Marduk, Immolation, Noctem, Forsaken World, Heaving Earth, Live @ Kyttaro Club 08-09-2012, Athens, Greece

Marduk, Immolation, Noctem, Forsaken World, Heaving Earth, Live @ Kyttaro Club 08-09-2012, Athens, Greece

It’s been a long time since I last saw a decent extreme metal live and I really couldn’t wait for that one. Another reason was of course that one of my favourite death metal bands, Immolation was on the bill. It was gonna be a hell of a night!

I arrived just in time to see the second band on the bill, Heaving Earth from the Czech Republic, but I missed almost the whole set of Forsaken World from France. From the few minutes that I heard from Forsaken World, I could tell that they weren’t my style at all. A weird blend of every extreme style you could imagine made it very hard for me to enjoy their show. The crowd was between 200-300 people and the atmosphere was excellent. One of the first things I noticed was that the club had a second sound engineer close to the stage. The results were more than obvious; Heaving Earth had a crystal clear sound throughout the whole gig like the rest of the bands. It was the first time that I saw them play but you could tell that the band has been working a lot on their on stage appearance. An appearance which, combined with tons of killer rifing, made us warm-up our necks really good. They’re a very fresh band but I believe we’ll be hearing a lot from them in the future. The only thing I didn’t like much about them was probably the vocals, which weren’t bad, but weren’t very special either. The next band on the bill was Noctem from Valencia, a band that left me with mixed emotions after their show. Although they do have a very good on-stage presence I believe that they’re a little “too much” on certain aspects, whatever that means. However, their music is very good and that’s what matters here. Probably a little “cheesier” than I’ve used to, but their style is also a blend of extreme metal styles, so I believe that a little extra cheese always comes along. This isn’t always bad of course.

It was time for the war machine name Immolation to take the stage by storm. And so they did, in every way possible. I really don’t remember much from the beginning of their show until the end of it, because I wasn’t even there mentally. They unleashed their music upon us and it really blew our minds of. Ross Dolan seemed extremelly happy with the constant positive response that he got from the crowd –which by the way has doubled until then- every time he yelled “Atheeeeeeeeeensss”, pushing the bands show into new limits. Robert Vigna is a league of his own, an everflowing death metal machine full of energy. You could easily say that he alone can erase from the map many new wannabe-deathmetallers who only know how to pose and look evil and stuff. I really could believe that I was witnessing such hatred unleashed upon us (yeah, I said hatred, sorry but Immolation are not hippie music!). Actually Robert and Ross seem like they haven't aged a day during the last 20 years. They still got they same fire and passion, and that goes for the rest of the band of course. Words are poor to describe their hellish performance of that night, a performance that is now carved in everyone’s mind forever. I definitely didn’t want this superb show to end, but Marduk had to hit the stage soon enough. After their show which lasted a little more than an hour was finished, I was really considering of going home (sorry Marduk!) because I wanted to keep the memory of their performance. Immolation are probably the best death metal band I’ve ever seen on stage, along with Cannibal Corpse. U.S.A for the win!

Immolation Setlist:

Close To a World Below

Swarm of Terror

Passion Kill

What they bring

Majesty and Decay

Under the Supreme

Father You're not a Father

I Feel Nothing

Den of Thieves

Into Everlasting Fire

No Jesus No Beast

Dawn of Possession

After a long break Marduk were finally on the stage. Most of the crowd was still in shock after the Immolation gig, but we had to pull ourselves together once more. Sadly, Marduk was the only band which didn’t have such a good sound like all the other bands and that was a big minus in their performance. The other minus was that due to the time of their appearance, a lot of people started leaving to catch the last train or bus, something that you constantly see in a lot of gigs here. Too bad for them. Marduk started filling the atmosphere with their dark souls from the moment they came on stage until the time they left, which was a little more that an hour. They played some stuff from their new very good album “Serpent Sermon”, their 12^th album, along with many their old classics. They played stuff from most of their discography, along with songs that they rarely play live. Their on stage presence is perfect, as it should be for a band who is on the top of the global black metal scene for 2 decades now. However, I wanted them to play a little longer… at least Mortuus made up for it, he is definitely one of the best black metal frontmen out there.

I don't have a particular epilogue to say for that day, except the fact that we went back home torn to pieces. It surely was an one-of-a-kind show that blew our brains out like never before and no one can disagree.

