I never considered myself a black metal fan. Even though I listen to some bands and I really enjoy a couple of songs, there is nothing “”to die for”. Yet, on Saturday night I left my house and headed to Fabrica, where something great was going to happen. I’ve heard of Satarial from a friend and discovered that they are a very controversial band, with shows played in abandoned churches and a band leader held in an asylum for two years. No need to say I was more than intrigued.
By the time I arrived at the club there was still some soundchecking going on, so I had time to look around and to drink a beer. I saw a merchandise stand which had some CD’s and many T-shirts. Another thing I noticed was the warmth inside the venue. Last time I went to a gig in Fabrica my hands were frozen, so that was an improvment.
First band on stage was “Sâmbăta Morților”. To make one thing clear, I knew no other band besides Satarial so I was ready to be surprised (but I did some research). A very young and promising band with an interesting sound and great attitude. Still, their style is a bit too raw and harsh for me, but people really enjoyed it. Heavy drums, heavy guitars, heavy (and nice) vocals. One thing I appreciated was the humour. As the band name is related to the romanian “day of the dead”, they brought cozonac (sweet bread) and coliva (alms) which are two romanian treats, usually given when someone dies. Between two songs, the lead singer took a tray and shared the goods with the audience. Everybody laughed and I think it was something very inspired.
After a short break, Kroppen took the stage. Another young band, which had its ups and downs, but managed to get back and release and EP. Their style is a mix of black and death metal with some experimental parts. The show was good, the sound was good, but it lacked communication with the public and some energy, which is somehow normal, as the band is still a newcome. Still, you can clearly see the guys are working their way up and seem very devoted while playing.
The last opening act belonged to “Apa Sambetei”. Fortunately, I’ve had heard about this band before. Never listened to it, but people talk about it. It was a good show and a bit different (in a good way) from those before. It was a fine mix of melodic parts, really deep vocals and some interesting guitar riffs. Yet, not really black metal, which was a real joy. I could say that the band style is closer to death metal. The years of shows, line-up changes and genre changes are obvious in the band’s performance. They had a good sound, I could understand what the lead singer was, well, singing, and there was a great communication with the audience.
As I was saying, I am not a big fan of black metal, but when Satarial came to the stage, I knew it was going to be a great show. Even if the sound was a bit loud and I had some problems understanding all the vocals parts, the show was a blast. The torn up leather and sheep fur costumes, bones decor, incense smoke and pagan rituals created an atmosphere that is going to be hard to forget. Not mentioning the hypnotic dance and acting. The concert was very fluid with a balanced mix of music, theatre and black magic. The folkoric influences mixed with heavy drums and fast guitar riffs , alongside dark deep vocals takes the band somehow closer to the folk/pagan metal stage. Still, you could clearly see that they wanted to go mostly black metal. On the otherside the audience was so captivated that I am sure some even forgot how to breath. Overall, the show was great and I hope I will get to see them again, maybe on a bigger stage, just to see what more they can bring to the table. Congrats to the promoter!
[…] Satarial/Apa Sâmbetei/Kroppen/Sâmbăta Morților […]