Summoning the Muses at Samhainfest

Bands: Ankh (HU), Tales of Evening (HU), Niburta (HU),

KerecsenSólyom (HU), Virrasztók (HU), Darkest Era (UK),

Arkona (RU), Dalriada (HU), Silent Stream of Godless Elegy (CZ)

Venue: Club 202, Fehérvári út 202, Budapest
Time: September 29, 2012 - 3.15 pm
Entrance fee: 3 499 HUF

The time for Samhainfest has come and gone. Seriously, it's more than obvious that Budapest is the place for folk metal events like these. The crowd was huge, crazy and wild; and so were the bands, amazing bands, I must say. I won't go much into details, I hope my photos will bring you at least one piece of the hot atmosphere from Saturday.

~there are links to the gallery at the end of the post~

This festival was also a turning point for my photography. First of all, I finally took my new lens for a ride. True, I shot with it at Sziget festival already, but not like this. (There's a post from Sziget here as well, but it's hidden for now, as I have to do some changes. It will be back on soon.) I can honestly say that I've really enjoyed myself shooting the bands this time. The lights were really good, and the bands showed such diversity that I would have been utterly sad if I had not been allowed to shoot. Big thanks to the organizers for that.

Ankh

Ankh has just released their first EP, named Tükörterem. A friend of mine, Tamás, wrote a review of the album both in English and Hungarian. Check it out here! and be sure to also have a look at Tamás's Facebook page. He puts a lot of work into presenting the world of folk music to people all around the world, not just Hungary as the name suggests. Here's the link: Folk Metal Hungary.
Now, back to Saturday. The first bands had short setlists, but nevertheless presented their work in best light possible. Unfortunately, at some points during the whole evening the sound was a bit off. Sometimes the singer's voice could not be properly heard, while the guitar would stand out too much. Despite that, the band warmed the crowd up quite well with songs such as this one:

Ankh - We Are Gonna Fall (video)

Setlist: Ankh, Éj az Erdőben, (new song without title), The Longest Journey (Pt. I), We Are Gonna Fall, Tükörterem // Lezárt Szemek.

Tales of Evening

With quite less folk elements, but the same level of energy, Tales of Evening took over the stage. Fans especially loved the beautiful singer Ivett, with a singing technique slightly different from the other bands vocalists', but nevertheless wonderful. The band also has a video out, have a look here:

Tales of Evening - Lázadás (official video)

Setlist: Intro, Álmodd újra, Az én csodám, Hajléktalan lélek, Credo, Inkább egyedül, Lázadás, Reménysziget, Az én mesém, Outro.

Niburta. I always feel like a little girl when I have to write something about these guys. What can I say? I really love their music; even before they added Macedonian folk song and lyrics into it. That bit blew my mind. Now I'll stop my cheesy rambling and just (im)patiently wait for the album, Scream from the East. I posted about the release and one of the songs here, so I'll show you Mašala, the Macedonian song this time. It's a story about a hurt, cheated guy:

Niburta - Mašala (video)

Niburta

Setlist: The Descent (intro), Balkanic Heart, Nap és Hold, Mašala, Dance of Satyrs, Forgotten Path (feat. Alkonyat of KerecsenSólyom), Awakening.

KerecsenSólyom

KerecsenSólyom was the biggest and nicest surprise for me on Saturday. Wow! The effect that the band had on me was enormous. I've listened to their music once or twice before, but for some reason it never stuck with me. On Saturday, however, they completely amazed me. Even though they didn't use any folk instruments on the stage (too bad, I was really looking forward to that hurdy-gurdy intro on A Hősök Mulató Mezeje), the energy of the band, mainly the singer, completely put the playback into the back of our minds. Of course, upon returning home I gave their studio work another chance and it was successful! So, here's my recommendation to you:

Kerecsensólyom - Kerecsen (video)

Setlist: Intró, Hadak Ura Szekerén, A Hősök Mulató Mezeje, Aquileia Ostroma, Népmese, Kerecsen, Révülés.

I've seen Virrasztók at Rockmaraton in July, and same as then I have to say that these guys always have the best lighting system. Even if their music wasn't so good, it would always be so nice just to look at them on stage. :) Fortunately, the music they make is really appealing, they call it psychedelic folk metal, but you really have to be there to feel that flow of energy.
Not to forget, what I also loved about this evening was an enormous number of violins on stage (Ankh, Niburta, Virrasztók, Dalriada, Silent Stream of Godless Elegy), never enough.

