Nailbomb and Forbidden live at Free and Easy in Munich (Concert Review)
- L7
- Aug 10
- 3 min read
Expectations
I never expected I would see Nailbomb live. It is one of those side projects from Cavalera, and that one had only one album, which I think sounds amazing. After that album, they hadn’t done anything else for almost 30 years, until last year, 2024, when Nailbomb started to play again. Now without Newport and with Igor Cavalera on the drums, plus a set of great performers on each instrument.
Adding to that Forbidden, Mammoth Grinder, and Omega Diatribe made the day even better, and everything was for free. The “Free and Easy” festival, as the name says, has no entry cost. It takes place at Backstage in Munich, and they have everything well prepared, from food and drinks to different stages. It is possible to buy tickets in advance that secure you a place until 19:15, but once you are inside, you can exchange it for four drinks, either beer or soft drinks.
Arrival, Merch & Beer
The usual S-Bahn stop is Hirschgarten, from there only 10 minutes on foot. It was a bit farther for me this time because I had my hotel in Berg am Laim, but the connection with the S-Bahn worked very well and was punctual.Entrance was easy, I exchanged my ticket for the beer stamps and went to grab an Augustiner.
Beer from Augustiner is always more than welcome for me, amazing taste, great for summer or winter, and easy to drink. They also have different kinds like dark beer, for those that don’t want to drink Helles all the time.
A good selection of merch from each band was available, this time not inside the concert hall like in usual shows, but outside near the main beer garden. They had a tent with all merch, and there were some great pieces. I bought the tour shirt from Mammoth Grinder because their presentation was incredible and surprised me — and for only 20 euros!
Omega Diatribe
The guys from Hungary came out with full energy. If that’s how the first band of the day plays, you know it’s going to be an intense night. Their style reminded me a bit of Power Trip and sometimes even the band Nasty, with moments in certain riffs that brought Slipknot to mind, though overall their sound is completely different. A great opening set that set the tone perfectly.
Mammoth Grinder
That was for me the surprise of the night. What a power, and the riffs, and the voice — really amazing. It was thrash metal with death metal vocals, a lot of long hair headbanging, exploding guitars, impressive vocals, and a brutal presentation from a band I hope to see back soon. I’m happy I bought their tour shirt.
Forbidden
A band I actually knew because a lot of people I follow post their shirts very often. I never took the time to hear them, and although I knew people liked their merch, I was surprised when I saw the complete Backstage Werk singing their songs and headbanging all the time. What a great night — they delivered such a good quality of interpretation. I was especially impressed by the singer, he is so good live, with a very good vocal range, clean singing, and no hesitation on any part of the songs. A fantastic show from a great band.
Nailbomb
Time had come, and Cavalera knows it. From the beginning, they made Backstage explode. It was brutal, it was better than I expected, and it stayed that way from start to finish. Cavalera had that happiness on his face, enjoying every concert he does, with his explosive voice filling the whole place and three guitarists delivering those sick riffs and solos. Igor Cavalera made the drums explode, and the bassist and sampler player were perfect. The sampler guy — someone told me it’s the one from Pig Destroyer, but I couldn’t confirm it anywhere — had a “helicopter” move with his head that was insane to watch.
They played almost the complete album, missing only one song, and as I saw on the setlist online, they added an extra cover not in the album.
Final Thoughts
First of all, thanks to everyone who makes this kind of event possible. Four incredible bands, for free, very well organized, reasonable prices on food and drinks, and a very enjoyable atmosphere, as always at Backstage. Sadly, this year I could attend only that one day, but Free and Easy is for sure something I want to visit more often.
As for the bands, each one gave their best and made the night amazing.
Comments