Marduk Setlist:

Serpent Sermon

Nowhere, No-One, Nothing

The Levelling Dust

The Black Tormentor of Satan

On Darkened Wings

Slay the Nazarene

Temple of Decay

Throne of Rats

Deme Quaden Thyrane

Within the Abyss

Baptism by Fire

Panzer Division Marduk

Souls for Belial

Encore:

With Satan and Victorious Weapons

Wolves

Also on Burst.gr - http://www.burst.gr/live/reports/item/1822-marduk-immolation-sinate-heaving-earth-forsaken-world-live-in-athens-kyttaro-club-september-8th-2012

Michael Clarke Duncan (1957 – 2012) Goodbye Big Guy…

Michael Clarke Duncan (1957 – 2012)

Goodbye Big Guy…

It's one of those times when you're in loss for words regarding a person. I know that many people think of muscle-bound actors as another needless dumb addition to some low budget action/comedy movie nowadays, but that is definitely not the case here. I've seen my share of this kind and I can't say that I’m very much into it. What matters now is that the Big Bear is gone. I've met him through such roles as "Bear" in Armageddon or as a bouncer in A Night at the Roxbury. But he always seemed like a guy who had so much more to give. And the time was very near.

I can't say that I'm a big fan of movies based in Stephen King’s novels but there always are certain exceptions and "The Green Mile" was such an exception. He played John Coffey, a man who is the actual portrait of the good Christian in a human being (although I'm not religious myself), a man who is willing to "turn the other cheek", to give everything he has while taking nothing in return and to take the sins of the world upon his shoulders. I don't believe that many actors could accomplish such a breathtaking performance as he did. He knows that he must live a life when he will always be stumbled upon while being soft with others and holding his virtues high, something that we rarely see in any man. I really don't want to talk much about this movie, it's indeed of the best movies ever and a great adaptation of the novel, thousands of people love it and it has surely fulfilled its goal.

Sadly most of his roles that followed where the same type, bouncer, security, cop, etc with the exception of the role of Wilson Fisk AKA The Kingpin in another one of my favourite movies, the Daredevil, with his co-star in Armageddon, Ben Affleck. Not really a big surprise for a man who worked as a bodyguard for such celebs as Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Jamie Foxx, LL Cool J, and Notorious B.I.G. among others. I guess Hollywood has a way for this kind of bulky guys. What can I say; I guess someone must play the bodyguard while talking instead of the regular dumb muscular guy who never says anything.

Growing up in the tough streets of Chicago and in a single-parent family, either kills you, or gets you the need to survive. After many jobs as a bouncer or security guy, he managed to get jobs as a bodyguard for several VIPs. He also got his first roles in TV commercials. He dumped this kind of work when Notorious B.I.G. was killed. It was Bruce Willis who spotted him in Armageddon and helped him get a role in The Green Mile and The Whole Nine Yards. After that he started in numerous TV shows while his voice gained him many voice-overs in several other films.

The things about him that made him stand out were his attitude and his deep voice. Side roles in movies like Planet of the Apes and The Scorpion King were good, but not too good to gain him another big role. A role that sadly never came again, after the one in The Green Mile. For the last 10 years he’s been doing voice-overs in animation films among others. He did got eventually some bigger roles like the one in Redemption Road and in Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, but those movies didn’t make a big impact.

Michael suffered a heart attack on July 13^th, 2012, ending in his admittance to the hospital, where he passed away on September 3^rd, 2012.

He should have gotten a lot more recognition that’s for sure. But I guess everyone has his own road to follow, big or small, and that's just the way it goes. Too bad that it can't be a little longer for some people who definitely have a lot more to give to the rest of us.

I'm already missing his strong presence, his steady look, his smile and his distinctive voice.

I'll miss you Gentle Giant...

Interview wih Alex Ossek (FLAMES)

Interview with Alex Ossek (Flames) 

Prologue: We have the pleasure of hosting Alex Ossek, the singer from the legendary Greek thrash band FLAMES. Alex shares with us info about the past of the band, their recent reunion and their future plans among many others. Enjoy and enter the Slaughterhouse. (This is an interview that I did on my own, but on behalf of Burst.gr)

Elias: Hello Alex and thank you for the opportunity. Tell us a few things about how you first joined FLAMES back in the 80s.

Alex: Hi Elias first of all congratulations for Burst.gr its really a great site. At 1984 I created a metal band with 3 friends of mine, where we used to play Power Metal and made some gigs at schools and a demo. The problem was I preferred to play thrash metal so in 1986 Flames (they had already two albums on the Greek market) tried to find a new singer because they had a similar problem, they wanted to change their style to thrash metal but Nigel (Lakis) preferred power metal, so I had a session with them and I joined Flames, the bass player from my ex band Fotis joined Nigel’s new project Thanatos inc.

Elias: FLAMES have been around for almost 30 years. Except the fact that they were one of the first Greek metal bands around, they also were the first big Greek thrash band. How was the scene back then for thrash and for Heavy Metal in general?

Alex: It’s true that we were one of the first bands that played thrash in Greece and the first who played professionally in our country and the first Greek band ever that had great sales in whole Europe. The scene here in Greece was very small we had just a few bands who played professionally like Spitfire, but we had a lot of small bands playing great music like Ripper (power metal), Vomit (they had their own style something like Voivod), Acetic Voice from Thessaloniki and later Raw Silk (really great posers they could make a great career if they had a good manager and record label).