Virrasztók - Sirató (official video)

Virrasztók

Setlist: Intro, Szigeti Veszedelem, Fehér-fekete, Vidróczki, A Kaszás, Az Én Időm.



 
Darkest Era performed as the first of the three foreign bands. They came from Northern Ireland, where they formed in 2005, as a celtic metal band. When compared to the other bands of the evening, though, one could easily notice the difference, not that it meant anything less for the band on Saturday. They certainly got the crowd going, and rocked them hard.

Darkest Era

Interestingly, there are two female members in the band - but neither is a singer. One of them, Lisa, is in charge of smashing on the drums, while Sarah amazes fans with her guitar skills.

Darkest Era - An Ancient Fire Burns (official video)

Setlist:  An Ancient Fire Burns, On the Crest of Doom, Heathen Burial, To Face the Black Tide, Poem to the Gael, The Last Caress of Light, The Morrigan.

Arkona, on the other hand, comes from Russia and has been around a bit longer than Darkest Era. They play folk metal in combination with slavic paganism. I've been a fan for so long that I don't even remember how I got into it. The singer Masha is such an amazing singer and charizmatic woman, she just blows everybody's mind with pure appearance on stage. Not to mention the addition of folk instruments such as bagpipes to their music, with the rest of the amazing musicians. Here's what it's all about:

Arkona - Liki Bessmertnykh Bogov (official video)

Arkona

 Setlist: Az' (intro), Arkaim, Goi, Rode, Goi!, Ot Serdtsa K Nebu, Slovo, Pamyat', Slav'sya Rus'!, Zaklyatie, Kupalets, Katitsya Kolo, Leshiy // Stenka Na Stenku, Yarilo.

While talking about Arkona, I'd like to show you another project of Masha and Sergei: Nargathrond (video).

Dalriada

 
The main act of the evening (although, for me it was Arkona), Dalriada's show was already running quite late, so the band had to make it shorter than intended. Fortunately, it turned out to be a good idea, since the main singer Laura is pregnant. For that reason, band will also cease performing until March, as they pointed out. On stage they were once again joined by Fajkusz Banda, a string band, to help out with the folk melodies. The end of the concert also saw the live performance of Dalriada's newest single, A Dudás, on which a bagpiper and an additional singer came out. On the bad side, Dalriada had quite some problems with the sound, but it did not stop all the fans in the club to support them in front of the stage.

Dalriada - A Dudás (official video)

Setlist: Ígéret, Napom fényes Napom, Hírhozó, Kinizsi Mulatsága, Hunyadi és Kapisztrán Nándorfehérvári Diadaláról (Saltarello), Borivók Éneke, Leszek a Hold, Szondi Két Apródja 1. // A Dudás, Hajdútánc.





The closing band for the festival was Czech Silent Stream of Godless Elegy. They've been playing since 1995, and with the latest album developed the most prominent folk style. Although a lot of people left the venue after Dalriada, there was quite a crowd still gathered in the club, supporting the band. They performed with such enthusiasm that you just couldn't resist basking in their music. For those who did not stay: you missed one hell of a band. Here's some of what they prepared for us in Budapest:

Silent Stream of Godless Elegy - Skryj hlavu do dlaní (official video)

Setlist: Mokoš, Tváří v tvář, Dva stíny mám, Wizard, Skryj hlavu do dlaní, Pramen co ví, Slava, I Would Dance.

Silent Stream of Godless Elegy

Aaand: you can access the galleries here, through either:

Flickr

Facebook

Thanks to all the bands for making such breathtaking music, to the people for supporting them, organizers for bringing this to Budapest, and everyone who helped me - you know who you are. ^^

Samhainfest Approaches

Bands: Ankh (HU), Tales of Evening (HU), Niburta (HU),

KerecsenSólyom (HU), Virrasztók (HU), Darkest Era (UK),

Arkona (RU), Dalriada (HU), Silent Stream of Godless Elegy (CZ)

Venue: Club 202, Fehérvári út 202, Budapest

Time: September 29, 2012 - 3.15 pm

Entrance fee: 3 499 HUF

As the fall approaches, bands are becoming more eager to leave the huge festivals season and indulge into new series of individual concerts. As part of it, smaller festivals are organized, usually not with a static location, but with groups of bands travelling and performing together.

