Inveracity, Terrordrome, Genna Apo Kolo, Carnal Redemption
Eightball Live Stage, Thessaloniki, Greece
12/2/2012
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It was about time enjoying once again a gathering of extreme bands and fans on Eightball for a memorable night, full of passion and honesty. The situation with the riot in Greece might be proved a good excuse for the fans in Thessaloniki to shine with their absence once again, but it was proved nobody needs them in such cases, as the ones who really care about such gigs, will attend them no matter what happens around. The combo with two bands from Athens, openers Carnal Redemption and typically headliners Inveracity, accompanied by the local bands Terrordrome and Genna Apo Kolo, was promising from the very beginning and all that was left, was see it being expressed on stage also.for the next three and a half hours, the four bands (playing about 45 minutes each) gave the best they could and made the event even better than what we had in our minds before its beginning.
Carnal Redemption was the only of the four bands I didn’t have the chance to see, and I was really eager to see if their demanding material would also come out this great on stage. Guess what, this power trio managed to start collecting scalps from the very beginning and it’s one of these times that a kinda rough sound may be proved useful for a group. Their vast material came out really crushing and crunching and especially the guitar sound was driving the listener in the mid ’90s and to albums of bands like Grave, Sinister, Gorefest and Vader. Some blastbeats in the songs after the middle of their set made them sound also brutal except steady and the fact that they did two great covers gave them extra points. Thumbs up to them for covering ”Storm Of Stress” by Terrorizer (try playing this if you think it’s too short) and especially for ”Defensive Personalities” by Death (Chuck would be proud for sure). They were also giving their ep and their 2011 promo for free, something that was greeted from the fans. Nice way to open a gig, right?
Genna Apo Kolo is a case for which I have stated my opinion many times. This time, there is new stuff to mention, as they first of all came on stage as a trio, a result of their bassist having joined the army recently. Who said that this would prevent them smashing everything? None I guess, so the show went on for another 45 minutes approximately, with all three of them delivering pain and brutality along their set. Once again we had a guest to join them on ”Birth Of Ignorance” by Brutal Truth and they played a new cover by Suffocation this time, the godly ”Funeral Inception” (without a bassist? you gotta be kidding us, right?) and many necks started rolling on fire. So, if this band can remain focused under these circumstances, nothing can stop them. Add two new great tracks and you have the whole clue. The atmosphere was rather cool, with a fan of Real Madrid waving his scarf over the frontman, a declared Barcelona fan, showing that there may be thing separating friends, but on stage, everyone is joined under the same purpose. Who said that fun is limited and for certain people only?
Terrordrome is the same case with Genna Apo Kolo, only I’ve seen them even more times. I have declared many times they are my favorite band from Thessaloniki’s extreme scene and this time it was time to listen to their new upcoming songs, released somewhere in Spring (about three months maximum). What I can tell you for sure is that the new material will leave many people speechless, as they are far more technical and diverse, without lacking brutality and speed. Some oriental breakthroughs on their music cannot be passed without be menioned, and the rhythm section once again delivering lessons of how some songs are built for ALL bandmates. They didn’t do any cover but on the classic opus ”Festivity Of Clitoris Licking”, Aggelos from Birth Through Gore came on stage to help them, growling his guts out. The fact that their sound was crystal clear, made this one of their best performances I’ve seen (and I’ve really lost count how much they are so far). The logo of Terrordrome should be next to the definition of the word GUARANTEE!
Inveracity is also a great band, whose value has been even outside Greece. Third time to see them in less than two years and fifth in total, might also be their best one, though I’ve seen them supporting bands like Atheist and Bolt Thrower in the past. Playing one track after the other, we couldn’t help but mumbling ”What the fuck are they doing?” and with a great sound behind their backs, blastbeats, riffs and growls made an unholy symphony of pure assault. I could mention each track they played separately but I have to state that the new tracks they played sound twice brutal and the band looks in great shape and ready to make many extreme fans bow to them once more, once they release their new album. They have a special way to show that you needn’t have long tracks to sound as if you play many notes. In tracks less than three minutes mostly, they are capable of building such soundscapes that seem impenetrable to others. Relentless battery as a background, deadly riffs and the veins in the growler’s head ready to explode. Brutality comes through simplicity as I always like saying. In overall, a great night that more than a hundred people enjoyed. They could be more but in the end, what was more satisfactory was that you could see people happy and in a warm atmosphere, the bands thanking the crowd and the waiting of such a show to be repeated becoming even larger. Who said that death metallers don’t have feelings?
Report: Aggelos “Redneck” Katsouras.