Live Report: Release Athens (Slipknot, Sepultura, Jinjer et al.), 23/07/22

So all eyes were turned to Πλατεία Νερού and to the Release Athens Festival on Saturday, 23/07/22. There, Slipknot, Sepultura, Jinjer, Vended, Maplerun and Project Renegade turned up the heat even more, on an already scorching day!

A concert 3 years in the making

We were all waiting impatiently for this particular concert! The Slipknot were scheduled to play at Release 3 years ago. Everything that happened on a global scale delayed this show and made us all doubt whether we'd ever see them under the Athenian sky again! All's well that ends well, though! The long-awaited day arrived and I found myself acting like a little kid on my way to the venue. All things considered, the delay had its upsides too. Thanks to it, the line-up was rounded out with huge names that made the night shine even brighter!

Project Renegade and Maplerun opened the show

The festival kicked off at 17:00 and just as the temperatures were hitting the red zone, the Project Renegade made their opening move. The Athens-based band, built on a heavy sound, got the crowd going. The 'Rebels' proved once again why they rank among the most important bands on Greece's metal scene. The band had an excellent sound and warmed the crowd up even more for what was to come! Looking ahead, we expect to see them on other festivals too.

The event continued with Maplerun playing a series of great tracks. They too, with a heavy sound, moved within the framework of alternative and nu metal. With tracks like 'Give It To You' and 'Toxicity' (which they closed their set with), they managed to whip the crowd up even more.

On Vended and Jinjer

But the night still had plenty in store, and we had a long way to go yet! The baton on stage was picked up by Vended. At some point there I thought the heat had gotten to me. I thought I was having hallucinations. The band is clearly influenced by Slipknotthemselves! Makes sense, since Vended , fronted by none other than Corey Taylor's own son, Griffin, managed to whip everyone into a frenzy. The end result was excellent. Personally, I'll add that it was quite an emotional moment to watch Corey's son follow so faithfully in his father's footsteps… I imagine the Slipknot frontman himself Slipknot would think the same thing.

On the other hand, though, it would be a big disservice to Griffin and Vended's effort to be labeled simply as a band that follows Slipknot. On the contrary, Vended showed excellent raw talent and a style and character all their own that sets them apart.

Jinjer: From Ukraine with love!

The Jinjer were one of the acts I was eagerly waiting for. Having barely any contact with what the band had been up to, everyone kept telling me they'd really blow me away. And boy, was I in for a treat! From the very first second, the band from Ukraine, with a one-of-a-kind attitude, grabbed the crowd by the throat and had them going instantly. The Jinjer are, one could say, at their best period. At their peak! With tracks that carry a lot of groove, combined with growls but also clean vocals from Tatiana, the band maintains a perfect balance between alternative and progressive metal.

I have to admit I was left impressed by their performance. Four wonderful musicians, with an excellent sound, capable of shaking you to the core. One of the things I'll remember is just how impressively clearly you could hear each instrument and its contribution to the tracks. I might not have been a fan of Jinjer until I heard them at Release, but they managed to win me over completely.

Time for the big guns!

Sepultura

As the night was reaching its peak, Sepultura took the stage with force. Despite whatever rumors were circulating about the show going ahead after the death of Kisser's wife, the band not only played excellently, but dedicated their entire performance to her memory. With Jean Patton taking over on guitar and the cover art of 'Quadra' displayed in the background, Sepultura took us on a journey through a setlist featuring tracks from their entire discography!

The band's sound was excellent! The guitars tearing through the atmosphere and the crowd going wild to tracks like 'Propaganda' and 'Chaos A.D.'. For many, Sepultura aren't at the peak of their career. For fans nostalgic for the good old days, their new tracks don't measure up to the old ones. Not having seen the band live in earlier years, I'm not in a position to properly compare the past with what I saw at Release. What I can say with certainty is that Sepultura showed a fantastic energy, insane power, and the crowd responded in kind. They're definitely one of the most important bands in metal. As for me, I made a promise to my friends to dig into their discography. So, looking forward to being further impressed…

Slipknot: Where the fuck, have I been all these years?!

And yes! The big moment of the night had arrived. The clock read 23:00 when Slipknot took the stage and the crowd went into ecstasy. For me, this was another 'first time' broken. I hadn't seen the band before, and just for that reason alone, the feelings I felt at Release were one of a kind! The concert was something exceptional. The sound of Slipknot was complex and extremely powerful. With many different instruments and Corey giving a solo recital on stage, they kept us warm for about half an hour.

With a banner covering the stage, Slipknot made their entrance playing 'Disasterpiece'. A new addition to the lineup was Tortilla Man, who joined the legendary Clownon stage! As for everyone else, it was business as usual. During the setlist there were nods to both old and new hits. Speaking of new ones, Slipknot played the title track from their upcoming new album, 'The End So Far'. Beyond that, we got the chance to enjoy tracks like 'Sulfur’, ‘Before I Forget’, ‘Duality’, ‘Phychosocial' and 'People=Shit’.

Corey's connection with the crowd

'Would you like one more song?!'

What struck me was Corey's connection with the crowd. The singer didn't miss the chance to praise the Greek crowd, to thank them for their support and generally declare the band's huge love for Greece. He didn't hesitate to tell the crowd to sit down, in the now-classic command of 'jumpdafuckup'. On the track that closed the show, one that Corey himself called the 'national anthem', he urged us to raise our middle finger to the sounds of 'Surfacing’.

An exceptional night

The truth is that the Release Athens Festival , with this night, raised the concert bar sky high. Excellent names on a night that will really stay etched in my mind for a long time to come! Leaving Πλατεία Νερού, I kept thinking about the question Corey asked the crowd, when he wondered how many of them were seeing the band for the first time. When quite a few hands went up, he asked us, laughing: 'Where the fuck have you been all these years?!’…

That's exactly what I was wondering on my way out… How did I let so many years go by without living this experience. Better late than never, dear Corey! One thing's for sure: I won't make the same mistake again! I won't let that much time go by again without seeing a band that gave it their all on stage for me. A singer who walked off limping from the sheer effort he put in up there.

Thank you for opening my eyes guys!

See you again soon!