METAL BATTLE at Kulturfabrik (Esch/Alzette) (2nd April 2011)
Normally the Metal Battle is a big attraction and there are usually about 500 metalheads that find their way to the Kulturfabrik. Yesterday, I cannot imagine that there has been more than half of the usual number and so the excellent line-up had to play in front of a sparely filled venue. Some people said that bands like Falling Promises and An Apple A Day surely had brought more buddies, but I even don’t know if they had made a candidature. Anyway, everyone who has been at the Kulturfabrik instead of a barbecue (another favourite pastime of the metalheads) has witnessed a lot of great bands.
The opening was assured by ABSTRACT RAPTURE, the first Luxemburgish Metal Battle Winner four years ago that even achieved a third place at the big event in Wacken itself. No one was surprised that Abstract Rapture presented a kind of violent thrash metal inspired by Pantera. The songwriting is excellent, the left and right guitars were harmonizing in a perfect way, but there was nothing new to discover. The band’s main problem still is a somehow clumsy stage acting and this didn’t change today. Furthermore, singer Drittt was three times yelling ‘Rockhal’ instead of ‘Kulturfabrik’. I don’t know if he was somehow nervous or if it was a joke that didn’t spark. But on the whole, Abstract Rapture played a cool show and still belongs to the top of our national metal scene.
This can’t be said about PERISH WITH PRIDE, probably tonight’s candidate with the least
experience so far. The musicians from the North of the country played a rather aggressive kind of death core. Unfortunately the sound wasn’t very transparent and especially the snare sound was annoying a lot. Even if the guitar and bass didn’t sound too bad, the singer was only using grunts which got very soon repetitive. The first step is always the hardest, and Perish With Pride still have to climb a lot of steps to reach the top.
SCARLET ANGER had the advantage that they have just released a new EP and already had a concert a week ago to warm up. Today
the band was presenting itself from its best side. As I am already 40, I like of course when I may listen to thrash metal as it was popular in my youth which means the 80ies. Everyone who is familiar with Kreator, Metal Church and Over Kill knows what I am writing about. If I have to compare Scarlet Anger to tonight’s other thrash metal band, I think that Abstract Rapture surely has the more versatile song writing, but Scarlet Anger are still sounding fresher und very hungry for action on stage. But both bands like to wear their own band shirts on stage which isn’t so cool. The Scarlet Anger singer won the T-shirt contest with his David Hasselhoff image. But coming back to music, I want to underline that the metal future may look bright for Scarlet Anger.
I was not at all familiar with the sound of LOST IN PAIN, but was overwhelmed but what they
have done tonight. The band name is not well chosen as it sounds like a metalcore act, but these four musicians could be mistaken for a true Bay Area thrash metal band. Two of them are looking like Death Angel members and they were nearly playing a Metallica tribute show without playing cover versions. The singer was sounding and acting nearly exactly as James Hetfield. The song writing was quite simple, but effective. There will be no award for originality, but sometimes it’s more important just to entertain. This is how Bay Area thrash metal has to sound. Keep an eye and your ears on those newcomers!
RUDE REVELATION are familiar with the Metal Battle competition as this is already the band’s third participation. This band is playing brutal thrash metal and the raw vocals by singer Noémie are inspired by Arch Enemy. Unfortunately I have a dead end impression while listening to Rude Revelation. The songs really are entertaining, but the set didn’t contain any surprising elements. It’s also a bit pity that the voice is only using growls especially as Noémie has shown on other projects (for instance Sermeq) that she has a fabulous voice. Some more clear vocals could benefit to the general sound of Rude Revelation.
This evening’s last candidate was RETRACE MY FRAGMENTS, surely Luxemburg’s weirdest metal act. This band likes complicated structures that you normally hear from artists like Between The Buried And Me and Dillinger Escape Plan.
I really adore these progressive structures and also the strange sounds done by singer Marti. It’s always fascinating to look at the hands that are moving very quickly on the guitar and bass. It’s a bit sorry that Claude has switched from bass to guitar, but he’s a genius on every instrument. This was again fantastic music for your brain that is not so easy to digest.
While the jury had to decide which team has to win, last year’s winner BLACK-OUT BEAUTY were playing another perfect gig underlining that this victory was well deserved. These guys are crazy on stage and I really like their unpredictable riffs. While they were playing, Pascal and I were setting up our favourite list of the bands. We found this agreement in only a couple of seconds: 1) Lost In Pain 2) Scarlet Anger 3) Retrace My Fragments 4) Abstract Rapture 5) Rude Revelation 6) Perish With Pride.
