Unchain My Heart!
Supporting bands did an excellent job, but I must single out HATS BARN as the most impressive one as their energy and explosiveness was highly contagious and they’ve managed to fire up and engage the audience the most. HATS BARN (France) is black metal band formed in 2005 in Lille. “Hats barn” means “sons of hatred” in Norwegian and the band follow the trace of the old Norwegian school of black metal. During this past 18 years of existence, they recorded six studio albums. The last of them, named “Y.a.HW.e.H” was promoted during the concert. Conclusion is that all worshipers of the old Norwegian school should definitely pay attention to this band in case they haven’t jet.
I was looking forward to DOODSWENS also, but unfortunately it seemed that part of the crowd wasn’t too impressed, due to their impression that the band is lacking more innovative creative elements. Well, the bend definitely has high potential and I would definitely recommend that you continue to follow them to see what the future will bring for the band. DOODSWENS (Netherlands) is a black metal band founded in 2017 in Eindhoven. They have released the following so far: the demo “Doodswens” (2019), the split “From the Shadows of the Abyss” (2020) and the full album “Lichtvrees” (2022).
TYRMFAR (Switzerland) is a melodic black metal band but with death metal elements. The band was formed in Monthey exactly 10 years ago, and during that period they recorded one EP and three studio albums. The latest album “Dialect of the Ego and the Unconscious” was promoted in Zagreb.
Black metal giants GORGOROTH finally came to Croatia for the first time and the build-up of excitement culminated on the morning of the event when Norwegian-like chill, cold and snow covered and paralysed Croatia. This premiere performance in Zagreb was held as part of the “Black Metal Revelation” tour. Gorgoroth is a band that comes from the Mecca of black metal, the Norwegian city of Bergen, where it was formed in 1992. It was founded by INFERNUS, and the name itself refers to a valley in the north-western part of Mordor in Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings”. They had their first performance in 1994 at the Black Metal Nights festival, which was also the first performance of bands such as Dark Funeral, Enslaved and Dissection, but also for the Swedish Marduk. So far, they have released nine studio albums, and the permanent members are: Infernus, Thomas Asklund (drums) and Atterigner (vocalist). Interestingly, Atterigner’s real name is Stefan Todorović, with origins in Kragujevac!
After the intro (Marche funèbre), the dark ceremony of the legends began with “Bergtrollets Hevn”, which was followed with 13 more songs from the very impressive opus of the band. Audience feedback was insane, as expected as well as the band engagement which offered an uncompromised attack to all senses! The smell of the smoke from the long awaited concert and the crowd with many of our friends we already feel like they are our brothers and sisters, the visual and audio attack following the lyrics that depict darkness, despair and the void of nothingness.
Only disappointment from the concert was that there were no life-sized crucifixes on stage, but it didn’t interfere with the impression of the great concert as the most important factor was that all musicians were in the element and gave their all during the concert.
The concert was closed with the masterpiece “Unchain My Heart!!!” for which I have no words, either you feel it, or you don’t. Astonishing!!!
There are no better words to describe the atmosphere
than these:
“Gorgoroth ‘Dreadful Horror’ (The Sindarin or Grey-elven tongue) – A word
in the Grey-elven tongue, used for two different locations, distinct in time
and space…. the second instance is the name of the ‘Haunted Plains’ of
Mordor; the great plateau which occupied the north-western area of that
country, a desolate, arid land, pocked with craters and fuming pits and riven
with many deep crevasses. In the center of the plain rose the smoldering cone
of the volcano Orodruin.” – Taken from the Complete Tolkien
Companion by J.E.A. Tyler.
Indeed, the atmosphere depicted the cold, endless void that stares at all during dark times that always seem to be the ones without any end, leaving humans lost on the verge of abyss, in which a decision on embracing death or fighting seemingly invincible horror of life is inevitable. Gorgoroth does not provide recipes or quick solutions, but for many, bands like these offer a source of strength and determination to never ever let the bastards win, but rather fight until the last breath.
The concert was very impressive and I enjoyed it thoroughly. “WHY!???”- was the first question from my daughter. The second was: “How!??”. Well, the concert actually happened at a very intense personal period, at which I have accumulated a lot of stress that turned into anger and hate after several years of accumulation. I’M A NICE PERSON GOD DAMNIT!! But these several past months pushed me over the edge. Only at the concert I realised: I do have means to channel my anger though other means than expressing aggression and hitting someone in the face. There are many precious bands that offer that kind of consolation but also serve as a source of strength and definitely GORGOROTH will always remain one of the most important ones!
