In the beginning
Yes, yes, yes, I went to LOUD PARK17.
This is the sixth year in a row that I have gone.
It’s a once-a-year treat, or perhaps it’s a part of my life now.
I can no longer imagine my life without LOUD PARK.
It’s just so much fun.
The first day, October 14.
I wake up unusually early and get in line in front of the venue.
I wanted to see the opening act, “Aldious.”
It was worth getting up early, and I arrived at the ULTIMATE STAGE before “Aldious” started.
Aldious
Utopia
The first song on the album.
Speedy and catchy, this song symbolizes that “Aldious” has broken out of their shell.
Some may criticize it for being too pop music, but such criticism is a bit of a misnomer in the face of such a powerful song.
The performance is still developing, but it is covered with charm.
Luft
The thrashy song characteristic of the early days of the band looked great at LOUD PARK.
I was glad to see Yoshi’s action was bigger than her usual one-man show.
Toki is always big, so she is just as she is.
Imagination
Wow, here comes this one!
This is the first time I’ve heard it live.
Re:No was a bit listless, perhaps a bit tired, or perhaps not so good in the mornings.
But the cuteness of the chorus “Immersion ♪” covered it up.
Especially Sawa’s adorableness.
Dominator
I listened to this song thinking, “It’s the opening act, four songs and that’s it.”
It was an overwhelmingly great song.
They may not play well (I’m repeating myself too many times), but the sight of these girls playing metal as hard as they can really hits the audience.
Especially since it was the first show of this year’s LOUD PARK, I felt a little emotional and moved that I could come here again this year.
Yozakura Cherry Blossoms at Night
Oh, there was one more song!
This is a classic song performed near the end of the show.
Re:No and Toki are good friends.
It was a bit heart warming to watch.
Toki threw an oversized pick at the end, and the guy to my left got it.
Damn, that was so close!
I almost said, “If you’re not such a fan of the band, why don’t you give it to me?”
After “Aldious,” I went to the concession stand to have some food.
I had come here without breakfast.
It seemed that other hungry customers were eating in the hallway.
The first thing I chose was tuna cutlet curry.
Well, it wasn’t bad…but at 1,300 yen.
I moved back to the ULTIMATE STAGE and prepared for “Beyond the Black.”
Beyond the Black
This was amazing.
What can I say, Jennifer Haben is.
Her singing ability, her behavior, and her beauty.
I have not used the word “different” very often in the past, but I have to say that this was “different”.
She MC’d in Japanese, and when she played the keyboard, she said “It’s Perfect” to the staff who set it up for her.
All in all, this person has a “different thing.”
It reminded me of Vegeta’s words, “I’ll show you a wall you can’t overcome with your effort.”
The rest of the show was good, too.
I liked the guitarist who played in the growl.
I was glad to hear “Lost in Forever,” my favorite song.
“Beautiful Lies” was also good.
Wow, that was amazing!
Now, without a break, we went to the BIG ROCK STAGE.
I was going to see “L.A. Guns”.
L.A. Guns
I couldn’t prepare for the show since it was announced much later, but the song “Speed” I saw on Youtube stuck in my head.
I love this PV to death.
I don’t know if it’s cool or not, or if it’s tacky or not.
This is the kind of band I should love.
“Speed” was a blast!
I had some Soki Soba during “Anthem,” and then went to the merchandise sales.
Damn, all the shirts I wanted were sold out.
I wanted two things.
The white T-shirt from “Meshuggah” was stylish enough for everyday use.
The other one was a Trump shirt from “Brujeria,” which it was aggressive enough to buy.
Both of them are sold out!
I’ve made up my mind, next year I’ll get up early and buy a shirt first.
We moved to the front of the BIG ROCK STAGE to prepare for “Brujeria”.
Brujeria
Well, “Brujeria” was amazing.
The superb blast beats were so comfortable.
The punk spirit overflowed, or whatever I want to call it.
The call-and-response to “Fuck Donald Trump” was amazing.
Also, the choreography was subtle and funny.
It was fun to see the two big vocalists dancing like they were tired.
They were strangely promoting marijuana, and I wondered if it was safe to watch.
I think they left a strong mark on the audience.
Winger
I took a beer break for “Winger” to prepare for “Opeth.”
