DAY II
Friday afternoon is kicked off with WAYWARD DAWN. Five young people (aged around 18 to 21) from Denmark who play old school death metal (“stereotypical for people from this part of the country” as the front man says).
No matter, the young folk do an excellent job at this early time of the day. Albeit that they are clearly not seasoned live musicians like Illdisposed and Dawn Of Demise, they will be someone to watch. They have a good understanding of putting groovy death metal together. This is a fine way to begin the metal day.
Even better is what follows: MORILD hail from Copenhagen and introduce an intense atmosphere of innate blackness and I’d almost say retained aggression. Even if this is black metal (which isn’t something I can endure in its pure form), it is so excellently balanced with clean and atmospheric parts that I have to surrender and simply enjoy the totality of it. The way the two singers complement each other works like a charm and adds to the intensity. Especially singer/guitarist Tue (on the left in the picture below) seems completely immersed in the performance and gives a hundred percent.
Definitely a band to watch over the next few years!
Many have clearly waited for KONVENT, an all-girl doom metal outfit, also from Copenhagen. The blonde hair of the guitarist and the bassist is a stark contrast to the darkness of their music, and it goes down a storm here in Aalborg tonight. People suck up the for the most part slow, grinding doom with vocalist Rikke’s growl on top and cheers like mad. Great stuff!
Although the Aalborg audience have grown in numbers since yesterday and have proved to be much more alive than yesterday during the gigs of Morild and Konvent, the next band doesn’t really manage to ignite the spark.
DEUS OTIOSUS play a mixture of old school death metal, thrash and hardcore and have both a few releases behind them and a shitload of gigs. They do an ok job, but it’s as if the last step towards actually reaching the audience has gone AWOL.
I’m not sure why ORM are billed again for the second year in a row. Lots of people were talking about this new, mysterious band last year, and they played a decent concert at AMF 2016. But why again? No matter, they are here, and we’ll see what they have in store for us.
The concept still includes candles front/centre stage. The backdrops look more professional now, adding to the atmosphere and visual spectacle. The band is still the same, same beards, same hair, same voices, same instruments. I’m not sure if it’s the case, but perhaps it’s more black metal than sludge now?
Same as last time, I still get a bit bored, even if the four-piece deliver a splendid gig.
Phil and I get bored really, really quick with SOLBRUD. Pure black metal is not at all our thing, and even the billowing smoke and wind machines to beef up the atmosphere won’t change that although it looks cool.
MYRKUR has been the hype for quite some time now. This is my first encounter with the fair lady and her trolls. Hype or no, this is the best concert of the festival so far. Amalie Bruun creates a universe where you find yourself between the ethereal and scourging cathartic. Her clean vocal is like a dream and her rasping, cold black metal vocal kills all joy.
The lady herself is like a dark elf, dressed in red, blonde hair flying in the wind, drawing all attention with not only her looks, but indeed also with the siren-like voice.
Screw the hype, I’m sold. Astonishing performance.
DARK FUNERAL…well, it doesn’t get more black than this, I suppose. At this stage, Phil and I simply have had enough of black metal. Did I mention how disappointed I was when My Dying Bride got cancelled? Oh, I did already?
Myrkur remains the most special experience and the highlight of the second day of Aalborg Metal Festival 2017 along with Morild, and we depart after three or four songs, full of the ‘far too linear music’ that true black metal is, as Phil so rightly expresses it on the way home to the place that is our humble abode for these two or three days.
Can’t wait for tomorrow where I Am Morbid, Artillery and Destruction are on the bill. Should be good, eh?
DJ Bager and his crew light up the metal fire in the cafe!
And a view of the cafe area…