Sonisphere Festival, Bucharest, Romania, June 25, 26, 27

[b.o.b.]

I am still recovering after the last weekend wrath and I am trying to write some words about the 3 day Sonisphere Festival in Bucharest, Romania.

(The youtube clips are not made by me but most of them are made from the area where I stand at the concerts)

Day 1, Friday, June 25th

I arrived at the location during the Orphaned Land concert. I don’t know much about this israeli band, I’ve only listened two albums and I did not pay very much attention to them. The sound was good.



Paradise Lost

One of my favorites bands. I enjoyed As I Die, One Second, Say Just Words, Erased, The Enemy si Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us but there were two major weaknesses: the sound was bad and the time was so short , 45 minutes are not enough to satisfy me. It was no sound check, as Holmes said, the sound was bad from start to the end, and most affected was the voice.



Volbeat (Denmark)

The general feeling is that they are guided by the motto: life is a bad joke and should not be taken too seriously. They offer a heavy-metal mixed with lots of fun. Metallica influences are evident especially in voice, but we can feel some Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash too, elements of rock'n'roll and rockabilly are dressed in long groove.
As a sample of humor, they are proposing a cover of Cannibal Corpse: five seconds of beating drums.



Manowar

What should I say about Manowar: Kings of Metal, Manowar, Warriors Of The Word, Blackwind, Fire and Steel and Hand of Doom along with the recent House of Death and Thunder in the Sky. My ears were almost bleeding (they have to maintain the title of the loudest band in the world). They also made a DIO tribute singing Heaven and Hell and for ten seconds the audience is not screaming "Ma-no-war" but the name of DIO. Otherwise you know the recipe that make Manowar concert in a show-off style: Joey DeMaio speaks Romanian (he did not forget to mention again that he knows he is in Bucharest and not in Budapest) and break the bass strings (though, solo is missing), Eric Adams has a voice in enviable shape and promises to be back (last time he kept his word, I should say) an Karl Logan is torturing his guitar.

Other bands play - Manowar kill !



Accept

The surprise headliner. I was amazed when I heard that Accept is coming to Sonisphere, because only appeared a few weeks ago, plus, in my ignorance, I was not even sure that the band activates from the last departure of Herr Dirkschneider.

Mark Tornillo, is an ideal replacement - the same way of playing songs written specifically for that type of voice. I like the music, I know Accept by many years since high school and this show gives me the opportunity to enjoy "live" songs like Midnight Mover, Run If You Can, Princess Of The Dawn, Demon's Nigth, Breaker, Son of a Bitch, Restless and Wild, I’m a Rebel, Losers and Winners, Up to the Limit, Monsterman, but what amazes me and I enjoy even more is the pleasure of playing from these not so young musicians. No foodie, without figures and airs of celebrity, but armed with plenty of good mood and desire to reward fans. We have two new songs on the list, The Abyss and the Teutonic Terror that preface a new album, which should occur in August - so I hope to be, for fourteen years have already passed since the last album.

With Metal Heart and Balls to the Wall (strongly required in the second bis), the Accept concert satisfied my highest expectations and reminded me that as simple and direct is, the combination of heavy / speed metal, hard rock is charming when it is made of soul with a little dedication and inspiration.

 

[b.o.b.]

Day 2
Saturday, June 26th

Anthrax

Begins the gallery of the four major thrash bands that influenced the evolution of so many other bands of the sub-genre and beyond. With Joey Belladonna on vocals again, as in the gold years, the Americans put everything into their first show in Romania in which we don’t miss Caught in Mosh, Got the Time, Antisocial and Be All, End All. The anger of music translates into a pogo during Metal Thrashing Mad, and Indians brings the colorful feathers that adorn his head while Belladonna is singing about the rights of the first inhabitants of America. I Am the Law incorporates the first verse and chorus of Heaven and Hell, in a brief time in memoriam to Dio.

Anthrax is back !



Megadeth

Under a pile of blond hair hides a man known as one of the most controversial of the metal scene. I do not know how is Dave Mustaine in public relations, but the artist is fascinating - a great guitarist, an original voice, an awkward poet.

Framed by Chris Broderick and David Ellefson, MegaDave is bringing his band back for Romanian fans with a great show but too short in my opinion. Holy Wars and Hangar 18 would announce that the Americans will play again the album Rust in Peace, but plans are changed through In My Darkest Hour, Trust, She-Wolf and Head Crusher. This diversity of songs makes the concert even more interesting.

The audience was hot all over, when we are not singing along on A Tout Le Monde, we are head-banging on crazy Skin of My Teeth and Peace Sells. Symphony of Destruction is bringing us up to boiling point, when everything flows. Unfortunately the concert must end after only one hour with the second piece of the song from the beginning ... The Punnisment Due.




Slayer

Only one word: devastating.


All my expectations were exceeded. Tom Araya and his band are a crushing force live, though I can not hear clearly all the technical “fineces” on the album. I've seen in concert bands more brutal, but Slayer is something else - is a very natural aggressiveness and a band with an overwhelming personality. It is enough to see the World Painted Blood, Jihad, War Ensemble, Hate World Wide, Disciple and Chemical Warfare to understand what I mean. Behind me, a few meters, a moshpit is in full throttle, which is hard to resist – I’m stabilizing my feet better on the ground hoping not to be shattered. The guys from security are totally confused and not know how to react.

Tom Araya is in good shape and I’m glad that he can bring this show to an end (considering his health problems).
An attractive appearance, so emblematic for the band is Kerry King, with long beard caught in rings and chains and a not just friendly look. Jeff Hanneman stand beside them, with the guitar written with his name. And in the back is beating with passion one of the best metal drummers - Dave Lombardo, a legend of drums and a reckless fury.