Luckily, one of the major folk metal festivals is being organized in Budapest as well, by HammerConcerts. This time it's the Samhainfest.

I won't write much now, since I'm planning on making an individual post about the event itself next week, after participating in its wonderfulness. For that reason, I'll only share the main information, and tell you, urge you to go to the fest. You won't regret it.

So, here goes. The bands will play according to this order (probably not to the exact minute, though):

15:15 - 15:45 Ankh
16:00 - 16:45 Tales Of Evening
17:00 - 17:45 Niburta
18:00 - 18:45 Kerecsensólyom
19:00 - 19:45 Virrasztók
20:00 - 20:45 Darkest Era
21:00 - 22:15 Arkona
22:30 - 23:45 Dalriada
00:00 - 01:00 Silent Stream Of Godless Elegy

     Also:

Tales of Evening will present their new album, Hajléktalan Lélek.

Niburta will present their first studio album, Scream from the East. It will also be available with the October's edition of HammerWorld for free (you'll have to buy the magazine, though). The band also released a lyric video for one of the songs, check it out here. 

Dalriada releases their newest album the day before, so be sure to get one of those, too - Napisten Hava. Check out the official video of the first single:

To completely satisfy the audience, the organizators have provided T-shirts as well:

The tickets are sold for 3 499 Ft, at the following places:

Hammer Zenebarlang – Address: 1114. Budapest, Fadrusz u 2.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri: 10-18

Headbanger - Address: 1053. Budapest, Múzeum körút 17.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10-18, Sat: 10-13

CD Pince – Address: 1073 Budapest, VII. ker. Erzsébet krt. 37
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10-18, Sat: 10-15

Viking – Address: 1132 Budapest, Nyugati Tér 5.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10-17:30

You can also buy the ticket at the venue, for the same price. Apart from being able to buy Dalriada's new album separately (1 999 Ft), you can buy it in a combination with the ticket, with the price of 4 999 Ft.

Finally, the teaser:

So, join us on September 29, for a breathtaking, whole-day-long, folk metal party!

Balkanic Hearts of Hungary

News: A Song from the Upcoming Album by Niburta

Album release: September 29, 2012

Via: Nail Records

The time for Niburta's first studio album is slowly approching. As of September 29, which is also the day when they will once again amaze us on stage (check the dates on the left side of the blog), Scream From the East will be available for everyone via Nail Records. Those who come to the show will also be able to get the album for free with October's edition of Hammerworld.

Niburta also posted a lyric video as a teaser for the fans. The new song, Balkanic Heart, includes lyrics written in an old Bulgarian dialect. All I can say is that I can't wait to have the album in my hands.
The artwork was created by Árpád Fazekas. Have a look/listen here:

How do you like it? Feel free to leave a comment.

Also, earlier this summer, the band released the long awaited video for the song Awakening. It perfectly represents the band with their unique way of playing music - the kind of chaotic form of old mystical, folk tunes. Kudos!

Beltine Fest Craze

Niburta: Balázs and Lili

Bands: Oganj (CRO), Cruadalach (CZ), Niburta (HU),
Avven (SLO), Ignotus Enthropya (HU)

Venue: Crazy Mama Music Pub, Gubácsi út 97, 1097 Budapest

Time: April 28, 2012 - 7.30 pm

Entrance fee: 900 HUF

Finally, Beltine fest has returned to Budapest! Last Saturday I got the chance to see some of my favourite folk metal bands in this part of Europe. Apart from Niburta, who I absolutely love seeing live, Crazy Mama Pub hosted Oganj from Croatia, Cruadalach from Czech Republic, Avven from Slovenia (which was such a nice surprise for me), and the Hungarian Ignotus Enthropya.

The concert started at 7.30 pm, as planned, with Oganj. Although they haven't been around that long, they already have a nice fan base in Croatia and around, due to their previous involvement with Stribog, one of the leading folk (black) metal bands in Croatia. Even though I had to miss most of their performance, I can say that I'm quite familiar with what the members are capable of. For that reason I'm more than sure that their show was a perfect warm-up for the following bands. So, be sure to listen to their song Zima here.

Setlist: Kada Padne Dan; Zima; Cold, White Sun; Igre; The Wheel of Time.

