Meshuggah are serving us one single new dimension of metal – report of the first day of Summer Breeze 14.08

Metalheads in the summer have literally the hottest and the busiest season of them all. With this huge proposal of live shows, festivals and events, sometimes it’s hard to navigate what to choose or what to do. One thing is certain: I can definitely tell you that the Summer Breeze open air festival is one of those things that cannot be missed at all. Especially this year, since it’s been sold out and the bill is thicker than a bowl of oatmeal. From symphonic to metalcore, from folk to melodic death, there is such a variety of choices that would convince even the most sceptical of fans. Let’s start at the beginning. We (that’s me and my fearless colleague Silvio) arrived at the infield at about 13:20, 10 minutes before the gates were to be opened. So we patiently waited in line with fellow metalheads and then gazed at the majesty of the place. What a beautiful setting it is, with the stages that outline the scenery and the food and drinks stands that pop up like little mushrooms in between. While we arrived quite early, the first band on the main stage wasn’t supposed to play until later in the afternoon. So we took a quick walk to catch a glimpse of what Summer Breeze offers to his attendees. And it’s quite a lot! Merch stands everywhere, tattoo stands, and then obviously merchandise as well as good music.

Brothers of Metal

Finally, it was time for us to reach the main stage and enjoy the performance of Brothers of Metal. Now, Silvio already saw this band in Italy earlier in the year and he spoke of them as a light-hearted band that has a lot of fun on stage, and I could attest that he was absolutely right. They arrive on stage one by one and it’s clear they play with all their hearts. While their songs are not particularly sophisticated or profound, they made up for this with their passion, crowd engagement and attitude. It’s definitely a show that’s suited if you want to enjoy your time dancing, jumping and screaming along to their lyrics.

Photo: Silvio Colombo.

Ankor

We then moved to the Were Tool Rebel Stage to catch Ankor. They are a sensational band from Spain; I caught a glimpse of their performance last year at Wacken Open Air, but I was curious to see more of them which is why I didn’t want to miss their show here at Summer Breeze. They are a force to be reckoned with. Oh my, when they are on stage, it’s unbelievably hard to stay still. They encourage the audience to clap, sing along and headbang to their tracks, which have incredible breakdowns. Ankor has, as a group and as individuals, remarkable stage presence, making their set even more energy-fueled and dynamic. If they maintain this standard for their shows, they are going to grow into something bigger than what we can imagine. Let’s hope it is that case!

Photo: Silvio Colombo.

Meshuggah

Like the darkness that comes after daylight, then at 21:15, just right after the announcement of next year’s band of Summer Breeze, the mighty Meshuggah were ready to take control of the main stage. These Swedish guys know exactly how to do their job, and they do it well. Their show is a combination of power, rage and still great technique; their coordinated headbanging, even though the lighting wasn’t ideal, proved why they are one of the most requested acts nowadays. Lead singer Jens unleashed all their portent through his voice, creating a connection with the audience that is unique and special. Fredrik and Mårten on guitars are the definite proof that metal with two people shredding is always better, while Dick on bass maintains the rhythmic section in a very distinguished way. Tomas on drums completes the ensemble carrying the whole rhythmic section on his shoulders. The only downside to their show is that it’s very static, they all barely move. Usually, when a band moves on stage it means they’re having fun, so this reduces a bit the hype. All in all, their set was enjoyable to hear, but not very much to see though!

Photo: Silvio Colombo.

Lord Of The Lost

The first day of the festival is almost ending, but not before one last band. We returned to the main stage for Lord Of The Lost, playing in their homeland Germany. Their set started at 23:27, a couple of minutes later than scheduled. I already saw the band not long ago in Tuska, and the show here at Summer Breeze was quite different. First of all, it was different because in Helsinki they performed in broad daylight and here they performed in the darkness, so they had the enhanced tool of using pyrotechnics and lighting to improve their show. And then, I think that it would be different to perform in the country of origin rather than abroad; normally concerts like in this case are felt in two separate ways. These guys outperformed Meshuggah in every single aspect of the set: the lights were superb, they kept on moving on stage, and their dedication was visible even to first-timers. The only flaw I have found in their setlist was that they didn’t play a single song out of their latest release “Weapons Of Mass Seduction”, but otherwise, they knocked everything out of the park. With our hearts still beating to “Blood & Glitter“, we return to our beds, eager to imagine what the second day will be…

Photo: Silvio Colombo.