Epic Fest 2023 – pt. 2/2 (Dream Evil + Rhapsody of Fire + Dragonland + Iron Fire)
A series of triumphs and a bit of agony
Oh, goddammit.
This headache already started on the way back to my hostel at around 4:30 a.m. just now. I've only slept for like 5 hours, and it's still there. And also, my mouth is drier than a Dry Martini... With no Martini. Or anything else.
So first, water. Then, lie around for a bit. Send a coupla dirty texts. Then a longer, not entirely painless bathroom visit. More water. Sleep again for +2 hours. Bathroom again – this time a bit more painful than before. Still that fucking headache. More water. Write a buncha shit for yesterday's coverage. Eat a buncha shit; write a buncha more shit.
Hours pass. Eventually, I damn well have to get going. The first band today's hitting the stage at 19:00, and I gotta try to reset this deal first. But alas, that pesky penthouse pain persists. In spite of chicken chips and national hangover miracle cure Cocio with a coupla hairs of the proverbial dog added. And yeah, I know: It's self-inflicted, and I'm hella whining. Still, though. Fuck off.
Like yesterday, (and as is just plain customary at events like these, it seems), another damn local act opens things. However, having existed for 25 years, Iron Fire – one out of the, what, 4 or 5 straight-up Danish power metal bands through the years? – actually know their way 'round the genre. I might've gotten one of their promos back in the day, but obviously I didn't check them out properly. And I'm so sorry. Because these guys kick ass.
And the audience is in on having their asses kicked from the beginning, having turned out strongly. "This many people at a power metal show in Denmark?? What the Hell's going on?!", vocalist Martin Steene exclaims rhetorically after thundering opener "Wings of Rage". I guess we've all been thinking the same thing since yesterday, and what a wonderful thing it is, indeed.
As convincing as Iron Fire are from the beginning, it's especially the blitz-paced neck-breaker "Bridges Will Burn" that would convince anyone who might still not be convinced at this point. As much as my poor, sorry self still suffers from last night's debauchery, there's a wide, ecstatic smile on my face right now, and it's only getting wider. I said goddamn, do these guys rock.
And not only do Iron Fire rock. Their tunes are not only catchy, but actually memorable – the conclusive "The Final Crusade" being a fine example of one such. And shit, with a title like "Kill For Metal", they're even fucking beating Manowar at their own game. I never understood nationalistic pride, but this almost makes me wanna brag about these guys being from my native country.
But as the more darkly futuristic "Leviathan" demonstrates, Iron Fire is more than just another power metal outfit whose existence is mostly justified by being lovably tongue-in-cheek. These guys are actually able to write songs rather than simply stylistic exercises. Songs that you can take seriously. And as much as I adore the other bands on today's bill, I can't flat-out say the same for all of them.
Rating: 5 out of 6
If there's one band on this festival who's just a bit more power metal than the rest, it would have to be Sweden's Dragonland. I mean, with a name like that, how could they not??
Sadly, apart from starting a bit late (damn Swedes, probably getting drunk backstage), there's also a pretty big sound issue, the bass drum being one constant, muddled drone almost all the way throughout. But the audience is largely unaffected, warmly welcoming our neighboring brothers in spite of both delay, bad sound, and a couple of less familiar, new songs from last year's "The Power of the Nightstar" LP up front.
Opener "A Light in the Dark" is dramatic and grandiose in its tense tonality. The furiously fast-paced "Flight From Destruction" is everything I love about the genre. But as convincing as the band is in spite of any mishaps, though, it isn't until the shamelessly major-tonal "Starfall" with its shamelessly fat '80s synth that the band conclusively wins me over. I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but you'd have to be the world's most miserable sourpuss to not absolutely adore music this cartoonishly goofy and kick-ass hard-rocking at the same time.
In fact, if you were to present the genre to outsiders, Dragonland would be the perfect example of a power metal group: They don't stray very far from any of the genre's conventions, but they're damn good at what they do. In fact, we seem to love them so much that they've later stated on their Facebook that, "We can honestly say that this was one of the best crowds we have seen in our entire career".
Well, talent does tend to get acknowledged. And I'm not just talking in terms of songwriting here; especially that one guitarist plays some sick shredding – the one who weirdly looks like long-deceased Danish folk singer John Mogensen wearing a baseball jacket. (Yeah, only Danes will get that reference.)
Just as much as that aforementioned bass drum feed bothers me, and as few as any stand-out elements may be here, it's impossible for me to downgrade my verdict. But as if I'd needed another reason to reward Dragonland with a 5/6, the ending cover of "The Neverending Story" would be it. Shit, this is so heart-warming I'm almost shedding a tear. In fact, fuck it, I totally am.
Rating: 5 out of 6
"Does anyone else find it weird that the headliner's only playing second to last here?" I've been asking this question rhetorically to several people, and every single one of them have known what I meant – and agreed. Italian pride Rhapsody (of Fire) is not only the band that single-handedly shaped the entire genre's symphonic branch back in the day; they're also one of the most technically excellent power groups of all time.
… Well, at least until then-guitarist Luca Turilli and then-vocalist Fabio Lione split one by one and then-Rhapsody had to add that 'of Fire' extension to their name for legal reasons. Man, if music as an art form has any antithesis in this world, it's legal disputes. (And, of course, primarily reggaeton.)
Anyway, this is in no way to slander current vocalist Giacomo Voli or current guitarist Roberto de Micheli. Both carry on the group with dignity; their technical level is still at least on par with any of the genre's most proficient practicioners. The former is an accomplished frontman, managing to crack jokes in between songs while somehow retaining the most serious vibe at any show this weekend. (Not that that's necessarily saying a lot, but still.) And the sound is more clear and bombastic than with any other band at Epic Fest.
