Converge + Kylesa + Gaza + Kvelertak @Rotunda, Krakow, PL [08.08.2010]

„Axe To Fall” – the latest Converge album turned out to be one of my favorite releases from last year. So I was extremely excited to hear that the band would be visiting our country and I would have the chance to verify their class live.

I took a trip to Krakow with a friend hitchhiking, and if I hadn’t been lucky enough to catch a ride with an acquaintance who drove us all the way to Kielce, we might have had trouble making it on time. With some interesting adventures, we luckily made it to the former capital of the Republic and after a little confusion in the city itself, we managed to find the right direction.

We arrived at Rotunda just before the start of Kvelertak’s performance. After a few greetings, we had to head inside to see the mentioned band, as the music played by these Norwegians was truly amazing! The mix of hardcore/punk, rocknroll, and black metal quickly ignited the crowd, who bravely supported the musicians on stage. The guys from the fjords played with power, class, and energy. A major aspect of Kvelertak’s music is the excellent melody – incredibly catchy and easy to digest. The tracks from their debut album, especially „Mjod” (which by the way has a music video) and my favorite „Offernatt”, sound undeniably innovative and therefore I predict a bright future for this band hehe. Those who have had the chance to explore the creativity of these unshaved gentlemen surely know that the motif of an owl often appears in their work. So, it was no surprise to see a fantastic mask of this friendly bird worn by the vocalist during one of the songs at the concert. A very cool touch, enhancing the atmosphere, especially considering that the music was a bit „forest-like” hehe. However, I was not entirely convinced by the sound system, which was not very selective and, in my opinion, too loud. After leaving the corridor, my ears were ringing, which probably shouldn’t happen, considering the size of the concert hall at Rotunda.

I decided to skip the next band, Gaza, after two or three songs, as their music did not resonate with me at all. Very slow, monotonous playing, lacking depth and meaning, interrupted by more energetic moments that did not save the situation. I was put off by the poorly fitting vocal parts (some unintelligible stretches, not very distinctive tone, etc.). And the musical ideas that made up their songs were just strange, out of nowhere. It all seemed more like a strange, schizophrenic jam session rather than a regular concert. Nevertheless, it provided an opportunity for a chat with friends.

One could say that Kylesa played a role as an equal headliner on the tour with Converge. A large part of the audience came to Rotunda that day specifically for them. However, I have mixed feelings about their performance. I did enjoy it, but at the same time, I can’t say that what I saw/heard blew me away. Maybe it was due to the sound system? I don’t know. Still, Kylesa left a very positive impression on me, it was clear that this group genuinely enjoys what they do. Their friendly approach to the audience was also appreciated. The stage presence of the two drummers and Laura – the girl skillfully balancing vocal duties (a bit too quiet) with playing the guitar, was captivating. The audience greeted the band with warm applause, the area in front of the stage was buzzing, and occasionally, the silhouette of enthusiastic fans would pop up from the crowd. It was obvious that the sludge masters would focus on promoting their latest album „Static Tensions,” as we heard songs like „Unknown Awareness,” „Running Red,” among others. They also didn’t forget their earlier works – starting off with „Hollow Severer” from „Time Will Fuse Its Worth.”

All of this paled in comparison to what happened a few moments later when the guys from Converge took the stage. Total mayhem took over the people in front of the stage from the first notes, and the charismatic Jacob Bannon fueled the chaos by moving around the stage, jumping, throwing the microphone, and of course, screaming his lungs out along with the fans who knew the lyrics. This guy is just a stage beast. The interaction with the audience was great from start to finish, people were just eating out of his hand. Not even the torn microphone cables could throw him off rhythm. Unfortunately, backstage, he turned out to be rather unfriendly, dismissive towards me and Spook when we tried to interview him. And it wasn’t the only issue with him that evening. Despite that, musically, Converge truly satisfied me. Here are some of the songs they played: 'Concubine’, 'Dark Horse’, 'Damages’, 'Heartache’, 'Wishing Well’, 'Eagles Become Vultures’, 'Hanging Moon’, 'No Heroes’, 'Axe To Fall’, 'Reap What You Sow’. The character of Converge’s music is incredibly twisted and schizophrenic, but I was particularly curious to see how the drummer would handle the otherworldly, unbelievable parts live. It was just a masterpiece. The guy must be on some crazy drugs. A truly fantastic performance.

Another edition of United Visions went incredibly well, and it was great to see such a high turnout, which might help the guys recover a bit from the flop that was the Earth Crisis gig last year. The rest of the evening was spent wandering around the market square, and ultimately we ended up at our friend Przemek’s place, who graciously allowed us to stay overnight (thanks!). Shoutout to Paweł from Opole, you can never have too many discussions about misanthropic black metal hehe