Day 2
Even if I woke up early, I had to had a bit more rest, which ended in me sleeping too much and I missed a few of the first bands, again. I would had like to see Piss Vortex, but it's alright. There was also a returning event; Whiskey Tasting, where you in 2 hours could hear, learn and taste some of the better whiskey and usually that event starts at 13:00 and ends in Death by Cheers! 

 

I went to Atlas with my friend and listen to the music of Iotunn from the outside, since we couldn't walk inside with our beers. 
So as I entered, they played the last song and a minute or two later I heard “Thanks guys it was wonderful to play here for you...” Crap.... 

One of the things I really don't like about RMF is the beer situation. You buy a beer at Voxhall or Atlas, but you can't take it outside or to the other place. Reason is that the concert is “down town” and not outside the city on a festival area and it's not a closed area. So when you go outside, you are outside. They don't give to plastic cups to allow you to go from one place to another or have Royal to make different lables on their beer cans that a specially sold during the festival. But it means, once you buy a beer, you are more or less stuck. The thing then is to do as if you where 15 years old, hide it. Put the beer bottles down the pants, smile and walk in. Easy, and it works fine too. But it is often beer bought from the local store next for a minimum of a price. I don't see what they gain with this. 

 

Nero Di Marte
For me, the first band, full-length, was the Italian band, Nero Di Marte and it was still a bit too early, since the crowd was thin and the rest was either eating a bit, getting drunk or waisted from the whiskey tasting earlier, that did claim a few “lifes” haha. But they played awesome and I think it might be the best band of the day. Their experimental metal, more in the Doom genre for me, was full of variations and it never got dull. It was a joy to watch them play and with the first couple of beers pushed down the throat, the head started to feel better and better, which affected my and the few that saw them quite a lot in the positive way. Great atmosphere. Because they really did play well and they manage to take a Top 5 of best acts with most of the people I talked to afterwards. But many was also few, since there wasn't many at the front of the stage. 

 

The same can be said about the next band that played in Atlas and I was one of those who walked in and out again. Woebegone Obscured, local Danish Doom metalband from Aarhus and I think they did well, but their more Doom - “Suck the Life Out of People” approach wasn't really me and as most of the festival goers, I went outside in the nice weather and participate in the Search for Cheap Beer. 

 

Psycroptic
The mood was high and the beer flowing through the veins, or whiskey for some when next band blasted their way onto the stage. The frontsinger, Jason Keyser, really gave it all his best to make sure that this was going to be a big united party, screaming and throwing their songs into the heads of a wondering crowd, that yet wasn't really ready but started to move slowly. Keyser got in front and took up people from the crowd on stage so they could crowdsurf and before short they started to mosh and a pit was forming. The alcohol was warming up the body and people had a blast at the concert. Psycroptic isn't the most technical death metal band, but I can assure, they know how to make up for that live! When the concert was ended, everyone was satisfied and happy and really thirsty. 

More beer! 

Dysrhythmia
Slowly the beer began to do it's magic but so did my patience towards metalbands I just don't get. Dysrhythmia is technically too good at times and I just wasn't in the mood for this crazy minimalistic jazz session. So after few numbers I knew, it was good, but my need for some more epic and straight forward metal was up. So I got outside with my friends and we started to wait for Marduk instead.  Not that Dysrhythmia was bad, it was just too much input. They are touring together with Gorguts, which probably is because they have the same guitarist and bass player hehe. 

 

Standing outside again, the weather really started to change for the worse, means that it started to get cold and since the cheap beer was in the nearby shops, we had to endure it a bit still. People where swimming in their adventure land of alcohol and the confusing that followed. Well, for my part the party almost was at an end, for simple reasons. I stood and had a talk with a friend, when one, I guess, of the crew members came running, was late and gave us a joint in the hand. 
I took a few puffs, thinking, it's sometimes a good thing to settle a bit and enjoy the show. But couldn't really feel anything. Neither could my friend and when we heard Marduk had entered the stage, we threw it away and raaaaaaaaa.....n.... iiiiiin..... 
Nope, that thing worked fine! Knew I should have had a chilidog earlier! 

 

Marduk
The more theatrical end of the scale, Marduk, had entered the stage and they started brutal and with no mercy they tried the punch the power up and out of every single person in the room. Marduk was angry as hell and blasted their groovy black death metal into the crowd, with songs like ''Slay the Nazarene'' and ''The Levelling Dust'', it was time for dancing (red. Mosh-pit) and sing-along. But they put up a good fight for a party and held their ground on the people that took it all in. I don't doubt that it was one of the better concerts at RMF, but slowly I lost track of time and it didn't help, when they played the last song, ''The Black'', they just exited the stage without a word. Time flies when you are in good company and it did. 

Rest of the night is now more or less guesses from me. One of the large local bands, and a band that always can draw a big crowd is Crocell, that performed at Atlas after Marduk had ended and they played with a big smile and ease. 

 

Gorguts,
had the unfortunate luck not only to play after Crocell, which mean that most people still was at Atlas talking and laughing and therefore it wasn't many when Gorguts started. They also had to fight a long hard day full of alcohol and after Marduk and Crocell had claimed the life of many, only a few still “stood”, but it's didn't meant that Gorguts didn't give it hell. Their set piece was brilliant and their concentration high and full of focus. 
That, unfortunately one can't say about the crowd, that completely lost focus on the music and went into Get Drunk mode which was a shame. They really did well and should had played earlier. But that's sometimes how it is. 

 

Prologue 
I don't know much of the things that happened later, but I was found sitting in a bar down town at 04 ó clock and talked with all kind of people about many concerts and having a blast and as usually, spending way to much money on drinks! Afterwards some friends catched a taxi and thrown me in it. Time to go home I guessed with a smile. It was a great experience and even if I met a lot of people good, bad, foes and nameless people, I did felt that this was over much too fast. I would had like a day more. 

 

In short, Royal Metal Festival is a fine Danish local thing, but it doesn't really invite so many others and not foreigners. It's after 9 years still just too small and local based, which I think is a bit of a shame. It's not an expensive festival, the arrangements are good, even it could be better at times, the crowd fine and funny, the sound and the two stages are really good and the beer.. well the beer is just like any well tempered hooker. Best served cold, consumed fast and many and they all tastes the same in the end anyway. 

 

I hope to return to RMF soon and I hope you'll join me too next year! 

Written by  Federico ''Escobar''