Cruadalach: Jan (vocals) and Hana (violin)

Soon after, Cruadalach came onto the stage, making the crowd ferociously bang their heads. The singer Jan's enthusiasm and energy especially was what kept everybody on their feet all the time. He kept diving into the crowd pit, initiating mosh pit in every song. The band was quite surprised that the crowd knew the lyrics to the songs, even though they were mostly in Czech.

Niburta: István (kobza, vocals)

The two girls in the band, Petra and Hana, proved to be a delight by bringing various folk melodies into the mix with their flutes and violin. It was obvious that not only the band members worked well together, but also that they had good connections with the other band when the singer of Oganj, Ana, joined them on stage to fullfil their music with her incredible voice. Too bad that the bend kind of kept her in the background, though.

Setlist: Rage Starts Here, Hear Our Voices!, Cruadalach, Living With Pride, Vrásčitá, Pramen Epony, Nezlomní, Morrigan, Code Satyros, Zlatovláska, Occident Sun. 




I've already written about Niburta a lot, but it won't stop me from praising them again. It seems that with every show their performance becomes stronger and more confident, with a few new elements introduced each time. In that light, I have to point out that this time they added a few more acoustic sections, with Milán, the drummer, playing on a cajon between the beautiful tunes of the flute, and the amazing female vocals. The singer Balázs once again stepped in to give the drums a try.

A special treat was introduced for the fans - Horace's poem Lydia, which the band performed in an acoustic fashion as well. It was quite a refreshment in the band's usual repertoire. 

Setlist: Bogorovice (intro), Shto Kaszmete, Nap és Hold, Mashala, Forebear's Dance, Dance of Satyrs (Daemonia Nymphe cover), Lydia (Horatius), Keselyű, Awakening, Forgotten Path, Rege, Fúvom az énekem.

Avven

Being a newly born fan of Avven, I didn't quite have a chance to experience their music much before the gig itself. To my complete astonishment, the band outdid their studio work this Saturday. They played with enormous energy, changing between harsher parts to slower ones with many folk elements introduced by the keyboards and flutes.

 
Avven has existed since 2003, until this point creating their own original music. They combine themes from fantasy to nature and mythology, while at the same time putting the main focus on the majestic male vocals.


Last year they finally released their second album, Kastalija, which made their popularity in Slovenia even greater. The Beltine tour, just like with the other bands who were participating, they got the perfect opportunity to show what they can do outside of their home countries. To my knowledge, they definitely made a difference by participating. In return, many fans went home from the concert happy about that new band they discovered.

Setlist: Intro, Spain, Ar Srf, Avven, Tarak, Panta Rhei, Tornach, Irish, Ibo, Vvile, Kanaan, Hej ti!, 5, Zmaji.


The last band on the stage was Ignotus Enthropya. They are also a younger band, featuring Bálint Kemény of Niburta on keyboards. Once again, we witnessed a short setlist, but it was completed with two quite interesting covers - one by Wintersun, the other one by Ensiferum.

Ignotus Enthropya: Christian (guitar)

Even though their role was kind of the closing 'ceremony' of the fest, many people stayed to support them by just having fun and enjoying the music. It could be seen that the band already has a fan base, mostly from Budapest, but nevertheless it's growing stronger.
In the past months they've been working on the material for releasing the debut EP. Hopefully in the future we will see more of them!




Setlist: Solid Silver, Beyond the Dark Sun (Wintersun cover), Extinction, Despair, Ignotus Enthropya, Writer's Words, Digital Deception, Iron (Ensiferum cover), Solid Silver.

Check out the concert gallery.

Interview with Milán Leindler of Niburta

© Niburta

The latest news of Budapest with a Pinch of Music bring you the interview with Milán Leindler, the drummer for Niburta, one of our favourite bands from Budapest. I will not stall for too long by writing about the band itself, but be sure to read more on their Reverbnation site, or here about their gig in Crazy Mama Music Pub, on March 3.

1. Hi. Let's start by introducing yourself and the band?

Milán: My name is Milán Leindler and I have the fantastic opportunity to be the drummer of Niburta. I've been playing since 2004, and as a "civilian" I'm a psychologist. The band itself does not have such a long history, the founding members were Balázs Hormai, János Krieser and Anna Németh. They dreamed of a band combines the catchy and rather mystical folk tunes and melodies of the Balcanic region with the newest and craziest waves of modern metalcore. I myself joined the band in 2010 and I've been playing with these very diversly skilled guys ever since. The band's name comes from the ancient Scythian god. Niburta is definetely a two-faced deity; warriors prayed for him for strength and courage on the battlefield, so they could savagely rush into battle, and also during the summer when they hoped for a successful harvest. This bipolarity is not only a feature of our "patron-god", but also a feature of our music as well.

