Rock Monsters Romania

Review by Eduard Istrate
Photos by subexpunere

Writing this article awakens all sorts of emotions in me. Most of you probably have no idea, but the very first interview / event-related article I ever wrote for Rock Monsters was with Am Fost La Munte Și Mi-a Plăcut (AFLMSMP). It was when they hosted a premiere for “Îmi plăceau mai mult înainte” to which I was invited. That day was literally one of the most impactful days of my life. I will tell you more about this later. But for now, let’s stick to the subject at hand. AFLMSMP released a new album (“I Went To The Mountain”), and I attended their concert in Quantic.

I think AFLMSMP is one of the best acts Romania has. For quite some time, I have been enjoying their music. But frankly, I had no way of actually understanding their genre. Before the concert, it just sounded good to my ears. Now though, it means more than that to me. Their music seems to step outside conventional norms in a way other progressive types of music don’t. I will do my best to explain why, but do bear in mind I am still no expert on this genre. Whatever I am about to say on the matter is purely a personal opinion.

Genres that start with “post-” usually come as a result of a split from another scene. It is also the case that the newly formed current is typically based on more artistic and creative expression in comparison with their parent genre. Post-metal breaks away from the norms of generic metal, including (but not limited to): song structure, classical time signatures, and standard harmony. I would say, though, it does so with more artistic reasons than genres like prog-metal, another genre I adore.  Prog-metal, to me, seems to have this methodical choice behind choosing to break certain norms in order to step outside the box. Post-metal, on the other hand, does this precisely in order to make the artistic creation better. It does not break rules because breaking rules is fun. It does so because the song needs it. Because it is chained to restrictions that limit its true potential. There is, though, a lot of overlap between the two genres. Many people misinterpret post-metal songs to be prog-metal. To keep it brief, post-metal is often more atmospheric. Also, the post-metal song structure often abandons the verse-chorus standard. Instead, it relies on a crescendo-decrescendo dynamic. But it didn’t abandon the chorus just because. It did so to make room for more art.

The concert at Quantic forced my mind to have these thoughts and many others. Telling you everything I felt and realized during the show would lead to a text so long you would never bother reading it. For a couple of days, I genuinely thought post-metal had to be the best genre I had ever listened to. I would tell you it was just another one of those delirious realizations that come into my head and quickly go away, but to this moment I am not too sure I was wrong. None of this would have ever happened had AFLMSMP not played a spectacular concert that night. I cried for half of the concert. The other half of it, I was in shock. I knew a lot of their songs, but hearing them live made me understand. 

I should also address that AFLMSMP had a killer opening act. The band’s name is “hubris.” They are a post-rock project from Switzerland, very nicely fitting the main act’s “mountain” theme. While not as heavy as AFLMSMP, they were a great choice for an opening band. Way too many concert organizers pick small random bands to open shows, regardless of whether the opening act plays a heavier genre than the headliner. Showing proof of class and artistry, this post-rock act managed to set the tone of a powerful musical experience. And the power it had on me was immense.

I felt like I had been on the verge of finally comprehending this type of music for such a long time. I also felt like I had been on the verge of finding a genre that represented my artistic values like this for a way longer time. The only thing I needed was a small push. I needed to witness the music in a concert setting in order to actually live it. I would comment on AFLMSMP’s performance further, but truly I have no words to describe what I experienced during that concert. Everything felt in its right place. I felt like I was in the right place. They were bending and twisting the rules of music so brutally, yet with such great purpose in mind. This is why, at the moment, I felt like every other genre fails miserably at artistry compared to this one. With the thrill of the moment gone, so was my radical thinking on the matter. But, as I was saying, I am still not convinced I was wrong.

Another big reason for my emotional reaction was my seemingly poetic journey through music. I would say that, ever since I joined the Rock Monsters project, I learned about 90% of the musical knowledge I possess to this day. While much of it is also due to the fact I had just gotten into college, this project gave me an enormous amount of insight into music. To think that the first event I attended on behalf of Rock Monsters featured the same band that was now changing my perspective on musical art… was quite something. I went from my heart exploding with anxiety for my first interview with a musician, to my heart exploding with passion when that same musician showed me what music can actually be. For this, I could not be more thankful.

AFLMSMP became one of the bands I am most passionate about. This concert might have changed my neurochemistry for good. I strongly suggest you go see this band live if you have the chance.

Full gallery by subexpunere