Although medieval aesthetics are highly fashionable at the moment, likely a parallel to our own modern “dark ages” triggered by social media’s boiling pot of genuine knowledge and misinformation, the pure visual storytelling and the emergence of knighthood is, basically, just really cool. Us alternative freaks and geeks have been at it for a long time, and Hällas, the Swedish adventure rockers, have been telling the story of their imaginary knight for over a decade now. Clearly, many Desertfest attendees were very much game for a good story, as a packed Underworld swayed from side to side to their synth-laden, magical, and glittering riffs and melodies.
Believe it or not, this was their first UK show in eight years, and you could feel that some members of the audience had been desperately waiting for their return. I personally only recently joined their fandom; their brand-new album Panorama, the fourth in their discography, completely and utterly captured my heart when I first listened to it back in January. As soon as I heard ‘Face of an Angel’, I was completely sold. They mix prog with a copious amount of heavy metal and a dash of synth. For me, synth is usually hit-or-miss since not all synth parts are created equal, but their rendition had that true ’70s feel, and we love ’70s music in my household. This authentic vibe comes from careful craftsmanship and using original vintage equipment, something you just can’t replicate on modern gear.
Dressed in capes and sparkling vintage tops, they dazzled us on stage, perfectly matching their glowing sound. It was as if we had all found ourselves in a hazy dream, overlooking a parallel universe and intensely watching the adventures of their main character, the fantastical knight Hällas. We all wondered if there would be enough time in their set to squeeze in one of their epic, lengthy tracks, but sadly, the tight timeframes of the festival didn’t allow them to completely take off without constraints. For that, we’ll just have to hope they return for their own headline show, which I really hope they do!
Every now and then, their vocalist and bassist, Tommy, would scream into the microphone, checking to see if we were still there. You see, when you take an audience on a wild adventure into a different world, people can get lost in their own thoughts and imaginations. His scream was a wake-up call, allowing us to take a quick sip of a drink before we set off to listen to the next chapter.
A couple of times, as they played the first notes of a song, excited screams and whistles sounded across the crowded room. Arms were held high in the air, almost as if people wanted to take off. Many at the front clearly channelled Saturday Night Fever, even though it was only Friday, serving as a warm-up for what was to come over the weekend.
This was a great booking from Desertfest. For those who missed them, Hällas will be back at the end of the summer at Cosmic Vibrations in Sheffield.