HAMMERFALL, Sabaton, Bloodbound
10.04.2009, Universiada hall, Sofia - BulgariaВ 

words by: Stefan Topuzov, photo: Ivaylo Tchilingirian - digitalartsbg.com

Friday afternoon. Beer after beer and the heavy metal mood seems to get stronger and stronger! After all, we’re about to witness a show by one of the biggest names in the genre. Everyone around me is explain to each other how ‘these dudes brought heavy metal back, maaan’, ‘I used to be such a fan, I just can’t miss ’em’ and so on.

Letting people in at the entrance however is happening extremely slow. A member of the security opens up a dialogue with the already upset crowd and washes his hands with the organizers who had demanded that people should be let in through only two doors. ‘We insisted on more but…’ His mom seems to be popular in the crowd, judging by the response.

Once inside I found out that this episode has cost me seeing openers Bloodbound. Only afteeer the show I see a friend who was lucky enough to be inside when they played and he shares that they had wiped the floor with all the following bands. I have no choice but believe him now…

…When it comes to SABATON, though, I can see with my own eyes that they crush. The dudes play song after song from ‘The Art of War’ in front of the now packed hall as their quite athletic frontman demonstrates his fitness inspired stage presence. But let’s not make fun of him, as he probably break me in half with one hand.

SABATON leave us with the impression that they are sincerely having fun. They don’t miss a chance to tell us how they really do think this is the best show they’ve made in their entire lives. This seems to make the audience even more enthusiastic and applause, screams, shrieks and singing get even more furious. This way Sabaton and 3,000 Bulgarians pass each other the excitement ball and in the end we’re not exactly sure who is having more fun…

…The culmination of all of this is the above mentioned frontman giving us very detailed route info to the merch stand.  Hehe!

What follows is 20-something minutes of rearranging the scene for the headliners. Scenery is being removed, drumsets as well. Suddenly the whole thing turns out to be twice as big.

Sometime around 10 PM Cnas & Co take the stage and the wet heavy metal dream of every (grown-up, bearded and now chronic alcoholic) kid. Classic after classic start falling like hammers on our heads – ‘Punish And Enslave’, ‘Crimson Thunder’, ‘Legion’… We also hear the pilot single from the brand new album – ‘Any Means Necessary’. HAMMERFALL take no prisoners!

The dudes make use to the fairly big stage and during the whole show they run, switch places, and jump around. Behind them there is a large screen where all kinds of pictures that fit the music show up. The lightning effects are extremely well done as well. All in all the show is totally HAMMERING. Quite impressive to watch.

Midway through the set we have a demonstration of the band’s instrumental skills that makes our jaws drop. Cans later explains that, being the frontman, he can’t do the same thing, but he’s willing to talk very fast for 10 minutes.

 Sometime around 11:15 PM the band seemingly tells us ‘goodnight’ and before we could think to ourselves ‘yeah, right’ they are back on the stage and are asking us the rhetorical question ‘Let the Hammer WHAT?’ – ‘FAAAAAAAAALLLLL!!!!!’, the 3,000-strong crowd shouts back. There is also a second encore, this time a final one, the quite expected ‘Hearts on Fire’. Awesome!

What follows is bows and posing with the Bulgarian flag onstage. Hammerfall, just like their colleagues from Sabaton, seem sincerely flattered by the outcome. After all – a sold out show, an enthusiastic audience, a concert that went on problem-free for its whole duration… what more does a man need?

Well, we’re greedy. We want it to happen again. That’s what!

GALLERY