English original versions 

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

ANGRA (Sweden Stage)

The Brazilian Progressive Power Metal band ANGRA was formed in 1991 by guitarist Rafael Bittencourt. This group has made nine studio albums and a tenth is in the works, which is planned to be released later this year. Their fourth record “Rebirth” (2001) is the one that has achieved the greatest success. It was a critical acclaimed and commercial success, both in Brazil and internationally, selling over 100,000 copies worldwide in less than two months.

A singer with dramatic movements captured the audience quite immediately. Progressive, playful tones from keyboards were heard and at some point it was just as if a cloud of cocky, but soft violin sound swept over us. Thick, chewing riffs from bass and guitars were a recurring feature, as well as exuberant solos. Bruno Valverde was like a strong rock behind the drums and full of energy.

During the first songs, the strength and speed increased. “Travelers Of Time” became very powerful and also contained a nice twin guitar solo. Bittencourt sang a little in this piece. Then Fabio Lione took over the vocals again. The very good “Angels Cry” was an energetic song with fast drumbeats. Valverde and the bassist Felipe Andreoli did a fantastic job. Marcelo Barbosa played absolutely wonderful guitar tones.

In the middle of the concert, the tempo slowed down and a couple of calm creations were performed, including “Rebirth”. Rafael played acoustic guitar at the beginning and end of this piece. The song was nice and gentle at first. It was as if the emotions could be felt in the air. Then the volume and intensity increased. The fans sang along passionately. From the middle it became a heavier sound, although it was still a slow tune. Barbosa played a very rapid guitar solo, which Bittencourt then continued on. Marcelo impressed with his guitar playing several times during the concert, for example in the very good “Carry On”. In the same piece, the singer did a nice hard rock scream, where he held a high note for a long time.

Some variety in the music is good. If it gets too much, I can find it incoherent and almost boring, which is the risk for me with progressive stuff. Sometimes though, I can like the seemingly unplanned, if there is a thought behind it and ANGRA was better than I expected. (Anna)

Setlist ANGRA:
Newborn Me
Nothing To Say
Travelers Of Time
Angels Cry
Lisbon
Rebirth
Waiting Silence
Carry On
Nova Era

WIG WAM (Sweden Stage)

WIG WAM is a Norwegian Glam Metal band, which was formed in 2001 and their lineup has remained unchanged. The members have a humorous gleam in their eyes, especially the singer Åge Sten "Glam" Nilsen. He also has a fantastic stage presence and an excellent contact with the audience. Their music contains great melodies, with very catchy choruses. The group had their international breakthrough in 2005 when they represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest and placed ninth with ”In My Dreams”. The guys enjoyed further fame in 2022 when their song ”Do Ya Wanna Taste It” became the opening theme for the American superhero series ”Peacemaker”. Six studio albums have been made through the years. The latest one “Out Of The Dark” was released four months ago and they have been on tour since then, including in the US for the first time, which ended with the Monsters Of Rock Cruise. One of the summer's festival gigs was to my delight at Sweden Rock.

“Never Say Die”, from the previous disc with the same name (released in 2021), opened the show. The very good song has a nice rhythm, which comes from Øystein “Sporty” Andersen behind the drums and the cool bassist Bernt “Flash” Jansen. Guitarist Trond “Teeny” Holter walked up to the edge of the stage and played a very nice solo. The microphone stand had a long scarf tied at the top. Nilsen lifted it high into the air many times during the concert. Sometimes he made a sweeping motion back and forth, so that the fabric fluttered like a flag in the wind. “Glam” has a good hard rock voice, as well as a strong charisma.

The first three songs were full of energy and joy. During the title track “Out Of The Dark” from the new record, the tempo of the concert dropped a bit, which continued in the instrumental “The Drop”. A piece that might not have been quite suitable for a festival audience. To many it sounded like one long guitar solo, but Holter is skilled and played extremely good.

The singer had everyone clapping and singing along on several occasions. A bit into the concert, Åge picked out an acoustic guitar and we got to hear the incredibly lovely “Kilimanjaro”, with its swinging rhythm in the chorus. The members had fun and sometimes joked with the audience or with each other. Before “Daredevil Heat”, Nilsen shouted: “Wohoo!” several times and the crowd did the same. Andersen finished the song with lovely, rolling, bouncing drumbeats.

