Arnhem Metal Meeting 2007 - Musis Sacrum madness
As always, close to the end of the year, there is this indoor metal festival in Arnhem's concert building 'Music Sacrum' called the Arnhem Metal Meeting. Of course the annual visitor and Metalrage reporter Arcane was present, this time accompanied by newbies Gilles and Mindsaver. Here is our band-by-band report ranging from three stages. Only Holy Moses got lost since we needed a break that noon as well.Cypher (Goudvishal Stage)
Cypher had the honour to commence this years Arnhem Metal Meeting. With only a few visitors in the venue yet, they delivered a not very spectacular but decent show. The sound wasn't great but that depended a lot on where in the hall you took place. It was also my first experience with Cypher's music (I guess it came all from their debut Darkday Carnival) and well, it featured some cool and well-performed tracks, but also a lot cliche melodic death metal. However I'd like to see Cypher another time again so I can really form an opinion about them. (Mindsaver)
Severe Torture (TMR Stage)
Unfortunately my personal favourite of this festival was scheduled to appear really early, something that frontman Dennis didn't leave uncommented: "no talking, just playing". And that is exactly what they did, and how! Severe Torture never let me down, neither did they this time. Top notch brutal death metal, great sound and just nothing to reprimand... I honestly felt completely happy while letting songs from Fall Of The Despised and the recently released Sworn Vengeance just overcome. Best of the day! (Mindsaver)
God Dethroned (Goudvishal Stage) The members of God Dethroned all bought tickets to come to the AMM and witness some metal, but things changed when Satyricon cancelled their whole headlining show. The organisation of the AMM changed the time-schedule so that Sodom would headline this edition and therefore there was a free spot for God Dethroned to fill in. God Dethroned grabbed this opportunity with both hands and they played a really convincing show. Besides new songs from their latest record The Toxic Touch God Dethroned also played some older ones. After hearing 'Faithless' through the speakers it was time for the band to kick in with 'Hating Life' followed by '2014'. The band played a really tight show and everybody seemed to forget that God Dethroned performed because of the cancellation of Satyricon. The set list included also tracks like 'On Wings Of Pestilence', 'Nihilism' and 'Soul Sweeper'. (Gilles)
Panchrysia (Rusty Cage Stage)
The Belgian black metal band Panchrysia was the first band that appeared at the Rusty Cage Stage, and I think that is the best place for this band. It has the most underground feeling of the Musis Sacrum, and that fits this band very well. Unfortunately the band had some sound problems at the beginning, it really sounded terrible, but after some songs it got better, and then I was able to enjoy their music. I'd never seen this band before, and I never had big expectations, but I must say I was positively surprised. (Arcane)
Unleashed (Goudvishal Stage)
During Unleashed the crowd in Musis Sacrum started the first serious moshpits and there were also some crowdsurfers and stagedivers. The crowd went completely nuts during songs like 'In Victory Or Defeat', 'Midvinterblot' and 'This Is Our World Now' from their latest record called Midvinterblot and 'sing-along-songs' like 'Death Metal Victory' and 'Winterland' - which was dedicated to their friends of Nifelheim. The founding fathers of Swedish death metal - who were the first to be inspired by their Scandinavian origin - gave away a hell of a performance and after 50 minutes I still wanted more! (Gilles)
Cruachan (TMR Stage)
The first time I heard of Cruachan was when they released their album Pagan. I really love that album, the mixture of the Irish folk and black metal elements sounded awesome, and when I read Cruachan would play at the Arnhem Metal Meeting I was very curious if they could exceed it even more, because folk metal is live mostly even better as on cd. As the band began to play the crowd seemed to be a bit lame in spite of the encouragements by the band. But I guess most of those people never heard of this band before. But after a short while the audience seemed to like the music as many began to dance and pogo on the jolly folkish tunes. As they began to play some songs of Pagan I was even more pleased. Great show. (Arcane)
Obsidian (Rusty Cage Stage)
During the show of the Dutch band Obsidian there wasn't as much violence as seen during Unleashed. There weren't much people in the room to witness the last gig of the bass player, though the band still gave away everything that they had to give. The technical metal - comparable to Textures and Meshuggah - sounded very well if you leave the quality of the sound out of consideration. Especially singer Robbe K (Disavowed) did a really great job also by constantly trying to involve the audience in Obsidian's show by walking through the audience and trying to start a moshpit. At the end of the performance the room was filled a bit more, but it still wasn't that crowded. Too bad not that much people saw the show of Obsidian, because this is a band with potential. (Gilles)
