Release Athens 2022: Photo-story Day 12
On Saturday 23rd of July we celebrated in the best way possible the end of the biggest edition of Release Athens we’ve held so far. Six special bands offered six unforgettable performances.
The opening slots belonged to two local groups that have earned a loyal audience thanks to the intensity of their performances and the quality of their recordings. Project Renegade and Maplerun, were an ideal start and rallied the metal crowd early on.
The first international act to take the stage was Vended, who looked like a band of seasoned musicians rather than a fresh group that has released just six songs. The group from Iowa convinced us that the future of metal is in good hands.
At 19:30 it was the turn of Ukrainian Jinjer who proved that they belong to the really great bands of our days. Not only because they have in their ranks an unparalleled singer like Tatiana Shmailyuk, but mainly because they are a close-knit group overflowing with talent.
The next act was the Brazilian superstars, Sepultura, who rocked the thousands of people who had gathered at Plateia Nerou. Their performance was full of highlights, from “Territory” at the beginning, to the unbeatable duet of “Ratamahatta” and “Roots Bloody Roots” that marked the end of their concert, Sepulturaconfirmed that they are one of the few “constants” of metal. Of course, we can’t help but give them extra points for their fantastic idea of leaving the stage with Phil Collins and Philip Bailey’s “Easy Lover”, a brilliant and funny choice so that the crowd can relax as the stage gets ready for the main course.
Truth be told, we were expecting an impressive performance from Slipknot but what we experienced probably exceeded all expectations. The nine-member group from Iowa is, without a doubt now, one of the best live acts on the planet, especially when they have a crowd on their feet willing to follow every breath and every word that came out of the mouth of Corey Taylor. “Disasterpiece”, “Sulfur”, “Psychosocial”, “Duality” are just a few of the unsurpassed songs we heard yesterday, with a special moment of course being “Spit it Out”, with Taylor convincing the crowd to sit down until the cue “Jump the Fuck Up” was heard.
The final notes of “Surfacing” brought us to the end of the twelfth day of the festival, and this great celebration of metal marked the impressive closing of Release Athens 2022.
Thank you all for the support, for the incredible energy and the unforgettable nights we’ve shared together.
The countdown for Release Athens 2023 has begun.
