I arrived at about 21:05 and to my surprise, there were only about 20 people there at the time. I say to my surprise because the event was much publicized on social media. Anyway, the small number of people there made it easier for me to get a beer and find my friend who was already waiting for me. Soon enough, the main lights went down and the stage lights were turned on. It was time for Caelestia, the night’s opening act, to take the stage.
The pre-recorded intro for their set took a little too long and during that time the band (minus the lead singer) just stood there doing nothing. After what seemed like a few minutes, the lead singer joined the rest of her band mates and the show began. I am happy to say that on the one hand Caelestia do have some pretty tight tracks, but on the other, their music is sort of a metal salad with no clear focus on a specific genre. On top of that, I found the whole band’s, but especially the singer’s, stage presence to be a little off as well as a bit awkward at times. Finally, I really don’t see the point in playing a song live with the use of so many pre-recorded sections. I mean they played one track where the main vocals were pre-recorded, leaving the “poor “lady in front of the mic with absolutely nothing to do for more than half of the song. I can’t say that I was impressed by their appearance that night, maybe the next time I see them they will make a better impression on me.
When Caelestia finished their set it was time for The Vision Bleak to get on stage in front of around 100 people who had slowly gathered by then. What can I say? The band ruled. I’m talking about great tracks, excellently performed. The crowd loved them. There might have been a couple of mistakes here and there, but I didn't notice them. Their music just grabs you and pulls you in. Great communication skills by the singer, who is what you’d call a “true entertainer”. Even though, as he confided in us, this was his first gig after he had cut his hair and he was afraid he wouldn’t know how to “mosh” without looking stupid (his words, not mine), he did an amazing job.
As for the dynamic duo Ulf Theodor Schwadorf and Allen B. Konstanz, they were the steady backbone of the band’s whole show. Riffing and drumming away nonstop with great precisión and without any show-off moments what so ever. There were two moments that stood out from their set: a) The moment the singer asked “can you say Kutulu?”. Everyone in the crowd went absolutely berserk; you could tell that if not all, almost all of us there had been waiting for that song. b) When they got up on stage again for their anchor and they played “Death Ship Symphony”. That really tore the place apart.
When Caelestia finished their set it was time for The Vision Bleak to get on stage in front of around 100 people who had slowly gathered by then. What can I say? The band ruled. I’m talking about great tracks, excellently performed. The crowd loved them. There might have been a couple of mistakes here and there, but I didn't notice them. Their music just grabs you and pulls you in. Great communication skills by the singer, who is what you’d call a “true entertainer”. Even though, as he confided in us, this was his first gig after he had cut his hair and he was afraid he wouldn’t know how to “mosh” without looking stupid (his words, not mine), he did an amazing job.
As for the dynamic duo Ulf Theodor Schwadorf and Allen B. Konstanz, they were the steady backbone of the band’s whole show. Riffing and drumming away nonstop with great precisión and without any show-off moments what so ever. There were two moments that stood out from their set: a) The moment the singer asked “can you say Kutulu?”. Everyone in the crowd went absolutely berserk; you could tell that if not all, almost all of us there had been waiting for that song. b) When they got up on stage again for their anchor and they played “Death Ship Symphony”. That really tore the place apart.
