Bokassa returned to Paris four years after their previous visit, which saw them opening for Mastodon at Salle Pleyel. Endorsed early on by Lars Ulrich, the Norwegian trio continue to occupy a peculiar but highly effective corner of the heavy music spectrum, where stoner rock, hardcore punk and heavy metal collide with considerable force. Groove, melody and aggression are all present in generous quantities, making them an ideal choice to warm up the crowd before Clutch.
What separates Bokassa from many of their peers is their refusal to treat heaviness as something solemn. There is a healthy sense of humor running through their lyrics, song titles and stage banter, but the music itself is played with absolute conviction. No irony, no posturing, no self-conscious cleverness. Just huge riffs, infectious energy and a band fully committed to the business of rocking. As frontman Jørn Kaarstad likes to call it, this is "Norwegian riffage," and by the end of the set it had done exactly what it was designed to do. The audience left grinning from ear to ear while having their collective skull thoroughly rattled. Which, judging by the reaction in the room, was precisely what they had come for.
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