New review, new setting yet again. I’m currently being ultimately frustrated on the airport in Budapest, since it seems that my netbook went bad and now I can’t connect to any wireless networks. Aside of that, it’s a happy occasion for the trip due to the fact that I’m waiting for a plane, which is taking of a remarkable eight hours from now, to go and meetup with my girlfriend in Belgium and go to “Ieperfest”. It’s going to be a weekend packed with some amazing bands, sorted out in a really tight schedule. You’ll definitely be reading a review about that event, but until then let me take you through my time in Budapest about a month ago.
The show took place on 11 July 2012 at "Durer Kert", Budapest, Hungary. Last summer I wrote a review which featured a short description of the venue, so in case you are interested you can check out that write-up here. One difference and major improvement since my last visit to the place is the fact that this time the sound was amazing. Every audio manifestation was clear and discernible, which definitely shows that the venue underwent through some significant upgrades.
We arrived a bit late to the concert, since we took our time with a nice walk to the venue, so "Torn From Earth" was grabbed in the middle of their set. Spilling out a sluggish post metal/sludge mixture into the room, this local band from Budapest was a great start of the evening. The act took their time to slowly build up their songs with really dragging and heavy melodies, ending them in cataclysmic explosions and shattering tunes. They showed an interesting amount of technical playing and their songs in general sounded really well packed together, so to speak. For the record, I enjoyed the vocals a lot, which were shifting between a scream and a growl and corresponding well with what was going on with the instrumental section. I heard only a few of their songs live, but what I witnessed was definitely enough to make me want to check them out more in the future.
A short break ensued and then it was time for "Kings Destroy". This, I have to say, was a truly awesome surprise of the night. I never listened to the band before, nor have I actually heard about them, so the extent of my mind being blown was immense. Formed by members involved in a plethora of other bands from New York, the project lashes out with an incredible fusion of stoner and doom, sprinkled with some progressive rock/metal. After a couple of songs I had an image of bands such as "Dozer", "Tool" and "Elder" smoking pot together and having outer-body experiences, as far as references to other projects go and how it all sounds like. Needless to say, the band definitely punches out a sound unique to them alone. It was interesting to hear how the melodies and the very sound were quite chunky and massive, while on the other hand you had rather clear and sturdy vocals. This type of contrast, which is really melded well by the way, gives the listener a nice full spectrum of sound and a really manic ride through the band's soundscapes. "Kings Destroy" equally sculpts slow and groovy melodies, as well as those beating, savage ones, which really makes their set quite dynamic and you can't ever expect what is gonna happen on the next corner. The band itself was also energetic, especially the vocalist who was walking and singing in probably every corner of the venue. He seemed so restless, radiating with both sarcasm and humor on each step of the way. Definitely a rollercoaster performance and I am extremely glad that "Rosetta" invited them to tour together.
Once the wild band from New York finished their set, "Rosetta" was next in line to climb the stage. This is the name that dragged me down to Budapest in the first place and I was quite anxious about their performance. One year ago I had a chance to see them play on "Fluff Fest", about which I wrote here, and I was definitely left with a really bittersweet impression regarding the band and their outlet. They just failed to move me or blow me away in Rokycany, but due to the fact that I really love their music I was almost sure that that particular performance was not the best they could muster and I have been craving to give them a second chance live ever since. Truth be told, they completely seized that second occasion and served me with pure justification regarding why I enjoy their recordings so much. "Release", "Wake", "A Determinism Of Morality" and "Revolve" are some of the songs that assured me of how amazing the band really is and what type of a spectacle their act can be. The band was bursting with so much energy during the entirety of their set, making it nearly impossible for anyone in the crowd to be left unmoved. Constant movement on stage, exquisite and powerful sound, the singer walking through the mass of people and endlessly thanking everyone present. There was a remarkable amount of an omnipresent interaction between the band and the audience, which you definitely don't get to see on a lot of gigs. "Rosetta" decided to end the show with an epic encore song called "Red In Tooth And Claw", after which the band remained a little bit on stage to talk to the audience.
In the end there were two new awesome discoveries and an old band that proved to be what I thought it was in the first place. I was really happy that I was able to go home with an impressed state of mind, and a new band shirt, additionally being pleased by the improved sound of the venue. All in all, a truly pleasant evening. Hope you enjoyed this short write-up!
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