Knowing the founders Jimmy Bergman and Sulan Von Zoomlander from their previous band, I’ve been following THE END OF GRACE practically since the moment the band was born. Following and falling in love since the first time I’ve heard “Metal Mulisha”. Yeah, it was just one song, but something told me they wouldn’t be a one-hit wonder. Less than one year later, the EP “Lost In Transition” was out and confirmed my thoughts, as every single song of that 5-piece was hit material.

I was also sure that the greatness of those songs would be heighten when played live, and so I couldn’t miss their live debut. Even if that meant going on a 2-day boat trip across the Baltic Sea. And damn, was it worth it!

“Forget” was the first track and the crowd went ballistic on the spot. That’s what made the show even more unforgettable – the response of the audience, with non-stop mosh circles and scream-alongs, ’cause yes, many of them knew the lyrics (at least for the choruses)! No one could tell this was the band’s first show. And they even hadn’t rehearsed for it as a whole!

There were some technical problems, but hey – it’s a live show. You go there to feel the music. If you want to simply hear it, all neat and flawless, you stay home and plug your headphones to some audio device.

At some point, Kriss‘ microphone stopped working. But he was so into it that he didn’t even notice! He kept growling with all his heart until someone finally caught his attention.

He was asking for us to have patience with them, as it was their first show, but I really don’t know what he was talking about – their performance was full of life and commitment. I just wish they could have played on a bigger stage, having the chance of getting a bit looser. But everything at its time.

I was glad they opted to have a guest musician to replace Martin Westerstrand on “Fist Face Bleed” instead of the recorded backtrack. The chosen one was Sebastian from BATAAR and he just nailed it! Oh, and speaking of guests, they also had Robert Åkerlund, great guitar player and even greater friend, stepping in for Sulan, who couldn’t be there that night.

They finished with the title-track of the EP, with Jimmy throwing some t-shirts into a very happy crowd. I don’t think anyone – fans or band members – could have asked more of a first show. Of course I was hoping they would play a new song, but they stuck to the ones released so far. But that’s okay. I intend to see them many more times still.

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