The fourth and final day of Tons of Rock 2023 started perfectly. As soon as we got to the bus station, we got on board and arrived at the festival grounds in no time.
The first band of the day was set to play at the Vampire Stage. Honningbarna (Norwegian for “The Honey Children”) was formed in 2010 in Kristiansand and it’s a punk rock band that won ‘Årets Urørt’, a fresh music competition organized by the NRK P3 radio station in 2011. We did not know what to expect, but boy oh boy we surely did not expect what actually happened! The drummer was the first one to enter the stage at the side of the scene (a weird location for a drummer) and they all just started to play in full force, sporting some boy-scout-type uniforms. The crowd went nuts! People started crowd-surfing and moshing before the first song was finished. But this was no ordinary act… the singer and one of the guitar players went straight into the middle of the crowd, to organize a wall of death, barely escaping towards the scene. The singer was full of energy and remained standing on the crowd’s hands, only to dive right in, and be carried back towards the photo pit again. After the song was finished it was the guitar player’s turn. He literally played his guitar while crowd-surfing, an astonishing balance act, and he did not even make any mistakes. If I were to describe Honningbarna it would be something along the lines of an agitated nest of bees, that surely know how to put up a show. From a musical standpoint, the riffs are tight and energic, and even if I don’t understand what they’re saying, the music speaks for itself. 
What goes best after this kind of show? Some classic black / trash metal of course. Aura Noir reminded us what’s it all about: get on stage and play it loud, without a rockstar attitude. I really enjoyed their set – it sounded raw and honest. I heard that they were voted among the ugliest bands out there… I don’t know what to say about that, who am I to judge? The (now) guitar player had a terrific accident that caused him to stop playing drums, the reason why he stands on a rolling high chair on stage. The sound was unpolished but tight, so I would say they managed to get their live sound fairly close to the one on the record. Having recharged myself with a bit of shade, I went to catch the first act of the day from the Scream Stage.
Stage Dolls is a Norwegian rock band based in Trondheim. Having met in 1976 as competitors in a local talent show, the founding members Torstein Flakne and Terje Storli were playing in different bands at the time. Somehow, they managed to get together, form the band, and gradually started promoting it. They had a big boost after they toured Trøndelag and started growing their fanbase. ‘Soldier’s Fun’, their first album released in 1985, had quite the success, as it won that year’s Norwegian rock album #1.
Judging from the audience’s reaction, the show was very well received. A lot of people knew the lyrics and sang with them. Wikipedia says they play hard rock, but my feeling was more toward classic rock. Juicy guitar licks and progressions, moving songs, power ballads, they got it all.
After a well-deserved break from the sun, I went to have some lunch: a delicious vegetarian stuffed potato. I planted myself in the shade of the Moonlight Stage, waiting for the Bury Tomorrow ‘s show to start. I knew they were a metalcore band from Southampton, Hampshire, but I did not know what to expect as I did not catch them live until now.
With a modern British metal sound, they started the concert in full force. It wasn’t long until people started flying towards the photo pit. I saw the expression on the guys’/girls’ faces from security when the vocalist said something like “I want to see 1000 people in the air ! ”. After 3 days of constant work, they had their hands full – literally! Sometimes there were so many people pouring in that some were taking down 2-3 people at a time! I know that’s fun for the crowd surfers, but that must’ve been hard for security…
The lead singer dominated the stage, being backed up by the guitar player and the energic bass player. The switch between heavy and clean passages was made effortlessly, showing us once again that the band deserves its place in the metalcore genre.
After a quick game and hydration break, I walked towards the main stage again, this time to see In Flames. I was happily surprised to see Chris Broderic k on stage with them. I know he helped them back in 2019 on some shows, but after a bit of research, I found out he became a permanent rhythm guitar player in 2022. Anders was sporting a white “Clayman ” t-shirt, as he entered the stage in front of the screaming audience. They started their set with ‘The Great Deceiver’, a track from their latest album – Foregone – launched just a few months ago. The band moved a lot on the stage, switching places and posing for the front-row fans. They played songs like ‘Only for the Weak’, ‘Darker Times’, ‘Darker Times’, ‘Cloud Connected’ and they finished with ‘Take This Life ‘. This last song talks about taking care of what you have before it’s too late and about doing something meaningful with ‘this life’.
