I always thought that music has a worldwide meaning but yet, a different one for each of us. Music can be an escape or a hobby or a passion or Fjord. Music can be a post-metal, instrumental band from Bucharest. Now, I am not a fan of either post-metal or instrumental bands but these guys caught me for good. They have something special that I can’t explain, something that forced me to go out on a Friday evening to see their last show in Bucharest. The event was organized and promoted by Final Step Productions which pretty much means it can’t go wrong. Or too wrong.
I don’t always get in time for any show but when I do… well, I don’t usually do, but this time I did. By the time I entered the venue, there were not so many people in, which was pretty worrying. I saw, again, tables and benches. Now, I appreciate that someone thinks about our comfort but it’s not nice to sit during a concert. Unless it’s an Andre Rieu concert. When people get the chance to sit, they hardly stand up for the show and that leaves the impression of an empty venue. I saw bands trying to get the people in front of the stage and… good luck with that.
The show started around 21:15 with the first act, „On Icy Shores”. As I expected it to be, the wave of emotion hit me (and I hope the whole public) like a rock in the face. There is not much to say about Fjord besides the fact that their music is extremely powerful and has a great amount of mixed feelings and states of mind. It goes straight through you, leaving so much behind. The start was calm and serein, with some special symphonic parts played by Corina Gheorghe on violin and Camelia Iancu on cello. The instruments blended perfectly and created an incredible atmosphere, which was later completed with vocals. As an instrumental band, one that sounds perfect without any vocals, I was skeptical about this kind of „interference” but it turned out to be ok. Mihai Ilie from Abigail was the first voice of the night (which turned my skepticism to another level) but he was great, he was present and his voice took the „wave” and amplified it. After a short break, the second act „Once Forsaken” continued our journey through the unique universe of Fjord. It was shorter than the first act but a bit more powerful and heavy, with some interesting vocals from Andrei Dinicu (who was, also, quite funny). I had my fears about the sound, but it was actually impressively good, being able to enjoy every instrument and the vocals. The lights were, again, great and the projection behind the drummer was an interesting idea.
Now, I like all the albums but „Portrait For a Reflection” is by far my favorite. Let’s just say that is the most mature album, the one that has the best of every member, the most of every idea and the darkest of every feeling. The experimental intro with the didgeridoo (which is natural wooden trumpet by the wisdom of Wikipedia) and the amazing voice of Maria Ana from Mountains on My Back was a blast. The show went even deeper in that, already hard to bear, an ocean of emotions. I found my mind wandering but, at the same time, totally focused on what was happening on the stage. Everyone was either standing still, either slowly moving on the rhythm and the time got slower. I couldn’t tell if the act had 15 or 50 minutes by the time it ended. Yes, it was a three-hour long concert. I never saw a band playing for such a long time and I never saw so much devotion, live. They were feeling and breathing what they were playing. They tried to give the best for one last time and they fully succeeded. Fjord was born from passion and, if it ended, it ended with a greater passion.
Thank you for the music, Fjord! Thank you for another great show, Final Step Production!
All pics featured in this review were taken by our friend and fellow member Gheorghe Paraschiv. Here you can find more.
