About two weeks ago, we got to experience another fantastic concert at New Age Club, Roncade (Treviso, Italy) - the first was Anathema over 15 years ago. Hopefully, soon again - anywhere reasonably near. That November's Sunday, Ghosts Of Atlantis, Ignea, Butcher Babies, and headliners Fear Factory claimed the New Age Club's stage.

We arrived too late for the UK-based extreme symphonic metal outfit Ghosts Of Atlantis; there were works on the Italian sinfully expensive highway, so we drove about two kilometres for over half an hour. Out of the band's five performed tracks, "The Curse Of Man", "Sacramental", "The Lycaon King", "False Prophet", and "The Lands Of Snow", we only got to hear the last one "in the right position" - in front of the stage. And this one was executed on a very high level. Therefore, we were even more regretful for missing the other four. But there is always next time, I guess. The band released its sophomore full-length, Riddles Of The Sycophants, on 27 October, and I recommend checking it out.

Next on the stage, Ignea - the Ukrainian oriental/symphonic metal band, was also presenting its latest beautiful concept album, Dreams Of Lands Unseen, released at the end of April. Starting with "Dunes", "Camera Obscura", and "Daleki Obriyi", then, after being invited to Ukraine once the war was over, the "Bosorkun" single. "Bosorkun is the Ukrainian mountain spirit who kills with the power of the wind and sends drought and illnesses to people and animals.

But, in our song, he's a 'spirit with a kind but destructive nature', who wants to make friends with humans and trade his immortality for their world'", explains Ignea. "Magura's Last Kiss", from the band's split album followed, and then another two, "To No One I Owe", and "Nomad’s Luck", from Ignea's latest album. Ignea left the stage with "Leviathan", and an impression.

We passed the USA-based Butcher Babies because we had two interviews arranged at the time of its performance. We first met with Phil Primmer, the Ghosts Of Atlantis vocalist and right after, with Ignea vocalist Helle Bogdanova. The interviews were quite short, about 20 minutes each, since there was no room for such occasions, and we had to do "our business" outside. It was quite cold, well, maybe not for Phil in his T-shirt... We still managed to catch the last four songs by Butcher Babies. While we were missing Carla Harvey (illness?), Heidi Shepherd raved onstage, and the audience was over-thrilled. Although not my kind of music, it was a magnificent performance.

The last on the stage was Fear Factory, the first time for me with a new singer, Milo Silvestro, who joined the band in 2021. And - he was amazing. Probably even saved the band from falling into oblivion. The band played 17 songs, five, and far the most, from the  1998 Obsolete album. Native Italian Milo Silvestro accompanied each song with a speech - in the Italian language, of course. With such a powerful performance, Fear Factory is surely back to its old glory.

Summa summarum, and from what I got to hear/see, all four performances were top-notch, which doesn't happen very often.  So, congratulations to all the artists and sound engineer(s)!

What about the toilets, you might be asking? Nothing this time (or maybe never again) - drinking juice for a change, I didn't need one. But, for one last time, concert/festival promoters, please, keep in mind, that toilets (and enough of them) are (unfortunately) a necessity, not some extravagant desire. Thank you! And you men, please, be understanding if/when you encounter me in a men's toilet - I won't take long; thank you! Regards, Jerneja

Report by Jerneja
Photos by Tomaz
Links: Ghosts Of Atlantis, Ignea, Butcher Babies, Fear Factory