During this unprecedented concert tsunami that we are witnessing in 2019, it’s absolutely normal that some gigs fall under the radar. And although in this case we were dealing with the Pro-Pain comet and his rare sighting over Greek soil, the turnout was not the desired. But this is not of such importance after all since the main characters of a concert are those present, bands and fans, and not those absent.
Skybinder introduced themselves in front of a small crowd but it didn’t get long before winning everybody with their performance. Solid metalcore in the Parkway Drive vein but without the melodic choruses that the Australian band prefers. Tight as rock, with clear sound and utterly professional, they presented a set of songs that border between Scandinavian blastbeats and American beatdowns. There is not a more authentic way for a band to make waves than a successful gig and Skybinder definitely raised some eyebrows.
Veterans Crucifier may have bounced back by returning to the studio and making new music but they remain a rare sight in concerts. This was a seldom appearance and additionally as a 4 piece, with only one guitar present. The drumming barrage was overshadowing pretty much everything else so the sound was not the ideal. The band insists on its familiar style though, paying homage to Sepultura and Sodom.
23:15 and the legendary New York band takes the stand. Without further ado, Pro-Pain unleashes a violent 60 minute long attack of hardcore mayhem. Bonded like Siamese, with a totally balanced sound, they didn’t leave a soul motionless. They grooved the hell out of everything, even the air we breathed was grooving while there was war waging on the front rows, especially during songs like Deathwish, Stand Tall and Shine. The setlist was comprised as an effort of an entire catalog representation. The band clearly believes in its entire material and doesn’t tour with the hit and classics logic. Respect. The crowd was definitely demonstrative and enthusiastic and was pushing the iconic Gary Meskil and his furious companions in a frenzy. Maybe that is the reason why the songs were a bit faster on these live interpretations. The set was down our systems like a Jaeger shot, time flew and I dare to say that almost everyone was feeling a bit incomplete. Let’s hope they will be back soon and won’t commit to their usual 10 year long absence.
Kostas Kounadinis
