“Get ready for a live show that you’ve never seen before from a Greek band”, Crimson Fire proudly proclaimed a few days earlier and we had absolutely no reason to doubt them. Personally, I know the work that the guys had put in for this particular show but at the same time it was impossible to ignore the fact that this would essentially be the first official live presentation of the excellent “Another Dimension” album that was released in 2021 by No Remorse Records. Well, we wouldn’t miss it at all…
From early on, people started to gather at the Temple venue and Medusa’s Wrath was the band that would “warm up” the crowd before the…main menu of Crimson Fire. I admit I hadn’t heard Medusa’s Wrath’s music and I was generally impressed by it. Traditional heavy metal with a clear NWOBHM influence and an overall well done stage presence. Sure, some things should be improved (eg the lectern on the stage should be banned with a bat) but I think it’s a matter of time for the quintet to find its footing. A special mention goes to the excellent guitarist Petran Halen, but this does not mean that the rest of the guys were far behind from a performance standpoint. Fans of traditional 80s metal should check out the EP “Lifeless Void” which is available on YouTube.
But the time had come for Crimson Fire! The lights go down and a projector with a nice little video consisting of photos of the band members and the general artwork of the last record prepares the ground for the appearance of Crimson Fire… and all this while the classic “Mad Desire” by Den Harrow rushed through the speakers of Temple. The party was just getting started!
The band takes the stage through smoke, fireworks and a flawless light show, giving you the impression that this is definitely not a Greek band and certainly not another concert by a Greek band. “Judas”…pulls the trigger, starts the show and it is immediately obvious that it would be a magical night since the fans – who had almost filled the Temple – set up their own party below the stage. The first part of the concert was based exclusively on the “Another Dimension” album. We have said and written so many things about this particular album. You don’t hear such quality hard rock work these days and I really mean it. And the fact that people knew almost all the songs from the record certainly is a perfect sign that the albums has gone down really well. It is worth noting here that in the most melodic moments of the album (eg “Chasing Time”, “Set The Night On Fire”, “Walking Into The Light”) the response of the people was even warmer. Somewhere in between two dancers made their appearance (we would see them again in the second part) leaving something of a …Sunset Strip mark.
The second part was based on three covers (Jennifer Rush – “I Come Undone”, Def Leppard – “Hysteria”, Motley Crue – “Live Wire”) and on earlier compositions of Crimson Fire from “Fireborn” and “Metal is Back “. And just like that the concert had come to an end. Crimson Fire really presented a unique show for a Greek hard rock band and actually for the usual Greek standards. But the most important thing is that they have the background to support the particular show, which is the song quality! I’ve seen Crimson Fire many times in the past and honestly this show had absolutely nothing to do with the previous ones! It was a polished hard rock machine that left no room for doubt. Many congratulations to all five members of the band and to all the contributors of this concert for the absolutely professional set-up. Crimson Fire have evolved into a hard n’ heavy band and are here to fill a gap that is so missing in our country. We will be by their side on this journey! How about you…?
Sakis Nikas
photos: Elena Vasilaki
