Сива магия мина през България – GRÁ и съпорт

Gray magic went through Bulgaria – GRÁ and support

The impatience of the long waited reunion with old friends makes me go faster and faster towards „Live and loud“ at early dusk. Sofia, as always, is noisy and vain and in the club the ambiance is universally calm. Scattered cases, cables and equipment. M. and Maugrim sit in the box concetrated in changing strings and tuning guitars. This time we don’t race against time although GRÁ‘s journey Budapest seemed to be quite rough. The musicians from Bolg and Dimholt with Déhà started to come.

Everything is in such a peaceful harmony that I feel as if we are in our own, separate universe, created solely for who will come with their vibes in order to complete it. And this as we will see later, will transform into something completely unique. Here the cliche „A night to remember“ acquired a very real, literate meaning. The three GRÁ concerts had more visitors that any other similar event in Bulgaria. I never heard any complaints or negative opinions about anything connected with the shows. The organisation, the performance of the bands, the behaviour towards the fans, the connection between the fans and the artists. That was something beyond our minds and comprehension. Something that opened our hearts and souls and made us not only feel as one. It made us feel that this music is not a pose nor a hobby for adolescents. It is destiny and dedication. Profound, real, individual but when it is shared in a community it is even stronger.

But let’s return to Sofia. 13th of September. Fullmoon. Mercury retrograde. Church holidays. Could it be more symbolic? Not just Nature but the Universe is with us. The sound check begins. After our bands GRÁ are playing. I’m not just eager to see them, every cell in my body is screaming, waiting to finally hear that mightiness of the voice that destiny send to me few years ago as a YouTube video. When that happens and Heljarmadr sings a fragment from a song, such a powerful energy hits me that shivers run down my spine. What awaits us in a few hours? A complete bacchanalia and mind derangement.

The first impatient fans start to enter the club and the merch stand is occupied in seconds. As I later on turn towards the public, the GRÁ logo is visible everywhere. The fuss is at it’s end. The stage is taken by our pagans from BOLG. I think I’m seeing them playing live for the third time but this band has improved a lot in the past few years. Their set is played with such a passion that it is a big pleasure to sit and watch them perform. Heljarmadr simply said: „I like them, they make good music“. I can’t add much to those words. We are waiting for their album soon and for the awakening of the whole Bulgarian black metal scene from it’s slumber. We also have something to show to the world.

DIMHOLT have such a magic that not a single mortal, black metal fan is capable of resisting. After very one of their concert I feel purified. They penetrate the subconscious and they remove all the slime, guiding us with their psychedelic world. Their setlist is not long but full of surprises. They play 3 songs from their upcoming album that I hope will be realeased in the nearest future. As usual they kept „In Tombs“ for the final. Déhà takes his place on stage and as soons as the first notes of the funeral hymn hit Natt goes out from the backstage and stands in front of the band looking at what is happening there. The performance of this song is always different and with different vibes but the mighty impact is always the same. This probably is one of the most charismatic interactions between extreme metal artists that you can hear. And as DIMHOLT introduce us to a world of depression and despair, GRÁ are going to lead us into an even darker realm.

I’m sure that normal words are not capable of describing the magic of GRÁ but I will at least try, in an appropriate way, to sort them, so those who were there will live it again and those who weren’t will sense that magic. It is not an easy task, so don’t judge too strictly. A big black curtain with an image of Charon is covering the wall. The mandatory noose is for now lying at the stage but will soon be put in action and will tie around our necks. The mediators – M., Natt, Maugrim, Dimman, Heljarmadr, who will ask Charon to carry us on the other side are now taking their places on stage under the sounds of Zarah Leander’s song „Von der Puszta Will ich Träumen“. White corpse paint and the simple but effective styling are impressive enough. Even the intro itself creates an sombre atmosphere which we cannot escape from. It will happen one day, it is inevitable. All of a sudden we are at the shores of the river Styx. We can see and feel the shadows. They cry, they pray, waiting for their hour of doom and our mediators must propitiate the relentless Charon. To help us painlessly so that the unconscious will replace the conscious and become our new reality.

We pull off. Slowly. Coldness surrounds us. The air is heavy, filled with the smell of Antiquity and Death. Of dusty, dark tombs and crypts through whose labyriths we must travel in order to reach our new Life. Admist immateriality. Admist well deserved suffering and endless prayers for memorial rituals. The band leads us through old classics and spells from their latest album „Ending“. Heljarmadr sets a sheaf of ritual herbs aflame. The scent fills our lungs and haunts us for days. Fragnance of Eternity. The smell of a world that longs for us from the moment of our birth. A new GRÁ song plays. As shamanic drums pound, the shadows dance around us. In a deep, slow trance, waiting for our souls.

„Gå I Hel!“ A spell that is screamed and repeated many times. Welcome to hell! This is your new home. It is warm, cosy and calm in here. Charon hails you! Hell Charon!

Varna welcomes us with dark clouds and thunders but soon the fury of the sea capital subsides. The material, about the concert in club „Smile“, that you are about to read is written by Draug. Our supporter and future colleague. This is the story of the 15th of September.

Two days after their concert in Sofia, the Swedish black metal horde GRÁ arrives in the „Smile“ club in Varna, for the fourth ritual of their East European tour „A coin for Charon tour 2016“. Fans from every corner of Bulgaria arrive hours before the show. Friends greet each other, the fans can eat, drink, talk with the band members of GRÁ or the support band – the death metal butchers from Varna – DAY OF EXECUTION or to buy something from the merch stand. The atmosphere is rather calm. Contrary to the Hell that is about to break loose this night, over the sea capital.