The positive mood rose more and more, especially during the last three and best songs. Naturally, it got extra excited during one of their biggest hits, “In My Dreams”. At the key rise, the crowd cheered. Everyone sang along at the top of their lungs. More joy and energy spread when their mega hit “Do Ya Wanna Taste It” was played. Then it really became hustle and bustle among the fans. Everyone in the audience danced and sang along. In total, this concert was absolutely fantastic. (Anna)

Setlist WIG WAM:
Never Say Die
Rock My Ride
Non Stop Rock’n’Roll
Out Of The Dark
The Drop
Kilimanjaro
Daredevil Heat
Forevermore
Bless The Night
Hard To Be A Rock’n’Roller
In My Dreams
Do Ya Wanna Taste It

DEF LEPPARD (Festival Stage)

This English Hardrock band does not really need much of an introduction, but I can quickly mention that they were formed in 1976 and have sold over 100 million records worldwide. Since 1992 the group has consisted of singer Joe Elliot, bassist Rick Savage, drummer Rick Allen, as well as guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell. DEF LEPPARD was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. They have made twelve studio albums, of which the latest “Diamond Star Halos” was released in May 2022.

“Pyromania” (1983), with singles such as “Photograph,” “Rock Of Ages,” “Foolin’,” and more, eventually became a Diamond seller, as well as their hugely popular album “Hysteria” (1987). The material contained the mega hits “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” “Animal,” “Love Bites,” “Hysteria,” “Rocket,” and “Armageddon It.” With those two records, which have sold over 10 million copies each in the US, DEF LEPPARD are one of only five rock bands that have done that, alongside THE BEATLES, LED ZEPPELIN, PINK FLOYD and VAN HALEN.

This was the fifth time they played on Sweden Rock Festival. The last time was in 2019 and it was not only an amazing concert, but the best I have seen with DEF LEPPARD. My expectations for this year’s gig were therefore quite high. The music started and soon all the members appeared on stage. Cheers erupted all around me. Behind the drum podium was a large background screen, showing visual effects. Elliot had a strong and good voice. After the first song, Joe greeted us and asked how we were feeling, followed by: “We have a question for you. Do you wanna get rocked?” Then “Let’s Get Rocked” was played. During the chorus, the audience sang along. The group’s positive sound was contagious.

On the background screen, merry-go-rounds in an amusement park were seen and the song “Animal” kicked off. Automatically we clapped exactly as it should be, in the right places in the chorus. In the middle section, Phil held his left fingers around the neck of the guitar, while with his right hand he lifted the instrument up by the strings and kind of tossed with it a couple of times. That is how he got the squeaky, cool sound that was heard after the frontman’s “Huh!”

Guitarist Vivian Campbell stood in front of the audience and began to play “Armageddon It”. Later he also performed the solo. During this number, it was impossible to stand still. A couple of songs further on, the spotlights began to circulate and the calmer piece “Love Bites” was heard. Several of the spectators made a quick whistle and everyone around me sang along.

The singer picked up a guitar and Campbell played an acoustic one in “This Guitar”. The melody has been dedicated to Gary Rossington in LYNYRD SKYNYRD, who died in March this year. It was a slower tune in American Southern style. Although it was a nice tune, it got a bit sleepy for a while. After another ballad, “Rocket” made everyone wake up. Afterwards, whistles and cheers were heard. A few songs later, the concert dropped down a bit again, when the instrumental “Switch 625” was performed, which to me just felt like a filler and I lost interest for a while. However, Allen played an impressive drum solo, which was much appreciated. By the way, it is always a pleasure to see the skilled drummer smiling behind his kit.

When Phil and Vivian stood side by side in the classic “Hysteria” and performed the guitar solo together, it was almost magical. There was also a very lovely bassplaying by Rick. This piece made the rhythm roll through the body and it was impossible to stand still. The following hit “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, with its flirty style, got us in a good mood and many jumped, danced or sang along at the top of their lungs.

