JARBOE - ESOTERIC - SECRETS OF THE MOON

Without sleep and a morningshift later I picked up my dear friend Wiebke and hit the road again towards Essen. Anticipation kills all tiredness (with the little help of some energy drinks). We arrive early to have some time for talks and quickly “sneak” into the Turock (a tour pass helps a lot ;)) JARBOE is doing soundcheck, ESOTERIC watch them and SECRETS OF THE MOON lounge on the sofas at the café. After all these summer-like days it is quite cold outside and rainy. Anyway, Fade’s console won’t strike anymore, at least not due to heat ;) T. Thelemnar and Cedric are out to get new skins for the tattered bass-drum, unsuccessfully. Wiebke is much enthused by the club, JARBOE and ESOTERIC too and I hope for great lights ;)
Advanced ticket sale went to zero. At the end the Turock is by far the best venue, but also the one with the fewest attendees :( Less than 40 people there… Anyway, I and Wiebke follow our growling stomachs to the Café Nord next door for some food, while the bands hit the Maze...

:: pics ::

Akrival still don’t show up and so :: SECRETS OF THE MOON :: once more open the evening. Of course belated *lol* They seemingly have used the time to enter a drugstore for candles and incense. The band’s sound engineer is on board too and delivers a great and differentiated sound. Only lights are missing again. No light engineer and so the band leaves it at around three spots again (instead of some multi-colored light chaos not suiting the music). Not enough to highlight the second guitarist and the drummer. LSK gets a bit of light, the rest focuses on sG. *nags* There is one lens better than the 1.4 one I have (donations on my bank account please ;)) Because they started late SECRETS OF THE MOON surprisingly had to cut the last song. Damn, that was a short show! But the best one so far, with the best sound. And SECRETS OF THE MOON truly rocked da house, um… Turock ;)
Setlist: Intro, Ghost, Ordinance, Bleak Star, Queen Among Rats, Lucifer Speaks

Also :: JARBOE :: tops herself and delivers an absolutely awesome performance. At first some little things don’t run like a clockwork but the band gets over it quickly and the guys play themselves into kinda trance, ok Josh in rage again ;) It’s captivating, mesmerizing. JARBOE’s voice is clear, all pitches can be heard. She screams and growls, whispers, evoke and breathes. Even the gasps in Transmogrification are clearly to hear out. The screams in House Of Void are almost perfect, intensive and insane, and she smiles ;) I close my eyes, drift away and feel the heat in a temple of Goddess Kali, feel the rhythms, see her rise. JARBOE comes down the stage again strolling among the audience, watching her own band playing. Yes, I think she couldn’t have found any better musicians. They perfectly match her and her music. Geez, what a great show! Breathtaking!
Setlist: A Sea Of Blood And Hollow Screaming, Durga 8, The House Of Void, Transmogrification, Maha Kali, Of Terrifying Countenance, Kali Lamentation III, Kali Lamentation V

Ok, at this sound it’s clear :: ESOTERIC :: will be the highlight and blow me away. They gave their best. Well, they probably do always; these guys are for sure perfectionist. It’s just a matter of sound to really hear out all the details and nuances. The sound is unbelievably dense and complex and intensive. Even Jarboe is blown ;) And again I’m stunned by all these effects. And my friends there agreed to me, that’s the “biggest” boards seen so far ;) Everybody gets lost in the music, with closed eyes people sway with the melodies like reed in the wind. I’m deeply sunk into a blue ocean. Deep blue (do you remember this movie?). Dolphins… I am a dolphin. Oh, and finally some decent lights ;) At the last song Dissident guitarists and bass player sink down, in front of their effect-boards and create music only with them. Just wow! By the way, it’s the only old song, coming from the 99 album Metamorphogenesis. The other ones come from the current double CD The Maniacal Vale. Sold for 10 Euros during the tour, as everything else from this band too. That I call fan-friendly pricing! And I couldn’t resist…
Setlist: Intro, Silence, Caucus Of Mind, Quickening, The Order Of Destiny, Dissident

Here my 3-days excursion finds its end. Three days on tour with SECRETS OF THE MOON, JARBOE and ESOTERIC. And shows that improved every night finding its highlight tonight, here in Essen. At least for my part ;) I still have to do morningshifts and it doesn’t make sense to go home for just one hour of sleep. So we stay, have nice talks about the last three days and other interesting stuff and I got my Durga CD signed.
I have to say that I find it utmost pity that so few people attend these shows. And of course that not all dates worked out, otherwise I would have hit the road again (or the plane). I guess this tour will end up in a losing deal. Three amazing bands, every of them worth, to attract much more attention per se. They deserve and even demand. I hope that it won’t take 4 years again till I can see JARBOE playing live. Or I have finally to go across the big pond…
Thank you much for these three amazing days :)