Niburta: Milán Leindler

2. Niburta has ‘awakened’ in the last year, both in studio and live. What was it that you have been accomplishing lately?

Milán: One of our greatest accomplishments is mentioned in the question itself. We recorded a studio version of Awakening, and Fúvom az énekem, a hearth-breaking Hungarian folk song. We also finished working on our very first music video, which will be introduced to the audience in the next couple of days or weeks. We also had a lot of live shows, performing with bands like Dalriada, Cruadalach, Stribog, Zrec, Krampus and other very good Hungarian bands. It is important to mention that we formed true friendship with our Czech and Croatian mates, so it will be a pleasure to meet them again in their country. We also plan to make a high-quality tour video during our trip. And at last, I must mention that the 9-member team "chose a king" for itself, as a manager joined the band, Balázs “Don” Buza, who helps us in many ways and knows the arts of diplomacy, organizing, negotiating, and other useful witchcrafts.

3. What has inspired you the most to pursuit the folk metal style? Which bands do you look upon most?

Milán: This obviously differs from band member to band member. However we all agree that there are a few important bands that were the pioneers of this genre. We respect all bands that play such a music that reaches to one's own heritage and traditions and can blend the strength and power of the music of our ancestors and today's metal music. Both of these have dynamism, passion, so they fit together very well. Concerning us, not all 9 members are true folk-metalheads. It is just the question of working together, feeling each others emotions, continuing each other's thoughts. Most of the members who play folk instruments do not necessarily listen to metal music, and those who literally "craft" the breakdowns (like the guitar players, or myself) do not know that much about folk music. But we share our knowledge, and together we create something that is way more than the sum of the two. But if names need to be mentioned, we obviously respect and like the music of Eluveitie, August Burns Red, Vildhjarta, and many more bands that do not necessarily belong to the folk-metal genre.

4. This spring you will be a part of an international folk metal tour – Beltine Fest. What are your expectations of the tour?

Milán: I hope that it will not only boost our popularity, but it will result in many more friendship with other musicians and with the fans. We tend to keep a close relation with our fans, for example I occasionally talk to guys from Brazil, Turkey or Germany, who love Niburta. Our expectation is that the people who come to the shows and honor us with their presence will have a good time and that we can convey our passion and love for these ancient cultural heritage. We hope to cross boundaries, break down walls that have been wrongly erected during the years. And also we hope for a lot of fun and drinking, naturally.

5. On April 23, you will play in Zagreb, Croatia, along with Trollfest and Korpiklaani. How did this connection happen? Are you excited about sharing the stage with them?

Milán: It is a great pleasure and honor to share the stage with them. It would be an honor and pleasure even if we were more popular, it is an honor to meet fellow musicians no matter how famous or popular they are. But I'm not implying that it won't be different from our previous shows, Korpiklaani and Trollfest are the two biggest names with whom we can perform at the same night. This is a huge possibility for us and we are in the middle of the largest preparation that we ever did. The connection can be thanked to Ana, ex-singer of Stribog, who we met at last year's Beltine Fest.

© Niburta

6. Is it true that not all of the band members will play on this tour? Will there be replacements?

Milán: Yes, we need to replace one of our guitar players in Croatia and Slovenia, but this issue has already been solved. Also, Márton Szilágyi cannot play with us in Maribor, his absence will ... as we, Hungarians tend to say it ... "be solved within the house".

7. This is not the first time you collaborate with Cruadalach. How does it feel working and touring with them? What’s your opinion on the other bands of the tour?

Milán: We love those guys! We talk a lot online and have a very good relationship. Last year Bálint Kemény played with Cruadalach on their Polish tour, and this time I'm going to play with Oganj at Maribor. This fills me with excitement and at the same time is a huge honor and challange. As said earlier, we respect all the other bands, we know that Avven is highly noted in Slovenia, I personally am very curious about them. And for Korpiklaani and Trollfest, I'm pretty much looking forward to meet them.

