Boenna & KingG survived a night of mixing Danish dynamite with Norwegian hellfire.
Introduction
When the Danish sensation Afsky chose to open their Nordic tour in our neighborhood and bring along local heroes Heimland, my friend KingG and I had no other option but to suit up, grab our cameras and notebooks.
Being a smaller venue, it created an intimate and friendly vibe all around. This was further emphasized by the fact that band members and festival organizers mingled among us mere mortals, enjoying the party just as much as the rest of us. Ole, the main man in Afsky (leading his solo project with a band of hired guns), was behind the merch desk, signing autographs, and taking photos with fans.
Heimland
As the clock struck 20:00, four corpse-painted dudes entered the stage. There was no mistaking it, Heimland was here, and they meant business. It was my first time experiencing new frontman Fanden, and he dominated the stage just as much as former vocalist Gnist.
A special moment occurred when Fanden held out the microphone into the crowd for Gnist to deliver the final scream of Heimland’s set.
KingG:
Heimland sent thundering riffs through the dimmed streets of Kopervik. The small venue quickly filled with long-haired, beer-loving metalheads. With their grooving guitars and heavy bass lines, Heimland’s black metal created a beautiful atmosphere. Lord Thamuz sat towering over the drum kit, masterfully controlling the audience’s headbanging.
Overall, Heimland gave us exactly what we wanted: fast-paced and energetic Norwegian black metal, a fitting opener for Afsky’s Norwegian leg of the tour.
Afsky
After a short changeover, Afsky was ready to demolish Kopervik, and we were all here for it. With two tiki lamps burning, plenty of smoke, a big fan, and excellent stage lights, it created a truly captivating experience. Afsky’s style of black metal fit perfectly on this small club stage. I found myself truly lost in their performance and visuals. Even during a quick toilet break, the spell wasn’t broken as the smoke filled the entire venue, making it a bit challenging to find the way to the toilets at the back. If it weren’t for the music, I would have thought I was in one of Amsterdam’s coffee shops…
Back on stage, Ole was an energetic frontman. I was truly impressed by his guitar work and vocal delivery. The other band members up front, guitarist Simon and bassist Martin, delivered their parts and engaged the audience throughout the show, with guitars and fists raised high.
I was particularly impressed by drummer Martin’s effort. Ever the stoic character, he sat behind the kit with perfect posture, letting his arms and feet do the talking. It was cool to see that he was, in fact, not a machine once he stepped away from the kit at the end of the show.
KingG:
Afsky set in to create a foggy atmosphere for its audience. With the smoke machine pumping and fires burning in the venue, Afsky took to the stage. The smoke’s setting off the fire alarm didn’t seem to bother anyone as Afsky’s heartfelt riffs were deafening the alarms until the management could silence them.
Overall, Afsky stood out to me as an excellent live band. Their one-hour set flew by as we all lost track of time. Afsky would certainly be a fitting addition to the Karmøygeddon festival poster, the local festival based around the same venue, kicking off on May 2nd this year.
The Afsky tour continues today in Stavanger, see tour poster below and Afsky’s facebook for details.
Afsky gallery:
Heimland gallery:
Tour poster and links:
Afsky facebook for tour tickets: https://www.facebook.com/afskymusic
Support the bands:
Afsky: https://afsky.bandcamp.com/
Heimland: https://edgedcircleproductions.bandcamp.com/album/forfedrenes-taarer
Community:
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