SWEDENROCK 2012
ARTICLE AND PICTURES BY ARTO LEHTINEN, MARKO SYRJALA and PATRICK CLEMENT
“We Are The Saints Of Los Angeles” – screamed Vince Neil into the mic when Motley Crue headlined the last day of the Swedenrock fest. Well, once again the Finnish Metal-Rules.com team made their annual roadtrip to Swedenrock. Metal Rules has covered Swedenrock since 2001, therefore it is quite logical to cover the festival again. The 2012 line up presented a wide range of metal and hard rock. Over 70 metal and rock bands offered one hell of an experience for attendees. Sweden Rock has been successful during the past ten years as the festival has always been sold out. This year wasn’t any exception as the fest was sold out despite the lousy economic situation worldwide. It has become quite logical for us to give an in depth article of several bands performing at Sweden Rock to all the readers out there. The weather once again showed positive and negative sides. It either rained, or was windy, or quite warm. But we were there for bands, not for having some beach party crap. Unfortunately, we are not able to cover every bloody band, but hopefully you will have a pleasant reading experience… Rock on!
THURSDAY
EXCITER
The legendary Canadian metallers Exciter is considered as a pioneer of thrash/speed metal because their albums were some of the very first in that genre. Years have passed by since those early days as the current line-up consists of the only one surviving original member in the ranks – John Ricci. However, the band still enjoys a true cult following. That could be testified when a couple of thousand people had crawled to witness the Canadian heavy metal maniacs in action. The four piece delivered a good deal of both old material and newer material in their set. Songs such as “Long Live Loud”,”Heavy Metal Maniac”,”Pounding Metal” and of course a few newer songs for example “Aggressor”,”Evil Omen” belonged to the one hour setlist. The current vocalist Kenny “The Mouth” Winter is capable of reaching the upper registers with his singing; John Ricci hasn’t given up his style an inch, just relying on spikes and leather, the bassist looked like a monster on stage. Frankly, Exciter sounded like true pounding Canadian metal.
Aggressor
I Am the Beast
The Dark Command
Victims of Sacrifice
Heavy Metal Maniac
Evil Omen
Rising of the Dead
Stand Up And Fight
Pounding Metal
Slaughtered in Vain
Rain of Terror
Long Live the Loud
Violence & Force
LITTLE ANGELS
The re-united British hard rockers Little Angels were one of the first performers on Thursday and because of a traffic jam, when we finally reached the venue, the band had already played almost half of their set. The band has now managed to put together the classic line up: Bruce John Dickinson on guitar, Jimmy Dickinson on keys, Mark Plunkett on bass, drummer Mark Richardson on drums an vocalist Toby Jebson who’s also fronting the current incarnation of Fastway. The Little Angels set consisted of material from their entire career and included their best known songs like: “Don’t Prey for Me” and “Young Gods” which was a final encore for the show. All in all, this was an entertaining performance and the guys clearly enjoyed being back on stage together. Hopefully these few booked shows will lead the band into a full-time reunion in the future?
She’s a Little Angel
Kickin’ Up Dust
Boneyard
Radical Your Lover
The Way That I Live
Don’t Pray for Me
Too Much Too Young
Young Gods
EXODUS
Gary Holt was once again recruited to handle the guitarist duties to Slayer so some definitely wondered if Exodus would be forced to cancel the European tour again. The most unexpected thing came about when the former guitarist Rick Hunolt stepped in to stand up for Gary Holt on the European dates. At least Hunolt blew the whole stage up with his restless and wild performance, leaving the other guys to gasp for air. Whereas Lee Altus and Jack Gibson mostly remained in one spot on at the stage, focusing on playing and head banging. The frontman Rob Dukes kept encouraging the flegnmatic Swedish audience to arrange some kind of havoc. He did succeed in the near impossible task when a small circle pit started out in the audience. The setlist was pure Exodus as consisted of classic songs and newer material for example “Black List”, “And There Were None”, “The Ballad of Leonard And Charles”, “Toxic Waltz” and a number of other classics. Exodus was in the fire – Does Exodus need Gary Holt on the stage anymore..hmm ?
NIGHT RANGER
Night Ranger debut time at Swedenrock! It finally happened after almost 15 years of trying by the Swedenrock organization. And the band did not disappoint. Playing all their biggest hits and anthems, a couple of new ones from their latest effort SOMEWHERE IN CALIFORNIA and a few ‘covers’ by bands the respective band members has been in; Jack Blades in Damn Yankees – ‘Coming of Age’ and ‘High Enough’ and Brad Gillis in Ozzy Osbourne’s band – ‘Crazy Train’ ! More highlights being ‘(You Can Still) Rock In America’ with the one and only Dee Snider guesting and the Kelly Keagy sung ’Sister Christian’, perhaps the biggest hit of Night Ranger.
Lay It On Me
Sing Me Away
Seven Wishes
Coming of Age
Rumours
Crazy Train
Growing Up in California
The Secret of My Success
Eddie’s Comin’ Out Tonight
High Enough
Touch of Madness
When You Close Your Eyes
(You Can Still) Rock In America
Sister Christian
Don’t Tell Me You Love Me
ST. VITUS
The current doom metal boom has brought several old names back on the map. For example, the mighty Saint Vitus rose from the world beyond and released a new album earlier this year. Therefore the four piece has been booked by several European metal festivals. As for the Swedenrock festival, playing under the bright sun during the day light isn’t the most perfect timing and environment for a band like Saint Vitus. Of course, doom metal rolled and ruled, but this sort of dismal doom metal needs a darkened club with the smokey atmosphere, not massive open-air festival. However, the legendary St. Vitus sounded doomy, but otherwise a bit boring.