8. Which bands would you like to tour/work with in the future? How do you see the future of the band?

Milán: There will definitely be a full-length album coming soon! Very soon! I'm optimistic about the band's future, we have larger and larger shows, the crowd is thicker and thicker. Our on-stage performance is developing nicely, we are working to give the perfect Balcanic Folk-Metalcore experience to the audience. We would be honored if we could tour with great bands, Korpiklaani was "on the list" before this show too, but Eluveitie, Finntroll are such names too. I personally would very much love to have a tour together with Avantasia or Edguy, Apocalyptica or Stratovarius, but that's just my way of taste.

9. Having so many members, is it difficult for the band to get everybody on the same page, to find time for rehearsals?

Milán: It is difficult, but we try hard. We are starting to think of Niburta as a lifestyle, and this helps a lot. We just hope that you guys can feel this too!

Niburta: Balázs Hormai

10. Lately, you’ve started becoming a leading folk metal band in Budapest. Does it put a lot of stress on you as a band? What are your views on the (folk) metal scene in the city, and the country in general?

Milán: I must point out that we are NOT the leading band of this genre. This is not modesty, this is a hard fact. And there is no problem with it, Niburta is a young and prospering band, and we do not think of other bands as rivals, but as friends and even tutors, from whom we can learn a lot. For example, last august we had a great show with Dalriada, and we profited a lot from that night. We really appreciate their work and what they did for the Hungarian folk-metal scene. I think that the scene in Hungary is developing nicely, there are good shows not only in the capital, but in smaller cities as well. More and more people are interested, because there are good bands and musicians who can satisfy their hunger and appetite for a good folk-metal madness!

11. What would you like to say to your audience on Beltine?

Milán: We promise a great show and a few bruises, stitches for the guys in the front rows, because the passion and spirit of our very ancestors will be unleashed! Also, if there will be an opportunity, I can promise that I will personally say thank you for coming for everyone, who I meet after the show. And we are looking forward to meet you not only during, but after the show as well, because it is boring to drink alone!

Thank you once again for the interview. I wish you a great, extremely fun tour!

Milán: Thank you!

The interview was also published here in Croatian. Check it out!

International Folk & Metal Night

Bands: Isatha, Interitus Dei, Ka Gaia An, Niburta

Venue: Crazy Mama Music Pub, Gubacsi út 97, 1097 Budapest

Time: March 3, 2012 - 8.30 pm
Entrance fee: 1000 HUF

Isatha: Rajna Péter (vocalist)

So far, I've covered some easier styles of rock and metal music, but now I'm moving onto something heavier. Last night I attended a concert in quite a deserted part of the city, in a club surrounded by abandoned buildings, and what looked like factories. I was a bit anxious about finding it, since the neighbourhood didn't look the friendliest. But once you get to those doors inconspicuously hidden in the middle of a long wall, and you get in, the whole atmosphere changes. The door was opened at 7 pm, but I was quite lucky to get there just in time when the first band started playing, since I was running a bit late, an hour and a half to be exact.

Isatha: Dauda Judit (vocalist)

Back to the music, the first band on stage was Isatha, a young band from Budapest. They play folk metal, and use a variety of instruments, ranging from drums and guitars to flutes and violin. As their influences they name various bands, such as Finntroll, Korpiklaani, Ensiferum, and Eluveitie, whose most famous song Inis Mona occupies a special place in Isatha performances.
Although for many fans the female vocals, done by Dauda Judit, were the highlight of Isatha's performance, it is important to emphasize how good the new violinist was, as well as the amazing talent on flutes that Gerényi Dóra showed last night.

Setlist: Vándor, Suttogó erdő, Pogány átok, Álomösvény, Felkelő nap a harci mezőn, Árnykirályság, Inis Mona (Eluveitie cover), Vérvörös ég alatt, Árulók balladája, Utolsó dal.

Interitus Dei

This folk metal night hosted, as its name suggests, bands from (only) two countries: Hungary and Romania, two bands from each. Since there has been some tension between the two nationalities, some people had concern about the outcome of the event. What I find to be a great thing about metalheads is that they are, mostly, genuinely interested in the music itself, and do not care for such trivialities as nationalism enough to start making problems about it. The same happened yesterday, since some showed up in those famous Greater Hungary T-shirts, which would, at many other events, be found highly provocative or distasteful. But enough of that.

