Unholy blacksters, let’s take a trip to a lighter shade of metal this time, the one most of us have grown up with since we first bumped into some early Maiden or Venom albums. The Swedish heavy metal is giving birth to one jewel after the other, highest quality and faithful spirit, and it is gaining more and more attention all over the world. We chose Huskvarna Rock and Art Weekend, delightful festival of Music and tattoo Art, this year at hits fifth edition, in Huskvarna, charming location at the head of Vättern lake, to check how this Swedish heavy metal is doing. We chose this instead of Mörkaste Småland festival, taking place (for some unhappy coincidence?) during the same weekend, several shadows darker and 80 miles more southern.
Day 1 - 29 September 2017
The atmosphere is so refreshing, cheerful, personal, more denim and less new rocks, a laid-back party for metal maniacs, less poser and definitely warmer compared to the ones we are more used to. The organizer Kristian welcomes personally every visitor as if he was inviting all to his living room, where there is such a fireplace he is so proud to share. As soon as you cross the entrance gates of the venue you feel immediately home. We come to the last notes of Armory and already we felt assaulted by the wind of 80s…
The atmosphere is so refreshing, cheerful, personal, more denim and less new rocks, a laid-back party for metal maniacs, less poser and definitely warmer compared to the ones we are more used to. The organizer Kristian welcomes personally every visitor as if he was inviting all to his living room, where there is such a fireplace he is so proud to share. As soon as you cross the entrance gates of the venue you feel immediately home. We come to the last notes of Armory and already we felt assaulted by the wind of 80s…
Next band on stage Total Inferno, fellow compatriots of Nifelheim and hell, you can easily hear the lineage! Great communication, raw and thrashy riffs bringing you directly in the 80s without forgetting the Swedish 90s, a completely non-poser attitude, and several Mercyful Fate quotes, summed up even by the skeleton hand attached to the microphone. A genuine blast and a great surprise, and no, we couldn’t help but banging our heads and singing along the catchy refrain of “Die by my side”.
Time for the thrash metal band Tyranex, another positive surprise, a great energy they spread in the live situations reaches far beyond their studio performances. Highly skilled, the riffs sharp as steel are frenetically showered on the audience by the Västerås quartet, most certainly from the vocalist and guitarist Linnea Landstedt, who naturally and mightily earns the bull’s eye.
The atmosphere is warm enough when Wolf take the stage and even warmer they’ve got to make it! Wolf definitely conquer the audience with their pure and enthusiastic speed metal.
A technical problem made the break before the show of mighty Nifelheim almost unbearable. The audience is starving for metal while the altar is lighted but empty. The atmosphere simply explodes when the spikes, leather and pure metal invade the stage. Nifelheim: a fucking live beast! I was close to break some bones again (yes, I have broken my knee once during one of their shows and I still say it was worth every limping step!) in the attempt to take some photos, but it was as we want it to be: a mighty storm! Nifelheim certainly have learned from their beloved Maiden how to communicate with the audience and while the band erupts one by one of their great pearls, the massacre is uncontainable, the barriers are pushed from the crowds as flood wiping out the banks (which is the reason why no photos were taken during the show). No more boundaries, scene and audience blend into each other as lava. All is one, up to the climax, as it has to be.
Some words have to be given for the Art part of the festival, a work in progress exposed in the pavilion contiguous to the main stage. An outstanding gathering of artists from different fields but so finely combined together in this scenery to create and enormous living canvas of many colours, hands and heads. Painters of the caliber of Kristian Wåhlin, dozens of tattoers, designers, piercers, different handcrafts that leave the eyes in awe. And some much appreciated music merchandise to make everybody happy.
Day 2 - 30 September 2017
The line-up for the second day looks definitely softer than the day before, and it seems tangible in the venue. Maybe because of some form of the collective hangover, or maybe even by the tunes of the first on stage, the band Teaser Sweet,
Day 2 - 30 September 2017
The line-up for the second day looks definitely softer than the day before, and it seems tangible in the venue. Maybe because of some form of the collective hangover, or maybe even by the tunes of the first on stage, the band Teaser Sweet,
 | which confirms that, yes, we are far away from the yesterday’s slaughter. The sound is far better though, which gives to the show a big plus. Next on stage, Screamer, pure, bright heavy metal. Crowds won’t resist to the sing along on their catchy refrains, especially on Monte Carlo nights. Yes, Screamer caught all of us! Another great performance, but missing that “one louder” we got with Total Inferno and Ambush later on. |
Different attitude for Portrait, and different the atmosphere. In my opinion their show doesn’t add anything to their studio albums; I’ve happened to see them several times during different festivals, and once more they haven’t ignited my headbanger’s engine. Good performance, experienced and professional, but quite standard, frankly.
And here goes my bitterness level up, when the praised Sir Blaze Bayley comes on stage for his acoustic set. Diametrically opposite to most of the bands I’ve seen in this festival is the attitude of Mr Bayley to my eyes. Ostentation of the giant against the amused-amusing modesty of the other bands. The show works in itself, the violinist is so talented to give still a living vibe to the scene. Blaze warms up the audience that fills up more and more the venue floor, but…no, I am definitely not impressed, sir. The fact that you have been singing in titanic bands doesn’t necessarily mean that we are going to bang our heads to whatever you do.
