The final day of ARTmania festival 2022 came and went, and the excitement is still in the air.
The first band on stage was Dordeduh from Timisoara, Romania. Signed with Prophecy Productions, Dordeduh might be one of the Romanian bands with the most presence on the international stage. During the years, and after their experience in Negura Bunget, they have developed a unique black metal sound filled with Romanian folklore lyrical themes, strengthened by the use of Romanian traditional instruments such as toaca, tulnic, hammered dulcimer etc.
Last night they performed a solid set, filled with songs off of their latest album “Har“, released in May 2021. The audience enjoyed songs such as “Descant”, “In Vielistea Uitarii” or “De Neam Vergur” and we were met with the same primal joy that we experience everytime we see them live. Although the audience was as enthusiastic as we were, we couldn’t help notice that maybe their experience is an interesting contrasting backdrop nonetheless.
The Pineapple Thief were next on stage. For the first time in Romania, the UK band was more than eager to play on the ARTmania stage and you could feel that from the warmth they sent out with every tune. At the time of their performance, more and more people were gathering in front of the stage to take part in the third and final day of this year’s edition.
As expected from a premiere show, their setlist was a best off, a collage of songs such as “In Exile”, ” Wretched Soul” or “Nothing at Best”. The festival lineup choice was interesting, as The Pineapple Thief’s experimental rock sound was a complete shift from the heavier soundscapes that dominated the second part of the previous day, as well as this day where we previously had black metal and then thrash metal. We consider that this diversity of genres, of different perspectives on art, lies at the center of ARTmania’s concept as a festival.
Which brings us to one set of titans that we had the honor of seing live in Sibiu: Testament.
Long time fan or new to the Testament experience? It doesn’t matter! The trash metal legends have made their way into the heart of each person present this day at the festival. From the beginning ’till the last note, we were subject to a bombardment of energy from the band and the crowd felt that 100%. As a result of that, nobody could stand still, from simply banging our heads to circle pits and mosh pits, everyone participated in this moment that transformed Sibiu’s Large Square into a pit of energy. It goes without saying that the performance from the band was outstanding and we could not expect any less from musicians-extraordinaire like: Dave Lombardo, Steve Di Giorgio, Alex Skolnick, Eric Peterson and Chuck Billy.
The fans enjoyed a well-built setlist of 12 songs, that contained tracks such as “Practice What You Preach”, D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate), “The Formation of Damnation” or “WWIII”. Their set was more than perfect, it did not give anyone a single moment to breathe!
Chuck Billy’s energy and warmth is infectious, and we tend to truly believe him when he said that everytime he plays in Romania he is met with a beautiful, wild crowd – and we lived up to that expectation this time round too.
One of the highlights of the entire festival was undoubtedly Mercyful Fate.
Long live the King! Yes, King Diamond was back last night in Romania for the first time alongside Mercyful Fate, and after a 16 years break since his last performance in Romania – namely from all the way back in 2006 when he played at the Agronomia Sports Hall in Bucharest with his self-titled band, Kind Diamond.
Fans waited in large numbers in front of the stage for the King to take them on a journey into his world of horror and macabre. Before the start of the show, there was a front backdrop that blocked fans from seeing what was happening on stage, which created an amazing atmosphere filled with curiosity and excitement.
Once the show began and that backdrop fell, we could see a stage full of props such as a marble-looking altar, with a huge inverted cross at the center, a pentagram with a goat’s head that had glowing red eyes, everything enhanced by perfectly timed light work. All of this helped us to emerge into this one-of-a-kind experience, where the fans singed along and were dragged into being a part of the ritual that the band had planned for us last night.
Everything was just as, or better than, everyone expected from a metal legend. It was only a small unpleasant event at the end, about which the King was not even remotely silent about in front of the crowd. When the band was told that they had to cut their set short, King Diamond came back on stage for the encore telling the crowd exactly what he had on his mind, with an emphasis on the fact that, in his own words, “You deserve much better “. As a result, they ended their performance with a shorter song, Black Funeral, but with the same energy that they carried thoughout the whole show. It is worth mentioning that they had to cut the set a bit short to comply with local regulations, which is ultimately out of the hands of the organizers.
Overall it was a successful edition, a much awaited one that brought on stage bands that played for the first time in Romania, artists that have returned after a long period of time, loved bands that are beloved fan favorites, you name it. As for the things that still have room for improvement, we have to mention the second stage – which was poorly equipped for live performances. Secondly, the bars on site closed too soon, leaving the audience with the uncomfortable situation of still watching the show and not having the option of buying more drinks. Also, on a side note, the drinks could have had more variety.
With all of that being said, it was an awesome experience and we cannot wait to see what the future editions will hold!
Cover photo© Sebastian Marcovici