Last time they visited Greece, due to some things beyond my powers, I missed them. After I had the opportunity to listen and review their new album it was about time to see KARMA TO BURN live. I arrived at An Club at 20:30 right on the door opening. But I was a bit disappointed, when I saw no more than 30 people outside the club.
As it usually happens in Greece, the concert began with a long delay (the small number of fans should not be an excuse for delay.) and thus STONEROW showed up in front of 70 people. Their music is a mixture of ELECTRIC WIZARD, SLEEP and VIKING SKULL, but in a slower tempo. The band can have a brighter future if they work hard and do something more with their compositions. They keep repeating their very good ideas that after a while I caught myself yawing. On top of that the drummer had problems with the broken base of the crash right after they started playing their second song. After a warm applaud from the crowd, which was getting bigger with time it was BROTHERHOOD OF SLEEP's turn.
There was another trio, but with no vocals at all. Their music was on the same path as the first band with additional mystical atmosphere. Their music travel between, rock, doom, psychedelic atmospheres with groovy rhythms. Not a bad mixture, I may say, but BROTHERHOOD OF SLEEP had the same symptom as STONEROW; they turned to be boring after a while since they repeat the same, nice, ideas over and other again. Some catchy riffs made me and the rest of the crowd to move our heads, but that was it. Even though, the two supporting bands played only six (in total) songs, they were on stage for almost two hours! Now you know why most of us got bored after a while.
But, 30 minutes before midnight, the time had come for KARMA TO BURN to come on stage.
Mullins gave the signal and the power trio started playing "19". What started to take place from that moment from the fans, which by that time had filled the club, cannot be described with words. Headbanging, moshing, screaming, stage diving, crowd surfing… Everything that a stone/rock/ metal concert should have. The band was in great shape, even if this was their last stop of this tour. The sound was one of the best I've ever listened in An Club, with only some minor problems in the guitar that was way "back", but after the first song everything became perfect. This hell of a party continued without a pause and only the lack of ventilation was something to be annoyed. The band was enjoying this gig as much as we did. From their smiles and reactions, I believe that they didn't expect such an audience. To tell you the truth, I didn't expect it either! After almost 90 minutes, KARMA TO BURN left the stage for the last time, after playing "28" as an encore.
This was one of the best gig I've been this winter in Greece. The crowd created a great atmosphere and KARMA TO BURN were just great. I believe that the fans of stoner that weren't there last night missed a hell of a show. You have to believe me since I have no more words to describe that concert apart from the following four: It was fucking great!
KARMA TO BURN setlist:
"19"
'11"
"8"
"36"
"44"
"14"
"41"
"1"
"32"
"30"
"29"
"20"
Encore:
"28"
