I don’t know exactly what I was expecting but it was definitely NOT this. And I’m not saying it in a good way. Even though I’ve known for a long time that an artist can’t be defined for one song only, it never crossed my mind that the general sound of a band who played such a somber tune as “The Devil’s Song” would turn out so… folkish.

That was the only song I knew of THE DEAD AND LIVING when I entered The Garage that late afternoon (one hour later than I thought I would, as the 19:00 printed on the ticket was the time for the opening of the doors and not the beginning of the gig, as me and many others assumed…) – a song that I actually liked. But since that’s still the only song I know – although the chorus of “Mayday, Mayday” will certainly ring a bell next time I hear it – that shows how much the band has impressed me…

I guess it was the “polka beat” that ruined it for me. Their official description reads “a special blend consisting of rock, punk, goth and folk music”, which sounds really interesting. I’m glad I didn’t see it before the gig, otherwise the disappointment would have been greater. That folk element is the aforementioned polka beat of the drums and bass, and I didn’t notice any punk trace. Unless they’re talking about “Mayday, Mayday”, that I’ve also mentioned before, as it’s indeed a more irreverent song – especially in comparison to the rest of the set. But I’d say this track is still behind the line that separates rock from punk. The depth of Coroner‘s voice is quite remarkable, though.

I can’t say it was a bad concert because it wasn’t. And the reaction of the majority of the crowd confirms it, as they warmly welcomed these Swedes. It’s just a matter of musical taste and THE DEAD AND LIVING simply don’t meet mine. Hence my bored-som-fan feeling during this show. 

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