Rockin' Transilvania Fest. Day One - Testament and Kreator

date: 16 July 2008

The metal marathon I deliberately submitted to [July 5-7, Kaliakra Rock Fest in Bulgaria, July 11 – Judas Priest in Bucharest] ended up grandiosely with a Sibiu week-end for Rockin' Transilvania Festival, event that fitted me perfectly, as if I would have required those specific headliners and not any others. I attended Kreator and Helloween for the third time each, both bands being under that category of bands that I'd see live 20 times a year. The co-headliners, or special guests, Testament and Doro, both en premiere when it comes to live shows, completed successfully the billing of an event must-see for any thrasher or heavy metal fan. As I support both genres, I declare Rockin' Transilvania 2008 my personal highlight of the year, beyond its several down-points that I will point out at their time. All in all, the production proved to be pretty good and professional.

Message to Betrayer and Benedictum

The railway together with the law that imposes open air events to end up not later than midnight prevented me from attending your shows. At the time when the festival started, more than half of the ticket payers were still in the horror-train Bucharest – Sibiu, crowded or sitting on their seats relaxed, yet all of them affected by the behind time. At the time when the Americans Dio wannabe with Xena the Warrior Princess as vocal walked the stage, I was at the hotel. Or serving meal. Or on my way to the stadium, nevertheless, I wasn't at the “crime scene”, arriving there after Altar has already started.

I heard Prison of Death from the street, the sole Altar old song that won the battle of time, to be found in the 2008- setlist. Whether between 1992 and 1995 I attended ALL shows in Bucharest of this band, culminating with that superb Rock 95 (first chance for Altar to open up for Kreator), I've been completely detached for the last few years, due to that Atitudine album that I can't say I like too much. They overflew with energy, at least Pika, the frontman who has remained as I knew him years before. Respect and Atitudine, La noi, Nascut invingator and Stop the Silence set on fire the rarefied audience. On the other hand, what made me hope were the new tracks, they sound more powerful and announce a  good album. The only one I heard before was American Justice. I am glad that I saw them and I start accommodating with Nimrod's absence and, implicitly, with Damian's presence on guitar.

At 20:50 I went to backstage for a Kreator press-conference. Its delay fragmented for me a show Testament of great excellence, as the schedule at stage was strictly respected.  Chuck Billy, Eric Peterson, Alex Skolnick, Greg Christian and Paul Bostaph  walked the stage to prove the 1000-1500 people in the audience that they are one of the tops of Bay Area thrash with a reason. Of course, I knew his performance from the discs, but nothing compares to the pleasure of seeing Alex Skolnick executing live his solos. Eric Peterson was also at his best, therefore my ad-hoc award for best guitar performance in the “thrash feast” I mentioned in the Slayer report, goes straight to Testament. Bostaph didn't impress me as much as Lombardo had done it few days ago. Chuck Billy was phenomenal, especially under the circumstances of a serious family problem. Unfortunately, not even the best instrumentalists, not even one of the greatest metal bands, can't fight a defective sound. The PA caused trouble alongside the entire show, the left side going down inexplicably a couple of times. Out of all the headliners, Testament's recital was the most affected by technical issues.

The setlist was a surprise, I read some report from a recent show that left me under the impression that they would play only The Gathering and The Formation of Damnation songs. But being in Romania for the first time, they adjusted the setlist and honored us with songs from The Legacy  ( Apocalyptic City, Over the Wall, Alone in the Dark), The New Order (Into the Pit, The New Order, Disciples of the Watch) and Practice What You Preach – the title song, as well as for Souls of Black and Low. The crowd was in ecstasy at the old songs, exploded at DNR and warm at Henchmen Ride and More Than Meets the Eye, from The Formation of Damnation, undoubtedly the thrash album of the year. A HUGE band. An excellent show. Four buckets of balls poured on stage by Chuck Billy and co. Once again hails to Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson. Must see again. Compulsory. With a better sound. Compulsory as well.

Memento

1995 – After the release of a renegaded and annoying (at that time) Renewal, Kreator makes the counter-performance of releasing an even more wearisome album, Cause for Conflict. The star of the German thrashers had started to fade, yet Bucharest greets the presence of the first extreme band live in Romania, with an audience over 5000 people. A show Petrozza & band, not even Ventor Reil being at that time's lineup. A show with many Cause For Conflict tracks and many, too many noticeable absences in the playlist.
2003 – A huge promo tour for Violent Revolution album ends up with a new show in Bucharest's Polivalent Hall. This time the audience is less than half, the lineup is improved a lot, while the setlist is unforgettable. Ventor is back with Kreator and offers us an unique moment, doing the vocals on Riot of Violence. One of the very few “concerts of my life”.

2008. Same team as 5 years ago - Mille Petrozza - guitar/vocals, Sami Yli-Sirniö - guitar, Christian Giesler- bass, Ventor Reil – drums. Only one album released between the two shows, Enemy of God, but also an excellent DVD re-edit of the incredible show at the Berlin Wall in 1990. I was secretly hoping for a live re-edit as well, for a playlist resembling with the one on the DVD. But it wasn't meant to be so, the show starting, as in 2003, with The Patriarch / Violent Revolution. But here's where the resemblance ends, Petrozza's voice sounds disappointing, while the sound goes on with its course from inconstant to very bad, as Testament's show got us used to. Bittered and almost crying, I prepared myself for a huge disappointment, but fortunately everything adjusted and at Pleasure to Kill everything sounded as it should have from the beginning.  People of the Lie and Extreme Aggression “help” me losing my voice for the third time at a Kreator concert. Mille is in speech mode – anti-politicians at Betrayer, anti-racism, anti-this, anti-that. He keeps asking to see the famous Romanian moshpit, but the crowd doesn't seem to satisfy him fully. Excellent feedback on Phobia, Reconquering the Throne and Impossible Brutality. I long for Love Us or Hate Us and, with Mille's impulse - “show me your hate for Kreator” [????] I start hoping. For nothing. It's also with “hate”, but it's The Flag of Hate. And there were also Europe after the Rain, Suicide Terrorist, Enemy of God, Voices of the Dead. And there was- surprisingly – Tormentor. And there was a great show, with video projections, with stage decorations, with Petrozza in the mood, with Ventor at his best. I'd say he was better than Bostaph tonight. The Kreator has returned. Will the Kreator return next year as well?