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Rating: Thursday 9/12/04 I, my dear friend Suengiu, and another associate of mine (Metal) went to Sixty Five in Oggiono to attend the concert of Bloody Tears; a heavy metal band. Around 9:30 PM we entered the venue. I know the singer/guitarist Franco Limonta quite well as he is my fellow townsman and Metal's guitar instructor, but I had the pleasure of joking around with the other band members: they are all quite the characters.
We sat down to order a beer for each of us while waiting for 10:00 PM, the concert start time. Indeed, 10:00 PM had already passed, and after multiple shouts to Frank and endless swearing from me and Suengiu, finally around 10:30 PM, the concert could begin.
It started right away with Enter Sadman by Metallica, the first song from the Black Album. Wings Of Pain, a piece composed by them, turned out to be more interesting live than from their newly released demo. It continued with Black Rain by Evil Wings, a band from Lecco. Another original piece by the group was Mind Destroyer, which had a nearly extreme thrash metal flavor. Then, onto the splendid Revelation by Iron Maiden. Bloody Tears again with I Saw You, a well-executed and very moving ballad. At this point, the group's machine (Mark) performed a couple of drum solos. Suengiu and I looked at each other like two idiots, amazed at his skill. "Now we'll do a couple of acoustic pieces to give your ears a rest." A well-chosen decision. First, a mix between Regression/The Spirit Carries On by Dream Theater and then Forever by Stratocaz... Stratovarius (he really said it like that).
The drummer and bassist got back on stage to continue the concert. The song is Toxicity by System Of A Down, dedicated to Frank's little brother who was celebrating his birthday. After that, the legendary Master Of Puppets, no comments on this sacred piece by Metallica. I decided to order a plain Vodka to mess up my liver while they performed The Rebel, another original piece. Fear Of The Dark; I almost jumped on the tables along with Suengiu and Metal. Away by Evil Wings and finally Black Society (another piece by Bloody Tears) dedicated to the death of Dimebag Darrel. Frank's "Madonna"-like high notes were marvelous.
Suengiu, Metal, and I congratulated the whole ensemble. All the tracks were particularly challenging to execute, requiring a lot of technique, experience with one's instrument, and above all soul: they didn't make a single mistake. Frank's vocal performance was of high caliber as he was able to sing in Power, Thrash, Death, etc. Voice furthermore coordinated with stunning guitar virtuosity. The other guitarist (Fede) was also very good: it’s not every day you see a just sixteen-year-old guitarist playing in a metal band. The drummer nailed it "like Christ" showing great passion for his instrument.
The bassist (Andrea) absolutely deserves a positive note, he was doing his job well, even going beyond (I was really thrilled by his hair). In short, a band that deserves much more than to play in a pub where there could have been at most about forty people.
Another thing that struck me was the well-cared-for soundproofing (often difficult to adjust in small venues): the voice and solos as well as the flamboyant parts were clear, the drums did not overpower everything, and guitars and bass were placed just right. It's a pity that in the second part of the concert the mixer lowered the volume of the bass and Fede's guitar. Mixers always have the habit of touching what is already perfect.
I couldn't help but give the highest rating, as we left the venue full of enthusiasm.
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