Presented by Rockfact Music Club & IRON-T21

A dark constellation took place at the Rockfact Music Club in Münchenstein. The melodic dark metal band Askara from Basel visited this venue again to perform at a concert and delight us with their sounds. The horror metal band Dame Tu Alma was added to the program as the opening act. Such a mixture at an event seemed special and aroused great interest. That's why attendance was compulsory. Another reason was the uncertain live break of Askara due to a line-up change and the chance to see them live again. The doors opened at 8 pm and Dame Tu Alma kicked off the evening musically for 30 minutes later. The group from the capital city of Berne was completely unknown to me. I also didn't know any horror metal bands from my home country and was looking

forward to the performance. After an intro, drummer Sypher entered the stage wearing a face mask and his bandmates Vidame De LaFey and Vulture King joined him. It started right away with full throttle and frontman/bassist Vulture's face was white and his eyes were colored black. He wore contact lenses and they fitted perfectly. The trio presented their debut “Lead” to the audience. Guitarist Vidame was deeply immersed in the sound and provided the heaviness. Vulture showed he sang every syllable with great conviction and passion and was delighted to have the chance to play in Münchenstein. At the same time, he played bass and left his position occasionally to rock out with Vidame. Thanks to an interesting light show with billows of fog shooting out, the dark music was able to unfold its effect and applause followed. The songs were mainly about Satan, but “Peyote Mirage” was about a crazy trip to the desert. A cover of the British triphop group Portishead was played with  “All Mine”. “Black Fire” marked the end of the show. For 45 minutes, we witnessed an interesting audio-visual event that you should definitely check out. This music isn‘t often found in Helvetia and stands out from the crowd. I was thrilled by their show and other spectators shared the same opinion. It would‘ve been great if sound engineer Dion had given Vidame's guitar more power. It was a bit lost. There was a short break. The stage was rearranged for the last band. The time had come at 10pm. Headliner Askara took the stage. Bassist Elia, guitarist Benny and Emanuel stood there like in a trance and stretched out their arms. They remained in this position while the intro played. They started to play when singer Myril entered the stage. Unfortunately, there were technical problems with the microphone and her vocals couldn‘t be heard. That's why they had to interrupt briefly. Fortunately, it didn't take long and Myril's vocals were audible. Now it really got going. One or two anecdotes from the band's career to date were also told that evening. A Swedish booker once said to the band about the “Broken Wing” video their sound sucks but it‘s good live. This statement caused a few laughs, because such criticism is pretty harsh.  The growl vocals of bassist and singer Elia matched Myril's clear vocals with a harmonious performance, who constantly sought contact with each other to bring out the dark mood of the songs. Guitarist Benny was able to convince with solos and clean playing. Myril's request to clap along was done immediately. Before “Nocturne of Cold Mystery”, Elia told us they were playing in Belgium in 2018 and should’ve brought sleeping bags. The club was so new there was still rubble, wood shavings etc. and they should‘ve spent the night there. Acting out of necessity, the group booked a hotel room where all members spent the night. A special kind of “romance”. One show in Netherlands was remembered for a moldy apartment where they should‘ve slept. Despite tight spaces, Benny and Elia often changed their positions on stage. The four-piece released their EP “Death Oh Death” recently. A poetic way to honor the end of life. And listening to the sequel to “Dark Night of the Soul Part II” live after a long wait felt great. In my opinion, this sequel was even more exciting than the first part. When “Through Fire” came up, Myril told us about their participation in the Fire Wire Band Contest in Liestal where a rapper in the jury said “The sound doesn’t suck at all”. Apparently this person didn't have a clue about music with instruments. “The King's Song” should’ve ended the show. The spectators clapped enthusiastically and weren’t tired.  They were actively involved in the show and the two encores with “Identity” and “Seven Years” were served. After 90 minutes, Myril, Elia, Benny and Emanuel took their bows. They received a lot of applause for their good performance. Setlist Askara Intro Viator Tempest Broken Wing To Aisla Rock Nocture of Cold Mystery By God Dark Night Of The Soul Part II Death Oh Death Through Fire Dark Night Of The Soul Part I The King‘s Song Identity Seven Years Conclusion: Unfortunately, time went by too fast once again. However, it should be mentioned both bands offered interesting performances. They also took time for small talk with the remaining audience in the club. This was a great gesture, as it shows down-to-attitude and true appreciation. The only downer was Askara's last performance for the time being, as guitarist Benny and drummer Emanuel left the band. Hopefully they’ll find suitable successors for more concerts in the future. Livereport by Dominic Latscha

Rockfact Music Club, Münchenstein,  Switzerland – 24.05.2025