Photo provided by Miguel Rozo
Going to performances in Germany is exciting not only because of the variety of events available but also because it is an experience where you never know when you will return home. Traveling from Bonn to Oberhausen was no different from seeing the Vltimas Ratio tour 2023 (Omnium Gatherum, Harakiri For The Sky, Primordial, and Paradise Lost). I left the train station at 15:00 on Saturday (14th) and returned home at 04:00 on Sunday (15th). But if someone asked me if it was worth the effort, I’d say absolutely! Every minute was worthwhile.
Photo provided by Miguel Rozo
Omnium Gatherum:
These Finnish gents, Omnium Gatherum, were in charge of opening the night and what a set they put on. It was my first time seeing Nick Cordle with the band since he joined; I wasn’t surprised by his synergy with Markus Vanhala, but I didn’t anticipate how well they complement each other live. Jukka Pelkonen remains the same dynamic and energetic vocalist after seeing them live repeatedly. This time, Their repertoire included their new song “Slasher,” I expected to hear their rendition of “Maniac” from the same new EP release, but that didn’t happen. Instead, they included “New Dynamic,” “Reckoning,” “Frontiers,” and “Solemn,” among other songs. Their stage time was limited, which is acceptable given that they were part of a multi-band tour. I hope to see them again soon because they were incredible live.
Photo Provided by Miguel Rozo
Harakiri For The Sky:
I’ve heard much about the Austrian act within the last few years and have been curious about them ever since. However, their post-black metal style was dull for my taste. Their live performance was interesting, as I found JJ’s (Vocals) performance quite dramatic and histrionic at times. The group gave me the impression their live style intertwines both emotional and theatrical simultaneously. Songs like “Sing For The Damage We’ve Done,” “Fire,” and “Homecoming: Denied” were fascinating, but their stage dramatics felt a bit disturbing for my taste. Don’t get me wrong; the band showcases incredible talent. However, I didn’t catch their vibe, at least not this evening.
Photo Provided By Miguel Rozo
Primordial:
Since I first saw them live at Hellfest 2016, I found them quite intriguing, undoubtedly one of those performances that linger in your memory for years. Led by the charismatic and outspoken vocalist Alan Averill, these Irish devils managed to captivate the, at times, unimpressed German audience. Primordial recently released a new album, How It Ends, so that’s where we got to listen to the songs “How It Ends,” and “Victory Has 1000 Fathers,” “Defeat Is an Orphan,” from which I felt that Primordial’s sound on this new album is moving away from the folk frame and delving more into a raw form of metal. Their live show was a mystical experience from which we enjoyed tracks like “Empire Falls,” “As Rome Burns,” “To Hell or the Hangman,” and “No Grave Deep Enough.”
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Paradise Lost:
Seven years have passed since I last saw Paradise Lost at a theater in Belgrade, Serbia, around this time of the year. Their show this time felt bigger and, for some reason, timeless. Paradise Lost doesn’t need an introduction; their influence in gothic metal is like blood running through the veins of the genre. Despite having a substantial back catalog, their live shows are always straight to the point, reflecting a recognition of pain and suffering as valid and cherished feelings. Songs like “Enchantment,” “Faith Divides Us – Death Unites Us,” “Requiem,” or “One Second” were the perfect introduction to that.
I am always delighted by Nick Holmes’s clear vocals and how important a part of Paradise Lost’s identity they are. However, once he started to add more grunting to some of their music, “No Hope in Sight” or “Ghosts” being examples, it changed the tone and intention of the song and the live show with the addition of that vocal style. The inclusion of songs like “As I Die,” “Embers Fire,” and “Hallowed Land” was the perfect choice for this tour as it was a mix of different eras of the band.
But one thing that I felt is getting a bit outdated here is the idea of The Encore (or maybe I am getting old). It doesn’t grab me as before, where the illusion of the show being finished just to be reanimated by the band’s return to the stage was a shot of adrenaline to the crowd’s heart. This time around, it didn’t feel that way.
Overall, the Vltimas Ratio Tour 2023 was a raw-mystical ride that keeps up with the idea behind this type of tour. Remember that last year’s tour was helmed by Moonspell and Insomnium, which withdraws the attention of those concert-goers who look for a more melancholy feeling rather than a dark or just heavy experience.
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Photo Provided by Miguel Rozo
