Ugh, this write-up definitely has a sad setting for me personally, since I departed from my better half a couple of hours ago. I’m currently in the train, going from Budapest to Belgrade, dead tired and with eyes popping out from crying and sickness. Basically everything that could attack my body did, from a sore throat and coughing to a running nose and stomach ache. Hopefully reflecting back on the time spent with these two bands and the girl will evoke some nice feelings, but I'll keep the review short either way.
The night after the "New Noise" festival we arrived at the hostel somewhere past 2 AM, if I remember well. Dead tired and exhausted we both just dropped into bed, some signs of an upcoming sickness looming over our bodies. We already had to get up at 8 AM in hopes of grabbing breakfast and two hours later to get out of the room. The thing that worried me was actually the fact that our plan wasn't confirmed yet with the band. Namely, we were supposed to take a ride with "Vestiges" who were awesome enough to offer us their two free seats. During the festival I talked to Alex and Dan from the band, but it still wasn't sure when and where we would meetup to hit the road. Exchanging phone numbers didn't work for some reason, since we couldn't reach each other. In the end it was agreed that their driver will send me an email, which I could surprisingly check on my rusty old phone. But once the girl and me arrived at the hostel, I realized that my battery will die any time soon and I didn't have my charger with me. Damned be everything. In the end, the trusty Sony Ericsson W810i managed to pull it off just until I got to read the email, after which it died. Bless you, awesome Japanese engineers.
In the end, we all got to the meetup point on time and everything was well. The road in front of us was quite long, a six hour drive if I remember correctly. Needless to say, the journey reminded me so much of my time spent with "Downfall of Gaia" since the atmosphere was always friendly and the two outsiders were welcome as though they were long time friends. It was really fun hanging out with "Vestiges", they are a bunch of really awesome dudes. I have to say that I'm happy that I have the privilege to bump into such nice people thanks to my journeys through music, since it really manages to connect people no matter how far away they live from each other.
Technically speaking, this gig held place on 8 July 2012 in the venue named "De Onderbroek" which is located in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. You can read more about this place in my review of the "Tragedy" and "Momentum" show, found here. I have to say that I was really surprised by the low amount of people that attended the show, which was really weird especially since it was a weekend gig.
“Vestiges” kicked off the evening and this time everything went smooth. "I" was superb on this occasion due to the fact that Alex was able to properly channel his rage over the destruction of our planet and human ignorance through the microphone. Their sound was truly massive, so much in fact that I don't think the venue was able to hold on properly. It seems that the band makes such an intense sound, especially with the clash of soothing and violent, that the venue really needs to be perfect in order for the tunes of "Vestiges" to come into full light. Don't get me wrong, the band was beyond amazing, but I just feel that they could be even better if the gig was in another venue. In any case, it is really intriguing how the lyrics to their songs managed to crawl inside my head and the music itself was extremely tempting to just scream the words from the top of my lungs, which doesn't happen very often. "V" and "VI" also got a chance to blow away the audience and they sure did. When the split with "Ghaust" came out, "VI" just kept rewinding itself in my music player. The band managed to go even further with their sound with that song, becoming even grimmer and heavier, and it makes me abnormally excited about hearing some new material. Naturally I was tempted to ask the band about some future plans and they say that the split with "Panopticon" is well under way, as well as something else which at the moment I can't quite recall. I'm getting old, I need to start writing stuff down seriously. Either way, the band also promised, well at least Alex did, that they will be touring Europe again next summer and that they will visit some places they missed this year, like Serbia for instance. And you guys better play on "Fluff Fest" next year, that festival seems perfect for the band. Great things are looming on the horizon for this band and I'm thrilled about everything just by thinking about it.
“Downfall Of Gaia” took the stage after a small setup break. Thanks to seeing them two days in a row I was able to better analyze their new songs on this second occasion. Apparently this new material just keeps sounding more amazing with each new listen. The atmosphere and the soundscapes which they are able to weave are breathtaking, flowing from gently eerie to shattering reality epic. Those new tunes craft amazing pictures in your head and set you into a very specific mood, which I presume will be solidified even further once we get to hear the upcoming album in its entirety. There were certain instances and song sections which really made me shiver, like one certain moment when the string players start screaming all at once and thus creating a truly shattering crescendo. Once those still unknown songs ended, both songs from the split with "In The Hearts Of Emperors" were played. It is absolute enjoyment to hear those songs at any time, but I have to say that "These Wet Feathers..." just makes my head spin at how amazing that song is. I've heard it live, and the band in general, so many times now and I just can't get bored with it, in fact always looking forward for more of their gigs. So what can I say in the end, other than that I am definitely counting days until "Suffocating In The Swarm Of Cranes" comes out. It will be worth the wait.
All in all, this was a really heartwarming gig for me. Being there with my girlfriend and surrounded by friends, both new and old, seemed more like it was a house show than a venue concert. It was awesome seeing "Downfall of Gaia" again, I really missed you guys! Great music and even some vegan cake to top it off. And oh my, both bands had such awesome merch with them that they gave me a true headache until I barely managed to decide what to buy. In the end, I would like to thank "Vestiges" once again for providing my girlfriend and me with free seats in their vehicle, additionally giving us a warm welcome and making us feel at home. It was a pleasure meeting you all and I hope our roads cross again in the future.
All in all, this was a really heartwarming gig for me. Being there with my girlfriend and surrounded by friends, both new and old, seemed more like it was a house show than a venue concert. It was awesome seeing "Downfall of Gaia" again, I really missed you guys! Great music and even some vegan cake to top it off. And oh my, both bands had such awesome merch with them that they gave me a true headache until I barely managed to decide what to buy. In the end, I would like to thank "Vestiges" once again for providing my girlfriend and me with free seats in their vehicle, additionally giving us a warm welcome and making us feel at home. It was a pleasure meeting you all and I hope our roads cross again in the future.
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