ROCKWEEKEND 2009

DATE:

VENUE:

Thursday 9th July - Saturday 11th July 2009

Kilafors Herrgård, Sweden

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATOR; CHICKENFOOT; GEMINI FIVE; U.D.O.; ARCH ENEMY; MUSTASCH; PARADISE LOST; CRUCIFIED BARBARA; CORRODED; PURE MANIA

SATURDAY

NAPALM DEATH; DIMMU BORGIR; EDGUY; QUEENSRŸCHE; HEAT; HOT LEG; NIGHTINGALE; SCAR SYMMETRY; MEMORY GARDEN; WOLVERINE

D-A-D; W.A.S.P.; DARK FUNERAL; TESTAMENT; DIA PSALMA; LA GUNS; DEAD BY APRIL; WOLF; FAST FORWARDS; TAD MOROSE

Reviews & Photography by Mark Holmes

WOLVERINE

Opening Rockweekend's final day are Wolverine with what is somewhat of a rare live appearance these days (their last being at the ProgPower Europe festival in 2008). One of the most underrated bands in the scene, the five Swedes appear on stage with only a sparse audience gathered to witness their performance although, as their set progresses, a larger number of people appear as if allured towards the stage by the captivating charms of the music they play. And with Saturday's weather significantly better than the previous two days as hot sun beats down on the festival field, Wolverine have one of the best sounds through the PA of the entire weekend. A flawless musical performance ensues as songs like 'New Best Friends' and 'His Cold Touch' sound every bit as epically sublime in their live incarnations as in their recorded versions, and befitting of the big festival stage. Frontman Stefan Zell is in fine voice this afternoon with a note perfect delivery for every lyric sung, and one just has to observe the emotional sincerity in his facial expressions as he sings to realise that Wolverine are the real deal - there are no pretensions here, rather pure, heartfelt emotions conveyed through music. For it is all about the music, and the music is phenomenal. It is pleasing to see that 'Sleepy Town' remains in their set - a very different vibe to the song from the version on 'Still', although it translates well in a live context. Fans are even treated to a new song, 'Your Favourite War', from the long awaited and eagerly anticipated forthcoming new album 'Communication Lost', an accomplished composition that is received well by those present and sounds like a congruous progression in the band's sonic evolution. Set closer 'And She Slowly Dies' is Wolverine's pièce de résistance in their live repertoire, with a chorus that explodes into a euphony of emotional grandeur. And as they finish playing the song, a small part of the now sizeable audience chant for more. Unfortunately, the Swedes allotted forty minute slot is up, so exit the stage to ubiquitous applause and cheers. I repeat my earlier sentiment - a flawless musical performance. Incredible.

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SATURDAY 11TH JULY - PART 1

SCAR SYMMETRY

Having seen Scar Symmetry a couple of times previous to today and been impressed with their live performances, original vocalist Christian Älvestam has since departed to be replaced by two singers - Lars Palmqvist on clean vocals and Roberth Karlsson on death growls. I am always a little dubious towards a dual vocalist approach as it can often make a stage look a little 'cluttered' like there is one too many band members present (a prime example of this is when I saw Scarve in 2005 where it just didn't really work for me with 2 vocalists). However, Palmqvist and Karlsson both have immense vocal capabilities in their disparate styles and are also energetic performers so, for Scar Symmetry, I'm pleased to report that it works a treat. What doesn't work in the band's favour today though is the abysmal sound they have through the PA, by far the worst of the weekend. Bass, drums, and vocals all sound great in a well balanced mix, but backing tracks are virtually inaudible, whereas the guitars are incredibly muddy and far too loud to the point where the distortion begins to distort. Performance-wise, the band are on fantastic form, with bassist Kenneth Seil perhaps the most animated member and guitarist Jonas Kjellgren, now with substantial beardage and Kerry King visage, is also fairly well into the vibe. However, their entire set is significantly marred by said sound problems. Basically, it's a complete mess and, by the time Scar Symmetry reach set closer 'The Illusionist', the crowd has diminished in size as many seem to have lost interest. Disappointing.

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NIGHTINGALE

Nightingale are well known within the scene for featuring producer extraordinaire Dan Swanö, a man who has been responsible for twiddling knobs for Opeth; Novembre; Theatre of Tragedy; Hail of Bullets; Marduk and Dissection among others, not to mention a wide array of musical guest appearances in various bands as well as a former member of Bloodbath. To be honest, I'd not heard much Nightingale before today, although what I hear is impressive - a skilled blend of gothic-tinged prog-rock/metal. While not the most visually compelling of live acts, the music is strong enough to stand up on its own merits and Dag Swanö, brother of Dan, seems to be performing his own show on the right hand side as he engages in a series of rockstar poses with concomitant amusing expressions on his face that, more often than not, make the man look like he's badly constipated. His 'individual' performance culminates with the removal of his t-shirt to which bassist Erik Oskarsson rolls his eyes with an embarrassed glance of "not again" that implies this is a frequent occurrence at a Nightingale show. Great music, a great performance, and extra kudos to Dag for his additional entertainment!

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HOT LEG

Next up on the left hand stage, something a little different on Rockweekend's lineup - UK glam rockers Hot Leg, notable for featuring ex-The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins on vocals/guitar. I must categorically state that I was never a fan of The Darkness, nor even vaguely fond of their music. I am, therefore, rather surprised with myself as I begin to enjoy Hot Leg. There are so many things about this band I should despise so I can't actually put my finger on why I like them. Perhaps it's third day festival fatigue and their up-tempo 'fun' music is the wake-up call I need. Maybe it's the unexpected high level of musicianship I witness on the stage - I had no idea Hawkins was such a skilled guitarist, pulling off some genuinely great solo breaks. Hot Leg's other guitarist, Carlos Garcia, also an accomplished player himself, is introduced as new to the band with this being his first gig, having learnt all the songs over the last two weeks. It doesn't show. Impressive too. Maybe I find myself quite taken with Hot Leg because I didn't expect something quite so heavy. Okay, it's not extreme metal, but their music is fairly hard-hitting for a self-professed glam rock band. And then there's Hawkins' unique style of vocals, a man who sings rather conventionally only to be sporadically possessed by bursts of Barry Gibb. Playing what I understand to be a combination of tracks from debut album 'Red Light Fever' (including 'I've Met Jesus', 'Prima Donna' and 'Cocktails') and new material from yet to be recorded sophomore release, Hot Leg are a genuinely entertaining live band. And with such an accomplished performance today, it's hard to believe they only formed last year.

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MEMORY GARDEN

I unfortunately miss Memory Garden's set due to being elsewhere on the festival site, although what I hear of their down-tempo prog-edged metal sounds competently played.

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