On Saturday, February 19th, Polish death metal legends VADER, along with the supporting bands DOPELORD and MENTOR, hit Hype Park in Krakow as part of their Awakening of the Tyrants tour through Poland. The show was organized by the local booking agencies Left Hand Sounds, Knockout Productions, Massive Music, and was set to start at 19:00.
MENTOR was the first band to kick off the show, immediately blasting the audience with thrash metal/hardcore. The moshpit started instantly. Throughout their whole show, I observed a cheerful lady in the center of the moshpit swirling her blonde locks in circles like it was nothing.
DOPELORD was a slow intermission act. Corky-clad lads, fake bones tight in the form of a cross as props, they gave the audience some stoner/sludge riffs to chill and enjoy the beer to. The most prominent song was “Children of the Haze,” as a lot of fans were singing along in joyful bliss.
VADER were up next, and here was the main difference with the previous show in Wroclaw – pyrotechnics! The security guard explained that I must not cross the marked line as there is going to be fire. I felt the smell of gasoline near the photo pit and saw the coordinators fixing everything up. The level of excitement skyrocketed through the roof and the venue was packed. As soon as the lights went dim and the band members appeared on the stage, they blasted the audience with the heavy riffs of “Silent Empire” and in a blink of an eye, a drunk body fell into the photo pit from the crowd. During the three compositions in the pit, the same fan managed to crowd surf his way upon us. The first half of the show didn’t have a lot of pyrotechnics, but the level of insanity in the crowd was next level. Moshpits, circle pits, crowd surfing, stage diving, and a flying shoe – all included in the special VADER show package. The second part was hot, literally, as they unleashed the flames with “Reborn in Flames”! The set was an hour-long, covering compositions mostly from “De Profundis” and “Solitude in Madness,” closing with a cover of “Wyrocznia” by the monumental thrash metal band KAT, who lost its father and founding member recently.
Overall, the show was extraordinary. Everything was organized on the highest level and was punctual. The light technician was especially good during VADER’s show, timing the lights perfectly to the beats and riffs of each song. No camera and fans were scorched during the show.
MENTOR
DOPELORD
VADER
Photos by Alexandra Aim
