The portuguese record label Raising Legends, has decided to celebrate Christmas with a special two-day event featuring some of their bands, that took place in Porto, at the venue Hard Club.
Day 1
The first day was dedicated to rock oriented sounds with the participation of the bands Projecto Sem Nome, Sacapelástica, The Fines and Blame Zeus.
The first act of the night was Projecto Sem Nome, a group with a very interesting sound and approach to rock music. The room was almost empty at first, but what lacked in people was rapidly filled with energy. A complete dedication and devotion on stage, with a some-what theatrical vibe, showed that the band has a great deal of potential. The set list focused on tracks from their upcoming debut record, and had a little surprise in the middle, a very interesting cover of the song “Ele e Ela”, by Portuguese singer Madalena Iglesias.
Next up was Sacapelástica, an instrumental project with tons of groove and energy. The band presented some songs from “Metalol”, their debut effort, which was released earlier that month. Keeping a high spirit, they showed us that you do not need to sing to know how to rock, and draw attention in a positive way from the crowd.
The Fines and their full on rebel rock n roll attitude were the act that followed. They’re a group of versatile musicians, with an amazing delivery on stage and an “on point” sense of humor, giving the fact that they named they’re latest record, which was also the highlight of their set list, “Greatest Tits”. Overall, it was a dynamic show that convinced everyone in the room. Definitely a band to watch in the near future.
The night ended in beauty with Blame Zeus’ gig. A band with a more heavy sound, when compared to the previous from that day, refined with a beautiful female voice. The set list focused on some of their most interesting tracks, all taken from “Identity” their debut record released in 2014, such as “Falling Of The Gods”, “Accept” and “Crazy”, that featured the participation of a special guest. It was also the first show of the group with their newest member, bass player Malone (Equaleft).
Day 2
The second day was marked by some heavier sounds, with the performances of the groups Wrath Sins, Tales For The Unspoken, Gates Of Hell and Equaleft.
The second night started with Wrath Sins, a young band from Porto that is currently promoting their debut effort “Contempt Over The Stormfall”, released at the end of September. Although the room at first was scarcely empty, mainly due to the fact that most people are always expecting shows to never start on time, the band was able to overcome that fact and give a very interesting gig that pleased the ones who were there. The most exciting moment was when they played their medley of songs from the cartoons, like Dragon Ball GT and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, from our youth.
Tales For The Unspoken was next. The band proved to be on an excellent shape, and gave a show that did not left anyone in the room, that was in bigger number than it was in the previous act, indifferent. The set list has both songs from their latest release CO2, that came out last April, like “Soul For A Soul”, “Mental Strength” or “I, Claudius” in which they were accompanied by Miguel Inglês. They didn’t left out some of their oldest and very well known ones, such as “Say My Name”, “Posessed” or “N’Takuba Wena” that closed their concert with echoes and applauses.
One of the warmest welcomes of the festival was given to Gates Of Hell when they stepped on stage. After a period of hiatus away from the stages, the band returned in full force and with a new front man, Márlon (Wrath Sins). They played their new song, among some old and known tracks from their debut work “Critical Obsession”, “My Path” posted on youtube a few days earlier announcing their new singer. With was a gig full of power that awoke the audience for a huge mosh pit that lasted almost from start to finish, setting the mood for what was coming next.
Equaleft closed the festivities on the highest of notes. It was an intense and energetic gig that marked the end of a chapter for the band, and the start of a new one, something like a rite of passage where they said goodbye to their long time guitarist Nuno “Veggy” and welcomed their new member Miguel Martins. Filled with emotional and moments worth remembering, mostly due to the amazing reception they had by the crowd, driven wild by their amazing performance on stage. The set list was mainly dedicated to “Adapt and Survive”, their debut record released in 2014, that was played almost in full. This was probably one of their best concerts ever.
In all, we can say that it was a rather successful two-day event, mostly due to the spirit of friendship felt, and all the great shows from great bands, filled with surprises and emotional moments. Another proof that the underground in Portugal is alive and well. Let us hope that this was not a onetime only fest.
Words and Photos by: Rita Limede
Special thanks to Raising Legends Records
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