DEF LEPPARD’s Arenarock was melodic as always, with catchy hooks and vocal harmonies. The concert they did four years ago is still my favorite, but they put on a very good show this year as well. Naturally, a huge crowd had gathered to see these legends and I think everyone felt good in the evening sun. As always, the band played Hardrock that made you happy. (Anna)

Setlist DEF LEPPARD:
Take What You Want
Let’s Get Rocked
Animal
Foolin’
Armageddon It
Kick
Love Bites
Promises
This Guitar
When Love And Hate Collide
Rocket
Bringin’ On The Heartbreak
Switch 625 / Drum solo
Hysteria
Pour Some Sugar On Me
Rock Of Ages
Photograph

Thursday, June 8, 2023

CROWNE (Blåkläder Stage)

The Swedish Hard Rock group CROWNE was formed in 2020 and consists of singer Alexander Strandell (ART NATION), bassist John Levén (EUROPE), drummer Christian “Kicken” Lundqvist (THE POODLES) and keyboardist Jona Tee (H.E.A.T), as well as from 2022 guitarist Love Magnusson (DYNAZTY). Before that, Jona played guitar, although Magnusson jumped in and performed the solos on the debut album “Kings In The North” (2021). The sequel “Operation Phoenix” was released at the beginning of 2023 and on Sweden Rock Festival it was the very first time that the guys played a concert with this particular band.

Five songs each from both of their albums were performed, in a good mixed order. For some reason Levén could not join, so Love’s bandmate Jonathan Olsson from DYNAZTY became the temporary bassist. Maybe the singer saw that many in the audience looked like question marks when he introduced the song “Super Trooper”, or maybe he was just joking. For those of you wondering, it is not a cover of ABBA’s “Super Trouper”, but CROWNE’s own, Melodic Hard Rock song.

Lundqvist is an incredibly skilled drummer. The rhythm seemed to come from within his body. Even though it happened to be a ballad at some point and Christian played slower, there was still a lot of energy. Another talented musician is guitarist Magnusson, who at one point stood alone on stage and delivered a beautiful solo.

CROWNE is a bunch of fantastic musicians and singer. After all, everyone is used to be on stage, so you could not notice that it was a premiere. They had a rather good interaction and had fun together. Strandell shone like a sun and everything he did, he did with great commitment. Alexander had a good connection with the audience. People seemed to have listened a lot to both records. Many sang along in both verses and choruses. (Anna)

Setlist CROWNE:
Kings In The North
Perceval
In The Name Of The Fallen
Super Trooper
Mad World
Save Me From Myself
Operation Phoenix
- Guitar solo -
The Last Of Us
Sharoline
Champions

CHRISTONE KINGFISH INGRAM (Sweden Stage)

Since the release of his Grammy-nominated debut album ”Kingfish” (2019), guitarist, vocalist and songwriter CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM has quickly become the blues voice of his generation. For instance, the 24-year-old has already headlined two national tours, performed with his mentor and friend BUDDY GUY, as well as been interviewed by Sir ELTON JOHN on his podcast. Ingram has been on the front cover of several magazines, like “Guitar World” for example. His guitar playing has been compared to great artists such as B.B. KING, JIMI HENDRIX and PRINCE. The Grammy Award winning and latest material got the name “662”, after the telephone area code where Christone lives in Mississippi. This second material showed a more personal side of him.

The American’s sound is of course inspired by Delta Blues, but also by Gospel, Jazz and Rock. KINGFISH fell in love with music when he was a small child, initially playing drums and then bass. At a young age, he got his first guitar and progressed quickly, making his stage debut a few months later. By age 16 he made people’s heads turn and began to win awards. This bluesman has performed at clubs, concert halls and festivals in the US, Canada and Europe repeatedly. Now it was Sweden Rock Festival’s turn to be visited by him, which was Ingram’s first time in Sweden.

The concert kicked off with wonderfully swinging Blues and you immediately noticed that this guy is the real thing. His fingers moved quickly and precisely over the strings. For being so young, Christone has a very mature, deep voice, which is fascinating. It is bluesy and emotional. KINGFISH impressed with his guitar playing, holding and bending notes with both passion and control. At some point the music slowed down, to almost silence. The only thing that could be heard were the tones from the guitar, both restrained and full of life at the same time.

The very good “Not Gonna Lie” was cool Blues with attitude and contained some outstanding guitar playing. The other musicians in the frontman’s band seemed to come to life. A spark of extra energy was ignited and it became a longer jam session. Many in the audience danced or moved to the beat. Unfortunately, the instrumental part perhaps went on a little too long, so the interest dropped for a while. Ingram soon caught us again with a cool rhythm in the fantastic “Outside Of This Town”. Christone delivered flirty, teasing tones and the intensity hung in the air. After that he played with full power, which instead made the air vibrate.