Interitus Dei: featuring
Florin Costachita (vocals)

The two Romanian bands followed, led by Interitus Dei (who should not be confused with the German band of the same name, but different genre). This was the only band not to feature a female musician, and also the band with the least folk elements. The band rather plays gothic doom kind of metal, and incorporate into their style two vocalists, providing both clean vocals and growls. Obviously, all the musicians, both inside the band and with other bands, got along very well, and enjoyed being on the stage. Although the audience was not as big as I had initially expected, I was nicely surprised to see how good the communication between them and the bands was.
The Interitus Dei frontman, Bogdan Boeru, proved to be, apart from being a great musician, a very charismatic person as well. After introducing every song as: "This one is simply called...", he realized his repetitiveness, nonchalantly made a joke about it, and simply continued with the show.

Setlist: Pagan and Proud, When the Metal Meets the Flesh, The Portrait of Pain, Cards, Crowd, The Memories of the Snake, Strained, Heroes, Forbidden Epitaph, Straga, It Begins, Amon Amarth, Hasta Siempre Comandante Che Guevara, Riddles.

Ka Gaia An: Anastasia Dincu (flute)

The bands collaborated between themselves, as well. Florin Costachita, the vocalist for Ka Gaia An, joined Interitus Dei on the stage, giving us a small preview of what was about to come.

Ka Gaia An: Razvan Demetrian (keyboards)

Almost at midnight, the sounds of an intro started filling the venue, and the club welcomed Ka Gaia An with a loud applause. As the band themselves say, "Ka Gaia An is a state of mind, a return to traditions, habits, the emotions, spiritual life, to love the holy land of the ancestors of the Romanian people, the Dacians". Because their music takes us deeper into the Romanian culture and language, we can say that they play a sort of neofolk metal, with great pagan influences.

Setlist: Intro + Tomiris, Noaptea, Dansul La Lumina Lunii, Caluceanu, Doina, Joaca Dacii, Sfanta Cetate, Hangita, Interludium + Neamul, Dacilor / Joaca Dacii, Caluceanu.

Niburta: Hormai Balázs (vocals, mouth harp, drums...)

At a few points during the show, apparently there were some technical problems, and some of the instruments were not audible enough, but just sort of blended together. This happened again later with Niburta, who had so many instruments on the stage that it was almost expected to have something not work properly.

Niburta: Träger Lili (vocals)

Niburta are a relatively new band, formed only in 2009, in Budapest. However, considering what they do with their music, one would think they have existed ages ago. They fuse all kinds of folk elements, greatly influenced by folklore of Hungarian, Moldavian, and Mongolian peoples. The vast number of instruments they use include mouth harp, bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy, flute, tilinkó, and so on. I particularly liked the throat singing, which, although quite unusual in metal, provided another one of those special aspects of Niburta's style.

The fans were quite eager to hear some of their most known pieces, such as Awakening, and Forebear's Dance, which sent everyone into frenzy. This continued well through the show into the song Tavaszi Szél, to which the band members of Ka Gaia An joined the band on stage, and helped Hormai Balázs with the vocals.
The real gem was the ending of the concert, when almost all the members of Niburta left their instruments, and stood behind the singer, Lili, while she performed the most beautiful song of that evening, Fúvom az Énekem, with the sounds of flute in the background.

Setlist: Bogorodice (intro), Stho Kaszmete, Nap és Hold, Mashala, Forebear's Dance, Dance of Satyrs (Daemonia Nymphe cover), Lydia, Awakening, Tavaszi Szél (with Ka Gaia An), Ancestry (intro CD), Forgotten path, Keselyű, Rege, Fúvom az Énekem.

Check out the concert gallery.
Here's the interview with Niburta.
The report was also published here in both Hungarian and English. Check it out!

Niburta: Hormai Balázs and Leindler Milán

As I mentioned before, Crazy Mama is kind of out of the way, situated in the far off part of the IX district. However, to get there one can take a number of buses or trams. The easiest way is to get to Boráros tér (which is at the Pest side of the Petőfi híd), and take either buses 54 and 55, or bus 23. They will get you pretty close to the place. There are other options as well, like taking the tram 51 from Mester utca (which is the next stop from Boráros tér).

As for the club itself, it's definitely one of the nicer ones in the city, although quite small. There's also a gallery, perfect for those who prefer to just sit back and enjoy the show. I haven't had a chance to check out the prices, but I know for sure they had draught beer (Soproni, which is the best Hungarian beer, in my opinion) for 400 Ft. Another positive thing was that they serve food as well, if I remember correctly, there were some Hungarian dishes such as Lángos and pies.