Brno in the Grip of Death Metal: Kataklysm, Vader and Blood Red Throne at Fléda
March in the Czech Republic. The festival season is still ahead of us, and the big summer stages are waiting to roar back to life. But metal never truly sleeps—it just gathers strength before the next storm. So where should you go for a proper dose of heavy metal when the season hasn't fully kicked off yet? The answer came on March 6 from Fléda. That evening, the club transformed into a dark sanctuary of death metal, where the air trembled under the pressure of brutal riffs and relentless growls. Three well-known international bands took turns on the stage to unleash a raw, crushing metal storm. And Rebel Sound was, of course, there to witness it.
I arrived in front of Fléda around two in the afternoon, when the first eager fans had already started gathering outside the club. At first, the atmosphere was rather calm - small groups stood around chatting and wondering what the evening would bring. Occasionally, you could even spot members of some of the performing bands. But as the opening time drew closer, things began to heat up. Around six o'clock, roughly half an hour before the doors opened, a line several dozen meters long had already formed along the sidewalk.
At half past six, fans were briefly allowed into the hall, only to be sent back to the foyer by security a few moments later for another twenty minutes of "endless waiting." Meanwhile, the line outside kept growing, the air thickened with anticipation, and people were eager to get inside and secure the best spots. When the doors finally opened again, a short adrenaline-fueled sprint followed, and within seconds the front row was claimed. Row after row quickly filled up… the hall was filling like a volcano about to erupt. The event had actually been sold out about a month in advance. Fans stocked up on beer and other drinks while impatiently waiting for the first band.
The first to take the stage were the Norwegian band Blood Red Throne, who appeared fifteen minutes after seven. During their half-hour set, they served the fans six songs. Although they were considered the least well-known of the three bands that night, they certainly didn't feel like a typical opening act that the audience simply waits through. On the contrary - from the first notes to the final riff it was obvious the fans were enjoying every moment, and the hall immediately came alive. At the end of their set, the band invited fans to their merch stand, where they later signed autographs and took photos. They even stayed there until the end of the event, so those who had refused to leave their prime spots in front of the stage during the other performances still had a chance to meet them afterward.
After a quick stage change, it was time for another heavy assault. Shortly after eight, the stage belonged to the Polish legend Vader. Without unnecessary introductions, they steamrolled the hall with uncompromising riffs and harsh growls that immediately got everyone's blood pumping. The crowd reached full intensity within moments and kept the energy high from start to finish. Vader had a fifty-minute set, during which they blasted through thirteen songs.
After a half-hour break and another stage change, it was finally time for the headliner of the evening - the Canadian powerhouse Kataklysm. "You are the poison flowing through my veins, you are the face of terror eating through my soul." These are the opening words of the track Push the Venom, which the band used to kick off their seventy-five-minute set. Their setlist included seventeen songs in total, and the entire performance could be summed up in one word: absolute carnage. At that point there was no doubt that the entire hall was going wild, with waves of energy rolling from the stage all the way to the back rows.
To sum it up: the doors opened at 18:30 and the final notes faded away at 22:45. The evening lasted more than four hours, with over two and a half hours dedicated to the performances themselves. Throughout the entire time, horns were raised high in the air, hair flew in endless waves of headbanging, and the hall echoed with roaring voices and an energy so thick you could almost cut it with a knife. Some things are simply too powerful to describe with words - you just have to experience them.
Finally, I'd like to thank not only the performing bands and their crews, but also the organizers from Obscure Promotion, as well as everyone who worked on the event - from the security staff to the bar crew. And last but not least, a huge thanks goes to the fans who showed up, sold the event out, and helped create an atmosphere that won't be forgotten anytime soon.
Verri