There was more energy and rockier Blues in the awesome “Long Distance Woman”. Many arms were stretched up into the air and most of us moved in pace as the rhythm spread through our bodies. In this song we got to hear a couple of all the fantastic guitar solos. Ingram usually played with a relaxed feeling. As a spectator, I became calm, warm and happy inside. It was also fun to see a lot of younger people who liked this kind of music. It may lean towards Bluesrock, it may lean towards smooth R&B or Jazz, but first of all it is traditional Blues.

Soft, rolling tones warmed the audience as much as the sun on this day. Sometimes, however, it was perhaps a little too soft and serene for a Hard Rock crowd, but not many people walked away. Just like his idol Hendrix, KINGFISH took off his electric guitar, laid it on the floor and left the stage when the concert was finished, with the final tone still sounding from the amplifier. If you are not a fan of long guitar solos, it might have been a bit too much of that stuff. However, if you think it is among the best things you know, then it was fantastic. I am somewhere in between and have to admit that my mind started to wander from time to time. Whatever one thinks of it, CHRISTONE KINGFISH INGRAM is extremely skilled. (Anna)

MYRATH (Sweden Stage)

MYRATH played two concerts at Sweden Rock 2019, but I did not see either of them, which I later regretted. Heard that it had been absolutely fantastic shows and many visitors were absolutely lyrical. In 2023, I therefore did not intend to miss them again. Their sound is a mix of Middle Eastern instrumentation, Power Metal and Progressive Rock. They are the first band from Tunisia to be signed to a record label outside the country. Their shows are known to be magic, with dancers, magicians and fire eaters.

The group began to take shape in 2001, but under a different name. The initiator was the founder and guitarist Malek Ben Arbia. The members became five when keyboardist Elyes Bouchoucha joined them in 2003. He also took over the role as singer. A couple of years later the guys met French musician Kevin Codfert, who has been their producer since MYRATH’s first album “Hope” (2007). At the same time Anis Jouini became the bands bassist. Shortly after also singer Zaher Zorgati joined the group and took over lead vocals from Elyes. Zorgati’s ability to combine oriental chants with Heavy Metal wailing became a key component of MYRATH’s sound, while the lyrics began to focus on Tunisian folklore. Drummer Morgan Berthet has been a part of the band since 2012.

The fourth and critically acclaimed album “Legacy” (2016) featured lyrics contributed by Tunisian poets. MYRATH then toured around the world consistently for more than two years and appeared at several international music festivals. Their fifth and latest studio album “Shehili” (2019) also became a success. They toured the world again and except Sweden Rock this group played at Wacken for example. In 2020 the band separated from the keyboardist Bouchoucha. From 2022 it has been Kevin Codfert who has played keyboards. Their new upcoming album “Karma” will be released in September.

But now, let us focus on their concert on SRF 2023. Lots of fire shot up at the edge of the stage and the show was on. Heavy guitar and bass tones were heard in the second piece “Born To Survive”, as well as the singer’s powerful voice. The guitarist stood steady as a rock, while his fingers moved incredibly fast. Arbia played everything from clear notes to distorted ones. One of their biggest hits, the fantastic “Dance”, has a catchy chorus and a danceable rhythm that got my body moving. When Zaher's voice easily ran up to the hights, I was thrilled. He was so skilled. Zorgati could play with his voice and throw the notes any way he wanted and it sounded amazing.

The group played a couple of new songs, including “Child Of Prophecy”, which was very good. The frontman started singing tones on the lower scale. He then shifted to a higher pitch, and soon after swung into a Hard Rock scream, which blew me away in fascination. On the stage were seen four dancers and a belly dancer, as well as two guys in face masks, who twirled around with burning torches in different ways. Everyone performed several times during the concert. After this number, the band drew attention to the festival’s 30th anniversary and sang “Happy birthday” to Sweden Rock, together with the entire audience.

Oriental tones and thick bass riffs met in the opening of “Merciless Times”. Malek’s fingers moved deftly over the guitar strings. Raw Heavy Metal was mixed with a melodious and meandering melody. In addition to this, we were met with different visual impressions. A dancer held up two long pieces of cloth, one in each hand. Her movements made it flutter very nicely to the music. The two fire artists swung their torches so that the fire blazed extra large and high.

During the last song “Believer”, the show was filled to the brim with lots of fire and pyrotechnics. During an exuberant guitar solo, glittering fireworks shot up at the edge of the stage, as well as from a fire artist’s torch in a spectacular way. Zaher and the audience took turns singing, before he finished the song himself, in a beautiful way. A huge cheering rose to the sky. MYRATH made a success again. It was a sensational concert. Afterwards, many continued to sing on “Believer”, while others talked and laughed of exhilaration. Initially, this Thursday was my most tired day of the festival, but after this group’s magically fantastic show, my energy was refilled and I was wide awake.