I cannot resist myself and I’m headbanging hard on Seasons in the Abyss, South of Heaven and Raining Blood. These songs shows however that Slayer is not just brute force with no brain, but a brilliant band in terms of compositions.



Metallica

No matter when you became a fan but you sure have what to choose from their concert. It is clear that the most requested and most experienced parts are situated in the period before Load. Creepin 'Death, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Disposable Heroes, Fade to Black, Sad But True, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), One, Master of Puppets and Fight Fire With Fire - all are like a machine gun to fire continuously, will not let you breathe while you are fascinating looking at one of the most famous rock bands in history.

Do not know if it makes sense to describe what is in public but I will try: continuous motion, waving flags and banners, singing along, shouting and screaming, making big eyes at the great pyrotechnic effects and over all enjoying the intense live music.

Nothing Else Matters turns into a chorus of tens of thousands of people, Enter Sandman is general insanity, and Stone Cold Crazy reminds us of one of the major influences of Metallica's evolution, Queen.

Hit the Lights and Seek and Destroy are ending the third Metallica concert in Romania, and I believe, the best ‘till now. A great setlist, great interpretation, a hellish sound (in the best sense) and, last but not least, a great atmosphere.



And finally I can say only one thing: The Big 4 really are The Big 4.

 

[LOU/REALM]

Great review B.O.B ......Sounds one HELL of a gig with some mighty bands there !!!!!! Manowar,Slayer,Metallica,Paradise Lost etc etc Hope you had a few beers aswell

 

[LG]

That was an excellent review Bob, and I wondered where you went, then I realized the concert you have been looking forward to was coming up.

Talk about almost all the legends taking the stage, that is one helluva band list. After reading your write up, I feel like I was standing beside you,,,,well right up to the point of the Mosh Pit getting out of hand, at that point I would seek a safer place.

Good to see you back safe and sound, and thanks for sharing you experiences at the festival.

 

[b.o.b.]

Thank you for the appreciation. Beer was the official drink at this festival. It was absolutely necessary to hydrate yourself to resist .

Here are the official data:

Day 1 : 20.000 fans - 40.000 beers
Day 2 : 35.000 fans - 80.000 beers
Day 3 : 30.000 fans - 60.000 beers



Indeed the mosh pit is a dangerous way of "entertainment". I always try to stay apart from the "action". One of my friends was too hot, got into the mosh pit at the Rammstein show and ended the night at the hospital with dislocated joints at his foot. He is well now .

Anyway this 3 day (+2 day on the road) adventure was very tiring for me. I am not young anymore so I need more time to recover. I don't know if I should dare to attend next year to this festival. Maybe I will choose only one day instead of all three.

 

[Magic]

Looks like they had the "heavy hitters" on day 2....did you stay for day 3?


I would love to know who played on day 3.


Accept and Paradise Lost was a nice treat for day 1.


Thanks for sharing your festival experience

 

[METALPRIEST]

OK this looks super cool!!! I'll be going through all the vids this weekend!! GREAT job brother!!!

 

[0000]

Day Two must have been insane.. and literally the big four, as you said

Great review by the way... I'm with LG on the mosh pit though

 

[b.o.b.]

Looks like they had the "heavy hitters" on day 2....did you stay for day 3?


I would love to know who played on day 3.


Accept and Paradise Lost was a nice treat for day 1.


Thanks for sharing your festival experience

Day 3 review is on its way .

 

[b.o.b.]

Day 3
Sunday, June 27th

After the second day wrath I was really exhausted. Two of my buddies could not resist and abandoned the third day concerts. After all the 3rd day was a day of relaxation for me because my neck was hearting, I could not speak so much because my throat was aching and my legs hurt. So I just stayed quiet and enjoyed the music shows also without abusing so much the beer tent.

Anathema (UK)

Together with Paradise Lost, Anathema is one of my favorite gothic doom metal bands. On the latest albums they changed a little bit the musical orientation to a much alternative approach but they still are good for me. So it was the second time I saw Anathema live and the show started in force with a surprise cover after Led Zeppelin: Kashmir.



After that they played Deep, Closer, Lost Control, Empty, A Natural Disaster and Fragile Dreams. The sound was good but the show was also much too short for me. Anyway Vincent promised a full concert in Romania until the end of the year.

Stone Sour

The only band I did not know anything about. Some kind of alternative metal catchy for the majority of the audience.



Alice In Chains



The evening highlight for me. I was waiting so many years to finally see AIC live and what a show it was. Jerry Cantrel is a god of metal riffs. The new vocalist, William DuVall is not bad either, he is very mobile, playing guitar also and changing places with Jerry who is taking over the lead vocal parts on many songs. Them Bones, Dam That River, Rain When I Die, Check My Brain, It Ain’t Like That, We Die Young, Acid Bubble, Man In The Box, Lesson Learned, Angry Chair, Again, Would?, Rooster are not enough to satisfy me. I want more but the show must end.

Rammstein

I was too tired to really enjoy the teutonic metal machine. They are not quite my cup of tea but the show was incendiary. And I mean literally incendiary. A man was set on fire on the stage, the vocal was spitting fire and the smell of brimstone from all those pyrotechnic effects was surrounding us creating a hellish atmosphere. At a Rammstein concert the music is on the second place in the programme. In an industrial setting, the band has performed the show pointed out, in a perfect timing, pyrotechnic effects, flame throwers, foam and confetti cannons, smoke and explosions.

The aggressive industrial metal, jerky rhythm, military style and harsh electronic sounds made the audience around me almost ecstatic.

The keyboard player sailing in a boat over the audience: