By Jase Walker
We’re finally approaching the last couple of weeks of the year and I’m gladly wrapping up a very busy week with Katatonia melting my face off at Amsterdam’s Melkweg. Not only that but it’s the MAX stage for this so it’ll be a big night of delicious proggy goodness delivered with a massive helping of heavy fucking riffs – what could you not want from this on a Sunday night?
Along for the ride is Evergrey who I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing before a number of years ago and quite buzzed to see, and Klogr, apparently K – LOG – R according to their stage backdrop who I don’t actually know of so it’ll be a new introduction for me tonight!
It’s quite surprising that Klogr as opener has such an elaborate setup with them that includes two large screens either side of the stage that play some pretty snazzy visuals to go along with the live show.
They kick things off and I’m genuinely taken back by how massive they sound. I’m generally pretty used to opening acts usually getting mixed a bit quieter and sounding a bit thin compared to headlining acts but this is fully not the case tonight. The low end frequencies shake the floor and pound my chest and even the guitars themselves sound fat, this is quite something.
They’ve got a style that errs a bit more towards more traditional prog metal of the likes of Dream Theater or Soen so they absolutely belong on a lineup like this! Klogr are pretty fascinating to watch because they’re hammering out a show that could just as easily be a headliner show in its own right from the way it looks and sounds as well as how they conduct themselves on stage but it’s not coming off as self-absorbed in the way I’ve seen others try to do this.
It’s just sheer confidence and showmanship, there’s no question about it. Genuinely a fantastic opener that was thoroughly enjoyable and quite surprising also.
As the stage is cleared away to make way for Evergrey, a quick stage test shows that there are even more screens that were hidden away behind the Klogr ones!? A large screen under the drum riser and what looks to be two large ones either side of the drums. I’m actually quite taken back by this as carrying around this sort of production for so many dates has to be quite a challenge.
Evergrey kicks things off in properly loud style and opening to get things started with big chuggy riffs and pounding drums reminiscent of the likes of Gojira and Devin Townsend. The screens either side flash all manner of neon colours while the bottom screen starts on what looks to be the actual visuals video.
I’m genuinely impressed with the sound so far tonight, it’s been incredible so this is going to be interesting to see how Katatonia wraps this up if both the openers have been top tier epic also. These have definitely got one of the most animated drummers I’ve seen in a while as well, the man’s rarely sitting down on his stool and often opting to be standing up playing or standing on top of the kit when a song finishes.
Melkweg is looking decidedly packed by the halfway point of Evergrey’s set, a truly incredible turnout for a prog metal show as often these events can be a bit tough to draw people in, especially in the colder months but this is just an attestation to the draw of the three bands on this lineup tonight.
For the closing words from the singer mentioning how they’re back next year to support Iron Maiden at the Ziggo Dome (which I’m also there for!), he gets suddenly interrupted by the keyboard player who gets the crowd to sing happy birthday to him instead! He seems a little bit embarrassed by it but takes it in good stride before kicking off the set finale of ‘Oxygen’. Their use of screens really makes me think about how much I’m enjoying the use of these as I find it adds a lot to a show and considering how many bands I’m seeing lately that do this, it seems to be quite a cost-effective method of adding a lot to the visual elements of a live show. Evergrey were fantastic and little wonder they’ve been picked for the Iron Maiden support slot, they deserve it!
Some quick stage adjustments prior to Katatonia taking the stage but largely have the same screen set-up although the drums are now placed in the middle of the rather sizable riser.
Katatonia quietly walks on stage and catches me off guard with a sudden loud assault of noise along with the entire room lighting up. Their signature sound of slower atmospheric backing melodies against groovy guitar work is unmistakable and the now absolutely rammed venue is fully locked in. The lighting engineer at this show also seems to be fully leveraging the ceiling lighting for this show too as the flood lighting across the venue to the back periodically lights the crowd up while some of the stronger LED lights dance around and amusingly keep lighting up the face of a bloke a couple of people behind me.
As you’d probably expect, a fair chunk of the live set leans on the newest album which seems to ramp up on subtle symphonic elements in their sound which for lack of a better way of putting it, sounds distinctly Swedish. Admittedly I find the use of strobes maybe a bit too much as I end up getting flashbanged and blinded for a few seconds whenever they decide to use them which makes it super hard to follow what’s going on.
It’s fantastic looking around the venue though and seeing the place so utterly rammed with people all singing along and headbanging with proper enthusiasm. I do feel bad for the group of people standing around a lady around the centre front as she’s massively pissing everyone off by repeatedly making loud screams and getting aggressively confrontational with anyone asking her to dial it back a bit. I do wonder what happened to some people’s gig etiquette at times when these types turn up and think it’s their own personal show, although I never thought I’d see that at a show for someone like Katatonia.
Much like the rest of the bands on so far this evening, Katatonia do truly sound immense. Sound mixes of this level aren’t exactly as common as I’d like them to be but they’ve got it just on the right sweet spot where the backing tracks and synth are exactly where they need to be as well as the entire band sounding super strong but not overpowering and mushy. Also a special shout-out to how they’ve done the drums because this weirdly pervasive trend recently of having the snare and bass drum insanely loud compared to the rest of the kit really ruins the experience for me and yet Katatonia’s kit is fantastically balanced.
As we hit the encore I feel like this has been a properly epic spin through Katatonia’s entire discography as there wasn’t much they didn’t touch on throughout this lengthy 90 minute set. What better way to spend a Sunday night than coming to a venue barely 5 minutes away from my apartment to get my face melted by some of the finest Swedish metal around? Top notch show from all the bands tonight and handily an early finish and trip back to bed. Banger.