That’s the way we know him ;) As you can clearly feel the sea disturbance in the theater bands and fans have to face some balance problems. And that without any alcohol ;) Strange feeling by the way...

On the main stage :: MAYHEM :: celebrate the mayhem. To be honest, this show was deadly boring. No lights, tons of smoke, stroboscopes and a static performance. This band I already have seen playing much better.

Aaaaaahhhhhhh, YES!!! The gods of US Power Metal :: SANCTUARY :: 20 years ago the band disbanded, after only two records, whereas Into the Mirror Black quickly became a classic. Although singer Warrel Dane often enough has stated that SANCTUARY is dead forever, it just took one crisis in Nevermore and the Seattle metallers are back. Never say never ;) Good for us anyway ;) SANCTUARY have already partied hard before they entered the stage and had significant problems with speech and balance (Notice to myself: to drink against the sea disturbance won’t make it any better ;)). But it did not harm the show itself. The band had so much fun on stage and so I had. It was incredibly great to hear songs such as The Mirror Black, Taste Revenge and Seasons Of Destruction again and to sing along full-throated. And I still knew the lyrics. Completely. Gooseflesh! So awesome! There was a new song entitled Low Warrel was complaining about, because a fan filmed this song during another performance and put it online with a terribly bad quality. He generally was ranting against all the use of phones and tablets during a show, complaining that fans would not enjoy a show anymore. Me I and myself however was extremely happy to see SANCTUARY playing live, enjoyed it to the max. I’m really happy that the band is back and I already can say that the SANCTUARY show was one of top 3 of the entire BARGE TO HELL! So!
Setlist: Die For My Sins, Seasons Of Destruction, Battle Angels, White Rabbit, The Mirror Black, Soldiers Of Steel, Sanctuary, Low (new), Taste Revenge, Long Since Dark, Future Tense

No rest for the wicked… :: AT THE GATES ::, are next and please with a highly energetic performance. The Swedes do it the easy way and almost completely play the Purgatory Unleashed - Live At Wacken and left nothing than scorched earth. The band went wild, the crowd went wild. Perfect show. Tompa rules!
Setlist: Intro, Slaughter Of The Soul, Cold, Terminal Spirit Disease, Raped By The Light Of Christ, Under A Serpent Sun, Windows, World Of Lies, The Burning Darkness, The Swarm, Suicide Nation, Nausea, The Beautiful Wound, Unto Others, All Life Ends, Blinded By Fear, Kingdom Gone

One amazing show after another. Can that be topped? Yes it can! :: MOONSPELL :: can! I mean I already have seen many MOONSPELL shows, even extraordinary great ones, but tonight we got some of the most intensive and best shows ever. And the setlist… was just to kneel down *gasping*. Introducing two new songs from Alpha Noir I right after threw my camera away and started rocking out to classics from Irreligious and Wolfheart. Thank you MOONSPELL, thank you :)

It’s midnight and the (half)moon shining bright. Hehe. Okay, if one was thinking about a break, not on the pool stage anyway. :: SEPULTURA :: tie in and don’t reduce any quantum of energy. It’s years ago I saw them playing live and they still enthuse me. Again we got an old school set offered with classics not heard live for ages. More cocktails. I dance, I rock, what a fucking great night!
Setlist: Intro, Beneath The Remains, Refuse/Resist, Kairos, Convicted In Life, Dialog, Attitude, Altered State, Dead Embryonic Cells, Subtraction, Infected Voice, Arise, Ratamahatta, Roots Bloody Roots

As I talk in superlatives for hours… I can’t stop… A legend… once more… the godfathers of Death Metal… :: POSSESSED :: I so deeply took to my black heart ;) Never seen live before. A show, breathtakingly great, a band so likeable. Singer Jeff Becerra was rolling around in his wheelchair like a mad one, without awe, without brakes, and scintillatingly witty. Okay, he much stood in the foreground attracting all attention and letting his mates looking pale. Forgiven. It was kind of clear. Exceptional, outstanding, grandiose. I love these guys!!!
Setlist: Intro, Pentagram, Beyond The Gates, The Eyes Of Horror, Séance, Fallen Angel, Burning In Hell, The Heretic, Phantasm, Evil Warriors, Swing Of The Axe, Tribulation, My Belief, The Exorcist, Confessions, Death Metal

It is late. The night is mild and a bit windy. Perfect. To finish I take another pinch of Death Metal, the Swedish way now. :: GRAVE :: is the last band to rock the pool stage and they still electrify their fans. New material, old classics, not the worst way to end a day, isn’t it? I enjoy but for brimming enthusiasm I am now too tired. Goodnight folks, see ya tomorrow.
Setlist: You'll Never See..., Passion Of The Weak, Morbid Way To Die, Deformed, Bullets Are Mine, Amongst Marble And The Dead, Disembodied Steps, Soulless, Into The Grave

story & pics © Dajana