Immediately after the minute I entered the venue, I noticed confusion about which band was the headliner of the evening. The website of the Melkweg was changing the main and support act almost every week and as far as I could guess, no one really came to see Finntroll in the first place. But man, I couldn’t be more wrong. Right when the guys from Finland entered the stage, the venue was filled pile high with (young) metal fans who were screaming their asses off. And I must admit, Finntroll played goddamn tight with two guitar players who know how to communicate with each other through their strings. 

Although I am not that familiar with their work, I could recognize ‘Jaktens Tid’, ‘Forsvinn Du Som Lyser’ and the anthem ‘Trollhammaren’, but according to the response of the crowd, almost every song on the setlist must have been a classic, as they were all welcomed with a big applause. Yes, Finntroll surprised me by doing a more than decent job between two thrash metal bands and I could advise a lot of prejudiced people to give this band a chance after all. Oh, by the way, I haven’t seen that many crowdsurfers before, not considering hardcore or punk shows, which strengthens the idea that this show was just superb.

 

But let’s face it, the heavy metal fans came here tonight to see Sodom, the band that is the single biggest fan of Mötorhead which was already noticeable by the really, really, really loud sound. And what surprised me even more; the venue got a little bit empty for the kids went probably home after Finntroll. 

Sodom started with the opening tune from their latest album ‘Blood on Your Lips’ which I consider the best song of that record. Tom Angelripper, who was in a very happy mood by the way, then decided to cheer up the crowd by using English words instead of German. This interaction would turn out to be the key of a successful performance, because although the band played some classics like ‘Witching Metal’, ‘Napalm in the Morning’, ‘Outbreak of Evil’ and ‘The Saw is the Law’, this gig could have been so much better if the venue would have been filled. Of course, also some songs from the new album were played like ‘Axis of Evil’ and ‘City of God’, and Tom even mentioned a big year coming up for the band in which it celebrates its 25^th birthday. 

All in all it was a good recipe for a great evening of metal which would not turn out to be one of the best this year but a very decent one. What else can you do than smile when the music is so loud, the members of the band are true thrash metal fans themselves, and they start to play ‘Ace of Spades’? Indeed, so I went home satisfied, hoping that next year maybe Lords of Depravity pt II will be released.