As you may or may not remember, I was not overly enthusiastic with my meeting with Kataklysm at last years’ Metalcamp, so after learning that they were the man act of tonight’s concert I didn’t hold my breath for a stunning finish.

So, after a calm start from the wild bunch in Suicidal Angels, and a powerful performance from Belphegor, I was not surprised to see the floor was nearly empty again in time for the Canadian death metallers Kataklysm.
However, the surprise when the first notes rang out through the speakers; suddenly the floor was filled to the brim again with people who were wildly moshing and headbanging! Not only the crowd either, the band was going hard at it as well!

“Canadians love Denmark!”
Thus shouted vocalist Mauricio Iacono, and with good reason; he explained how you should never let this band have a moment to themselves as they immediately would start consuming all alcohol in sight, and that they had thus been drinking Tuborg all day long before the show (especially evident in their bassist Stéphane Barbe).
Whether Canadians are poor drinkers, or The Rock had an unusually well-filled stock, I cannot say; but somehow the band managed to have enough beers left so that they could generously hand some out to the thirsty crowd in front of them.
This, together with Barbe’s talented bottle whistling, made sure the crowd loved the visitors from across the pond. This, and of course the enormous performance they were giving.

To be honest, I was quite blown away!
Never in a million years had I expected something like this, a full throttle onslaught of energy, especially not after the aforementioned Metalcamp show. Even Lunah (Lauridsen, photo) commented that such an energy have been a seldom sight throughout all the years we have visited The Rock, and I’m inclined to agree with her.
If something, Kataklysm really managed to get their show over the edge of the stage and straight into peoples’ consciousness.
Not only the band managed to get over the edge of the stage, one in the crowd did as well! One happy Swede jumped up on stage in It Turns To Rust and started playing air-guitar, and the amused band let him stay for as long as he wished. He later made a comeback with the band in the last song of the night.

Admittedly, the music is and stays too death for my taste, but this show... Damn!
With all my prejudice blown to smithereens, I confess this was one hell of a concert, and I look forward to anyone being able to match it later this year...