The band has a unique sound, where East meets West. The members had fun on stage and sometimes joked with each other. They offered a well-thought-out, cool concert, with many different elements and a very nice choreography. I think the entire crowd on several occasions lost their breath and just stared happily, myself included. The author of these lines became totally lyrical. This MYRATH live show was an unforgettable experience. (Anna)

Setlist MYRATH:
Into The Night
Born To Survive
Dance
Child Of Prophecy
Let It Go
Merciless Times
Heroes
Beyond The Stars
Jasmin
Believer

Friday, June 9, 2023

H.E.A.T (Festival Stage)

I visited Sweden Rock Festival for the first time in 2009. The first band I saw was H.E.A.T, then with the same singer who is back today, Kenny Leckremo. Over the years, I have seen this group live several times, although with Erik Grönwall as frontman, something he was extremely good at. Fun to see him this year too, but in SKID ROW. Both these singers are a couple of fighters. They fought and overcame their illnesses. Kenny over a heart problem many years ago and Erik over leukemia. Anyway, with excitement I was looking forward to see Leckremo behind the microphone again.

This group was formed in 2007 and the year after that these Swedes released their first disc “H.E.A.T”. At the beginning of 2009, the band went on a European tour together with EDGUY, whose singer Tobias Sammet made a guest appearance on one of the tracks on the guys’ second album “Freedom Rock” (2010). The same year that material came, Kenny left the band due to his heart problem and Grönwall became the new singer. “Address The Nation” (2012) with the hit song “Living On The Run”, as well as “Tearing Down The Walls” (2014), with great tracks like “A Shot At Redemption”, “Enemy In Me” and “Laughing At Tomorrow”, are considered their best albums. The sixth record “H.E.A.T II” (2020) was the first work to be produced entirely by the band, with guitarist Dave Dalone and keyboardist Jona Tee as producers. After that, Erik handed over the microphone to Kenny, who came back stronger than ever. Last year, the seventh and latest record “Force Majeure” was released.

The members entered the stage and the audience cheered. The concert opened with the awesome “Back To The Rhythm”, which contained a splendid guitar solo. The singer was moving all over the stage pretty much the entire time. The energy from the bouncing frontman was contagious and most people in the crowd were dancing, jumping or moving in some way. In “Tainted Blood” Leckremo sang: “...the force inside of me...”, which really suits him, who seems to have an enormous power inside him. Dalone looked cool as usual in his hat and he impressed with his guitar playing. Dave performed a dexterous solo.

There was no lack of pyrotechnics. Flames of fire blazed up along the front of the stage and clouds of smoke slowly rolled forward. With a bang, “One By One” started. The singer has an incredibly good voice. He was also a bundle of energy, who had a good connection with the audience. Kenny mentioned how amazing it felt to be on the same stage that IRON MAIDEN would also play on later. If the spectators did not get warm from the sun, they at least became that during “1000 Miles”. Dancing movements spread throughout the sea of people. The euphoria continued in “Living On The Run”. Me and everyone sang along at the top of our lungs.

Perhaps there was a slightly too long sing along part in the middle of the concert, as well as towards the end of the show. Even though it is fun and strengthens the fellowship, it should not be too much. The one before the last song felt far too drawn out, almost psychedelicly annoying and was completely unnecessary. I would rather have heard one more song, for example the superb “Rise”.

It was a very good concert, which contained a classic Hard Rock sound with skilled musicians. They turned back and forth between rather cheesy to more Heavy. Most of their choruses were catchy. Dave played great guitar riffs and Crash gave everything he could of his neverending energy behind the drums. H.E.A.T was as good as I had expected and Kenny Leckremo is back where he belongs. (Anna)

Setlist H.E.A.T:
Back To The Rhythm
Dangerous Ground
Rock Your Body
Redefined
Hollywood
Tainted Blood
One By One
Beg Beg Beg
1000 Miles
Living On The Run
Nationwide
A Shot At Redemption

TNT (Rock Stage)

The Norwegian Hard Rock group TNT was formed in 1982. They are known for the songs "10.000 Lovers (In One)", from their third material “Tell No Tales” (1987) and the title track from "Intuition" (1989), among others. These albums were both huge successes in Scandinavia and Japan. The last mentioned was also the band's best received American release and saw the guys embarking on their first headlining tour of the U.S. Fourteen studio records have been made, as well as three EPs and four live albums, while going through numerous line-up changes. Guitarist Ronni Le Tekrø is the only consistent member. Together with drummer Diesel Dahl and the American singer Tony Harnell TNT was once again reunited to play concerts and festivals together. Sid Ringsby is also back on bass and the members have been recording some new music for a future album.

