Therion / Grave Digger / Sabaton
21 January 2007
Mean Fiddler, London
The Mean Fiddler was already busy by the time Sabaton enthusiastically took to the stage. The Swedes may play power metal, but the presence of Joakim Broden really sets them apart. For starters, with his wide mowhawk and mirrored shades, Broden doesn`t look like your typical power metal frontman. It`s his vocals however that really are different, taking a much lower range than singers in this genre.
Sabaton`s war theme choice of subject matter is also refreshingly against the norm. With seemingly no fear Broden coolly leads the band through Panzer Battalion with grins all round. The band`s passion was addictive and with crowd feeding off the band and vice versa, the set continued in an upward tack. The shared vocal to the chorus of latest album title track Attero Dominatus give the song a hymnal feel with the six musicians combining to create a metal anthem lapped up by the crowd. Such a recipe is used in a number of the band`s songs with Primo Victoria a rousing battle cry. Sabaton really put there all into this performance and it paid dividends.
Sabaton set list:
Panzer Battalion / In The Name Of God / Attero Dominatus / Into The Fire / Back In Control / Primo Victoria / Metal Medley
In comparison to the zestful Swedes, Grave Digger`s performance came across as tired. They may be big in Germany but their stock in the UK has never risen and will unlikely to have judging from the flat reaction of the crowd. This was my first encounter with a band I know more from seeing their album adverts on old Noise record vinyl releases in the late 80s. Whereas the other bands on those sleeves such as Kreator, Helloween and Celtic Frost saw their profile rise, Grave Digger never went anywhere in this country and watching this performance it was clear why.
Keyboardist Hans Peter Katzenburg took the stage first in a hooded cloak with the band following for opener Liberty Or Death. The Dark Of The Sun and Excalibur initially had the crowd on side, but as the set progressed interest seemed to wane and the dreadful ballad Yesterday really was the final nail in the coffin. I have honestly no idea what they were thinking of with this song.
Grave Digger`s first album came out in 1984, which is a long time to be digging a grave and perhaps it`s time to put this band to rest in one.
Grave Digger set list:
Liberty Or Death / The Dark Of The Sun / Excalibur / Valhalla / Lionheart / Yesterday / Raven / The Roundtable / Highland Tears / Morgane Lefay / Knights Of The Cross / Rebellion / The Last Supper / Heavy Metal Breakdown
A lengthy break passed as the stage was re-set for Therion. Whilst headlining the Mean Fiddler may be a step up for Therion in London, the venue is not as big as some of the venues in Europe on this tour and hence the stage set up was scaled back a little. Podiums at the rear, either side of the stage, were reserved for the four vocalists, who would head down from these when taking the lead role.
Therion`s trend of re-casting its vocalist slots certainly ensures each tour presents a different experience. Whilst, wisely, the excellent Mats Levén has been retained, gone was the choir of the Lemuria / Sirius B tour and in come two female vocalists, Katarina Lilja and Lori Lewis. In an initially surprising move, former Dream Evil and King Diamond drummer Snowy Shaw has come in as second male vocalist. Shaw of course handled vocals in his own venture Notre Dame and his lower range gothic vocals blend well with the Therion sound.
Shaw obviously had a lot of new songs to learn and he can be forgiven for using a lyric sheet at times and in fact the site of him singing with a large book in his hand gave the impression of some kind of mad preacher. Levén is not over shadowed and is in full rock god flight during The Blood Of Kingu.
Of course, the core of the band centres on guitarists Christofer Johnsson and Kristian Niemann and bassist Johan Niemann. The trio, with drummer Peter Karlsson, create the symphonic metal backing and in the live environment there`s an added spark to the material with the band clearly enjoying themselves.
With such a lengthy back catalogue, it`s always going to be difficult to pluck out a setlist, but with Therion publicly announcing they`d be dropping their older material, the forewarning meant there can be no complaints that no material prior to Theli was aired. In fact half the set was plucked from the band`s latest album Gothic Kabbalah and the Lemuria/Sirius B pairing. Much of the newer material is a little more compact and works well interspersed throughout the set, with Tuna 1613 and Sons Of The Staves Of Time particularly strong.
The bombastic Rise Of Sodom & Gomorrah and the symphonic swirl of Ginnugagap bring the main set to it`s conclusion, before the band return for the more subdued Lemuria. Saving their oldest material tonight for the end, Nightside Of Eden leads into traditional set closer To Mega Therion to round of a fantastic performance.
Therion set list:
Mitternacht Löwe / Schwartzalbenheim / The Blood Of Kingu / The Falling Stone / An Arrow From The Sun / Deggial / Wine Of Aluqah / Perennial Sophia / Son Of The Sun / Son Of The Staves Of Time / Birth Of Venus Illegitima / Tuna 1613 / Drum Solo / Muspelheim / Rise Of Sodom & Gomorrah / Ginnugagap / Grand Finale / Lemuria / Nightside Of Eden / To Mega Therion
LINKS:
Therion
Grave Digger
Sabaton |
