Sometimes -even if I know exactly what is coming- I'm surprised how damn good bands are there in Sweden. ABRAMIS BRAMA has been playing at least once a year in Gavle for as long as I can remember but I'm still looking forward to see them as I did the first time. Well, not really since the first time I saw them was the first time I heard them, but after that at least... They've become a nice little tradition on the Metal club history of my hometown. But since ABRAMIS BRAMA is a little special it's either Swedish people or really devoted Metal heads than know about them since they are singing in Swedish. An attempt to translate the lyrics to English they did in 2003 with Nothing Changes but I think the charm got a little lost with the change of language. No matter if the lyrics can be understood or not, there can't be any mistake in the groove. Their 70's, BLACK SABBATH-esque, Stoner styled music is so perfect for a dirty rock club stage.

The thing with ABRAMIS BRAMA is that they are exactly what concerts should be all about. They're right there in your face, Ulf Torkelsson almost gets to close sometimes. Sweat stains on the lens are more rule the exception. Perhaps the attitude and stage presence don't exactly portray the music, the performance is a lot more aggressive compared to the quite prosaic every day themes their lyrics handle. Not that it's a disadvantage, absolutely the opposite. No one will stand unaffected after an hour of ABRAMIS BRAMA.

This evening the breams (ABRAMIS BRAMA is the Latin word for Bream. How Metal is that?) gave a few teasers from new release Smakar Sondag (Tastes Like Sunday) and these songs absolutely holds the standard. Kylan Kommer Inifren (The Cold Comes From Inside) was just an instant classic. Lyrics that gets stuck immediately and very easy to sing along to. Else everything was pretty much like any other ABRAMIS BRAMA gig, the beer drinking nerve was tickled and the bar was a little too close for everyone's best and the hour plus passed way too fast. One thing though was the much softer Bilder (Pictures) from Rubicon that really stood out in the set, a lot more melancholic than the rest of the material but still just as intense and that was a nice break in the middle of the entire groove-parade. I sure as hell wouldn't mind having ABRAMIS BRAMA back in town a lot sooner than around the same time next year and I'm sure the rest of the crowd at Wasteland would say the same.

(photos by metall fotografen Erika)

ABRAMIS BRAMA