Le Tekrø impressed several times, for instance in “Downhill Racer”. This man is not only a technically gifted musician, but he is playing with feeling and his facial expressions are priceless. The group performed the following “Invisible Noise” in a very Heavy way, with thick riffs on guitar and bass. "Northern Lights" was perhaps not the funniest song choice, but the band probably wanted to take the opportunity to play it when they were in Sweden. Harnell said that as an American he had never seen the Northern Lights, so when Tony was in Scandinavia for the first time in the 80s and saw this in the sky, then he just had to write about it. During this ballad, I saw several couples dancing slowly and lovingly with each other.

Ronni’s extended solo was not as others, mostly full speed and heavy riffs. Here we instead found a lot of variation. It was fascinating to watch this skilled guitarist. Great to see the virtuoso being like one with his guitar. Tony Harnell’s vocals, with his unique and powerful 4 octave range, still holds. This bright falsetto voice was particularly good in, for example, “Forever Shine On” and the fantastic “Intuition”.

The concert was okay, but it felt like something was missing. It was a little low on energy and I got the feeling that they were just running on old routine. TNT have been better. (Anna)

Setlist TNT:
As Far As The Eye Can See
She Needs Me
Tonight I’m Falling
My Religion
Downhill Racer
Invisible Noise
Northern Lights
- Guitar solo -
Forever Shine On
Intuition
10,000 Lovers (In One)
Seven Seas

IRON MAIDEN (Festival Stage)

IRON MAIDEN is one of the biggest, most influential and successful groups in the world, having sold 130 million albums and always touring extensively. The last weekend in May, the legendary Heavy Metal band started their “The Future Past Tour” and on Friday June 9th they made an appreciated stop at Sweden Rock Festival.

IRON MAIDEN was founded by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris in the mid ‘70s. They took the world by storm with their third album “The Number Of The Beast” in 1982, which were the guys’ first record with the singer Bruce Dickinson. In that decade their mascot Eddie was also created, one of the most iconic and recognisable figureheads of our age. Their music appeals to all ages. They have dazzled both critics and fans with, among others, “Fear Of The Dark” (1992), “Dance Of Death” (2003) and “The Book Of Souls” (2015). The band is also known to have their own airplane, “Ed Force One”, with Dickinson as the pilot. In 2009 the group released the DVD “Flight 666”, a document of life on the road and in the air. IRON MAIDEN has won awards for Best British Live Act and a US Grammy for Best Metal Performance.

Instead of a pure album tour for the latest record “Senjutsu” (2021), the theme is mixed with a retrospective focus on the record “Somewhere In Time” from 1986. The fifteen-song long setlist for Sweden Rock consisted of five pieces each from these two materials. Here and there some of the old classics also appeared and made it all a good mix. In front of the stage and across most of the festival area was a sea of around 40,000 people. Expectations were high, while we also know that they never disappoint their fans. Suddenly the sound of a ticking clock was heard, then a loud bang and then guitar playing. The murmur in the audience turned into a cheer when the band members entered the stage, where they opened with “Caught Somewhere In Time”.

Bruce was as usual full of energy and dramatic movements. His voice is still strong and full of power. The frontman also talked and joked in between songs. Janick Gers was the most lively of the three guitarists and was also seen doing the most Rock poses, such as swinging one arm around in wild movements over the guitar. Dave Murray played several exuberant solos, including in “The Writing On The Wall”. Adrian Smith played very nice and with feeling, for example in a cool solo during “The Time Machine”. It developed into a lovely triple solo, as Murray continued and then Gers also joined.

It got really Heavy during “The Prisoner” and the mood was raised another notch. There was a nice, captivating tempo here. Adrian played a superb guitar solo, which Dave continued on, which also sounded extremely good. The joy then spread during the fantastic “Can I Play With Madness”. Me and most of the others sang along. There were probably many more, but I know at least one who was completely overjoyed that “Alexander The Great” was performed live. It contained, among other things, a nice melody and marching beat on the drums, as well as an excellent guitar playing. The sound from the so-called “three amigos” was magnificent.

