Epic Fest 2023 – pt. 1/2 (Blind Guardian + Lastera)

The start of something beautiful

It's no secret that yours truly absolutely loves power metal. So if you ask me, the idea of starting a power metal festival in lil' ol' Denmark is just beautiful. And, at the same time, a bit wacky.

Beautiful, because power metal is notoriously derided on the Danish metal scene. The Danish headbangers tend to prefer straight-up, grunty death metal, local long-time runners Illdisposed, for example, having set a certain standard both musically and attitude-wise.

And wacky for the same reasons.

So the fact that local hero Søren Weiss – co-founder of webzine BlastBeast, long-time Wacken Metal Battle judge, and Pectora guitarist – along with Gimle program manager Lauge Hede Kjærum not only managed to put together Epic Fest and book fucking Rhapsody and Blind Guardian, but also have the damn thing sell out several months in advance, really IS nothing short of goddamn beautiful. And, yes, perhaps also a bit wacky.

It's a rainy Friday afternoon in April. Business as usual 'round these parts. Getting to the festival by train from Copenhagen, I have yet to spot just ONE other person like me, wearing a battle vest and warming up on cold Royal Classic.

But my fellow warriors are there, sheltering under the awnings outside Gimle, swilling pricey Tuborg and an even pricier IPA made exclusively for the festival by a local microbrewery. The first thing I'm hearing on the PA is "The Cage" by Sonata Arctica. Old and new friends come gathering from near and far, catching up as more beers are swilled. I have a feeling this is gonna be a fine evening.

Like virtually any other opening act in the history of music festivals, local outfit Lastera isn't exactly A-list material. While they're not power metal per se, their sound is melodic and epic enough to qualify. They're trying out a lot of different stuff, which, all else being equal, makes them the most original band on this line-up.

However, it also makes for a somewhat inconsistent sonic profile with zero lingering hooks or gimmicks. And some of the features are more quirky than interesting – like, say, naming a song "A Man in a Suit". And while their musicianship seems excellent – especially the bombastic vocals are impressive – the sound is too muddled, with too much bass and only a slight hint of guitar.

I do recognize a well-meant creative effort and solid handicrafts when I see and hear them, though. So I'll give Lastera the benefit of the doubt for now.

Rating: 3.5 out of 6

Having never been at this cute little 550 person venue before, I find it hard to imagine how in the holy name of tits you'd cram a band the size of Blind Guardian in here. I mean, not only have I seen them completely fucking devastate a crowd of around 70.000 people at Wacken, but this is only their third concert in Denmark – the previous one being at Copenhell in 2016 and the first one being in 1996. People aren't just gonna be hungry; they're gonna be fucking starving.

And a perfectly ravenous crowd it is, indeed, a steadfast battle cry of "GUAR-DI-AN! GUAR-DI-AN! GUAR-DI-AN! GUAR-DI-AN!" resonating loudly before and after virtually every song. And with no less than an 18-song setlist, and with no less than half of those virtually being the band's entire 1992 borderline-masterpiece "Somewhere Far Beyond", oh boy, are we in for a treat.

And sure, one might rightfully argue that playing only one new track (i.e. "Violent Shadows" from last year's "The God Machine") isn't exactly very forward-thinking. But it'd be just as hard to argue against a set like tonight's. We get mandatory bangers like, say, a beautiful "Lord of the Rings" and a soaringly singalong "Nightfall" alongside more overlooked deep cuts like "Theatre of Pain" and the intensely metal "Welcome to Dying".

And just as I thought the band were cornering themselves by playing their best one, "Time Stands Still (at the Iron Hill)", as only number four tonight, they march ahead and just plain trample us with a ripping "Time What Is Time" and another singalong in "Journey Through the Dark".

Yes, this is one of those evenings that remind the awestruck listener just how many amazing tunes this one group has graced us with for the last 35 goddamn years. And the atmosphere is unlike anything I've ever witnessed, a fascinating call-and-response between vocalist Hansi Kürsch, introducing the songs with a gentle, almost intimate humility, and a thunderingly grateful crowd, leaving the charismatic lead singer even more humbled.

And for that matter, Kürsch remains one of the strongest and most unique vocalists in not only this one subgenre, but in metal in general, his instantly recognizable belting wails just as intensely powerful as ever, and his velvety croons just as velvety as ever. The rhythm group isn't making a big deal about anything, even normally badass guitarist Marcus Siepen being virtually immovable throughout (and having dyed his hair gray for some silly reason). But more than anything else, this experience is carried by the grateful local crowd's insatiable hunger for a lot of kickass battle hymns. And a lot of kickass battle hymns is exactly what we get.

And a grateful, hungry crows is exactly what Blind Guardian gets. So much so that this must've been a night to remember for them. I know it was for me – and for every single other festival attendee I talked to after the show. And as if an encore of the equally mandatory and enticing crowd-pleaser "Valhalla" wasn't enough, the band tramples us one last time with a blistering "Mirror Mirror". Epic closer; epic show; epic fest.

Rating: 5 out of 6

Okay, one complaint: The aforementioned prices of beer here. Yes, I know everything's getting more and more expensive and that Denmark is just plain wicked expensive because we're a bunch of annoyingly rich sonsabitches… but the absolute cheapest option being 55 DKK – the equivalent of €7.30 – for around 40cl of fucking Tuborg Classic?! I mean, come on. And while I do appreciate the option of paying 40 DKK (€5.30) to get some ABV bang for your buck in the form of a decent imperial stout, even this guy wouldn't be able to chug those for an entire evening.

Anyway. So, the playlist running at Gimle's bar, The Raven Tavern, is apparently compiled by the festival's attendees themselves on Facebook. And I gotta say, I'm positively surprised. These are not just the regular rookies who consider fucking Manowar power metal (they're straight up heavy metal, ya dumb cunts); this is a crowd of connoisseurs. (And I'll be willing to let that one inclusion of "Fighting the World" slide, because, you know, Manowar are still fucking awesome.)

And during this evening and the following one, I've become convinced that there's a connection between our passionately geeky immersion in this wonderful subgenre and the atmosphere here at Epic Fest, which is one of the most cheerful and positive atmospheres I've ever witnessed at a festival. And this is coming from a guy who's been going to festivals for 25 fucking years now.

Metal culture has a definite, passionate camaraderie that outsiders will just plain never understand. And like I'm talking to some people about during the course of this evening and the following one, this applies to the subgenre of power metal all the much more so. In fact, you could argue that power metal is the metal of metal: Outsiders scorn it because they don't understand the appeal, but the insiders share a bond and a common affinity that's stronger than in any other subgenre.

Sure, a lot of people might prefer, say, thrash metal. But by far most other metalheads can take the average thrash metal album or leave it. Power metal, on the other hand, isn't a matter of taking or leaving, but about either downright loving or hating. No other options. No other subgenre is as binary in its divisiveness.

And while metalheads are, by far, notoriously down-to-Earth kinda people, chances still are, you might run into one or more douchebags if you go to, say, a death metal show. Or maybe especially a black metal show, what with all its silly national socialism flirtations and all. But this weekend had nothing of the sort. Au contraire, with any occasional douchebag happily absent, this weekend saw nothing but smiles, hugs, laughter, openness and brotherhood. And, of course, a lot of kickass battle hymns.

Stay tuned for part two of the coverage. We got Iron Fire, Dragonland, Rhapsody, and Dream Evil coming up. And also, yours truly will be hungover.