If there's any imaginable problem here, it's that the majority of the songs in tonight's set are post the 'of Fire' addition to the band's name, after which I stopped listening to the band's albums. Or maybe it's not that I'm unfamiliar with the tunes rather than that they're not all as fun and fast-paced as the band's early material. Especially the +9-minute "March Against the Tyrant" gets so demanding in all its progressively complex structure that I kinda end up missing some classics a tad too much.
… Kinda. The operative word here being 'kinda'. Because Rhapsody (of Fire) are just too damn awesome at what they do. And I'm not speaking as a fan here; I'm speaking as someone who's able to appreciate decades of experience in symphonic metal. And yes, all those string and brass instruments are backing tracks. But what are they supposed to do, bring a damn orchestra on tour?
Keyboardist and sole original member Alex Staropoli is not only THE most virtuosic key-player of the entire genre; the man is simply too musically proficient to arrange any song in a way that is anywhere near mediocre. And nothing here is. Rhapsody's music sounds like valor and glory; like splendour and strength. Like riding into battle fully prepared to kill and die for justice and freedom.
Giacomo Voli really turns up the cheese towards the end with the group's natively penned "Un'ode per l'eroe". But it's so obviously self-aware that you'd have to be an idiot not to see it – and love it. And while the classic main closer "Dawn of Victory" is a long welcome inclusion, the even more classic encore-closing combo of "Wisdom of the Kings" and the mandatory singalong "Emerald Sword" leave none here anything less than satisfied. Shit, how would they?
Rating: 5 out of 6
In all due humility, the fact that only 2/3 of the audience at tops is left to see Dream Evil does support my notion that Rhapsody are the real headliners here. And furthermore, Dream Evil manage to be the most blatantly corny band at a goddamn power metal festival. It's somehow impressive. And yet, they make it seem surprisingly easy.
In fact, these guys are almost as much of a comedy troupe as they're a band, vocalist Niklas Isfeldt and guitarist Fredrik Nordström pretty much constantly exchanging jokes, ranging from deadpan to straight-up dumb. (Damn Swedes, probably been getting drunk backstage.)
Before the show, my friend says she'd gotten tired of DE being this goofy and self-aware about their low-brow entertainment value. But it doesn't take very many songs before she, and I, and everyone else for that matter, are more than convinced.
Just like Steel Panther, DE's existential justification may largely rely upon their early material. And how fitting, then, that that's exactly what we're getting. And as we're all agreeing after the show, following Rhapsody's symphonic complexities, DE's big, dumb bangers are just what we need at this point.
The band's simple heaviness not only pleases those fortunately patient and hungry enough to stick around for the closing act; they even see my long-lingering hangover finally dissipate so I can finally thrash around the ol' mane during the band's only natural show-stopper, "The Book of Heavy Metal".
Yes, zero-shits-given song titles like "Made of Metal", "In Flames You Burn", and "Heavy Metal in the Night" tell you everything you'd need to know about the level of intellectualism here: There is none to be found, and none is needed. "Do you want some more songs with 'metal' in the title?", quips Isfeldt, leading into a perfectly violent "Fire! Battle! In Metal!". And yes, that's an actual title of theirs. And no, they really do have no dignity.
To make another Steel Panther comparison, DE could easily take themselves a bit more seriously if they wanted to. But unlike with SP, it might actually be all for the better that they don't.
Rating: 5 out of 6
And yes, people: I've been struggling to find some points of critique so as not to rate all the bands tonight similarly. But I'd be damned if I could – a quadruple hat trick of 5/6ers it is. And apart from all these wicked shows and that wonderfully friendly atmosphere I was on about in Friday's coverage, this first edition of Epic Fest also featured a post-show power metal club in the venue's downstairs quarters, and an afterparty at The Raven Tavern.
Most notably, though, the main non-musical feature here was undoubtedly the games of Dungeons & Dragons and Werewolf being facilitated by exclusively invited gamemasters on Saturday afternoon. I mean, talk about knowing your target audience! Probably woulda joined if I hadn't been so damn hungover.
Something else worthy of mention is the fact that tickets were sold in almost 20 goddamn countries. Apart from nearby Netherlands, Belgium, Germany (I mean, duh), Great Britain/Ireland, the other Scandinavian countries, and the Baltic countries, the first Epic Fest also had visitors from France, Italy, Slovakia, Turkey, Iceland, Israel, and even four different North American states. For a humble 550 person event in lil' ol' Denmark, I'd say that's not only pretty damn impressive – I'd say it's a sign of that strong, commonly shared bond that I was also on about yesterday.
If there was any doubt by now, what an amazing weekend this was. And, as is custom, the first names for Epic Fest 2024 got released during the festival: We're talking Megaton Sword, Fellowship, Bloodbound, Twilight Force, and Orden Ogan. And I would totally be there, had it not been for the fact that it's gonna be in the middle of fucking January. Any chance of moving those dates to a season where a sensible human being might wanna actually spend time in Denmark??
But anyway. Thanks to everyone – yes, as in EVERY single, wonderful person – that I met and talked to during these two wicked nights. New and old friends, complete strangers, band members, staff, and, not the least of all, kickass co-founder and promoter Søren Weiss. Thanks for making Epic Fest not only epic, but the best goddamn thing that happened to the Danish metal scene since Copenhell.
Overall rating: 5 out of 6
Genre: Power metal, heavy metal, symphonic power metal, progressive metal
Dates: April 14th and 15th, 2023
Location: Gimle, Roskilde, Denmark
FB: https://www.facebook.com/epicfestdk
IG: https://www.instagram.com/epicfestdk/ (at least it's supposed to be; link seems broken, though. Oh well.)