Watain, Cryptopsy and Suffocation in Colombia

Colombia promises to end this year, 2014, in a very fervors and unforgettable attempt to bring back some credibility to the metal fans, by collecting several International acts in a myriad of flawless events.

Proficient black metallers Watain are, perhaps, the vogue of the current black ordeal, while technical metallers Cryptopsy shaken the base of old-school listeners by throwing them back into their regressive days, or may I rephrase it as the old days of technical death metal, alongside will emerge the brutalizing agony and monstrous sonority that strengthened the presence imposed by death metallers Suffocation in the scene.

Frankly speaking, the lineup chosen to take on stage at Teatro Vegas Nevada (the definitive location is yet to be confirmed) promises to dilute the air in a pure toxic rain. I couldn’t be more biased to announce such enhanced event that is scheduled to be delivered on December 3rd, 2014, in Bogota, Colombia.

Regardless of the simplicity and the abysmal chaos that Swedish Watain can outcast in all their dormancy, they retain a fair share of interest from black metallers as a motivational well oiled machine ready to gutter everyone’s throat while unleashing wrath upon everything that breathes. Controversial, yet proven is the fact that Watain recently made the headlines when the band’s frontman, Erik Danielsson, reportedly drenched the audience in New York, United States, during a concert by spilling goat skull full of animal blood over their fans. Hopefully, he will not repeat the same devious deed amongst the Colombian audience.

Montreal, Canadian based Cryptopsy are predominantly the overlords of old-school technical death metal and dangerously anti-musical, yet this innovators of the genre still retain a style technically killer in all their ingenuity. You might say that Cryptopsy through the years have overshadowed their musical approach in an abstract way, however the aesthetic of their rhythm sections kept the traditional hooks which quitessentially prevailed on their older releases.

In related news, Cryptopsy drummer Flo Mounier, recently participated as a special guest in the Egyptian-American Nader Sadek personal project of the same name, which published their new single in the format of a video entitled ‘Re: Mechanic’.

It is with a heavy heart that I am confronted with the inability to write any further details about this event, leaving me no other choice than to condemn the actions taken by most Colombian promoters toward the international press, which clearly displays their incessant disdain to boycott the International bands with a proper promotion, reverting into a poorly spread campaign that critically lacks in said “promotion”. It justifies however, how the ticket sales in Colombia are so low and the attendance to most shows barely reaches the 700 people, while in Europe bands as those here mentioned, play in “smaller events” for 4,000 people, or over 1,000 if you take into consideration even smaller venues.

United States death metal obliterators Suffocation is also confirmed to play in Colombia with the aforementioned acts above. Jazzier perhaps, tremendously enriching their old-school death metal sound that through the years hybridized and mechanically became more recognizable, Suffocation are, indeed, one of the top-notch veterans of death metal, in a most asphyxiating way, the band is more than prepared to deliver to the Colombian audience an obedient overthrown.

All in all, the lineup proposed doesn’t leave much to desire behind, as the collective gathered to perform at this event, are more than willing to annihilate and cast everyones attention toward the stage at all times, while forging both black and death metallers all together into one single devastating headbanging machine.

Unfortunately, it is normal for Colombian promoters to block the International press from accessing their events or even deny to provide some useful information regarding such matters that might help us, journalists, to support them by exposing their initiatives to a wider audience and readership. While promoting the event yesterday through my personal Facebook, today I found it to be either removed or blocked from my public access. However, since I had already this article half-written, I couldn’t send it to the trash bin since I am not in any matter, supporting the promoters, but instead, supporting the acts behind it, namely Watain, Cryptopsy and Suffocation.

Fortunately for me, I keep it at a professional level and not personal, as it should be otherwise I would fall into the same limbo as Colombian promoters, which is by opting by a truly childish attitude. Professionalism demands the press to be apart from any personal interests and keep the news flowing in an honest, and prolific manner, even if that means that our work spreads wider and faster than the other news channels written in Spanish.

Taking into consideration that our media were either blocked or the event was, therefore, publicly subjected to cancellation (as it often happens in Colombia) as we were unable to verify if it is still online or not (I am stating a fact, not a fictional piece), it is up to the reader to seek for any further information and take the risk of spending $ 140.000 COP (roughly $ 50,00 or $ 70,00 USD) in one event that might, or not, take place at Teatro Vegas Nevada, once again, since the promoter didn’t give us any explanation whatsoever regarding these matters, neither was willing to provide us with the names of the supporting local bands that will be also taking the stage at this event.