My Immortals.. Welcome to BEHIND THE NOISE!

This year returned the Never Say Die Tour and celebrated its opening at the Essigfabrik, in Cologne with national as well as international fans from the scene. For the European tour were announced both acts that already signed up for the last line-up in 2021, which had to be smaller due to Corona, as well as acts that added with their sound the appropriate mix to an evening that was clearly in the sign of deathcore and hardcore. Impericon had them all, small newcomers as well as bands whose names are always mentioned in connection with this genre. So we could welcome seven different bands that evening, which were similar in music style, but all had their own interpretation of it:

in the field of mental health or charity. The aforementioned Hardcore Foundation is a non-profit organization that works against poverty and implements this through social commitment and medical aid, primarily in Africa and Europe. Especially here, access to clean water, education and access to medicine is promoted. These projects are sometimes financed by the sale of clothes, according to the classic hardcore style. Should you have become curious, then take a look at here on their website over. After the question of merchandise had already been settled at the beginning, it was time for us to welcome the first band, which was already announced on stage. Boundaries played the all first time overseas and to hear that this would be their first memory of a concert here and we would be a part of it gave me a little goosebumps.

loudly bawled along "Your Time Is Up". I think it's clear that the first mosh pit was already formed at this point. Not only singer Andreas put all his passion for the music into his performance, but also the other members put themselves into it, jumped up and down to celebrate together with the fans. Cabal just felt like being on stage and especially on tour, which is why they managed to get off to an insane start here. Following this, Invent Animate picked up on the enthusiasm that had arisen and combined this, as the most melodic band of the evening, with atmospheric songs. Not only fans, but also our crew sang along in the choruses, which were just so catchy and brought variety. Even others from the audience, who didn't know the band, used this mixture of deathcore and metalcore to just go along with it.

so as not to miss any surprises. Not only was their interplay very harmonious, but you also had a bit of a feeling that the crowd, as well as the members among themselves, kept egging each other on to give 200%. It didn't take long and the first stage diver announced himself. Bands like Invent Animate also watched the band's performance, which literally drew the crowd to them. The concert of Spite was crowned only by songs like "Kingdom Of Guts" or "Kill Or Be Killed", whose announcements fans greeted with loud shouts. Spite is indeed an incredible band that captivates the audience with its intense performance and invites them to celebrate. We really hope to meet the band on their own headlining tour in Germany and listen to their album "Dedication To The Flesh" for the time being.

My legs were getting tired and a little bit I was longing for a chair, but the next act, After The Burial, made me forget everything with their strong stage presence. Due to Corona, their 2020 tour ended in the middle, so they returned home to the States. Singer Anthony said that the first two months, when he couldn't do anything, were good for him, because he simply had time off, but when this time off dragged on and on and became a year, he got psychological problems. To talk about it so openly on stage and to encourage the audience to seek help for something like that is not easy, but he was thanked with thunderous applause. After The Burial had something in their performance that made them simply approachable. Not only were they cordial, but they also liked to joke with the fans, such as about Anthony's new shoe, which he had worn through

The band had last played in Germany in 2016, so it was high time to make up for it. Rightly they appeared with as headliners, because they always knew exactly what the crowd just needed. Fast or slow, a conversation with the crowd or a Wall Of Death which was so big that it pushed us to the edge of the merchandise stands: Suicide Silence really has a sense of what a good metal concert needs and rounded it off with a selected repertoire in which classics as well as modern awakeners were present. After a long evening, the opening concert of the tour in Cologne came to an end and sent the crowd, which filled almost the entire Essigfabrik, outside.