Il portale della musica Heavy Metal

Angel Witch + Enforcer - 2/4/2012 - Nosturi - Helsinki

With -20° or something outside and the wind blowing, it’s not with a smile on your face that you walk towards Nosturi (also because it would get frozen), but nonetheless it’s a pleasure to see Angel Witch for the third time in the past 7 months, supported by the Swedish Enforcer, which I had the pleasure to see back in 2009.
The place is full of teenagers, leather jackets and 80’s style, and some troublemakers who are already drunk and willing to argue with the security even before the show starts. That why I like the drinking area, you can just get some booze and watch the show in peace!
Enforcer comes on stage right in time, and is greeted by the loud cheering of their young fans. The band has its own thing going on there, jumping and moving left and right all the time under all those colored lights. I almost get hit by some guy being thrown into the pit while I was taking photos. I must say I was more impressed when the band played in Helsinki the first time, after the release of their debut album. It’s still a good show, nothing to say about that, but I believe the band had more dynamism when Olof Wickstrand was just singing instead of playing guitar as well. So basically they seem to have lost quite some verve with departure of Adam Zaars, but on the other hand the chemistry among the others is still fine, the songs in the set give some good highlights, such as “Midnight Vice” and “Into The Night”, for example.
All in all not an impressive performance, but still ok-ish, although I’m sure it could have been better.
Anyway the majority of people was here for Angel Witch, which I don’t think has ever come here in Helsinki since their reunion, at the very least. Having seen them in a big festival, then in a small club, and now in a mid-sized club, I can tell the atmosphere is somehow different according to the setting as well. I think that clubs suit best to a band like this.
The guys start with a new song, “Dead Sea Scrolls”, from the upcoming “As Above, So Below” album. The new tracks have a good old-school feeling, and mingle nicely with the classics, making it for a really nice performance. So as the crowd sings along with the chorus of “White Witch”, another new one comes, “Into The Dark”.
Most of the set revolves on “Angel Witch”, obviously, and that’s what the fans want to hear. The band seems in a good shape, and prefer to show it with facts, or the music, rather than with words. The creation of Kevin Heybourne is still kicking some ass with their classic NWOBHM, and the more I see them, the more I think that Steer was indeed a really good choice at the guitar. “Baphomet”, “Free Man” and “Angel of Death” (not to be confused with Slayer!) are the highlights of this first leg of the show. But it’s even too obvious that the band is still missing something, and “Gorgon” is just a (great) prelude to their anthemic “Angel Witch”. The magic of the moment when everyone is focused on the stage and singing along with the guys in one big voice, is one of the best parts of every gig. Tonight is no exception.
And so ends a very pleasant evening filled with good music, actually quite early to be a Saturday. I would say Angel Witch confirmed themselves with the post-reunion line-up, and I’m looking forward to the next time. For Enforcer, maybe I got the wrong impression, but I believe they can do better than this.
But the night is still young, so lets not think about this anymore and go to warm up with some good beer. To the next concert!


Setlist Angel Witch:
01) Dead Sea Scrolls 

02) White Witch 

03) Into the Dark 

04) Atlantis 

05) Sorcerers 

06) Dr. Phibes 

07) Confused 

08) Baphomet 

09) Guillotine 

10) Free Man 

11) Angel Of Death 

-------------------------
12) Gorgon 

13) Angel Witch


Photos:
Angel Witch


Enforcer


Report a cura di Marco Manzi