Elias: You got a lot of good reviews back then and played many concerts, some of them supporting great Heavy Metal bands. Share some info with us about those days.

Alex: This years was really great I remember a lot of great gigs I will share the most important with you. First 1987 we played as headliner at club 22 in Athens in a sold out hall in front of 1000 crazy headbangers, then in early 1988 we played as special quest with Motorhead, 3 days of sold-out gigs and 4000 fans every day. Very important were our first two gigs in Germany also.
In 1988 with Living Death was the first time that we were in Thessaloniki at Elispondos. This hall had a capacity of 800 people there was over 1000 inside. We also played in Greece with Kreator, Sodom Running Wild, Destruction, D.R.I. but the greatest experience was touring Europe with Sodom and Assassin for 2 months in sold out halls.

Elias: I know that the Greek music industry wasn’t very “kind” to Heavy Metal bands back then. You were also asked to sign with one of the greatest companies, NOISE records back in 1989 which didn’t happen and later on you and the band parted ways. What was the situation in FLAMES back then?

Alex: The good thing with us was that we had a contract with black dragon records one of the most important labels in Europe at the 80s and 90s, they promoted our 2 albums “Summon The Dead” and “Last Prophecy” which made really great sales in Europe and overseas to.

Its also true that in 1989 NOISE contacted us to make a contract (we still had a contract for one more album with B.D.) but then we decided after long thought to stay at B.D. were we were one of the major bands and not maybe number 12 or 15. But yes we understood later that it was a mistake not to join NOISE. One year later I left flames to go to study in Germany and then England.

Elias: During the time since you left FLAMES up until now, where you active in any music projects or music in general whatsoever?

Alex: After I left flames for a lot of years I had done nothing with music 1995 we tried a reunion but I had no time to do this because of business, 2004 we tried again but also didn’t have enough time. All this years with some friends we had a band and played cover songs some times at clubs (not thrash, mostly hard rock and heavy metal).

Elias: Ok, back to today. Reunion with FLAMES. How did that happen after all those years? Did you keep in touch with the rest of the members?

Alex: As I told you it was a thing we tried a lot of times, now we were ready to do this. In January we started our first rehearsal and now we keep going on. Our thought was to bring together the original 1986-1991 Flames, the years with the great success of the band. Unfortunately we could not find George our drummer, but we were really lucky that we found Alex, he fits great in the original line up and he is a great drummer.

Elias: You recently played a concert in FUZZ CLUB supporting SEPULTURA. And if I’m correct you played another concert in Germany. What are your memories of those fresh gigs?

Alex: We will play September in Germany, Fuzz was the first gig for the reunion, it was a very good warm-up for all the things that will follow.

Elias: Do you believe that you and the band have “grown” since their first old school days? How do you see the Heavy Metal scene of today?

Alex: After so many years yes I think we start again with more experience you will se that when you year the new songs, but we still play original thrash metal. The metal scene today is similar like it was at the 80s and 90s a lot of bands old and new tried to change their style and sound but like you can see, the fans prefer the original sound. I am very disappointed with the Greek scene there are a lot of small bands playing great music but nobody promotes them, from the most popular bands for my opinion only Rotting Christ are doing a great job. Most of them just promote their 40 gigs in Europe or overseas but they don’t say to anyone that they play in front of 40 or maybe 60 people. Yes I know I’m being a bad guy but that’s the truth. Sorry but, like I said from all these bands only Rotting Christ really have an international career. 

Elias: FLAMES have changed their lineup many times. Should we expect this reunion to be something more permanent or not? Do you plan to release new stuff?

Alex: This reunion will last and we have big plans. We already have 16 brand new songs ready and we will start recording them at the end of August, we will also have a new record again.

Elias: What are your tour plans from now on? Do you have any more gigs in store for the Greek fans? Do you have any more invitations to play abroad?

Alex: Like I sad we play in Germany in September and then again December at 2 festivals, at October we play 4 gigs in Greece, except those dates our manager is available for more live shows all over Europe after the release of the album.

Elias: What are your activities besides FLAMES?

Alex: I own a gym in Athens and I work also for a major coffee company as store manager.

Elias: Is there anything else that you want to share with us? 

Alex: We are really happy to be back and we promise you that our new songs will be the best flames songs ever. SOME PEOPLE MIGHT NOT LIKE IT BUT WE ARE BACK TO PLAY ORIGINAL THRASH METAL.

Thanks Elias for everything, your site will be the first that we will send next month a teaser of a new song and two great old songs Jesus Christ and Sea of Blood. We are in contact with two major German record companies and the release of the new stuff will be at end of the year.