Primordial (Goudvishal Stage) For an unknown reason I never heard any music, nor have I seen this band playing live. I'm talking about Primordial. How could that happen? This is exactly the kind of music I really like. Heavy music with loads of emotions. A band I really like is Bathory, and it's very obvious Primordial has some relations to that band, so you can imagine Primordial's latest album To The Nameless Dead is in my album top 10 this year after seeing this band live. Especially the songs 'Empire Falls' and 'As Rome Burns' gave me goose bumps. I was in a trance-like stadium during their show, and that even without drugs. (Arcane)
Asphyx (TMR Stage)
As a death metal fan I of course went to the TMR stage to see the reunited Asphyx. This Dutch old school death metal band seemed to have a lot of fans who knew their songs from their early days, since everybody was screaming along. In contradiction to the audience, I personally found this show a complete disappointment. Okay, I shouldn't expect brutal death metal since old school is very thrash-influenced, but the sound was just terrible! Man, did they try to forge a 1980 demo tape? Except for me and Gilles everybody seemed to love it, so I guess it has something to do with our age as well. A pity. (Mindsaver)
Vreid (Rusty Cage Stage)
The first time I ever heard of Vreid was a few years ago when they were the support act of Enslaved, from that moment on I loved that band. This year Vreid released their album I Krig (which means 'at war'). In style they entered the stage in a military outfit. Of course they started of with some songs of their latest album, 'I Krig', 'Jarnbyrd' but also some of their older stuff like 'Pitch Black'. The grooving black metal even convinced my Metalrage colleagues who don't like black metal. (Arcane)
Marduk (Goudvishal Stage) Marduk, who hasn't heard of this band before? Marduk was one the first black metal bands I knew, and that was about 12 or 13 years ago. But I've never seen this band playing live before. I know what you think, they play every year in the Netherlands, so why? I don't know. So this was my first Marduk gig and it surely won't be my last one. Of course they played some songs of their newest album Rom 5-12 which are awesome, but I got really enthusiastic as they played some old stuff from Panzer Division Marduk and Heaven Shall Burn... When We Are Gathered. Of course Mortuus had to show of with the obligatory blood which seems to be necessary for a black metal gig. Immediately a security member appeared and began to clean up the mess Mortuus just made. Hilarious. Couldn't he wait after they finished their song? Or even better, after the gig? (Arcane)
Hollenthon (TMR Stage)
The Austrian band Hollenthon really took me by surprise tonight. Their bandname didn't predict any good for me, but what I heard was really varying and partially refreshing and quite cool. Basically heavy metal with low vocals combined with keyboards and samples created a 'relaxed' atmosphere, sometimes clearly inspired by classical/orchestral music and on the other hand touches of black and folk metal. Very pleasant to experience. (Mindsaver)
Haemorrhage (Rusty Cage Stage)
Headlining act of the Rusty Cage Stage was Spanish grindcore/deathgrind band Haemorrhage. Haemorrhage basically means bleeding and whether you knew that or not it became perfectly clear by watching this band perform. I'm not really into this kind of music, but that's not an issue at all, because I think the music is on the second spot in this band. The priority lies with entertaining the audience and that is what they did. Guitar player Luisma and bass player Ramon were wearing green surgery clothes, while guitarist Ana was wearing a long white coat and singer Lugubrious (do I need to say more) was covered in blood. The whole show was about eating attributes like amputated legs and dancing like zombies. A really enjoyable show, without paying attention to the music that is. (Gilles)
Sodom (Goudvishal Stage) Last year the awesome German thrash band Destruction hit the stage, this year the other German thrash legends took over; Sodom. They started with 'Blood On Your Lips' of their latest (real) album Sodom. The sound was terrible, fortunately the sound technician must have had the same thought, after a short while it sounded way better. After releasing so many records, this band of course had to play some of their classics. Who doesn't know the great sing-along songs 'Ausgebombt', 'Sodomized' or 'Napalm In The Morning'. Of course there was the obligatory mosh pit. And because of the fact many of the metal heads had quite some beers for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I had a great time laughing. (Arcane)
Nifelheim (TMR Stage)
Some bands like it extreme, like Nifelheim. With their amount of spikes the metal industry (and I don't mean the music industry) must be very pleased. Nifelheim like it the old school way. And that is why I like Nifelheim. Raw and simple black heavy metal. But after a few songs they weren't able to hold my attention. The urge for a burger and some silence (especially after Sodom) were overruling. (Arcane)
Pictures by Jeffrey Brouwer