Then the jury decided that Rude Revelation would be the winner. As you may see some lines above, that’s surely not my first choice and I don’t think that I was anytime so far away from the judge’s decision than this time. But I’m a neutral person and want to express my congratulations towards Rude Revelation. Good luck on the Wacken stage!
The opening was assured by ABSTRACT RAPTURE, the first Luxemburgish Metal Battle Winner four years ago that even achieved a third place at the big event in Wacken itself. No one was surprised that Abstract Rapture presented a kind of violent thrash metal inspired by Pantera. The songwriting is excellent, the left and right guitars were harmonizing in a perfect way, but there was nothing new to discover. The band’s main problem still is a somehow clumsy stage acting and this didn’t change today. Furthermore, singer Drittt was three times yelling ‘Rockhal’ instead of ‘Kulturfabrik’. I don’t know if he was somehow nervous or if it was a joke that didn’t spark. But on the whole, Abstract Rapture played a cool show and still belongs to the top of our national metal scene.
This can’t be said about PERISH WITH PRIDE, probably tonight’s candidate with the least
experience so far. The musicians from the North of the country played a rather aggressive kind of death core. Unfortunately the sound wasn’t very transparent and especially the snare sound was annoying a lot. Even if the guitar and bass didn’t sound too bad, the singer was only using grunts which got very soon repetitive. The first step is always the hardest, and Perish With Pride still have to climb a lot of steps to reach the top.
SCARLET ANGER had the advantage that they have just released a new EP and already had a concert a week ago to warm up. Today
the band was presenting itself from its best side. As I am already 40, I like of course when I may listen to thrash metal as it was popular in my youth which means the 80ies. Everyone who is familiar with Kreator, Metal Church and Over Kill knows what I am writing about. If I have to compare Scarlet Anger to tonight’s other thrash metal band, I think that Abstract Rapture surely has the more versatile song writing, but Scarlet Anger are still sounding fresher und very hungry for action on stage. But both bands like to wear their own band shirts on stage which isn’t so cool. The Scarlet Anger singer won the T-shirt contest with his David Hasselhoff image. But coming back to music, I want to underline that the metal future may look bright for Scarlet Anger.
I was not at all familiar with the sound of LOST IN PAIN, but was overwhelmed but what they
have done tonight. The band name is not well chosen as it sounds like a metalcore act, but these four musicians could be mistaken for a true Bay Area thrash metal band. Two of them are looking like Death Angel members and they were nearly playing a Metallica tribute show without playing cover versions. The singer was sounding and acting nearly exactly as James Hetfield. The song writing was quite simple, but effective. There will be no award for originality, but sometimes it’s more important just to entertain. This is how Bay Area thrash metal has to sound. Keep an eye and your ears on those newcomers!
RUDE REVELATION are familiar with the Metal Battle competition as this is already the band’s third participation. This band is playing brutal thrash metal and the raw vocals by singer Noémie are inspired by Arch Enemy. Unfortunately I have a dead end impression while listening to Rude Revelation. The songs really are entertaining, but the set didn’t contain any surprising elements. It’s also a bit pity that the voice is only using growls especially as Noémie has shown on other projects (for instance Sermeq) that she has a fabulous voice. Some more clear vocals could benefit to the general sound of Rude Revelation.
This evening’s last candidate was RETRACE MY FRAGMENTS, surely Luxemburg’s weirdest metal act. This band likes complicated structures that you normally hear from artists like Between The Buried And Me and Dillinger Escape Plan.
I really adore these progressive structures and also the strange sounds done by singer Marti. It’s always fascinating to look at the hands that are moving very quickly on the guitar and bass. It’s a bit sorry that Claude has switched from bass to guitar, but he’s a genius on every instrument. This was again fantastic music for your brain that is not so easy to digest.
While the jury had to decide which team has to win, last year’s winner BLACK-OUT BEAUTY were playing another perfect gig underlining that this victory was well deserved. These guys are crazy on stage and I really like their unpredictable riffs. While they were playing, Pascal and I were setting up our favourite list of the bands. We found this agreement in only a couple of seconds: 1) Lost In Pain 2) Scarlet Anger 3) Retrace My Fragments 4) Abstract Rapture 5) Rude Revelation 6) Perish With Pride.
Then the jury decided that Rude Revelation would be the winner. As you may see some lines above, that’s surely not my first choice and I don’t think that I was anytime so far away from the judge’s decision than this time. But I’m a neutral person and want to express my congratulations towards Rude Revelation. Good luck on the Wacken stage!