And here goes my bitterness level up, when the praised Sir Blaze Bayley comes on stage for his acoustic set. Diametrically opposite to most of the bands I’ve seen in this festival is the attitude of Mr Bayley to my eyes. Ostentation of the giant against the amused-amusing modesty of the other bands. The show works in itself, the violinist is so talented to give still a living vibe to the scene. Blaze warms up the audience that fills up more and more the venue floor, but…no, I am definitely not impressed, sir. The fact that you have been singing in titanic bands doesn’t necessarily mean that we are going to bang our heads to whatever you do.
Next: Ambush, which in my opinion achieved the best performance of the day. It’s enough to see their Janick Gers white pumps step on the stage to realize we’re going to have some more heavy metal tonight! And they won’t disappoint expectations! Back to traditional heavy metal in a genuine faithful style, almost a tribute. An experienced and refreshing stage presence with both the musical and the visual ingredients for a genuine but still entertained and palpable step in the eighties, fringes, synchronized swing and stretchy pants. Great performance, pure fun, both on and under stage! That’s the heavy metal spirit!
Time for the last band, Bullet, a hard rock beast with heavy metal iron fists, who invite the audience to the last electric party. Authentic and accustomed performance, even spiced up with grinder and sparkles, a shiny storm of the blades! The knife is sharpened, the audience sweaty and gratified. The party shall be continued somewhere else, in some hotel rooms or pubs of the picturesque Jönköping. And the message is loud and clear, dear unholy blacksters: heavy metal is alive and kicking!
Here comes an interview to Kristian Möllerström, organizer of the festival, about the past and the future of Huskvarna Rock And Art Weekend.
Definitely, it is and have always been a very friendly feeling of brotherhood between the bands and audience. That’s the goal and if you don’t have that feeling something is wrong. The response for this year have been great and I’m very proud of the lineup and how everything turned out. Most bands stayed for both days looking at each other’s shows, attended the tattoo convention as a crowd and well it’s all ”us” and no band only sits backstage and then just go back to the hotel after the show
Nowadays I only choose bands that I have seen live or that I want to see live, bands that have the hunger and that I know deliver on stage, it is as simple as that. From a business side of things it might be stupid not to book ”safe” bands that you know sells a lot of tickets, but as I’m doing this event on my spare time and for the love of music and not for money it would be useless to book stuff that I don’t like. Some of the years I kinnda did that with 2-3 bands each time to get a bigger variation. But i really felt it’s not worth it, I have to feel that I can stand 100% behind everything I do. To book bands for a date that is already set is a huge but really fun challenge. I usually start planning what lineup I would like to have for more than one year ahead.
And if Kristian says so…let there be Metal!
Text, interview and photos by Katia
Time for the last band, Bullet, a hard rock beast with heavy metal iron fists, who invite the audience to the last electric party. Authentic and accustomed performance, even spiced up with grinder and sparkles, a shiny storm of the blades! The knife is sharpened, the audience sweaty and gratified. The party shall be continued somewhere else, in some hotel rooms or pubs of the picturesque Jönköping. And the message is loud and clear, dear unholy blacksters: heavy metal is alive and kicking!
Here comes an interview to Kristian Möllerström, organizer of the festival, about the past and the future of Huskvarna Rock And Art Weekend.
- Hi Christian, thanks again for the amazing festival and for the passion you put into this. We heard rumors saying this might have been the last edition of the festival. What would you say about this? If this is just a rumor, as we really hope, how is the festival going to be? Any changes?
- When it comes to this particular edition, how comes Blaze Bayley performed his acoustic set? I found it quite out of place. Is there any particular reason behind such a choice?
- How do you choose the bands for every edition?
- Have you noticed an evolution-involution when it comes to the presence of the audience?
Definitely, it is and have always been a very friendly feeling of brotherhood between the bands and audience. That’s the goal and if you don’t have that feeling something is wrong. The response for this year have been great and I’m very proud of the lineup and how everything turned out. Most bands stayed for both days looking at each other’s shows, attended the tattoo convention as a crowd and well it’s all ”us” and no band only sits backstage and then just go back to the hotel after the show
Nowadays I only choose bands that I have seen live or that I want to see live, bands that have the hunger and that I know deliver on stage, it is as simple as that. From a business side of things it might be stupid not to book ”safe” bands that you know sells a lot of tickets, but as I’m doing this event on my spare time and for the love of music and not for money it would be useless to book stuff that I don’t like. Some of the years I kinnda did that with 2-3 bands each time to get a bigger variation. But i really felt it’s not worth it, I have to feel that I can stand 100% behind everything I do. To book bands for a date that is already set is a huge but really fun challenge. I usually start planning what lineup I would like to have for more than one year ahead.
- And finally, who better than you could answer to this question: how is the Swedish Heavy Metal doing?
And if Kristian says so…let there be Metal!
Text, interview and photos by Katia