I was eagerly awaiting to see Puscifer after so many friends told me that their show is absolutely insane. The group is formed by Maynard James Keena n, the lead singer of Tool and A Perfect Circle. From start to finish, I was mesmerized by what was happening on the stage. You cannot be bored at their concert, as there’s always something happening on stage, both visually and musically.
As Maynard said: “I am not saying we are a secret government agency, that everything is a conspiracy, and that we are searching for extraterrestrial life forms… ”
They were all dressed up in shirts and suits, and their performance was extremely well planned, with carefully executed stage movements, theatricals, music, synths, and a look that ‘stays’ on the retina long after the show is over. The crazy hairstyles, the lipstick, and the microphone stands that were fixed on their torso brought something crazy and unique to complement the whole show. But wait, there’s more! Some alien men in black came to the stage, analyzing us with their remote control devices, waving the rock symbol to the audience and pointing at us, in an attempt to control our minds maybe? Apart from that, they also infected the large displays with some kind of alien virus, as we started to see the concert in a style of 8-bit graphics. The music sounds EXTREMELY good and their voices work perfectly for this kind of music. This has been the highlight of the day for me, at least so far.
I totally recommend experiencing a Puscifer live show, at least once in your life!
After this crazy show, I took a small walk to see Magna Carta Cartel in the Moonlight Stage tent. Martin Persner was formerly a guitarist in Ghost. He resurrected the project founded back in 2006 after he left Ghost and delivered a smashing performance at Tons of Rock 2023. I know the style could be considered a bit soft and repetitive to some, but I really enjoy their music. It has a special eerie suspended feeling to it, taking you to a higher dimension, with soft dreamy parts and catchy hooks. The lead singer moves in a very artistic way, letting his dancing experience out on stage with round, gracious, and controlled movements, in sync with the music. The guitar players changed guitars more than most of the bands I’ve seen, maybe it has something with tunings or special vibes, who knows?
This show calmed me down a bit and prepared me for Wardruna.
This is the kind of band that “works” best in a dark environment. I’ve seen them play during the day and also at night, and I can say that the mood is different. This time though, the midnight sun induced a different type of feeling. The sun was peeking through the background from the side of the stage, creating some ethereal shapes together with the on-stage smoke. Their concert has some very well-placed lights that create shadows and shapes that would aid the songs. Old and traditional instruments are used on stage. That brings us back to ancient times when history was passed on through stories and songs. Lindy complemented Einar ’s voice perfectly and the band sounded tighter than ever. Maybe playing in their own country has a different feel for them as well. The show ended with Helvegen, their song about life and death and remembrance, a powerful chant that stays with you hours after the show is over.
The final act of Tons of Rock was carried out by Kvelertak, a Stavanger-based Norwegian band, formed back in 2007.
As Kvelertak’s Ivar Nikolaisen told Chaoszine: “Our influences are everything from Fleetwood Mac to Raw Power and Norwegian Black Metal ”. They put up a fantastic show, with lights, fire, and pyro, while the audience went absolutely nuts. After about 2 songs I saw some red smoke from the 2 light towers next to the sound tent. Meanwhile, flames were also coming out from the exit gates. I think it was a good choice to end the festival! The band is moving around the stage all the time, and their music prevents you from standing still. I slowly started to head towards the bus, enjoying the last sounds of Tons of Rock 2023. We grabbed a quick selfie and got ourselves on the bus, taking the last 2 days all in. People were ecstatic, singing and having a good time. Being my first Tons of Rock experience I can say that it was a nice one, full of cool memories.
Next year, Tons of Rock will have its 10th anniversary, from the 26th to the 29th of June (2024). The tickets are already available for grabs, at an early-bird price. I hope to be back, maybe for the full festival this time. Thank you for reading and I highly recommend checking out Tons of Rock in 2024!