The soundcheck of DAY OF EXECUTION starts around 8pm. They prepare to blow us away with their old school death metal. An considerable amount of people gather in the not so big club. Between 70 and 80 for the whole night. Fans in GRÁ shirts walk around, they drink beer calmly and chat without knowning what is about to happen with their souls and bodies.

As time advances more and more people gather. Exactly at 21:40 DAY OF EXECUTION occupy the scene. With their traightforward and brutal death metal they heat the ambiance. The fans go insane, they even mosh. The setlist cover their whole discography, from their debut album „Dead burning to ashes“(2012), to their EP „Pointless cause“ (2013) to some unreleased songs. The public doesn’t stop to express its interest, mainly by headbaning, screaming and moshing. With songs like „Lust for gore“, „Warriors of Uruk“, „The beast of war“ or the „Postmorem“cover of the thrash metal titans SLAYER, they manage to implode the fans. After their 50 minutes set, the band leave the stage. The guests are quite heated and happy with the performance of DAY OF EXECUTION.

A short, 40 minutes break follows. The guests have the possibility to recover from the death metal slaughter. In the meantime GRÁ eagerly prepare for their upcoming ritual. Natt is focused on a Bible, bought in their spare time in Budapest. Pentagrams, inverted crosses and ancient Scandinavian symbols are drawn on the pages by him. At the end he grabs a lighter and starts to scorch the pages. Slowly and thoroughly, in a very serious manner, which shows that it is not done solely for the scene and the show. In a semi-serious, semi-jokingly matter I tell them: „Do you know that in some countries this is illegal and it could get you in serious trouble?“, for a moment they stop with their occupation and ask me „But not here, right?“. I tell them that there isn’t such a danger in Bulgaria. At 11:10 pm their intro starts to play. The fans who sit outside start to enter the club. The ritual is about to begin.

Smoke is drifting on the stage. The band takes control of the stage. The bigger part of the guest, as well as me, don’t know what is about to happen. As experience will show, GRÁ are a force that has no equal. The band has all the classic black meta „equipment“ – corpse paint, spikes, leather. All light fades – they start with „Allt ljus förtvina“ , from their album „GRÁ“. The band clearly show us that they clearly don’t belong to this world by continuing with „Worms and crows“. Charon must get its due – „A coin for Charon“. Heljarmadr leads us trough the underworld, guiding us with his inhuman vocals. In the meantime the herbs are again burning. The ritualistic feeling cannot be mistaken. The bells toll. The time has come for the „Necrology of the witch“. The public is completely enchanted by the magic of GRÁ. After „Ruiner“, comes turn for three spells from their first album – „Kraft“, „Offerrök“, „Döden ser döden tar“. Death sees, death takes and the band is giving their maximum. Heljarmadr has constant contact with the fans, the guitar creations of M. and Maugrim spellbind us, Natt is on the bass and for the first time we can hear him as a back singer, the infernal rhythm is the occupation of Dimann. Two songs from their latest album follow. „He who comes“ and „Där skuggor dröjer kvar“.

After a short break Heljarmadr announces that a new song will be played „„Ramsvarta tankar“, part from their upcoming album in early 2017. The end of the ritual is close. The ending is marked by two creations from their first EP. The classic song „Klagan och längtan“ definitely pleases the very supportive public. The last stage of the ritual is called „Helfärd (att dö…)“. This is going to be special. Heljarmadr takes the noose and puts it on a fan while putting one other on himself. He is holding the specially prepared Bible. As song starts pages of the Bible begin to fly towards the fans. Smoke covers the stage. Heljarmadr, Natt and Maugrim are chanting: „Gå I Hel!“ which ultimately transfers us to another dimension. The ritual is at it’s very end. Charon got his toll and carried us to the other side, while the fans got a show to remember for the rest of their days.

After the ritual ends, the fans can talk with the band, get autographs or take photos with the band.Even if someone had any doubts about the people behind GRÁ, they saw that this band is a force to be reckoned with.After a short chat with the band I learn that this is their most emotion filled concert until this time and that they plan to return to Bulgaria next year, after they release their next album. Next stop for the Swedes is Svishtov where they will play with a longer setlist. Their Bulgarian mini tour is certainly one of the biggest black metal events this year.

Svishtov is more friendly. We arrive at early dusk. What happened in the small city near Danube will remain in the annals of black metal history. The modest club doesn’t have a scene nor a backstage. This forces the group to prepare for the ritual on the street next to the tour bus. All the make up is done on literally on the sidewalk. As GRÁ joke: „We returned to the early years of black metal. But we are happy that we accepted this challenge. We knew about the conditions but we decided that it is better that more people hear us instead of having a free day“. The whole situation reminds me of the historical photos of Peter Beste in the small streets of Normay, with the peeking evil faces.

We enter the club which is completely full. Maybe the small space is the reason for the static public, because the living space is just enough to find a place to stand. But this doesn’t please GRÁ. After they finish the set they play „Kraft“ encore and walk between the fans. This unleashes such a wave of energy that the crowd goes insane. As if GRÁ say „This is why we are here, this is what we want!“.

The hardest part comes – the departure. Their early journey towards Thessaloniki doesn’t allow them to stay as much as they want. They leave sad and in love with Bulgaria and the Bulgarian fans. They confess that even in Sweden they don’t have such a warming reception. We will soon see them again. It is promised!

Here I want to thank everyone who transformed an underground band concert into the biggest black metal event in Bulgaria. Yes, it wasn’t easy to write this. I can’t thank everyone personally for being there but…I thank the promoters and the organizers for the „A coin for Charon 2016“ tour! Thank you all, colleagues photographers and journalists! Thanks to all the support bands and Déhà! And thank you, to all the fans, some of which attended more than one show, for coming to the concerts! GRÁ are more than thankful for this!