Let’s Rot!: OZYMANDIAS, ACID ROW, GREAT RIFT @ Kapu, Linz (24.11.2023)
The autumn concert season is almost rare. The bands are hungry, and so are the fans, and so there are all sorts of things to see again, from big events in huge halls to cool club shows and no less interesting underground events in small and iconic clubs. That evening it was supposed to be the last option in the legendary Kapu. The OZYMANDIAS from Linz invited people to dance with their unique sound and invited the men from GREAT RIFT, who also come from our country, and the Czech doom rockers from ACID ROW as support acts.
As is often the case, there was a lot of activity early on, or this time there was more to be seen in the Kapu, i.e. in the bar, as the temperatures were now turning wintry. As usual, the concert started at the location depending on the number of visitors so that the opener of the evening could also attract enough listeners. So the spectacle started around 9:30 p.m. with the guys from GREAT RIFT mentioned above. So far I haven’t heard anything from the gentlemen from Vienna, but the concert hall was already filling up quite well when the first psychedelic sounds could be heard. The group specialized in this kind of rock, with often slightly longer or even more expansive songs that were wonderful to sink into. Nevertheless, there were enough moments in the fuzzy, haunting sound that stuck right away. Doomy riffs drilled into your ears, solemn rhythms made you shake your head and singer Thomas Gulyas skilfully lulled you to sleep in the best stoner style. And the cool song “Space” also brought a groovier, rock’n’roll side to it.
The response in the form of cheers, enthusiastic whistles and raised beer bottles between the songs was good and the band, who were highly concentrated at their work tools, was also visibly satisfied. And they could be, because the audience was already at operating temperature and so the climate in the small club was becoming warmer and wetter.
The Czechs from ACID ROW didn’t take much time and immediately followed up. With a little more pep and gas there was pure doom that rocked like hell, was easy on the ear and got people moving. Singer and guitarist Alexej Saša Fonar didn’t necessarily have to wear a BLACK SABBATH shirt so that people could find out who their biggest idol could be, but it’s better to play with your cards open anyway, especially when you do it so damn well, like the three boys, who were a joy to watch play. There was toasting, headbanging, shaking and even dancing to various Toni Iommi-like riffs, fat beats and thumping bass; At least in front of the stage. But ACID ROW also showed enough movement on the small stage and heated up the Linzers even more. The exciting tracks were spiced up with a lot of fuzzy stoner sound and a dash of punk. The mix was so well received that the cheers got louder and louder between the songs and there were calls for an encore. A band to keep an eye on and hopefully find their way to Linz more often in the future.
The tension grew more and more, the room became more and more full and the atmosphere was at a boiling point when it was finally time for OZYMANDIAS. The three people from Linz have made a name for themselves with their debut “Cake!” and the brilliant performances with their unique sound. But unfortunately Christoph, Armin and Flo have become a bit rare in recent years. But only to reappear on the scene with a bang in the form of their second album “Let’s Rot”. So the three men not only had a home game, but also a release party.
And they used that skillfully. The doomy-grunge-y-sludge sound, which stands out especially because of the cool organ sounds, was also original, powerful and peppered with a few surprises this evening, because OZYMANDIAS wanted to challenge the fans with their new album , without forgetting their roots. In addition to the well-known hits from the debut, there was of course also the brand new single “Summerrain”, which made you think in advance: “What’s going on?” – strings, some pop flair and quiet guitars, as well as reverent singing from Christoph, that is new! But it works. The track not only brought variety to the sound, but also worked wonderfully live. Between the heavy riffs, the dark basic tone and the haunting organ sounds, there were always quieter moments interspersed, so that the mood kept changing a little, which was absolutely exciting.
The people were clearly having fun, the band tried to heat things up even though it was absolutely no longer necessary and exuded enormous joy in playing and also gave the impression of being damn happy that they were finally on stage again – or like in Armins and Flo’s case – being able to sit. Christoph also played a song with one leg and the spectacle was also well worth seeing, even though movement was severely restricted with two members sitting down. Musically, the recently released tracks also worked wonderfully alongside favorites like “Mason Jar”, “Jelly Beans” and the two “Doom” parts. As mentioned, the highlight was probably the unusual “Summerrain”, the hauntingly indulgent “Tasty” and the closing “Anemia”, which concluded the evening with cool rhythms and no less creative vocal lines.
Setlist OZYMANDIAS:
Faraway
Drought Or High Water
Blasphemy
Push Daisies
Don’t Care
Doom Pt. 2: The Lilies
Booby Trap
Mason Jar
Tasty
Bleed For Me
Jelly Bean
Summerrain
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Doom Pt. 1: The Daisies
Anemia
What an evening. There was dancing, fear, sweating and laughter. Three great bands with different origins, but they harmonized wonderfully this evening and gave the fans a more than fun evening. Hopefully the two supporting bands will find their way back to Linz soon and OZYMANDIAS will hopefully be more active again in the next few years. With the new album in the bag, there shouldn’t be any major obstacles to finding concert opportunities.
Band-Links:
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