Rising From The North 2024 Thoughts

Hey there, long time no see,

I just wanted to share a few thoughts and decided to do that here on my webpage – maybe in a more regular interval but this lies in the future.

„Why do you listen to metal?“ – This is a question people that don’t know me often ask. They often do not understand how screaming or growling can be a creative and favourable expression in music. The musical topography of those songs feels like listening to a war, feels aggressive and brings up all the feelings that you normally do not want to endure. It seems „uncomfortable“. Why should people enjoy this?

But let me tell you something: There is a certain beauty in those feelings as well. Socitety just does not have a safe place where to explore them. Life is not always about unicorns and rainbows as you probably all know. When you talk to people at concerts you often find them talking about heavy metal music beeing karthatic in the sense of easing up everyday routines and dark thoughts. And it’s that way for me too…

The other week I went to a show from three of my most liked bands together. It was the Rising Of The North Tour 2024 in Hamburg consisting of Soilwork and shared headline duties between Arch Enemy and In Flames. Musically this line-up knocked it out of the park for me as there is not much that I enjoy more in heavy metal than the Swedish Melodic Death genre. I was accompanied by a good friend whom I have not seen in quite a while so up front we used some time to catch up on each others lives. We figured out that this show was very needed for us. Whether you go through a breakup, struggle with every day life and/or dark thoughts it does not matter: in the crowd of a metal show you are safe.

We entered the venue, checked for merch, met a few friends and looked for a nice place to stay and enjoy the concert. Soilwork started the evening and began with an amazing set. They sounded great and it was a pure joy seeing the band having so much fun on stage. The interactions between them and the musical quality was outstanding. In the setlist I also found a few songs that really spoke to me – throwing me back to some good memories I made most recently. I experienced something like a positive flashback while feeling the music with the whole body. For me a nice start into the concert evening.

Next up we had Arch Enemy. They put on a cool live performance though to me it felt a bit more „distant“ to what I experienced from the shows before. And there it happened, the reason of me writing this little post. Towards the middle of their set they played their hit „The Eagle Flies Alone“ and a big train of bad thoughts hit me – completely unexpected. I used to listen to that song a lot when I felt the most alone. A song about fighting for you, not living by the borders society gives you, not needing anyone else but your self. And every little feel or thougt came back in that moment. Music was always there for me when I allowed no one else to be or no one colud. I thought stuff was at least going alright at the moment but there it was again – almost like falling into a huge black hole and I let it happen. I embraced the moment and enjoyed this moment in total sadness while tears came crawling up my eyes. A man – crying at a metal show? Hell yes. Only for me but I had the huge urge to feel this relief. The rest of the concert was nothing but joy again while eagerly waiting for In Flames to enter the stage. Arch Enemy closed with their banger song „Nemesis“ and left the audience with a lot of joy and some more sweaty shirts.

Last in line were the melo death masters In Flames. I knew every song they had on the playlist and the show they put on was nothing but amazing. From the introduction behind the curtain where every band member got their spotlight with a snippet from a different In Flames song to the rest of the show – I enjoyed every minute. Anders caught a great night. His voice was in a very good shape and on stage it sometimes looked like he was fighting his inner demons as well. Throwing himself down or yelling to the sky – the energy was unmatched. And I – I sang every line with them. I’m not a singer, not even close but belting out those words and let them go was the right way for me. Hitting back to the introduction it feels strange to see people on stage finding words for feelings that apparently you and all the other people in the room share or once shared. Even if you never get to meet the band, get the chance to speak to the whole audience you are united: in joy, but also in fear, pain and hatred. And you are not alone – you will never be.

For me that evening was a lot more than just a concert. It connected me back to myself, to all the pain I put aside and need to work on but also to all the good things in life. It was my therapy session in an otherwise hectic and fast everyday life.