X-Mass Fest (Vienna - Arena - 21.12.01)
Written by: Klemen Polimac

Yeah, that Friday was really something. Everything began real early. I got up from bed at 7AM, because there was a long trip to Vienna ahead of us and we had to make a few stops along the way. We also had a bit of luck, 'cos we didn't have "winter tyres" on and there was snow and ice out there. Luckily the guys on the border didn't notice anything.

When we came to Vienna, we had to wait outside on that "polar" cold - you see, in Austria they open the doors half an hour before the show and there was a whole bunch of people out there, much more than just a thousand (when we were all in, we were packed as sardines). So some had to wait outside for half an hour or an hour before they could get it. I would also have to be on the guest list 'cos of the interviews I was gonna do but the organizer fucked up and he was totally ignorant on top of all that. So of course I missed the first act - Vomitory. I was really pissed off because these crazy Swedes were the only band on the bill that I haven't seen before. Their new album is supposed to be a great one, so I was looking forward to finally see them live, but no such luck.

After Vomitory, Krisiun took the stage which kinda surprised me. I thought that they would play at least after Dark Funeral. The Krisiun guys told me (after the show) that they won't play as second ever again on fests like this.

The Brasilian trio from Sao Paulo has shown us once again what's true metal attitude. Alex was telling us that we (the fans) are everything and that they are nothing without us, that we should fight together for metal. Of course he received a loud applause and the crowd just loved them. They played songs from all 4 of their albums and they finished with Creation's Scourge (pure classic). But I could see (like so many times before) that they were too fast and just too extreme for some people and it's always like this. There's always some people who look all astonished and can't comprehend - what's the matter folks, can't you take some non-stop extreme brutality with furious speed on top, ha ha :)

Dark Funeral was the next band on stage (damn, later I noticed that none of their pictures worked out). This time they had a session bass player with them so Caligula just sang. Their show was great with Matte Modin (ex Defleshed) handling the battery as a madman. From their classic debut they played us The Dawn No More Rises and The Secrets Of The Black Arts (the best crowd reaction was to these two songs) and of course, they played songs from their 2nd and 3rd album. If you still don't have their new one "Diabolis Interium", I advise you to buy it, it's great and it may sure become a classic (Hail Murder!). The atmosphere was rising sky-high with great light show but it was time for...

...NILE. This time with Jon Versano (from Dark Moon) on bass and additional vocals and Tony Laureno (ex Angelcorpse) on drums. Their show was filled with so much energy and brutality that no one was left with mixed emotions or doubts about them. You could tell that they knew what they were doing and besides, they have many tours behind them. The newcomer Jon was good in "public relationship" - communication with public was great and there was a lot of stage diving, moshing, headbanging, screaming... all the things you usually can't see in Austria. Their crowd is usually more like... dead. But this time there was also a lot of people from Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary.

I still wish I could see Nile as headliners in some smaller club, 'cos everytime I saw them they were playing on some festival and I think that they would be perfect in some smaller place. The question is just, who would survive. They finished their set with great computer outro Khetti Satha Shemsu.

But now, alas, it was time to finish the dismembering that Nile began with and the guys that were supposed to do the job were already on stage with pounding creepy intro behind them - Marduk. We all knew that on this tour there will be no prisoners at the end, so necks had to be broken and bones smashed to dust, the Babylonian god was already here. I would say that they were the best band that night and I know that a lot of people would agree with me. Legion (all smeared with "blood") was really into the whole thing that night and their show was so intense that I was afraid that electricity will be cut off. He was also encouraging the crowd with that little German that he knew.

At one point one chic climbed on stage and began dancing, slithering, headbanging... and Legion also saw her so he announced that the next song is about a girl like her - Funeral Bitch (ha, ha, way to go Legion). Later crowd started to yell Jesus Christ... Sodomized and he turned to the rest of the band and said "Well, you heard the guys" and they sodomized us with aforementioned song from their last album. And as so many times before he would say "The next song is about turning all the fucking crosses upside down!" and then kicked into Sulphur Souls (Praise Hell Sataaaannnnnn!!!!). Maybe a lot of people don't know that also Morbid Angel were using that speech more then 10 years ago before they would blast into Chapel Of Ghouls.

Also, from "timing" point of view, I would say that their set was perfectly set. I mean, who wouldn't get tired and exhausted after hearing so many great and strong bands in conditions like this!? Their set was probablly the peak that night - yeah, I also forgot to say that it was hot as hell inside (just total opposite to the freezing cold outside).

But just to make sure there wasn't gonna be any survivors, they called the guys from morgue to finish the rest, heh he. Once from Buffalo, but now dwelling in hot and swampy Florida - Cannibal Corpse.

If you ever saw any of their shows then you know that they are great live, especially when touring with Marduk. But on the other hand, you've seen one of their shows - you've seen 'em all.

Personally, I prefer smaller clubs, 'cos there's better contact between the band and the public, and C.C. are great in small clubs. Their best show in my opinion was with Immolation in '96.

They were not bad this time, far from that. But with so many bands it must be a bitch to play as last one. I can't even imagine how everything would look like if Kreator wouldn't cancel their show. Anyway...

Cannibals played all the goodies from their long history, songs such as A Skull Full Of Maggots sing-a-long, never missing Fucked With A Knife and as the last one Hammer Smashed Face (of course, what else). They played also two songs from their newcoming album (due to be out in February 2002).

At the end we were all pretty much dead and exhausted (one way or the other) and it was definitely a great show. The sound was great, numerous people, lot of merchandise... Too bad that their beer is so expensive. I talked with Alex and Moyses (Krisiun) for a while, then went to do interviews with Nile and Krisiun (thanx again to Karl and Alex) and then it was time to go - whole night of driving back home was still lying ahead. At 8AM it was finally time to lay this tired body in bed. Ahhhh, yeah there's something special about metal life, being tired and happy at the same time. :)