Additional commentary by “Metal” Tim Henderson and Sephora Henderson
Each day of the cruise has a different construct. Initially, folks are arriving, from all over the globe (81 different nations, this year), although most foreigners take extra vacation around the dates and have already been in Miami, well before the annual/impromptu beach party, the day before sailing.
So logistically, getting 3500 metalheads onboard can take a while, thus there’s no music until the ship is underway, at 5 PM. would seem like half a day, but with showcases lasting into the wee hours of the next morning (poor Total Death took the stage at 5:15 AM, for a 45 minute set (not that the BraveWords crew was amongst the participants), there were still 22 performances, in three venues (the giant, on-deck stage is never ready until the second day). Something for everyone!
First band up was Onslaught, playing their ’85 debut, Power From Hell, in its entirety. Lots of those “special” sets this year, but as the first band on, the slot typically draws even greater interest as folks are chomping at the bit, to get going, after hours of hobnobbing onboard. Most have to vacate their hotel at 11 AM, or noon, then head right to the boat for a quick meal in the Windjammer buffet or build the first-day wall of empty Fosters cans, in the casino bar. Enough frivolity, let’s thrash!
Main man/guitarist Nigel Rockett was back onstage, for the first time in three years, following a spat of debilitating surgeries and cancer treatment. Welcome back, as he ripped through “Lords Of Evil”, having righted the sound issues that saw Nige leave the stage throughout the first two tunes. Dave Garnett wore a sleeve-less, two word expletive t-shirt, saying F-Off!
Maybe directed at his bandmates recent ills. Good riddance to them. The Brits’ later set, two days hence, would be a play-through of The Force, the sophomore effort.
Speaking of forces, in the theater/ballroom (the biggest indoor stage) was the fantasy world of Twilight Force, with many fans dressed accordingly and gleefully brandishing inflatable swords to the likes of “Thundersword” and the concluding “Blade Of Immortal Steel” (albeit in this case, plastic).
Sonata Arctica did an early hits show. Been a while since I heard them air some of these, which remain my favorites. Tony Kakko has let his hair go fully gray, but seemed to be having a good time, revisiting yesterday. A red lit “Dark Empath” gave way to blue hued “I Have A Right”, with the keytar roaming the front of the stage. However, the show hit its stride with emotive “Replica”, speedy “My Land” and audience chanted “Fullmoon” (“Run away, run away, run away!”), complete with flashing strobes amongst the red/yellow lights.
Next up, back in the theater, Hammerfall, who begin with “Avenge The Fallen”. Joacim Cans (vocals) gets the crowd to sing the titular chorus to “Any Means Necessary”. The lone selection from the first three albums is “Heeding The Call”, but that would change with the outdoor set, on Day 4. Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken, is reduced to a medley, including “Bloodbound” where Oscar Dronjak hammers on, but then guitar partner Pontus Norgren takes center stage.
Both will end up, in that same spot, under green lights, when the piece ends. “Hammer High” gets the crowd in voice, once more. “We Make Sweden Rock” (even in international waters) and “Hearts On Fire” round out the night.
Emperor play as a foursome, with keyboards at the front of the stage. A heavy blue fog shrouds the ballroom as the Norwegian black metal royalty are set to unleash the In the Nightside Eclipse debut, plus a few extras: the rare “In the Wordless Chamber”, and a trio off Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk (which would also get its own entire play-through). Brutal and experimental, even all these years later.
A little past midnight, stopped in the converted ice rink, aka Studio B (which broadcasts each performance on the ship’s TV channel) to catch a glimpse of Kissin’ Dynamite. Had seen the Germans in their homeland, a month earlier, a co-headlining slot at the Knockout Festival, but since they had a #1 record at home, with the latest, Back With A Bang, there’s reasons to investigate further. Here, reduced to 45 minutes, we got virtually the same set, beginning with the rousing title cut and concluding with “Raise Your Glass” (minus a few number in between).
Blond haired frontman Hannes Braun was in his element pressed against the up-close, club-size audience: a far cry from the multi-level staging, back home. High energy fun, shame the duplicate set, three days later, in the bright sun of the pool deck was a carbon copy, in terms of the setlist.
Not many could follow what transpired, but the legendary Candlemass are up to the task, opening with “Bewitched”. The guys are active, especially easy going singer Johan Längqvist and guitarist Mat “Mappe” Björkman. Stage left is stoic axeman Lars Johansson and opposite, main man/bassist Leif Edling, looking professorial, in his eyeglasses and stringy, gray, shoulder length hair. “Dark Are The Veils Of Death” continues the (funeral) procession, then green lit “Mirror Mirror” temporarily enlivens the festivities.
Leif and Mats play off one another, stage right. The punishing bass tones of “Under The Oak” are kicked off by Edling. People are actually watching, not recording on their cell phones, during this set! “Dark Reflections” sees the bassist venture to center stage, illuminated in green. “Crystal Ball” gets the praise of a professional soundman in crowd (there with another band), saying, “It sounds great!”
No complaints from these less qualified ears, or any others in attendance, I’d imagine. “The Well Of Souls” and “Solitude” round out a familiar, greatest hits evening. Classic sound, great stuff and even better people. Successes all around! And we get to do it all again in a couple of days…
It’s after 2 AM when the doom kings quit. Although there are still a few more options, that’s enough for one day, or more accurately, Day 1.
