Black-Metal-Trauma-Therapy: HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY in Leipzig

Zur deutschen Version geht es hier.

There really is a lot going on for us this year… New bands, new venues and somehow also a new musical direction for the blog, which leads us away from Power Metal and towards heavier Metal styles, especially Black Metal. The concert we attended in Leipzig on April 7th was a good indicator of this: It was our first time at UT Connewitz, we saw HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY, a Black Metal band, and with E-L-R and DÖDSRIT there were two bands in the line-up that were completely new to us. It was an evening that left us with many thoughts and you can read some of mine below!

Thanks again to lightinmirror.de for your photo power! What would I be without you?

A special shout-out also to Chris, who managed everything for us on site and to Patrick, without whose help we would probably have gone home significantly sadder!

E-L-R

I’d seen the Swiss band E-L-R on posters for a few festivals in the run-up to the concert, but for some reason I never followed it up. It’s actually a shame, because we’re always keen to give the few women in Metal a stage, because we know what it’s like to be surrounded by men as women in Metal…

But now the moment has come and how awesome was this band?!?!?!??? The trio, consisting of guitarist, bassist and a drummer, entered the stage very unceremoniously and the shallow fade-in of the first song Glancing Limbs enveloped the audience so unexpectedly that I was quite surprised when we were already in the middle of the song. Unfortunately, the venue was already so fogged up that you couldn’t really see the band…

However, the atmospheric Doom sounds perfectly matched this mood and the shallow vocals gave the whole thing a very enchanted feel. The Doom-Rock of this band works without many frills and is enormously elegant and catchy in its simplicity, but nevertheless uncompromising. While listening, I found the vocals to be mixed a little too quietly, but that may simply have been due to the venue: UT Connewitz has very high walls and the sound is easily lost there, and when listening afterwards I also noticed that many songs sounded similar in the recording. 

All in all, E-L-R played their way straight into my heart with their unreal sound and it certainly wasn’t the last time you read about them here!

DÖDSRIT

The program continued with DÖDSRIT. At the time of their performance, the UT Connewitz was already so fogged up that I couldn’t really see the band at all… One has to ask oneself whether it had to be that way…

But well, I don’t have to see anything, hearing is enough (well, not really, but you know what I mean!). DÖDSRIT combine elements of Black Metal and Crust with sometimes extremely catchy melodies, which are carried by a total of three guitars. You have to appreciate the band above all for their well-composed songs, because every note and every chord is spot on. They do without complicated details in order to move the songs along quickly.

I’ll be honest, it wasn’t love at first sight or sound for me. There were songs, such as Irjala or Apathetic Tongues, that I listened to again afterwards because I found them so interesting. Overall, however, it wasn’t really my taste. 

But it’s important for me to emphasize that it wasn’t the band’s fault at all! There was an incredible amount of passion and know-how on stage and you could tell that all the band members really enjoyed the gig. As always, my opinion is not absolute, so I’ll be happy to change my mind next time!

HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY

Then it was finally time for the reason I’d been excited about for weeks: HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY! Since the release of their latest album Scorched Earth, I’ve been full of nervous energy in anticipation of my fifth concert with them. Their music is always a safe spot for me where I can process my emotions and not be afraid to lose myself in my dark thoughts. It’s hugely healing to know that not only are you not alone in your feelings, but that someone shares them.

Scorched Earth is another contribution to this and I’m happy to admit that it’s my favorite album by the Austrians so far, displacing III:Trauma from its top spot after a long time. I was accordingly happy with the brilliant start to the set, the song Keep Me Longing, which I found even more impressive live than on CD. 

At this point I have to compliment HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY and their sound engineer, David Pilz, on their sound! Once again, everything was just right and that makes the experience all the more enjoyable! (Considering that the venue has very high ceilings, it was no easy task).

Excessive emotionality is not one of my traits, but when they went straight into With Autumn I’ll Surrender as the second song, I was really blown away. I love this song so much! For me, it sets to music the sadness of a time that was so incredibly carefree and carefree, when you had all the possibilities. In a world where we are constantly looking for the next thrill and something generally better, we often lose sight of what is valuable right under our noses. Only when it’s too late do we realize what we had at that moment. It is this realization and the loss associated with it that makes me so extremely emotional. Hearing this song live and experiencing the fervor with which the words And I keep on craving for summer, but for a summer many years ago leave singer J.J.’s mouth was simply indescribable. In addition, there was almost constant purple light during this song, which was a nice nod to the current album cover.

I’ll be honest: After With Autumn I’ll Surrender, the set couldn’t get bo awry for me, although I wouldn’t have expected that from HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY anyway. As mentioned above, I love III:Trauma, so I was also very happy about Funeral Dreams. What I really liked was that there was something from almost every album! Arson was represented with Fire, Walk with me and Maere with Sing for the Damage We’ve Done. In the context of the now extensive discography of this band, I thought the mix was very well chosen! I was a little surprised by the encore in the form of Lungs filled with Water, but as it’s my favorite song from the first album, I’m not complaining. However, my impression was that some people in the audience had perhaps only found HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY in the last few years and could therefore relate more to the new material. It seemed to me that there was more reaction in the audience during the Scorched Earth songs… 

Nevertheless, it was once again an outstanding performance by a band whose music always offers me a safe space. It’s a pleasure to watch their progress. When I think about the fact that the audience at my concert was comparatively small, it’s amazing to think that so many people would be just as enthusiastic about their music. HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY simply hit a nerve in terms of living with and in catharsis, which justifiably attracts and inspires. The concert was a welcome escape from everyday life and it proved to me once again that it’s always worth seeing this band live.

I have absolutely no regrets about sacrificing my sleep to see this special band on a Monday and I think everyone else in the audience that night will feel the same way!

As you know, that’s not the end of the story. You can expect another interview here shortly, which we were able to do before the show. So stay tuned for more!