Friday morning came almost as a surprise for our devastated neurons but still, we dug our way out for the first day of OLD GRAVE 9.
The first day of the festival took place on Friday 7th. It started according to the schedule at 18:00 – open doors and the first band Demiurgon, walked on stage at exactly 19:00. Demiurgon is an Italian band that kicked off with what I found to be a mix of technical – brutal death metal direction – sound. Even though not my cup of tea, looked like they’d been very appreciated by the public, and in conclusion, it was an interesting way to start this festival.
They were followed on stage by another Italian band- Hateful, that kept the sound, almost, in the same direction. Judging by their cool T-shirts, they are into death metal at heart, yet they delivered a very hard-worked technical death metal. Their sound is rather serious and technical but at the same time, they make it simple and somewhat natural. Their tunes were “balanced”, more placed in a mid-tempo that was keeping the rhythm tight. With a light complexity, their music remains plain and clear, without showing off much or losing it in too many useless mathematical limits.
After a short break, Damage Case got on stage and turned the page to Thrash Metal.
The show started with enthusiasm, as was to be expected since they already nailed their position on the local scene. Their Thrash Metal sound is clear and straightforward spinning around the classic topics of Rock ‘n’ Roll and Rebel Life. Full of energy and passion their performance was very appreciated by the crowd that got engaged very quickly in their act.
EVIL SPELL from Italy was next, bringing the ’86 madness back into our lives. A black-thrash band that knows its deal with blasphemy, with both fast and aggressive lines in accordance with the old-school tradition. In one word, their show was a total blast. Since it’s not the first time when I see Evil Spell performing on a stage, I must say that for me, this was one of their best.
Their show was a true highlight of the night, delivering that exact dose of madness that makes a wild night unforgettable. They struck our brains with aggressiveness and determination, all of this under the Thrash Metal sound of speed, Italian horror, and therefore perfection!
After a recovering break, Lord Vicar followed up with an act to remember; even more, since this was their first show since the pandemic lockdowns and restrictions happened. Lord Vicar is a Finnish revelation in Doom Metal with great live performances. Something that every doom-metal fan should have on their agenda.
The atmosphere became all gloomy and occult, completed by their catchy rhythms and characteristic tunes. They’ve touched tracks from “mid-late” releases such as Gates of Flesh or The Black Powder, spreading the traditional, yet the particular sound of doom into everyone’s bones (Doom Metal down to the bone –right?!). They have a unique manner of playing (maybe it’s that smooth particularly Finnish touch) yet clean and classic. No horsing around- only making quality Doom Metal. The crowd seemed to enjoy every part of their show which was indeed impressive.
Desaster was to finish the night, in their best tradition. From the gloomy atmosphere to pure madness it’s just one step (maybe the logical one if we took about psychiatrists) and Desaster took it proudly on the stage. – That’s one small step for Desaster, one giant leap for the crowd.
Full of energy and passion, they started sharp, changing tunes from furious black metal into speed thrash metal. One can hear clearly that this band loves their thrash metal covered up in black metal pins and wears it accordingly, with that touch of (medieval) darkness.
They played mostly from the late releases, delivering an almost burning, energy to each corner of the venue. Their show was a total blast. Kudos to them for the energy and the intensity they’ve performed with.
All pics featured in this review were taken by our friend and fellow member Gheorghe Paraschiv.
Here you can check out more photos from OldGraveFest 2022- Day I
The night was over, the neurons have left the conversation but the party continued until the next morning.
The merchandise area was pretty big displayed outside on the venue’s terrace. One could find some goodies, from CDs, and records to all kinds of t-shirts and accessories, even nuts…Speaking of which, it’s a thin line between funny and cringe – Just sayin’.