Familiar tones revealed that “Fear Of The Dark” began. The singer entered the podium behind and above the drum set, wearing a hooded cloak, holding a lantern. The song gradually increased its speed and gave everyone extra energy. Harris and the three guitarists jumped repeatedly, as did many in the audience.

The huge mascot Eddie, of course, stepped onto the stage several times during the concert, for example in “Iron Maiden”. Steve’s cool bass tones bubbled forth. After this number, the band said goodbye. Before they left, Bruce Dickinson said, with a twinkle in his eye: “I’ll be back”...! Yes, you knew the group would come back in for a few more songs, but it felt like it took forever before the show continued. Calm, clear tones then flowed out into the Swedish summer night. Flames of fire shot up after a while and the music picked up the pace. “Hell On Earth” was a very long piece. The crowd slowly moved their arms back and forth in the air.

The spectators hummed along to the familiar melody of “The Trooper”. I think the energy rushed through the bodies of all of us. Eddie entered the stage again. He and Bruce fought with swords. The concert was over, as we all know, when Monty Python’s “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life” was heard from the speakers. Everyone in the audience whistled happily, as they slowly walked away.

In conclusion, I can say that the sound of three guitarists was mighty powerful. They had different styles of playing and completed each other perfectly. Then add a powerful drummer and bassist, as well as a charismatic singer with a good voice and we have a winning concept. Their stage construction and pyrotechnics are also something out of the ordinary. IRON MAIDEN knows the art of capturing the audience. (Anna)

Setlist IRON MAIDEN:
Caught Somewhere In Time
Stranger In A Strange Land
The Writing On The Wall
Days Of Future Past
The Time Machine
The Prisoner
Death Of The Celts
Can I Play With Madness
Heaven Can Wait
Alexander The Great
Fear Of The Dark
Iron Maiden
--------------------
Hell On Earth
The Trooper
Wasted Years

PERFECT PLAN (Pistonhead Stage)

PERFECT PLAN was formed already in 2014, but had their breakthrough like overnight in 2018, with the debut album “All Rise”. With the incredibly good follow-up “Time For A Miracle” (2020), the group proved that they were here to stay. Their third and latest album “Brace For Impact” (2022) has also been praised. The band’s classic, melodic Rock and AOR have become the benchmark many others compare to, within this genre. This year it was time to play on Sweden Rock Festival for the first time.

This Swedish unit is praised by critics and loved by fans. They make everything sound perfect, without overthinking it. They feel comfortable with each other and do whatever feels right. All the members are superb musicians and the singer has an outstanding voice, something that led to Kent Hilli becoming the new frontman of American GIANT a couple of years ago. Hilli is a powerhouse singer with a rare sense for tone and dynamics.

Exquisite guitar tones were heard in the opening “Time For A Miracle” and they were strengthened by Leif Ehlin’s keyboard playing. This fantastic song had a rocking, lovely rhythm, which made it feel like the music rushed around inside me. Kent had a rougher tone in his voice in the verses, but in the chorus his clear, strong vocals was heard. The guitarist Rolf Nordström was incredibly skilled. He was also seen enjoying playing as much as we enjoyed listening. Sometimes, both of his hands wandered up the neck of the instrument, delivering both beautiful and energetic tones.

During the terrific “Better Walk Alone” the frontman’s magnificent voice sounded stronger than ever and I wished that PERFECT PLAN would have played on a bigger stage, during the day in sunlight and not inside a tent in the middle of the night. A rush of happiness ran through my body when Hilli started singing their cover of FOREIGNER’s “That Was Yesterday”. A very good song and a very good version.

After an hour, which felt like it went faster than ever, we in the audience could not get enough of the band. With huge applause and the spectators “one more time” they came back on stage and played “In And Out Of Love”. That song started it all for the group in 2018, so they enjoyed performing it live extra much. The show was professional in all its simplicity. PERFECT PLAN was so genuine and down to earth. They delivered a cozy feel-good concert with top class music. (Anna)

Saturday, June 10, 2023

MAMMOTH WVH (Rock Stage)

The multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer and singer Wolfgang Van Halen (ex-VAN HALEN, ex-TREMONTI) is perhaps still best known for being the son of the late Eddie Van Halen. With his project MAMMOTH WVH, however, Wolfgang shows that he can stand on his own two feet. The debut material released in 2021 received a lot of positive reactions and praise. Album number two is in the works and will be released on August 4th. Wolfie continues to write all the songs, sing and play all the instruments himself in the studio. With him on stage though, just like before, he has drummer Garrett Whitlock (TREMONTI), guitarists Frank Sidoris (SLASH feat. MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS) and Jon Jourdan, as well as bassist Ronnie Ficarro. It was just after twelve and the last day of the festival had just begun. A lot of rockers seemed to have taken a long morning of sleep, but many still came to this concert, which Wolf became happy about.

