Masters Of Rock 2023: EUROPE, AIRBOURNE, BLOODBOUND, FREEDOM CALL, ANGUS MCSIX, XANDRIA @ Areál Likérky Rudolf Jelínek, Vizovice (15.07.2023)
The third day of the MoR promised a nice mixture of veteran warhorses, female charm and over-motivated youngsters. The heat also accompanied the visitors on this day and so from morning to evening it was a matter of drinking a lot, looking for shade or being hosed down by the local fire brigade. Kudos to the guys who keep you cool for hours and hours with their tubes.
The morning and also the lunchtime belonged to the local bands like DOGA or SYMFOBIA from the neighboring country Slovakia and so they only made their way to the stage at XANDRIA.
I somehow lost contact with the German symphonic dark metal group around founding member and guitarist Marco Heubaum, because since the re-establishment in 2000, 5 women have been allowed to try their luck vocally. Konstanz looks different and since last year a certain Ambre Vourvahis has been able to provide her voice. The 30-year-old, half Greek and half French, tends towards operatic singing and does her job quite well, but nobody here is really blown away. If you think about what was going on with the colleagues the day before, then you realize that the bread rolls were smaller here. Since the rest of the squad was also completely changed last year, a restart under a different name would probably have been the better option.
Setlist XANDRIA:
You Will Never Be Our God
Reborn
Death To The Holy
Ghosts
Nightfall
Two Worlds
Ravenheart
The Wonders Still Awaiting
My Curse Is My Redemption
Valentine
ANGUS MCSIX, the new project by the former GLORYHAMMER singer, was then awaited with more excitement. Even a first look at the quartet gave an idea of what is on offer here. Frontman Thomas in golden armour, guitarist Sebastian Levermann as a skeletor clone, drummer Manuel Lotter as a warrior and female reinforcement Thalia Bellazecca on the electric guitar as an amazon not only provided a lot of musical madness, but also a lot of visual eye-catchers.
With only one album under their belt so far, Angus McSix AndT Sword Of Power, the choice of songs came as no surprise. But that didn’t bother anyone, the majority of the fans showed themselves to be lyrical, especially with “Master Of The Universe” there was loud shouting. The show factor wasn’t neglected either, so there was a fight with Excalibur against a goblin or a giant inflatable unicorn. By the way, a volunteer should ride to the next beer stand to get Thalia a beer, which only partially succeeded.
Photo (c) Manfred Thanner
Musically, they offer multi-faceted Power Metal, with a pinch of disco, which you could experience from other bands in a higher quality, but probably not nearly as entertaining. “Amazons Of Caledonia” or the final “Ride To Hell” stuck and left the debut of ANGUS MCSIX on
Pass MoR as successful.
Photo (c) Manfred Thanner
Setlist ANGUS MCSIX:
(The Vision in the Fires)
Master Of The Universe
Six gauge
Starlord Of The Sixtus Stellar System
Laser-Shooting Dinosaur
Amazons Of Caledonia
Fireflies Of Doom
Eternal Warrior
In A Past Reality
Just a Fool Will Play Tricks on Angus McSix
Ride To Hell
The following group had a little more experience, FREEDOM CALL from the little town of Nuremberg have been an integral part of the company for 25 years and are also welcome guests here. Accordingly, one behaved at home, like two old acquaintances who meet regularly. But even with the Germans, the cast wheel turned properly and so from the early days only singer Chris Bay is on board. The latest additions are Francesco Ferraro on bass and Timmi Breideband on drums, both of whom completed the band in 2019. However, since they have been making music together for four years, everything seems very homogeneous and well-rehearsed here.
Anyone who knows FREEDOM CALL knows that people like to joke around here and it’s not surprising that announcements like: “We’re a pussy band” come up. In “111 – The Number Of The Angels” a cross-reference to the colleagues from IRON MAIDEN should not be missing, here too with a wink.
In more than two decades, a few hits have accumulated and so the great “Power & Glory” followed with the strong help of those present, “Metal Is For Everyone” or the beautiful “Land Of Light”. Precision landing by Chris and his fellow combatants, who simply know how things work here.
Photo (c) Manfred Thanner
Setlist FREEDOM CALL:
Union Of The Strong
Tears Of Babylon
Spirit Of Daedalus
Sail Away
M.E.T.A.L.
Metal Invasion
111 – The Number Of The Angels
The Ace Of The Unicorn
Freedom Call
Power & Glory
Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen cover)
Metal Is For Everyone
Warriors
Far Away
Land Of Light
Time for a slightly larger caliber from far away Australia. AIRBOURNE were allowed to show their skills around 9 p.m. and topped the last heat of the day again. The O Keeffe brothers and their two buddies aren’t much for talking or wasting time, so the accelerator was put down hard right away. You couldn’t ask for a better start with “Ready To Rock” or the crushing “Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast” and after 10 minutes your neck was already hurting while the musicians were sweating .
