DARKSEED

A train ride, it is funny, a train ride it is STRESS!!
After hours inside a train I reached at 7:45 pm the „Matrix“ in Bochum/Germany – finally, to see astonishingly that inside the party already went on. A few problems with the bag. That is why I missed the first band and the second band was playing while I came in.

The whole evening was a mixture of new metal, death and black metal sounds from urban Bochum/Germany. It was not more than better school bands who played. Just one death metal band was really great and they earned some horns.

Hour after hour, band after band… Time was running and 11:45 pm changed into nearly 1 am for DARKSEED, the band from Munich, the only non-urban band of that evening and headliner at the same time. Unfortunately this is nowadays not always the best position on the playlist… But one after another: Inside I had to locate myself. There are so many floors  Downstairs, ok, there the music played. Somehow it was smaller than I thought. But anyway the guys and girls moshed. I was astonished when listening to the metal styles the bands were playing. It sounded like new metal. And the audience looked like that: Many pseudo-Avril Lavignes… This indoor festival, it felt soooo long. So I couldn´t listen to all of the bands. Sometimes I had a look at a band for a few minutes. But most of them couldn´t make me be interested. I can tell you one thing: The bands didn´t fit together because of their different styles and the later it was, the emptier was the location. The late time was the problem for DARKSEED. They had to play one hour than said. Ok, some time you don´t want to listen to music/metal anymore, and if you drink a lot and you are not able to stand anymore… But couldn´t you stand that for the best band of the night?! Or was it because of the musical differences that DARKSEED had in opposite to the rest of the groups? The main reason must have been the playing time… After I went to the stage, I was very surprised to see that another band had to do their show before DARKSEED went on stage to play. Finally I survived.

12:45 pm: The intro to the first song and then „Disbeliever“ off the latest album „Ultimate Darkness“ was played. A little calming was the higher visitor numbers than in Aalen one week before. Nevertheless more and more people went away. Well, we don´t judge them: Have a look at the clock… The rest of the people were convinced by DARKSEED. The sound was very nice and loud, although DARKSEED didn´t have a soundcheck because of a traffic jam. „Ultimate Darkness“, the title track of the in January 2005 released new album kicked ass! The songs are mainly off that plate and are damn great songs! Only „Fly into the night“ and „I deny you“ are two goodies of several former albums. The complete „Ultimate Darkness“ was performed, unfortunately without „Next to nothing“, because due to the words of singer Stefan Hertrich the guitars are too low to get into touch with it live. But I would have been very happy with it live!

Ok, the rest of the guests stayed and rocked well. Unfortunately, unfortunately it was too long for most of them and that is why DARKSEED left the stage without any further song that should have been „Forever Darkness“ (a f***ing great song!). Very disappointing for the band. But I have to say in any case: The band plays together very well, they definitely play as a team – and that after the second concert with that line-up and after a few years without stage!

The so much different vocals of singer Stefan Hertrich gave a pure creep to my skin! As well as the combination of aggressive parts and melody that keyboardist Armin Dörfler played together with lead guitarist Tom Gilcher. Last but not least I have to say the supporting rhythm guitarist Tommy Herrmann in close work with super bassist Martin Motnik. The band has by the way a great drummer, too: Maurizio Guolo!

A little bad were the too long breaks between the songs. But this was not tooooo bad, if you know the relations: Because the band didn´t have a soundcheck due to the reasons you can find above, Armin´s computer didn´t want to do the concert and so it didn´t load that fast…
But to get to know the DARKSEED songs of the very recommendable new album, please surf to www.darkseed.com : Samples of the album called „Ultimate Darkness“ and also older songs you can find in the „Releases“ section. And for the visual enjoyment please have a journey to the „Specials“ section unter „Live-Pics“…
And now: Good luck for the concert that is going to happen in three days!!!
…And it should become a suprise…

Line-Up:
Stefan Hertrich – Vocals and electronics
Maurizio Guolo – drums
Tom Gilcher – guitars
Thomas Herrmann – guitars
Martin Motnik – bass
Armin Dörfler – keyboards

Setlist:
Disbeliever
Ultimate Darkness
Biting Cold
Save me
Fly into the night
The dark one
The fall
I deny you
My burden
Follow me
Endless night
Speak silence
Sleep, sleep sweetheart
(Forever darkness)

Contact:
darkseed@darkseed.com
www.darkseed.com

Photos taken during the show check at Metal Centre's LIVE Gallery.