Ελληνικά
After a little more than a year I returned to my beloved Thessaloniki, to the same venue, to watch the same band perform live. I’m talking about Primordial, of course. The main difference is that in the time in between the band has released “Where Greater Men Have Fallen”, so, we would be able to listen to some new songs. The crowd was fewer this time, not something unexpected, considering the fact that there hasn’t been a long time since they last visited us and the damn crisis as well…
Batlleroar, the Epic/Heavy/Power band from Athens opened the live act. It was immediately obvious that the band had its own fan club, which welcomed them with enthousiasm and never stopped accompanying them in sing-alongs and violently dancing through the whole set. Their sound was flawless, they didn’t seem to be facing any setback there. The band’s presence on stage was great. Their fans had created a voracious atmosphere, and Battleroar awarded them with a vivid show. A special allusion must be made to their vocalist Gerrit Mutz, who, besides his abundant singing skills, also stood out as a great frontman, stirring and entertaining (he threw in a bunch of swearing as well!) the crowd. With the great momentum from Up The Hammers Festival and the live in Athens with Primordial and with the (there’s no denying) quality album “Blood Of Legends” at hand, the band proved that they are in great shape…
Setlist:
Intro
The Swords Are Drawn
Siegecraft
Poisoned Well
Morituri Te Salutant
Dyvim Tvar
Immortal Chariot
The Wrathforge
Valkyries Above Us Battleroar
One is conscious of what to expect in a Primordial live show. They rocket up their -already superb- material. Doesn’t matter if their new album “Where Greater Men Have Fallen” is not a match -in my opinion- to some of their earlier albums, still it had songs I was eager to listen to, such as the homonym, Babel’s Tower and Wield Lightning To Split The Sun. My wish was granted, since they emphasized on the new album, playing also Ghosts Of The Charnel House and The Alchemist’s Head.
Their sound was, as always, excellent, their stage appearance compelling, with Alan Averill’s one being the most significant – the man is the ideal frontman. The way he is experiencing his singing, his profound communication with the crowd, his theatrical performance that gives life to the lyrics, the incredible strength and range of his voice, all this synthesize an explosive mix. The whole band however is filled with pure metal attitude, there is not a single moment leaving you with the sense that they give less than 100% in their performance or that they do not feel absolutely blissful being on stage. The crowd enjoyed intensively Primordial’s live performance, letting the band’s energy drift them along. Just another brilliant live performance, by a band that has relished the Greek audience’s respect and has compensated them, with their frequent appearances.
Some small details from the concert: The long appearance by Primordial, as always (more than two hours). The nice merch with many offers in t-shirts, cd’s etc… The show’s great lighting, which is a requirement for a successful show (and for taking decent pictures). The abidance of the schedule almost perfectly. All those details can determine which bands, promoters and stages show genuine respect towards the audience…
We renew our appointment with the Irish for…soon I suspect and hope.
Setlist:
Dark Horse On The Wind
Where Greater Men Have Fallen
Gods To The Godless
Babel’s Tower
No Grave Deep Enough
Autumn’s Ablaze
Ghosts of the Charnel House
As Rome Burns
The Alchemist’s Head
Bloodied Yet Unbowed
Traitors Gate
Heathen Tribes
The Coffin Ships
Wield Lightning to Split the Sun
Sons of the Morrigan
Empire Falls
