Again here at the Metalcamp site. Again this year. Again I was going to listen to Arch Enemy.
I am aware of, though I do not fully comprehend, people’s fascination with this band, and Slovenia is no exception to this rule...

Hence it came as no big surprise that the festival grounds were well filled already some time before this band came on, but they would have to wait a little longer...
As the crew was pressing the soundcheck to the limit, they also caused a slight delay in the show, and as the concert began with the recorded sound of Khaos Overture, I believe everyone visiting the festival had had ample time to make their way to the main stage before the band finally arrived. As they did, they kicked things up a notch by throwing themselves and their fans headlong into the violent Yesterday Is Dead And Gone, in which the crowd action was instantly a fact.
The show and the staging was not surprisingly the same as the last time I saw them, and I doubt very much that there were any changes to the setlist; however, there was one thing which took me by surprise. I knew that Arch Enemy had added video screens to their decor, but what I wasn’t prepared for was that the two large video screens at either side of stage, put up by the festival, was simultaneously to the bands also showing a video production, and it was completely different from the other, and if I may say so – quite nonsensical!
This had to be a mistake of some sort I thought to myself, but as the video continued throughout the set I became more and more convinced that it was part of the actual show. Later on, I would notice Metalcamp reuse these same images for basically every band they could fit them in with, so I guess I wasn’t wrong after all.

This was a smaller issue though, and I’m sure I was part of a very small minority who took notice of it.
What I most certainly was not the only one to notice was the fact that the band was on fire this night! Well, not literally of course, but they were truly and honestly rocking the living daylights out of this paradise we call Metalcamp.
I am as of still not convinced of their musical prowess, but for once I actually found the show to be engaging, and that’s a huge leap forward in my relationship with this particular band! And even if I wasn’t completely convinced, I cannot deny the horde of listeners who were! People were letting all of their energy pump in a huge, wild moshpit, and even though I didn’t really see any of the white armbands which had been on everyone’s arms at the Metalfest gig recently, I’m sure the band had lots of fans and friends in the crowd tonight as well.

Whether or not I’ll ever become one of the many fans of this band isn’t to say. At this moment it seems pretty unlikely, but if this show has shown me anything, it is that no matter how uninteresting I might find their music, I may very well have a future where I can stand, maybe even draw some enjoyment, from their live performances...

Setlist (incomplete):

Khaos Overture
Yesterday Is Dead And Gone
Revolution Begins
Ravenous
My Apocalypse
Bloodstained Cross
Dead Eyes See No Future
No Gods, No Masters
We Will Rise
Nemesis