Symphony X, Underworld

Symphony X is one of those bands I can never make my mind about. On one hand, they have the amazingly talented Russell Allen and that alone would be enough to get me interested in them. And it's not just Russell, they're all extremely talented musicians, able to create some of the most impressive modern prog instrumentals and able to wow you with their prowess. On the other hand, they're so freaking frustrating, with this whole "anti-climactic is my middle name" act.

Artmania 2015, Sibiu, 31.07.15-01.08.15

Artmania has been synonym with Sibiu's Large Square for almost a decade, until last year a municipal law forbidding payed concerts in public areas forced them to find a last minute solution and host the shows in a shed at the edge of the city. This year, seeing how the last edition was considered the worst in the festival's history and in order to mark the anniversary of 10 years, they decided to make a free entry festival, that would allow them to go back to the Large Square. Was it an excellent decision? Considering that free entry shows usually mean a shitty audience, I'd say maybe not. However, since they were put in a no-win position by the Town Hall's stupid decision (seriously, do you think the citizens of Sibiu will feel an insurmountable loss if they are not able to access half of the Large Square for a few hours once in a while?), I guess this was the best thing they could do and I appreciate them for putting the festival's heritage and image before the financial gains. I really hope that they'll find a solution for next year as well, as they can't possibly make it free entry every year.