01-06-2011 Kampfar

Supports: Krakow, Vreid and Secrets of the Moon; Venue: Baroeg, Rotterdam (Netherlands)
By: Elvira Visser

Krakow was the first band to open this evening. Already started early. They brought the audience in Baroeg an energettic show. That is not weird when considering the bands that inspire them. Bands like Iron Maiden, Queens of the Stone Age and Mastodon. The band consiting out Frode Frode Kilvik, René Misje, Kjartan Grønhaug and Christopher Swahn Zibell have found a nice mix between their influences. They got the attention from the audience with their stoner like hard rock like sound. Topped with psychedelic progressiveness. Krakow was founded back in 2005 and this was actually the first time I heard about them. What a loss that is. Great band, great live.

Vreid I had seen before but somehow I did not really recognised them. Which is a good thing. Last time the music was good but the show, not so good. That is the singer Sture was mainly standing still. His hears coverd his face and would only reach out his hands into the air sometimes. While the guitarist and the bassplayer where trying to put down a good show. This night well Sture was present too. Actively that is, still a bit holiding back but I guess that is just him. The way they presented themselves on stage was much better it seemed that eventhough Baroeg is a small club and there were not that many people they were ready to give a damn good performance for those who came to see them.

Secrets of the Moon had brought some candles on stage and in contrast to Kampfars energetic show by the entertaining level of Dolk, this band rather set an atmosphere. The lights were mainly red and dark with the candles burning behind them. The bandmembers where not moving around but totally focused on what they were playing. They needed to grow on me, but as the set continued their more doom alike sound made an impression on me. The band founded back in 1995 from Osnabrück showed that there are different ways in bringing the show. This way they were presenting them on stage and the lightshow really added to the overall impression they made. It seemed that they also needed to focus on their guitarparts and solo’s as some of them were quite impressive.

Well what to see of the headliner. I guess it is one of those band where a description simply does not fit. I guess it is one of those bands you need to “feel”. You need to be present at a gig because they are live so different then on stage. And then I am not talking about quality because they are amazing on cd as well, but live it is just a whole experience. The lightshow for one, really add to the show while it was kept simple with not too many different colors. Front man Dolk is the one that brings energy but also knows how to catch your attention and makes sure you will not let it go. He is charismatic on stage this combined with the skills of the musicians around him it creates this great show. Personally I was very curious how they would sound. The new album is a had t describe, it is kampfar but it is also something different. It is more dark and black where the predecessor had more melody and melodic flows which would take you through the song. The new stuff still has this melodic though but is much more heavy, pounding and raw. The newer songs were great live and the setlist had a great order. There were two musicians for this tour who are not officially in the band. Bass player Endre Moe (Trail of Tears and Fimension F3H) and a tour guitarist where leaving a good impression as well. They were giving their own signature to their playing but it was clearly a kampfar sound. The performance from kampfar was great, even better then expected. The show was good, the sound was good, the atmosphere was good. Now there is nothing left to do then waiting for their next show.

This night was a good night at the small club Baroeg. There were not so many people but those who were there have seen a great show of four bands who each has their own distiction with the others. One more dark the other more melodic, one more energettic and the other brought more atmosphere. It was a good package, and a good evening!

More photo’s of this event can be found at Photographic Retentions