LIVE REVIEW: WHITE TOWER (GREECE) AND OATHBRINGER (SERBIA) @ RUNNING FREEE FESTIVAL 2023 – DRYANOVO (BG)

The sixth edition of the Running Free Festival included the performance of two great rising bands from the Balkans and they really took the stage by storm. The Greek WHITE TOWER and their close neighbors from Serbia – OATHBRINGER, played back-to-back during the second day of the event, warming up the eager crowd, preparing it for the main acts of headliners like STEELPREACHER, BOMBARDER and the almighty thrashings tanks from TANKARD!

Gaining almost mythical status in the country and the region as a whole, Running Free Festival takes place in the picturesque and very historical location, in the actual surroundings of an active orthodox monastery from The Middle Ages, next to a huge cave, where one of the first ever human settlements are traced. Every last weekend of August, several hundred devoted metalheads who are sick and tired from the commercialism, boredom and dullness of mainstream rock arenas are rallying together for two days of heavy music indulgence.  “For maniacs by maniacs” is the unofficial motto of RFF and everybody who ever entered in this one-of-a-kind vertigo, comes out dizzy from emotions, yet smiling for days from all the memories and fun moments experienced. 

It’s the early Saturday afternoon, i.e., festival Day 2 and the beer garden front to the stage starts to fill up with weary and hungover headbangers, ready to face another portion of heavy tunes. At 14:30 sharp, program is opened by the Romanians from HELLSTRIKE, who filled the rooster in the last moment, replacing the Ukrainians from ZOMBIE ATTACK who couldn’t make it out of their country for well-known reasons. Dozens of fans already had their beers and breakfast for the day, the clock strikes 15:40 and its finally time for some oldschool action!

WHITE TOWER make their appearance on the stage and here we got the first massive surprise. It’s the stage outfit! Nothing to do with the image we’re used to see them, yet its nonetheless impressive. The guys from Thessaloniki show up in commandos style battle uniform and corresponding gear, bullet belts, face paint and combat boots – all done by the book. And what even more appealing is the vibe they brought with this styling. It really felt like looking on a Rambo movie from end of the 80-ties. What could be a better foundation for a classic metal show? The guys hit hard from the first note and people front of stage got more and more interested, getting closer and paying attention to these newcomers. Well…triple that effect and the moment the lead singer Gago raised his voice to engage in the first verses, kind of shockwave was produced. Those who recognized his striking vocal resemblance to Udo, this very instant jumped from their chairs and rallied front of the stage to experience more of this band. And WHITE TOWER meant business! Despite some technical difficulties in the middle of their performance (I think it was due to the fact they made their final soundcheck just couple of hours before on the same day), the band coped to stay present and to dominate the crowd. Interaction with the headbangers was energizing, sound and set list – straight to be point and generally speaking the quintet won solid number of fans that day. This was solidified after the show, when the merch was literally pillaged and their self-titled debut album was enjoying quite the popularity in both CD and vinyl. The guys from Greece were also enjoying themselves to the maximum at the festival, constantly taking part in the wildest activities around and the lead singer Gago proved to be a real party animal, being fun, positive and very friendly! 

WHITE TOWER setlist:

• Terminator
• Enforcer
• Early Warning 
• Banshee
• Masters of Menace
• Tear up the night 
• Lions of Steel 
• Malice and lust
• Schizophrenic attack 
• Knife in the back

Right after WHITE TOWER stepping down it was OATHBRINGER’s turn to put some heavy stuff on the table. The guys and their band already have some background in Bulgaria and in the area in general, so their performance was kind of highly anticipated, gathering quite a number of fanatics impatient to see them life for the first time. They didn’t have to wait much and according the schedule at 16:40 the Serbian slaughters showed up to start their massacre. It became perfectly clear we’re looking on a real experienced and solid band, who can raise the stakes and the sound they produced on stage was really electrifying the maniacs around. The crowd response was cheerful and encouraging, headbanging was crazy, pushing the boys from the band to deliver the best of their material. Clearly OATHBRINGER was heavily invested in cover versions for this show and we heard no complaints about it. After the opener, the “Join the Legion” by Cirith Ungol detonated the emotions around, leaving nobody seated. Hands in the air, horns signs and fists showing enthusiastic support for the band – what else one can ask for? Due to the language similarities the communication was easy and smooth, something vitally important to create this “community vibe” so needed in metal shows these days. The songs came one after another, the momentum was gradually building and when everybody thought it was farewell time, a heavy hammer struck out of nowhere. As an encore, OATHBRINGER announced the all-time anthem classic Heavy metal Breakdown by Grave Digger and front stage turned into a mad mayhem. Audience just exploded, not believing their eyes and ears, but hats down for Priestkiller (Miloš Stošić ) and his crew. They really mastered this song to the max, squeezing the essence and delivering it back with unique taste of improvisation. Later on, during drinking and album signing, the guys shared how happy are they with this experience and definitely we should meet more often on the stage and around the bar . 

OATHBRINGER setlist:

• Odin’s Call
• Join the Legion (Cirith Ungol cover)
• Hail to the King
• Stand or Fall
• Holy War
• Shayol Ghul
• Hall of the Slain
• Heavy metal Breakdown (Grave Digger cover)

When lights went down and all the echo faded away, everybody who had the chance to visit RUNNING FREEE FESTIVAL 2023 and get a taste of those two bands, was pretty convinced to do it again, once there is another chance. Both WHITE TOWER and OATHBRINGER felt in the right place at the right time, for a performance that for sure will propel their musical careers and leave them with tons of unforgettable memories, new fans and friends. See you soon, guys and keep on rockin’!