Pictures from Day 1:
The post 70000 TONS OF METAL 2025 – Day 1: Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Fire Away! appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
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Each day of the cruise has a different construct. Initially, folks are arriving, from all over the globe (81 different nations, this year), although most foreigners take extra vacation around the dates and have already been in Miami, well before the annual/impromptu beach party, the day before sailing.
So logistically, getting 3500 metalheads onboard can take a while, thus there’s no music until the ship is underway, at 5 PM. would seem like half a day, but with showcases lasting into the wee hours of the next morning (poor Total Death took the stage at 5:15 AM, for a 45 minute set (not that the BraveWords crew was amongst the participants), there were still 22 performances, in three venues (the giant, on-deck stage is never ready until the second day). Something for everyone!
First band up was Onslaught, playing their ’85 debut, Power From Hell, in its entirety. Lots of those “special” sets this year, but as the first band on, the slot typically draws even greater interest as folks are chomping at the bit, to get going, after hours of hobnobbing onboard. Most have to vacate their hotel at 11 AM, or noon, then head right to the boat for a quick meal in the Windjammer buffet or build the first-day wall of empty Fosters cans, in the casino bar. Enough frivolity, let’s thrash!
Main man/guitarist Nigel Rockett was back onstage, for the first time in three years, following a spat of debilitating surgeries and cancer treatment. Welcome back, as he ripped through “Lords Of Evil”, having righted the sound issues that saw Nige leave the stage throughout the first two tunes. Dave Garnett wore a sleeve-less, two word expletive t-shirt, saying F-Off!
Maybe directed at his bandmates recent ills. Good riddance to them. The Brits’ later set, two days hence, would be a play-through of The Force, the sophomore effort.
Speaking of forces, in the theater/ballroom (the biggest indoor stage) was the fantasy world of Twilight Force, with many fans dressed accordingly and gleefully brandishing inflatable swords to the likes of “Thundersword” and the concluding “Blade Of Immortal Steel” (albeit in this case, plastic).
Sonata Arctica did an early hits show. Been a while since I heard them air some of these, which remain my favorites. Tony Kakko has let his hair go fully gray, but seemed to be having a good time, revisiting yesterday. A red lit “Dark Empath” gave way to blue hued “I Have A Right”, with the keytar roaming the front of the stage. However, the show hit its stride with emotive “Replica”, speedy “My Land” and audience chanted “Fullmoon” (“Run away, run away, run away!”), complete with flashing strobes amongst the red/yellow lights.
Next up, back in the theater, Hammerfall, who begin with “Avenge The Fallen”. Joacim Cans (vocals) gets the crowd to sing the titular chorus to “Any Means Necessary”. The lone selection from the first three albums is “Heeding The Call”, but that would change with the outdoor set, on Day 4. Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken, is reduced to a medley, including “Bloodbound” where Oscar Dronjak hammers on, but then guitar partner Pontus Norgren takes center stage.
Both will end up, in that same spot, under green lights, when the piece ends. “Hammer High” gets the crowd in voice, once more. “We Make Sweden Rock” (even in international waters) and “Hearts On Fire” round out the night.
Emperor play as a foursome, with keyboards at the front of the stage. A heavy blue fog shrouds the ballroom as the Norwegian black metal royalty are set to unleash the In the Nightside Eclipse debut, plus a few extras: the rare “In the Wordless Chamber”, and a trio off Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk (which would also get its own entire play-through). Brutal and experimental, even all these years later.
A little past midnight, stopped in the converted ice rink, aka Studio B (which broadcasts each performance on the ship’s TV channel) to catch a glimpse of Kissin’ Dynamite. Had seen the Germans in their homeland, a month earlier, a co-headlining slot at the Knockout Festival, but since they had a #1 record at home, with the latest, Back With A Bang, there’s reasons to investigate further. Here, reduced to 45 minutes, we got virtually the same set, beginning with the rousing title cut and concluding with “Raise Your Glass” (minus a few number in between).
Blond haired frontman Hannes Braun was in his element pressed against the up-close, club-size audience: a far cry from the multi-level staging, back home. High energy fun, shame the duplicate set, three days later, in the bright sun of the pool deck was a carbon copy, in terms of the setlist.
Not many could follow what transpired, but the legendary Candlemass are up to the task, opening with “Bewitched”. The guys are active, especially easy going singer Johan Längqvist and guitarist Mat “Mappe” Björkman. Stage left is stoic axeman Lars Johansson and opposite, main man/bassist Leif Edling, looking professorial, in his eyeglasses and stringy, gray, shoulder length hair. “Dark Are The Veils Of Death” continues the (funeral) procession, then green lit “Mirror Mirror” temporarily enlivens the festivities.
Leif and Mats play off one another, stage right. The punishing bass tones of “Under The Oak” are kicked off by Edling. People are actually watching, not recording on their cell phones, during this set! “Dark Reflections” sees the bassist venture to center stage, illuminated in green. “Crystal Ball” gets the praise of a professional soundman in crowd (there with another band), saying, “It sounds great!”
No complaints from these less qualified ears, or any others in attendance, I’d imagine. “The Well Of Souls” and “Solitude” round out a familiar, greatest hits evening. Classic sound, great stuff and even better people. Successes all around! And we get to do it all again in a couple of days…
It’s after 2 AM when the doom kings quit. Although there are still a few more options, that’s enough for one day, or more accurately, Day 1.
Pictures from Day 1:
2Emperor
12KissinDynamite
13TwilightForce
16Emperor
17Onslaught
The post 70000 TONS OF METAL 2025 – Day 1: Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Fire Away! appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
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