Blessed Night
I Bleed Black
Clear Windowpane
Let Them Fall
The Bleeding Ground
Look Behind You
The Waste of Time
Mystic Lady
Dying Inside
Born Too Late
STEEL PANTHER
U.S. glam metalers / 80’s parody band Steel Panther made their second appearance at Swedenrock. It looks like there’s no end in sight for this bands ever growing popularity. The band now performed on the Rockstage and it seems that even this stage is not big enough for the Panthers. The place was entirely packed when the band opened the show with “Supersonic Sex Machine” and “Tomorrow Night”. Nowadays classics “Fat Girl”, “Asian Hooker” and “Death to All But Metal” made people shout noisily a long and there was a true party feeling on the air during the whole set. Steel Panther were now as good as ever but at times it did feel that this was something what’s been seen and heard many times before. The same songs, mostly the same jokes and “stage elements” were present. Perhaps it would be a good idea for me to have a little break before the next Panther show because otherwise the band will start to taste like a wood for sure?
Supersonic Sex Machine
Tomorrow Night
Fat Girl (Thar She Blows)
Asian Hooker
Just Like Tiger Woods
Gold-Digging Whore
Turn Out the Lights
Community Property
Eyes of a Panther
Girl From Oklahoma
Party All Day (Fuck All Night)
It Won’t Suck Itself
Eatin’ Ain’t Cheatin’
17 Girls in a Row
Death to All but Metal
SEPULTURA
Sepultura keeps on going with the current line-up even though fans are outspoken and eager to see the return of the classic line-up. However, Sepultura fronted by Derrick Green did a killer gig by playing a wide range of songs from several Sepultura albums at Swedenrock. The Brazilian thrash four piece appeared to be in a good mood on stage. The current drummer Eloy Casagrande is an extremely skilled drummer with sharp and tight playing. Paolo Jr has grayed a lot and his appearance is not unlike some sixty year old man. Kisser still has fire and passion left in his playing. Derrick Green is a real monstrous relentless frontman encouraging the audience go beserk. Although the band works well on stage, it does feels that it is kind of cover band.
Dark Wood of Error
Refuse/Resist
Kairos
Relentless
Dead Embryonic Cells
Convicted in Life
Dialog
Attitude
What I Do!
Choke
Mask
Septic Schizo / Escape to the Void
Sepulnation
Subtraction
Territory
Inner Self
Polícia(Titãs cover)
Arise
Ratamahatta
Roots Bloody Roots
SEBASTIAN BACH
Sebastian returns to Swedenrock! This gig was supposed to happen a few years back but Bach then missed his flight and couldn’t get to the festival site on time for the gig. A few years later and he still has the same band and a new record out, KICKING & SCREAMING. The set consists of many Skid Row tunes mixed with solo stuff, almost 50/50. Sebastian did prove that he still is an A-class frontman. However, sadly, there’s a feeling that’s something missing during many of the Skid Row songs… For the encores Dee Snider is once again guesting, and it’s a perfect fit!
Slave to the Grind
Kicking & Screaming
Dirty Power
Here I Am
Big Guns
(Love Is) A Bitchslap
Stuck Inside
Piece of Me
18 and Life
American Metalhead
As Long as I Got the Music
Monkey Business
My Own Worst Enemy
I’m Alive
I Remember You
Tunnelvision
We’re Not Gonna Take It
Youth Gone Wild
DIMMU BORGIR
Has the success of Dimmu Borgir decreased during the past few years in Sweden? Or, why did the band play on the third stage? A few years back the Norwegian symphonic black metallers shred the second stage. Well, it is hard to say, but at least Dimmu Borgir pulled a horror godly sounding show in the darkening Swedish landscape. The band sounded majestic, pompous, and looked like a one kind of freaky monstrous group under the massive lightshow after the sunset. The set was basically traditional Dimmu Borgir including songs such as “Mourning Palace”, “A Succubus in Rapture”, “The Serpentine Offering”, and “Progenies of the Great Apocalypse”. The audience seemed to enjoy the show from their heart.
SOUNDGARDEN
Soundgarden comeback gig and debut at Swedenrock. There were many of those this year, and thankfully so. For starters one has to appreciate the lights, look, and atmosphere of the Soundgarden stage – perfectly suiting their sometimes moody and depressive, occasionally still and sometimes raw music…Soundgarden taking their time with the reunion and with baby steps slowly building seems to pay off – the band now being in good form, especially frontman Chris Cornell. Almost all their biggest songs were heard, including their new one ‘Live to Rise’. A new album will be released this coming fall. Soundgarden had a good reception although the band style (the dreaded grunge) isn’t what everybody expected from a Swedenrock headliner.
Searching With My Good Eye Closed
Spoonman
Let Me Drown
Outshined
Flower
Drawing Flies
Hunted Down
Blow Up the Outside World
Fell on Black Days
Ugly Truth
Loud Love
Live to Rise
My Wave
Burden in My Hand
Rusty Cage
Gun
Black Hole Sun
Room a Thousand Years Wide
Jesus Christ Pose
Beyond the Wheel
Slaves & Bulldozers
DARK FUNERAL
Besides Dimmu Borgir, Dark Funeral presented more of the black metal assault at Swedenrock. In wake of the eerie sounding intro, the blackened metal warriors strut like penguins in the line onto the stage. Although the band looked grim with the panda make-up, but soundwise Dark Funeral sounded extremely horrible. For some reason the sounds were entirely muddy, hearing the vocals or guitars turned out to be quite painful. However, the pyros and the stage set up looked grim. Song by song the sounds improved a bit to have the decent quality. As for the current singer Nachtgarm, his manners were meant to look evil, but it mostly brought the humoristic aspects. In a way, the former singer, Emperor Magus Galicula, was the real roots of all evil at the stage.
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