Canadiana Report

[Element_man]

I'm just gonna use this thread as a general drop-off point for my thoughts and experiences as a complete and total outsider. Some will be silly one-liners that I'll post on the go and they come to me, others will be more grand. I'm working on a print zine with some members of Gatekrashor and Funeral Circle and I'm planning on doing a large feature piece on Ragnarokkr, possibly double-teaming it with Shawn from the Krashors. Feel free to share your thoughts and comments if ye will.

I'll start by sharing my Facebook status. I'm sure I met everyone from the forum, but just in case:

"Home from Ragnarokkr fest, Chicago. Still reeling from the experience. Met so many new friends and saw so many incredible performances, I hardly know where to start! Thanks everyone for making me feel so welcome."

Huge cheers to Jason, Bob, Patrick, Simon, Lee, JP, Jeremy & Jamie, all the assorted Mikes that I encountered (Mendyk, Mendoza and otherwise), all the blokes from Olorin and Ancient Dreams I haven't already named, our Gods on High (Odin/Thor) and everyone else I missed. You all fucking rule.

A rainy haze clouds the surface of great lake Michigan as eight Canadian bangers, leather-clad and kutte-bedecked, swarm a south-end Chicago hotel. Beers are slammed. Boomboxes are blasted. Breaded steaks and Mac 'n' cheese are noshed. Members of the speed metal band Gatekrashor secure halls, elevators and hotel rooms with six-shooter nerf guns, imitating the gameplay of Doom as hotel patrons and staff stare dumbfoundedly at the chaos rampant. Ragnarok has descended upon Chicago and after this true metal apocalypse, things will never be the same...

 

[Diabolik]

it was really great meeting you....would love to see Gatekeeper play next year.

 

[Jasonic]

Jeff, you are truly a class act my friend.
You are just a good dude who is in this for all the right reasons!
It was a pleasure meeting you.

And no, I never had a Hamburger with a side of Mac N Cheese, but I would definitely share this meal with you next year!!! LOL......

Glad you had a good time. All the Canadians were great guys.

I would love to see GateKeeper added to 2014 !!!

 

[Master_Yoda77]

Yeah, you were one of the coolest dudes to hang around with. Thanks for sticking up front and headbanging to Olórin.

 

[Diabolik]

Jason said it best...you are a guy who is there for the right reasons and a class act and a great guy. Hope to see you soon.

 

[modernwizardry]

Ditto!

 

[Element_man]

Hey Keir, were you the dude that came up to me, bought me a beer and made a comment about the snow? I was pretty tipsy at that point and didn't make the connection until one of us had left. Sorry man! Should have chatted you up some more. I'll get you back next time, mate!

 

[Element_man]

Day one, Multus Ne Multus:

Earthen:
Missed due to food

Paradoxx
Missed due to food

Wrath
Listened while checking out the vendors, sounded really really deadly

Gatekrashor
Local boys did me proud. Obviously shakin' in their shitty leather boots but they did a great job and the house was packed. Hail Canadia, hail Razor, hail tucked-in shirts, etc

Blood Feast:
Liked 'em way more than expected. Heavy, angry shit, much like the one I took after that breaded steak from Rico's by the hotel

Dark Mirror:
What happened? Album sounded killer but the vocals were totally different. Live sound wasn't good either. Tried and tried but couldn't get into it

Eldritch
Felt bad for skipping these guys since they came from so far, but for some reason I just had no desire to see them. JP's review: “Smelldritch”

Vanlade
Holy shit, way better than I expected. Gotta be on main stage next time. Tough to tear myself away halfway through

Ashbury:
Fuck everything except this band. Showed everyone how it's done. Pure magic, total class. MADMAN!

Tyrant's Reign
Total knockout! How can that guy still sing like that? I was worried that these old bastards turned into suits and filing cabinets over the years but they've still got it!

Inner Seige
Caught two songs, sounded really really good. My kind of prog/power. Strong vocals

Omen
Had waaaaaay too much fun watching them. Played all the tunes I wanted to hear, Kenny is a legend. Vocalist sounded good though he looked like my dad coming home from the gym, kind of killed the vibe a bit, but didn't stop me from LOSING MY FUCKING MIND!

 

[Element_man]

A few pictures (in case ya missed 'em on Facefuck)

 

[Element_man]

haha just found this gem

 

[Element_man]

Day two in brief:

Vindicator:
Heard one song while checking vendors again. Sounded tight and high energy.

Olorin
My boys! Cool tunes, but they've got a few live kinks to work out. Must have been tough trying to work the real small crowd they had. Master Yoda was having some pitch issues throughout. Nothing a little extra practice wouldn't fix! Shake off them nerves!

Seax:
Figured these dudes would bring it in a live setting and I suppose they did. Kind of boring after 3 songs though. I bailed when I realized every song was gonna sound the same. Cool vocals and good energy though

Ancient Dreams
Pretty fucking good. Vocals were spot on. The demo tunes are deffo not the best of the bunch, but the rest of the set was pretty fucking cool. “Medusa's Stare” is a winner. Hope to hear more soon. Great choice on the Angel Witch cover. Dude with the skelator guitar was slippin' and slidin' all over that intro lick, hah!

Sleepy Hollow
Heard a song. Very “middle of the road”, couldn't get into it. Good singer, though that's not saying a whole lot when you're talking about this fest...

Demon Bitch
Just what I needed to kill the bland band syndrome next door. Vocultist was utterly insane, virile tunage. Band was a little loose at times. They'll mesh as they mature. Killer Priest cover. Hail Satan!

October 31
Caught a few tunes, glad I did. Fowley is a total nuthouse and knows how to keep the metalheads a'bangin'. Pure, unadultrated badassery. Had to pack up and head to the second stage again

Borrowed Time
I believe this band is the top of the heap when it comes to new band from my generation, and they proved me right. They've grown into a powerhouse band with great performance energy, tight chops, excellent vocals and above all, MAGICK FVKKING SONGS. Keepers of the modern US-metal underground.

Gates of Slumber
Heavy. Greasy. Bearded. Awesome. Felt myself gaining weight just by listening. Glad I caught the last half of the set.

Winterhawk
Dinos knew how to tear up a stage. Could barely get close, so I enjoyed them from the bar over some onion rings. Awesome sound. Loads of tunes from “Revival". Like a gangbang between Geddy Lee, Martin Turner, Brian Downey and Scott Gorham, except catchier

Shok Paris:
Totally missed them. Would feel worse about it if Winterhawk hadn't been so enrapturing

Viking
Final Vendor run. Sounded pretty good actually. “Darkness Descends”, anyone?

Central Disorder
lol, who?

Lords of the Trident
Was too busy having my ears lovingly manhandled by the Finnish fuckers

OZ
OZ, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL; Singer sounded better than he ever has, the band was rippin', the tunes were immaculate. It was punk as fuck when the singer was like “This song's from 'Burning Leather.' Oh, yeah. It's called 'Burning Leather'”. Could have gone for a few more songs in the end, I was having so much fun. Awesome sound, too.

 

[Diabolik]

Jeff...I agree....I think saturday sufferend on the main stage from too many bland bands early on. While lots look great on paper just all lined up there was a reason why the second stage blew the main stage away for most of the day.

 

[Master_Yoda77]

I'm still very much a vocalist in training. You should have heard my vocals a year ago *shudder*