High-performance sport at over 30 degrees, respect for this endurance. But singer Joel apparently doesn’t even own a t-shirt, so he doesn’t have to wash anything sweaty either. That probably wouldn’t have been necessary, because the mood was outstanding, but apparently it wasn’t enough for the singer, because he asked the people to join in even more after almost every song. The number of hits has also increased more and more in recent years and so one breaker followed the next. “It’s All For Rock ‘n’ Roll” showed where the way was going, while “Runnin’ Wild” from the early days again demanded everything from the people .
Photo (c) Manfred Thanner
But the gentlemen from the land of the kangaroos seem to have calmed down too, because no one smashed a beer on their head and the stage was not climbed this time either. A walk through the front of the stage had to suffice this time. Stars to attack. AIRBOURNE are a force live and you can get an idea of that again at the beginning of August in the Posthof in Linz.
Setlist AIRBOURNE:
Ready To Rock
Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast
Rock ’n‘ Roll For Life
Back In The Game
Girls In Black
Burnout The Nitro
Boneshaker
Bottom Of The Well
Breakin‘ Outta Hell
It’s All For Rock ’n‘ Roll
Stand Up For Rock ’n‘ Roll
–
Live It Up
Runnin‘ Wild
It was then time for legends, because the two gentlemen Joey Tempest and John Norum have been active with their band EUROPE longer than some of the musicians at this festival are old. Since 1979 they have been writing big hits for almost 20 years before they split up and almost fell into oblivion in 1992, but they reunited in 2004 and made a sensational comeback thanks to the great “Last Look at Eden”.
Photo (c) Manfred Thanner
Since then, a few years have passed and many tours and concerts later we met again in the Czech Republic. Singer and mastermind Joey, who also acted as the voice of the Rock Meets Classic Tour, seemed incredibly fresh and agile for his 60 years. One can only hope that one remains only approximately as fit. Between the songs people chatted, danced or just grinned or flirted about the old days. The Swedes can do that, thanks to ballads like “Carrie”, which was sung along while couples lay in love in their arms.
It’s all in the mix and so the guys served up new material as well as songs that had been around for a few years, making for a nice change. Of course, it got the loudest with the old classics, the “Superstitious”, “Cherokee”, which is far too rarely played on the radio, or the obligatory encore and party anthem “The Final Countdown”. The atmosphere was exuberant and so the musicians insisted on playing a few strange songs, “No Woman, No Cry” by BOB MARLEY was just as important as WHITESNAKE’s “Here I Go Again”, in which everyone was sure of the lyrics showed.
Photo (c) Manfred Thanner
So the time passed much too quickly and a sea of lights and cellphones said goodbye to the Swedish veterans into the night and the following troop didn’t have an easy time connecting here.
Setlist EUROPE:
Walk The Earth
Rock The Night
Scream Of Anger
Prelude
Last Look at Eden
Sign Of The Times
Firebox
Carrie
Love Is Not The Enemy
Heart Of Stone
War Of Kings
storm wind
Open Your Heart
Let The Good Times Rock
Ready Or Not
Superstitious
–
Cherokee
The Final Countdown
Anyone who still had the strength for Power Metal on the third day of a festival at around 1 a.m. either had good physical condition, was very young or was already really good at the wave. The musicians from BLOODBOUND made good use of this hot and good atmosphere and took their fans on a Nordic adventure.
With the new album in their luggage, “Tales From The North” is the name of the good piece, it was easier to play anyway and so it was tested right from the start whether everyone here already knew the new stuff. A clear yes, should be the answer, which a look at the bystanders showed, here they are singing along properly. With the permille song “Drink With The Gods” and the song “Tales Trom The North” named after the album, two new numbers found their way into the successful set.
Photo (c) Manfred Thanner
The back of the stage was graced with the somber new album cover, while in front of the stage, disguised unicorns dance happily to “In The Name Of Metal” or the fantastical “Moria”. Kind of crazy what happens at a festival. Singer Patrik Johansson aka Patrik J. Selleby acted confidently as usual and was still sweating a lot under his black cape at this time. The hour just flew by and “Nosferatu” made for an exuberant and successful finale on this day.
Setlist BLOODBOUND:
Tales Trom The North
Slayer Of Kings
In The Name Of Metal
When Fate Is Calling
Battle In The Sky
Drink With The Gods
The Warlock’s Trail
Moria
Creatures Of The Dark Realm
Rise Of The Dragon Empire
Nosferatu
They said goodbye and left the stage while the crew prepared everything for the next day and people went in all directions. So it was time to recharge your batteries to survive the last day of the MoR.
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