Taking on a record, such as “Kill ´Em All”, takes character, courage, talent and above all; a lot of balls! Something that Iceland´s, Melrakkar (e. Arctic Foxes), seem to have enough of.
Hailing from diverse, yet iconic corners of the Icelandic rock/metal scene, the band consists of Sólstafir´s Aðalbjörn Tryggvason (vocals), Mínus´ Bjarni M. Sigurðsson (lead guitar) and Björn Stefánsson (drums), Ham´s Flosi Þorgeirsson (bass) and Skálmöld´s Snæbjörn Ragnarsson (rhythm guitar).
Opening things up were Skepna (e. Beast). Playing groovy metal with Icelandic lyrics and a taste of the desert, from their recent debut, Skepna seemed to be just the right band to give a thirsty and energized crowd a soundtrack for some heavy drinking, in-bound nostalgia, angst and metal up their asses!
The evening´s venue, Gamli Gaukurinn, soon filled up to the brim and tickets were now, very much, sold out!
Melrakkar did not hesitate to kick some ass and rushed into their set after being guided on stage by Ennio Morricone´s “Ecstasy of Gold” (brilliant!). With Tryggvason screaming out “No life ´till leather!”, sh*t got real!
Notable was the stage presence of these experienced rockers and their confidence in their craft. Guitars raged furiously and thrashing, the bass hit heavy and pounded your gut and Stefansson drilled Ulrich´s beats tightly and spot on, grinding his teeth. To boot, vocals were independent in style and excellence and breathed new life to a young, angry James Hetfield. Not to imitate but to honor. The performance raged on and Melrakkar did not release their stranglehold of their audience who welcomed them with endless applause, whistles and screams. With brilliantly executed versions of “The Four Horsemen” and “Jump In The Fire”, the band seemed infectious and truly well-rehearsed.
Rage, being a big factor in lyrics and music this evening, did not seem to inhabit it´s audience and people seemed relaxed and comfortable in a seriously packed venue and the atmosphere was positive and friendly. Everyone was here for a good time!
Soaring through “Kill ´Em All” in it´s entirety, with classic´s “Whiplash”, “Seek & Destroy”, “No Remorse” and even “(Anesthesia – Pulling Teeth) played to near perfection, the band the left the stage, only to return with a mixture of encores and willingness to give their audience more than their ticket´s worth of metal. Melrakkar now incorporated some Judas Priest, Motörhead and more Metallica into their set and the already infected and highly enthusiastic audience slammed their heads and sang along, showing their gratitude and love for metal music.
More Metallica! More Everything! Without remorse!
Daníel Hjálmtýsson
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