ust when we thought we had survived Amon Amarth’s Viking metal battle, we found ourselves diving into another metal festival. It was another Monday, and we had taken time off from work using various excuses, throwing ourselves into the arms of Freedoom Fest. Let’s clear up this Monday thing first. I’m not part of the organization and don’t know anyone involved. But knowing how hard it is to organize these things, I can say that unfortunately, many bands don’t consider us when planning their annual tours. We’re basically an extra country on the list. With the increased demand for concerts this year, organizers scheduled shows whenever they found an available day for the bands. Sadly, this often means bands playing during work hours, which isn’t great. For example, Turkey’s sludge/doom metal giant played to a smaller crowd than they deserved at 6 PM. They opened with “Plea,” and Erdem Çapar appeared with his yellow horned devil mask. People always talk about bad sound systems, but the real issue is often the lack of a good sound engineer. Sulfur Ensemble had a great sound, which made me very happy. The bass was clear, and the drum beats didn’t get lost. The band had a rich sound that they shared with the audience. On a hot and humid afternoon, they were the perfect choice to prepare us for the approaching storm.

Next up was the Greek folk rock band Villagers of Ioannina City, who I was hearing for the first time. Despite being an open-air venue, I realized just how small Küçükçiftlik Park is. It wasn’t my first time there, but being there in daylight made me notice its small size. Also, there’s nowhere to sit except on the grass. If they added seating, there wouldn’t be enough room to watch the concert. Many people went home with grass stains on their pants.

Villagers of Ioannina are like a mix of Anathema, Tea Party, Jethro Tull, and a bit of heaviness. They were really enjoyable and at times, quite exhilarating. Their stage performance and friendliness gave us an enjoyable and instrumentally rich show. I have to say, I’m really jealous of Greece musically. They have many unique headliner bands in the international metal scene. This year alone, we saw four great Greek bands in Istanbul.

The co-headliner of the festival, the Oriental Metal Kings Myrath, was next. Who would have thought such an amazing metal band could come from Tunisia? I had no idea they were so loved in Turkey. The crowd went wild as soon as they took the stage. I was surrounded by fans of the guitarist and founder, Malek Ben Arbia. Watching the concert from Malek’s side allowed me to see him up close, and he’s really a fantastic guitarist. I noticed that all the bands except Villagers of Ioannina had only one guitarist.

Myrath truly brought the desert heat to us. Vocalist Zaher, always smiling and cheerful, and an amazing female dancer who transformed their songs into tales from the Arabian Nights. The dancer changed costumes five times, adding a visually appealing element to the show. However, I was saddened that while they work with a belly dancer in Europe, they opted for more modest choreography in Turkey, reminding me of our country’s realities. They got the audience dancing and singing along. The bass was in sync with the rhythm guitar and drums, which was great to hear. Bassist Anis Jouini was constantly moving and very skilled. The keyboardist was like he was playing in a nightclub with his flashy red shoes and feathered jacket. We really enjoyed Myrath’s performance, which had a familiar yet delightful sound. Sometimes I wonder if a Turkish band playing similar music would be accused of Arabization.

Finally, the moment we had been waiting for arrived. With a 20-minute delay, JinJer took the stage with their signature sound. Tatiana, dressed in red, mesmerized us all. We were grateful for the chance to see her incredible stage performance live. JinJer deserved their headliner status. The sound system seemed a bit better for them, with the drums more prominent and the vocals close to the recordings. Each band member is a talented musician. Bassist Eugene’s aggressive stage presence and synchronization with the bass notes were a visual treat. I was surprised by how many female fans Tatiana had. There were ten women behind me, singing along passionately.

Tatiana perfectly blends masculinity and femininity, radiating energy. Despite many female metal vocalists, none come close to Tatiana. We couldn’t stop moving for an hour and a half. I’m sure many woke up with sore necks and muscles. They played many of their hit songs and expressed their anti-war stance and wishes for peace. The band’s mission for their country is an added motivator during these times.

I expected a bigger crowd. The venue filled up, but it could have been more crowded if it wasn’t a weekday. Many friends couldn’t attend due to weekday logistics, especially for those coming from the Asian side of Istanbul. It would be better if they considered this for future events.

 Zafer Ayaz