Opeth
As expected, “Opeth” was a very difficult piece.
I guess I didn’t study it enough.
I could feel the isolation.
Overkill
“Overkill” was dinner time.
At the end of “Opeth,” the new song “Mean, Green, Killing Machine” was heard.
The riff structure was like “Metallica” and I couldn’t resist it.
I wanted to listen to it, but I had to eat.
I wonder if Yoshi saw the show?
Alice Cooper
After a short break, “Alice Cooper” started on the BIG ROCK STAGE!
Alice was the MVP of this year in my opinion.
Except for “Slayer” because it was different from the others.
The setlist was full of great songs.
They didn’t play any of the new songs. (I wanted to hear “Paranormal”…)
I was happy to hear “Poison”
and “Eighteen,” two of my favorites.
And I found it irresistible to hear my very favorite progressive song “Halo of Flies”.
The most wonderful thing was the production.
It was as if Alice was conducting every member of the band.
Disappearing Frankenstein, the appearance of the big man, the decapitation, the giant balloons, singing with dolls, all sorts of things coming out of the big box in the back… the list goes on and on.
This must be the culmination of Alice’s many years of experience in staging.
I like stages that emphasize this kind of production.
I have been a fan of Kome Kome Club since I was a child, and the reason why I praised “Sabaton” so highly in the past was largely because of its good staging.
I love the part in the live DVD of “Slayer” where blood rains down at the end so much that it brings tears to my eyes.
It’s not enough just to play the music.
I am glad to see that many of them, such as “Scorpions” and “Michael Schenker,” are still performing as well as ever in spite of their advanced age.
It’s amazing that they can still bring their own persuasive power to the stage!
The criticism that all the elderly performers should be in the show is totally cynical.
And so, “Alice Cooper” is over.
I stayed at the BIG ROCK STAGE for “Slayer” because I had a bad experience the year before last when the entrance was restricted.
Emperor
The view from the other side of the stage was a reproduction of the 2nd album of “Emperor”.
It was so tremendous.
Ihsahn’s shouts were so powerful.
The performance was also good.
On the other hand, I like the sloppy sound of the studio version.
Slayer
Finally, “Slayer” appeared on the stage.
Everyone loves “Slayer.”
Let’s review all the songs!
Repentless
Let’s start with the title track of the new album.
Kerry wrote this song with Hanneman in mind.
It’s a very “Slayer” song with a lot of power.
The drums sound better than the year before.
I can enjoy this one without Mr. Lombardo!
The Antichrist
My brother VERTICAL, who went with me, wanted to hear this song, and I lost him at the end with his happy profile (as usual).
Maybe it’s because I’m a fan, but is there any other riff as cool as this one?
It can’t match the speed of the live version of “Live Undead,” but good is still good!
The high pitched shouts of “Scream!” are not as good as they used to be, but they are still pretty good.
Diciple
A great song that remained a regular in the latter half of the year.
It doesn’t run fast from beginning to end, but its relentless structure is well done and I never get tired of listening to it.
It’s like a gradual uplifting feeling.
I shout with all my might, “Gardeitsassau!”
Postmortem
A shot from the absolute masterpiece “Reign in Blood”.
It’s the only middle tempo song on the album, but that’s probably why it has such a strong presence.
Well, it runs like a madman at the end.
The final section of the song makes me want to say, “Are you out of your mind?”
It is a perfect composition.
The circle pit is getting bigger and bigger, and I’m itching to rush into it.
Hate Worldwide
Another great song.
Of all the recent songs, I think this one is the closest to the taste of “Reign in Blood”.
Lombardo’s contribution to “Slayer” is big, too big.
“Dead Cross” is good, but please play it on “Slayer” again.
War Ensemble
When Tom says, “Are you ready?”, it’s time to war.
I’m getting old and my headbangs don’t last as long as they used to.
Like Kerry, I decided to headbang slowly.
But I still got super sore muscles.
When The Stillness Comes
A slow and moody song from the new album.
This kind of riff is just like “Slayer”, isn’t it?
But I don’t think the old fans, including myself, would like it.
But I’m glad to hear them play this song from the new album.
You Against You
So, one more song from the new album.
I think it was during this song.
There was a momentary loss of sound.
