December 22, 2024

Skylight Webzine

Online since 2000

Release Festival 2024 (Pestilence, Testament, Behemoth)

Pestilence

The legendary death metal group Pestilence performed an incredible show in Athens, Greece, bringing their harsh sound to town. Pestilence had the difficult task of establishing the mood for the whole festival as the first act, and they accomplished it with fierce ferocity and accuracy. To the pleasure of the crowd, the band tore through a set list that displayed their technical death metal skills. The complex guitar work, powerful drumming, and gore vocals created a powerful mood that the audience found quite cool. The crowd responded really well to Pestilence, considering they were the first band on stage. Throughout the concert, fans were not simply there but also actively participating, headbanging and applauding. The musicians fed off the excitement of the audience and acknowledged their support, which added to the already unforgettable experience. Pestilence’s performance in Athens proved their continued popularity and proficiency in playing extreme death metal.

Testament

Despite a rough beginning, Testament, the legendary thrash metal band, put up an incredible show in Athens, Greece. Being the only Thrash Metal attraction, there was a lot of excitement and fans couldn’t wait to see the band perform live. Unfortunately, there were some sound problems at the start of the show. The guitars overshadowed the other instruments, which resulted in a fairly muddy and imbalanced mix which later was improved. Thankfully, the sound engineers took immediate action to fix these concerns, and Testament was able to move forward after that. The atmosphere in the auditorium surged as the band’s trademark mix of explosive riffs, sophisticated solos, and authoritative vocals took center stage. Alex Skolnick, the guitarist, was a highlight of the evening, the concert’s high point was undoubtedly his virtuoso playing and scorching solos. The band had a fantastic performance and seemed to have practiced a lot. The band’s accuracy and cooperation were evident in the songs, which sounded just like their studio recordings. Excitement was further heightened when Testament revealed that they were celebrating the anniversary of their beloved album “The New Order.” The audience erupted in cheers upon hearing this revelation, and they were treated with some songs from this breakthrough album. Testament’s drummer, who has a particular bond with Greece, also gave an amazing drum solo throughout the performance. He had a noteworthy moment when he addressed the crowd in Greek, connecting with the local supporters on a deeper level and eliciting a warm reception. Despite the early sound issues, the crowd was passionate and encouraging the whole show. The dynamic frontman of Testament spoke with the audience and thanked them for their continuous passion and enthusiasm.

Behemoth

Renowned black metal group Behemoth impressed the crowd with a night of powerful music and dramatic spectacle when they performed in Athens, Greece. Behemoth, who is renowned for their impressive stage presence and sophisticated theatrics, did not let fans down with a visually and acoustically breathtaking show. With their characteristic corpse paint, the band added a gloomy and ominous look to the stage that went well with their black metal music. Each member of the group had a “violent depth” that grabbed the crowd and created a dynamic presence that lasted throughout the evening. An atmosphere as unsettling as it was thrilling was created by Behemoth’s set, which combined elements of gothic, horror, and black metal. The band gave their concert a dramatic touch with their use of theatrics, which included sophisticated lighting effects and dark stage accessories. These components enhanced the whole experience and drew the audience farther into the sinister realm of Behemoth by harmonizing with the music. Their performance of the song “The Deathless Sun” was one of the evening’s highlights. The crowd was impressed by the band’s cool, dynamic performance of this the song. Frontman Nergal wore an evil mask for this song, which added a frightening visual aspect that matched the gloomy tone of the song. This performance stood out due to the powerful vocals of Nergal and the aggressive musicianship, which connected strongly with the audience. Throughout the night, Behemoth paid tribute to the modern Greek metal scene. Greek metal icons like Rotting Christ and George Kollias were acknowledged and honored by frontman Nergal during this brief time. With sincere appreciation, he said that Behemoth would not be performing if it weren’t for these contemporary Greek gods. The Greek crowd replied with passionate clapping and shouts, showing how strongly this recognition of Greece’s contribution to the worldwide metal scene connected with them. The band put up a strong and exciting performance that was remembered even after a few initial sound problems. Their dramatic stage presence mixed with gothic, black metal, and horror elements produced an intriguing and realistic experience.

Live Report by Vasileios Yfantis
Photos by Peter Papapetros

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