Written by:	Abattoir
Published:	January 10, 2020

Round 31 : Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Downfall Of Gaia (20.09.2019 - Kranj/Slovenia) --> Venue: Transtation SubArt

CONCERT REVIEW:

Just a few days after seeing Poland's black metal horde Mgła, I was back on the road heading to a city and venue in Slovenia where I've never been before. On the menu: an exciting German package of black metal formation Der Weg Einer Freiheit and post-metal bringers Downfall Of Gaia. This tour was not the first one that these two bands had done together; the first was back in 2015, which also included many more shows than this tour.

I'm usually saying this at the close of an article, but in this case, I will modestly point out that this was one of the top-rated gigs of the year for me (among quite a lot). The venue where this gig took place belongs to the category of those with the smallest capacity, meaning around 100, maybe a little more. On this (quite cold) evening the venue wasn't even half-filled, which did surprise me negatively in some way. Der Weg Einer Freiheit and Downfall Of Gaia definitely belong to the caliber of bands and musicians that would undoubtedly deserve much more attention (at this particular event). Nonetheless, as it turned out, both groups were more than professional up on the stage.




Downfall Of Gaia were the first ones taking over the stage. On this tour, they were promoting their newest full-length, Ethic Of Radical Finitude, which turned out to be a more-than-satisfying musical effort that maintained the consistency within their discography. For me, this was the second time seeing them live, and while that first gig (in 2013) was a proper "live service", this second appearance even improved the whole picture from my aspect. The venue's acoustics and the high level of loudness upgraded the quality of the band's electrifying performance. It really was a slam.




Fellow countrymen Der Weg Einer Freiheit succeeded their colleagues, bringing up some sovereign, straightforward black metal to the masses (around 50 people). In comparison to Downfall Of Gaia, Der Weg Einer Freiheit were not touring with new music on their plate, but still had enough quality black metal to offer coming out of their four-album discography. It was a first encounter for me. And even though I'm not especially intrigued by their music, the appearance itself was an undeniable pleasure. In a similar way, they've just continued with the same pace and eagerness where their predecessors left off. I really appreciate this kind of approach and performance on stage, because it's not self-aggrandizing, especially when playing in front of just a few dozen people. Despite a busy schedule, I'm more than glad that I attended this gig.

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Round 32 : Marissa Nadler (21.09.2019 - Zagreb/Croatia) --> Venue: Klub Mocvara

CONCERT REVIEW:

At the very end of this intense weekly touring cycle, and just a day after the Der Weg Einer Freiheit/Downfall Of Gaia show, it was time for a nonmetal, mellowly mesmerizing type of music. A lovely Nashville-based musician, Marissa Nadler, came to town to share her creations of dark, emotionally moving tunes. Marissa is one of those female artists whom I discovered about year ago, when I went through a period of searching for similar genre-oriented musicians/bands (of the atmospheric rock/dream pop/folk type?) with the captivating female vocals at the center of attention. Marissa Nadler, however, is an established musician with a +15-year-long career during which she has gained her fair share of experience as an artist. On this tour she was promoting her latest effort, For My Crimes, marking her eighth full-length. Even though I'm not largely familiar with her discography, it was enough that I was positively impressed and convinced by exploring and listening to the last two albums.




On the stage, Marissa was not alone. She was accompanied by one fellow musician (unfortunately I forgot his name), who took care of providing additional guitar and bass background to complete the sound. I didn't know, though, that you can play both at the same time. I'm aware that this isn't something unusual these days, but still, it was interesting seeing it live for the first time - playing guitar and at the same time manipulating with all those pedals, creating bass-sounding output when needed. The performance of Marissa Nadler in general is not something extravagant nor mind-blowing. It's a simple, relaxed ride through the spheres of dreamy music combined with her hypnotizing vocals. This kind of gig feels very enjoyable and satisfyingly calming from time to time.