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First band of the night were Italian power metallers Vexillum. Vocalist Dario Vallesi was in top form, along with all of the other musicians, and he was never once off key. The sound was phenomenal for such an average venue and all of the band members were full of energy. It really was a shame that they had a relatively short set, but there were still three other bands to fit into a few hours.
Orden Ogan was the next band to grace this little back street in the Basque Country with its presence. As they casually walked out onto the stage in their outlandish attire, it was obvious that they were going to put on a good show, and they did indeed. 'Seeb' did another fine job on guitars and vocals, yet again, and Tobi's guitar prowess was not to be reckoned with. They knew how to get the reserved audience involved eventually, and it seemed that almost everybody had a really good time. They even socialized with the audience after the concert had finished, and they were a really friendly bunch.
After that were the legendary German power metallers (or 'happy metallers', as they call themselves) Freedom Call. Their stage show was astounding and apart from one or two mistakes the music was perfect, though something seemed off overall. They did not seem unhappy to be there, but they looked far from happy, too; tired is probably the best word. Despite the fact that they occasionally appeared worn-down, they really did seem to put their all into it. Chris Bay is an amazing musician, and this concert was no exception; Lars Rettkowitz probably overtook him in terms of guitar skill though. Even bassist Samy and drummer Klaus were top-notch, although the drums and bass could have done with being slightly louder. Overall, Freedom Call put on a fantastic show, but nothing could prepare for what was in store.
Last but certainly not least, the fantastic Luca Turilli's Rhapsody decided to blow the minds of everyone in the audience with their otherworldly brand of symphonic power metal. Unfortunately guitarist Dominique Leurquin suffered a major accident in October where he almost lost his hand on a circular saw, so he was understandably absent for the Ascending To Infinity Cinematic Tour. However, the presence of fabulous keyboardist Mikko Härkin and fantastic vocalist Sassy Bernert were still enough to make Rhapsody's performance out of this world. They played a wide variety of music, including tracks from the only Luca Turilli's Rhapsody album so far, Ascending To Infinity, some songs from Luca Turilli's old solo projects and of course plenty of Rhapsody (Of Fire). The promised cinematic experience was just that, with a wonderful video backdrop, plenty of outrageous costumes and a pretty decent laser show; they may not be a huge band, but it certainly felt like they were.
Even if you think that you are not a big fan of Luca Turilli's Rhapsody, try and go to a show - you will probably grow to love it soon enough...
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