Thank goodness it came back soon and the band continued to play without any problems.
It is really a fast song that is typical of “Slayer.”
Mandatory Suicide
A regular middle tempo song.
I have heard this song many times at the live performance.
I’ve heard it in all the shows I’ve seen.
Fight Till Death
A rare song I’ve been waiting for!
A fast and furious song from their debut album “Show No Mercy”.
New fans will not understand this song.
There are no intellectual riffs or developments that are typical of “Slayer,” but that’s what makes it so exciting!
VERTICAL said he wanted to hear “Final Command,” and I would love to hear it, but I think that’s impossible.
Dead Skin Mask
This is another famous middle tempo song, a great song and I listen to it every time.
I am not sure if I should start with the title call “Skin” or just “Mask”.
Born of Fire
I wonder if this song is played often these days.
It’s my favorite fast song.
I wanted to hear “Hallowed Point,” but it didn’t happen.
The music of “Slayer” from this era is godlike and cool.
Although there are some young bands playing thrash metal nowadays, I don’t think there is any followers of “Slayer” that are exactly like them.
Maybe they want to imitate but can’t, or maybe they are too afraid to do so.
Either way, “Slayer” is great.
Cast The First Stone
They played a lot of songs from the new album this time.
I was not that impressed.
I listened to it a lot, but I guess my sensitivity has worn out.
Bloodline
A popular song in the middle temp song.
I wonder if this is the kind of thing fans like these days.
Paul made a mistake in the intro.
Tom looked at Kerry and laughed.
But he went back to playing immediately.
As one would expect from a band of this caliber, they are well-trained.
Bands that don’t use synchronized sound sources are strong.
Seasons in Abyss
A melodious and famous song that I listen to every time.
Hell Awaits
I really like this song.
The title track of the second album.
The most complex album in the history of “Slayer” with more than 100 riffs used throughout the album.
The way it gradually builds up and explodes is a true example of metal.
I want to drink the essence of this album to many bands.
Reminds me of when I first heard this album in junior high school.
South of Heaven
Oh, the riff at the beginning of the song made us singalong.
This is a new experience for me, and a lot of fun.
Let’s do this every time!
Rainning Blood
Great song!
Not only the song was great, but also the playing was good.
I also entered the circle pit at this point.
I was walking, or rather, sprinting, through the vast figure-8 circle.
I have been thinking for a while that the album title is “Reign in Blood” and the last song is “Rainning Blood.”
Don’t you think they have a god-like intellectual sense, everyone?
Chemical Warfare
The fastest song in the history at that time.
A great song.
People who run around in circles run in the fast part and walk in the middle part.
However, the fast part of this song is unusually long.
It was interesting to see the circle runners getting tired and slowing down.
“Slayer” won.
Angel of Death
I was very happy to see that they played 20 songs.
In the solo section, I also entered the circle again.
I was too much energetic and tripped over the person who fell down in front of me, and the person behind me also fell down.
I fell down and couldn’t get up for a while.
I am sorry to everyone who was excited.
But I also thought that this is the fear of human stampedes.
Because I couldn’t get up even if I wanted to.
I’m sorry for the person who stepped on it.
At the end
So, “Slayer” is still fun, too much fun.
It is still exceptional in my opinion, and my body, which is supposed to be tired, naturally moves.
Thinking back, I have seen “Slayer” three times in the past six times I have seen LOUD PARK.
That’s a great attendance rate.
But I can understand why they book them every time.
I guess there are a lot of customers like me who are overjoyed every time.
If necessary, I can enjoy “Slayer” again next year (I’m sure I’ll be criticized).
October 18,2017 Freakz
(Postscript)
Unfortunately, after this year’s LOUD PARK, the event will not be held again for a while.
If it was profitable, it wouldn’t have gone away, so that’s what happened.
It is natural for people to pay for what they like and enjoy, but many people are unclear about what is natural.
In this age of free music on Youtube and free game apps, it may be inevitable, but for creators it is a matter of life and death.
I remember Benji Webbe of Skindread appealing, “Come to our shows, buy our T-shirts, we don’t want your money, we need it to keep going.
I want to believe that this year’s LOUD PARK will be fine. Because we got a rain check five times and a good scolding, myself included.
January 27,2023 Freakz
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