Written by:	Abattoir
Published:	March 28, 2019

Round 11 : Mike Shinoda (15.03.2019 - Padua/Italia) --> Venue: Gran Teatro Geox

CONCERT REVIEW:

After two full weeks on pause, I was back on track, heading to Padua for a bit of a bigger nonmetal gig compared to the ones I've attended so far. Mike Shinoda, best known as a cofounder of Linkin Park, was the one I went to see/listen on his solo 'Post-Traumatic Tour', dubbed after his debut album (released in the middle of last year). The event happened at the venue Gran Teatro Geox, which holds around 3000 people; it was not sold out, but was fairly filled. One thing that always makes me more enthusiastic about seeing/attending concerts in Italy is that the crowd there is traditionally full of temperance and always so pumped, willing to chant/scream/sing along whenever there is a chance. And it doesn't really matter who's performing and where the concert is held; it's just in their nature.




Mike Shinoda and a couple of accompanying musicians prepared a set that encompassed songs from three different musical projects where he is/was involved. The majority of the set list belonged to Linkin Park, with a couple of tracks from the Fort Minor period (a hip-hop project), and of course some of it came from his solo debut album, Post-Traumatic. For me, the Linkin Park set of songs was the one I was the most familiar with, as was most of the crowd. Observing Mike on the stage, he was a multi-instrumentalist, having around him guitars, two keyboards, turntables, and so on. The only instrument he was not playing was the drums. This alongside the singing, of course, and his more-than-decent abilities as a rapper. He truly is a musical artist in every aspect, committed fully to performing at his best, engaging the crowd with every song.




And, as I've mentioned, it was no difference at all what song was being performed? the response was immense every time. Knowing that Linkin Park was, and still is, of course, one of the most popular/mainstream music acts in last two decades is a key factor. An additional positive effect on the whole atmosphere came from the venue itself: a closed place, not too big and fairly packed. The acoustis were staggering.

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Round 12 : Sólstafir (21.03.2019 - Ljubljana/Slovenia) --> Venue: Kino Siska

CONCERT REVIEW:

As was mentioned prior to this European trek, Sólstafir were up for something different, planning some sort of nonstandard performance with live strings and piano also on board. This was the first live encounter with this band for me, so I cannot make any comparison to their 'usual' live appearances. The gig was held in our main city, in one of the most recognizable venues for all kind of cultural events: Kino Siska. Statistically, it's also the venue where I see/attend the most gigs in Slovenia. This evening, the attendance was very high - not sold out, but pretty close to it (the capacity of the venue is around 800).




On this occasion, a nine-piece ensemble onstage - comprising the band itself, an additional pianist/keyboardist, and a string quartet (violinists and cellist) - had driven us through a gentle, atmospheric, and captivating ride of emotions with occasional vibrations of a heavier musical side. Sólstafir served us with a set (the complete summary of which can be seen below) that was about 1 hour and 45 minutes long and was divided into two parts, with a 15-minute pause in between. I'm not really sure why. It combined tracks from four different studio albums, mainly from the last two. The first set contained five tracks, all from last two albums - Ótta and Berdreyminn - and the second set offered six tracks, presenting also a couple from the Svartir Sandar and Köld records.




Sólstafir and their other companions on the stage delievered an awe-inspiring performance and, I can honestly say, created a very beautiful ambiance through the whole evening. Personally, looking from the aspect of musical taste, it was not what I would be very much into, but with this kind of combination with strings and piano implemented in the whole package, the level of excitement had risen in me (generally I was always fond of strings and piano being part of certain genres/subgenres). The crowd enjoyed it, I was more or less satisfied, everything was smoothly executed. That's about it. And, like I said, I'll be seeing Sólstafir again in May.

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Round 13 : Rotten Sound, Implore (26.03.2019 - Zagreb/Croatia) --> Venue: Klub Mocvara

CONCERT PREFACE:

Okay, after a couple of "lightweight" gigs in last month, it's time to shift it to higher speeds. Yes, it's time for straightforward grindcore and relentless beating of your aural senses. Finland's veterans Rotten Sound, with support from the uncompromising German force Implore, will be those from which I expect nothing less than full outrage and chaos on the stage. That's it.

Entrance fee: 10?



Round 14 : Jungle Rot, Ultra-Violence (05.04.2019 - Velenje/Slovenia) --> Venue: eMCe Klub

CONCERT PREFACE:

Even though they have been around for quite some time now, 25 years to be exact, and producing very decent, consistent death metal throughout their whole career, Americans Jungle Rot seem to be one of those overlooked, underappreciated bands on the scene. Just my feeling. Nevertheless, Jungle Rot will be touring in support of their latest, self-titled effort, and this will be the very first gig of the whole European tour. Supporting them on the road will be Italian thrashers Ultra-Violence.

Entrance fee: 14?