GIG REPORT: Decapitated, Hate, Thy Disease, Krysthla, Aktaion

Decapitated, hate, Thy Disease, Krysthla, Aktaion @ Dom omladine, Belgrade, Serbia
18th April, 2016
Review by Ivona Bogner
Photography by Ivona Bogner

Concert in Belgrade was 5th show of Blood Mantra Balkan Tour which includes 13 cities.

Announced as sold out, it promissed a lot, but offered too little.

Surprisingly, concert started with minimum delay. Small hall of Belgrade Youth Center (Dom omladine) was half empty although ticket price was low comparing to concerts of similar bands in our town.

First two bands had no audience at all so it seemed like thier are just warming up with few friends.

Aktaion played first time in Belgrade. Band was formed in 2010 in Sweden. After the first album “Throne” was released in 2015, band started working on their second album “The Parade Of Nature”. Short setlist, bad sound, empty venue, break and next support band: Krysthla.

Krysthla is band from Grait Britain, also first time in Belgrade. Band promoted their first album “A War Of Souls And Desires”. Brutal, uncompromising, sound even worse than Aktaion. Fans could not hear if Adi Mayes is whispering, growling or singing. You could not hear guitars. It was like bands had no sound engineer at all. There were no lights so it was hard to see the band too. Despite bad conditions, guys showed their professionalism. At the end of their show, they played “Luminosity” and left the stage.

Time to start with Polish invaders.

Thy Disease had been already playing in Serbia before. Again, bad sound. During the 30 minutes on stage, they tried to represent work from their 6 albums. Accent, of course, was on last album “Costumes of Technocracy”. Finally, Syrus made some interaction with fans, and people who were drinking and talking on the street came to the venue so we could say: the show has officially started.  Fans reaction could be described as: a lot of moshpits in the wrong time and place.

Short break and Hate hit the stage. The only one band that looked different this evening: corpse paint, leather and funny cowboy boots. It seemed sound engineer finally came to work, so after first song and Domin’s  intervention we could recognize songs. Impressive Adam “ATF Sinner” Buszko vocal led fans from the beginning to the end. Songs from “Cain’s Way”, “Morphosis”, “Awakening of the Liar”, and of course “Crusade: Zero” were the chosen opus for this show. Fans rewarded band with moshpits and stage diving. Light was low, but just perfect for the music Hate represents.

Decapitated started their show shortly after Hate. Since their last show in November 2013 when they played as Children of Bodom support was perfect, at least, fans expected the same standards this time. “Exiled In Flesh” was the first song they played and during the time they had on stage (30 minutes) they played songs mostly from “The Negation”, “Carnival is Forever” and “Blood Mantra”. During “The Blasphemous Psalm to the Dummy God Creation” fans made something which might call moshpit. The light was blinding, so at least half of fans left the concert. The bravest ones who did not care if they will go home blind or deaf, could hear legendary “Exiled In Flesh”. Unfortunately, by the time we all thought concert is going to the same direction as the last one, we heard “Homo Sum” and that was the end. Fans who left till the end of show desperately asked for more, but lights turned on and it was sign to go home.

Merchandise was in wide range: posters, patches, LP’s, audio cassettes, CD’s, DVD’s, T-shirts, sweatshirts… For Serbian standards, prices were too high.

Overall impression: Sound and light were terrible; maybe the best only during Decapitated show, which makes you wonder why tour includes 5 bands if 4 bands will sound bad, not because they are really bud, but because someone does not work his job? Does anyone who paid ticket should go home blind or deaf? Me, personally, two days after the concert felt like I was at mine field.  Each band played 30 minutes, so it might be announced as mini festival.

Fans should not suffer, fans should enjoy!

(c) Ivona Bogner