The first band to perform was KHLAMIDA. The guys position themselves as punks, though apart from the vocals I couldn't spot anything punk about them. I never figured out who the vocalist reminded me more of: John Lennon or Yegor Letov (both are figures I find hard to digest). Setting aside my personal musical preferences — the material was solid and tightly played.
Second up were CATALEPTIC from Luhansk — for my twisted tastes, wonderful meat. The level and quality of what was played genuinely pleased me, though I must admit I hadn't had the chance to familiarize myself with their material before. I'll note the fact that this project features the current MENTAL DEMISE drummer, Silver, on the kit — what can I say, excellent brutal grind for our latitudes. Many in the hall (of the few who came to the show) were delighted to the point of hysterics by the idea of having a conductor, myself included. Besides skill, there's a sense of humor, and what a memorable touch! Having played their set, the guys disappeared. There were no wild ovations, but the silence after their performance resembled not a lack of interest from the audience, but rather the hush after a cannon volley.
FLESHRIPPER confidently stepped onto ground prepared by CATALEPTIC's set. The brutal guys from Donetsk, without ceremony, proceeded with their program in a reduced lineup — vocals, guitar, drums. Damn, the bass was sorely missed! On the cover of my dearly beloved CRYPTOPSY — "Graves of the Fathers" from their 1996 album — they played it excellently. There were moments when you could imagine the Canadian meat-grinders themselves were on stage. I dearly missed CRYPTOPSY's rattling bass. The last track was played with TESSARACT's bassist, Adolf. It was a DYING FETUS cover — "Kill Your Mother, Rape Your Dog." Overall, an extremely positive impression!
TESSARACT — a Kharkiv band with years of experience. I'll honestly admit that when this band's name comes up, I immediately think of their former vocalist Anya. It took me a long time to recover from impressions after their Zaporizhzhia performance last year. But as it turned out, she was let go — the guitarist Simon now handles vocals. Things didn't get worse after Anya's departure; rather the opposite. Throughout their entire set, I simply stood and listened with pleasure to their material. They came across far more seriously than before. They're the ones I'd like to single out especially among all the bands that evening. Yes, it must be noted that Kostya Zmiyevsky — one of Kharkiv's most veteran musicians — is on drums. Bravo!
HAZEBORN — Well, vocalist Alya's blasphemous growl made an impression. It's hard to be objective when a girl is growling on vocals. The material was technically played — nothing to criticize, except perhaps the vocalist's grimaces looked a bit awkward. But complaints about her work are hard to lodge. No posturing — overall, the guys played extremely well. 5 out of 5.
DEFORMAD — The guys had interesting material. The technique of new musical passages with new young performers was pleasing. The idea of a KIPELOV cover was particularly amusing. The themes they played were undeniably good. The guys wrapped up another celebration of heavy music in the glorious city of Kharkiv. We all went home full of creative plans for the future. And we, in turn, were full of impressions and anticipation for the next performances.
With the arrival of what seemed like spring and the Donbas heavyweights rolling in, we were suddenly hit with another winter blizzard. Overall, the performances were of a high standard: good sound, excellent bands — the death metallers once again gave Ukraine some serious heat. I should note that all organizational efforts were shouldered by Kostya Zmiyevsky. Kharkiv, though a city rich in musical talent, clearly lacks underground fans. After touring the western regions of Ukraine and the long road trips, the musicians were visibly tired, but everyone was again satisfied with the final fest. Fundamental lineup changes across all bands carry big expectations. With the departure of guitarist Namless from CATALEPTIC, the band acquires a cleaner edge in the delivery of brutal parts; the new vocalist also unveiled old guttural growls over death-metal motifs. FLESHRIPPER only look sparse onstage due to their current incomplete lineup, but the music hasn't lost its power — it's become more technical and more audible. A shame, but the bass is clearly missed. TESSARACT steered in a great direction. With Anya's departure, Simon takes on vocals. An unorthodox stance at the microphone, new guitar lines... in general, it's not this position that catches the eye. In the entire history of the heavy industry, I've never heard anything like it at live performances. Professionalism makes itself known, of course, but innovation and the search for something new in the delivery of compositions is what defines a lot. Instead of the melodic Swedish death sing-alongs, the band, in my view, shifted to a more aggressive and pounding sound — you could notice motifs of BOLT THROWER's measured death. Simon handles the growl excellently; instead of smeared girlish squealing, everything has fallen into place, as we can see. It's somehow unusual to listen to music when you feel all its nuances. TESSARACT were impressive indeed, well done. With the departure of the two guitarists (both named Alexey) from DEFORMAD, the band hasn't ceased activity but is progressing in mastering the meat department. The old lineup was refreshed with young hardcore players — the guys got what the deal was about, and all expectations were justified in a flow of meat and low tuning. In closing, let me add... KHARKIV, WAKE UP!!! We don't get good concerts that often, and this event I did not attend in vain. Thanks to all bands for the excellent work — more of this, please.