The light from the spotlights vibrated and the band logo with the two m’s pressed together, like a four-legged letter of its own, appeared on the background screen. When Wolfgang entered the stage, he was warmly received by the audience. The concert opened with “Mammoth”. Van Halen and Sidoris stood next to each other and played a great guitar solo together. That Rock song was full of energy and afterwards a big cheer from the crowd erupted. The melodic and very nice “Epiphany” had a fantastic middle section with emotional singing. This piece then lifted even more in the chorus.

From the upcoming album “Mammoth II” two new tracks were played, “Like A Pastime” and “Another Celebration At The End Of The World”. The latter I was quite neutral about when it was released as a single, but live this song was much better. The tempo increased more and more. Wolfgang played a superb guitar solo.

The song he wrote as a tribute to his late father, the Grammy-nominated “Distance”, was also performed. The fans cheered. It is more of a Pop song, but live it had a touch of Rock. Here you could also hear what a good voice the front guy has. I was also impressed by the drummer. Whitlock’s bouncing drumbeats, even if they were slow, were so vibrant. We got more Pop in “Think It Over”, his father’s favorite with MAMMOTH. This piece gave a lovely feeling and made my body move to the beat. Afterwards, Wolfie told that it was written already in 2018 and Eddie was pumping his fist every time he heard it. Wolf said to the Sweden Rock audience: “So to see all you people do that now was amazing!”

Except poppy verses, “You’re To Blame” contained a very Heavy sound and thick riffs. During the closing “Don’t Back Down” the music was pumping faster and harder, so that both the air and the ground seemed to vibrate. The rhythm made our hips move. This awesomely cool hit song is terrific and was absolutely the best.

MAMMOTH offered everything from Pop to heavier Hard Rock, during an hour when time seemed to fly by very quickly. Since I saw them last autumn, they have become more interactive with each other in the group, which was fun to see. They were smiling more and seemed to have a really good time. (Anna)

Setlist MAMMOTH WVH:
Mammoth
Mr. Ed
Epiphany
Like A Pastime
Stone
Distance
Think It Over
My Hero (Foo Fighters cover)
You’re To Blame
Another Celebration At The End Of The World
Don’t Back Down

SYMPHONY X (Rock Stage)

The American Progressive Metal band SYMPHONY X was founded in 1994. This group consists of three members named Michael; Romeo on guitar, LePond on bass and Pinnella on keyboards. In addition to these, we find Jason Rullo behind the drums and Russell Allen behind the microphone. They have released nine albums and their third record “The Divine Wings Of Tragedy” (1996) is considered their best.

Movie-like music was heard while the spotlights circulated. There was cheering when the members entered the stage one by one. Not only the guitarist, but also the bassist showed his dexterity during the second number “Sea Of Lies”. Michael LePond powerfully struck the bass strings, first with a clenched fist, which he in the movement opened really quickly with spreading fingers. Both he and the drummer did a fantastic job. In the powerful “Evolution”, Michael Romeo played an exuberant guitar solo, something he did several times during the concert.

Very fast guitar tones started “Run With The Devil”. The sound from the bass thumped properly. Allen was lively, playful and had a good contact with the audience. “Set The World On Fire” was a very good song, with power and energy. The music pumped through my body and I enjoyed it. Whistles and cheers were heard from the audience.

What I particularly noticed during the band’s performance was the excellent guitarist and the energetic drummer, but most of all the singer. Russel is a cool, charismatic frontman with a very good voice. He can sing rough or clean, deep or high, all with fantastic power. The concert with SYMPHONY X was a positive surprise for me. It was incredibly good. (Anna)

Setlist SYMPHONY X:
Nevermore
Sea Of Lies
Dehumanized
Evolution (The Grand Design)
Without You
Kiss Of Fire
Run With The Devil
Serpent’s Kiss
Set The World On Fire (The Lie Of Lies)