>> KARMOY METAL FESTIVAL 2004 <<



 Karmoygeddon Metal Festival 2004.

Zeno Morf
Heatseekers
Mind Crime
Carnivora
Thundra
Thunderbolt
Pagans Mind
Jřrn Lande ( Pagans Mind )

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Impressions from Karmoygeddon, Kopervik city/Karmoy, Saturday the 26th of June 2004.

Arriving just before 2:30 PM, the festival area located in the area surrounding Borgen pub in Kopervik gave off the impression that it was well suited for the events on hand. What, however, didn't go down too well with us or some of the other around from the beginning, was that the first band took to the stage at 15:45 instead of 14:30 - not the best of starts. Lists of which bands were to appear on stage when, would also have been a sensible thing to post around the festival area.

Anyway, Zeno Morf were the first to be rocking Kopervik city, and did so in a much heavier and darker fashion than us AOR ears at Rock Of Norway are used to. Credits for an energetic set played, though! Next up, Heatseekers performed a competent tribute to AC/DC. It seems it might be easier to raise the audience's noses from their beerglasses when they get a chance to bawl a vintage chorus or two by Angus & the boys!

Despite not being scheduled in this order, Mind Crime continued the tribute trend by playing Black Sabbath covers. The attitude applied to the playing and singing, all done in vintage '70s style, suited the band well, but I suspect Mind Crime have it in them to get much tighter musically than they are at present. A certain classic '70's edge also seems to seep through the Tore Morén-led Carnivora. They combine this with a modern heaviness and excellent lead vocals by Mickael Erikson (also front man with the very promising Norwegian prog rockers Circus Maximus). Not being familiar with their debut album made it a little hard to get a grip on the songs in their live incarnation, but Carnivora are loud, tight and come off as a professional unit on stage.

Thundra proved to be the 2nd dark metal band of the day, combining growled and regular vocals, and a rather frantic BPM average to their material. Closing their set with an ...uhm, insanely uptempo take on Europe's "The Final Countdown", it was hard to not be entertained! ...Iron Maiden-esque lead vocals were next up as the hard rocking Thunderbolt took to the stage, musically an amalgam of vintage Judas Priest and the abovementioned Iron Maiden.

As Pagan's Mind began their set, the sound cleared up considerably. Musically, Dream Theater and Symphony X with an occasional darker twist, come to mind, and the band give off a very tight and professional impression on stage. The atmosphere got no less electric as Mr. Jorn Lande entered, to be backed by the already present Pagan's Mind. We got treated to songs from a wide variety of Lande's projects - ARK, Masterplan, Nostradamus (the rock opera) and his latest solo release, "Out to Every Nation", plus covers of classics by Whitesnake, Rainbow, Deep Purple and - wait for this one - Hear 'N' Aid's "Stars" as a highly entertaining closer! ...Need we add that Pagan's Mind lead singer Nils K. Rue as well as Carnivora's Tore Morén were more than happy to help out on this number? (Certainly to great effect!)

All in all an excellent way to end what we hope is only the first of many future Karmoygeddon festivals. Thanks for inviting Rock Of Norway - we would be only too happy to return for next year's Karmoygeddon, to make sure any organisational glitches are fixed and that it will rock as hard and good as this one did!


Text By Geir Aamo .
Pictures By Terje Hoiland.