Apocalyptica (FI), Anathema (UK), Clan of Xymox (DE) and Saturnus (DK), are the first hints provided by the organizers of the tenth edition of the ARTmania Festival. The main concerts will be held in the weekend of July 31 – August 1, in a new venue due to be announced as soon as possible.
Apocalyptica will be live for the first time on the stage of ARTmania on Saturday, August 1, 2015, and it is the headliner of the festival. Ever since their epic covers of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”, “The Unforgiven” and “Nothing Else Matters” or of “Refuse/Resist” by Sepultura, they revealed their reorchestrating talent, while leaving the contents of the songs intact and created a new sound, unmistakable in the music history of the metal genre.
In a world of music nostalgia, overwhelmed by recycled ideas, few bands still carry on the torch of innovation. Apocalyptica is one of them. The Finnish rockers continue proving that rock music has nothing to do with the instruments you are using and it solely depends on attitude. Their eighth album will be launched this spring and some of the newly-released songs will be included in the concert in Sibiu.
“Shadowmaker” is a harmonic combination of cello and drums with fast rhythm and changes of tempo, resulting in a crescendo that gives people goosebumps. Distorted cello riffs are harder than ever before and classical music is performed alternatively with heavy metal parts, for an unequalled listening experience.
Anathema, or Vincent, Jamie Cavanagh, Daniel & Co. return to Sibiu in order to celebrate with ARTmania fans ten years of experiences and unforgettable concerts. “Distant Satellite”, the band’s latest album, is Anathema’s highest music achievement. It contains almost all elements one can imagine, translated in Anathema’s music: beauty, intensity, drama, peace, hope, and an extra-music dimension that was fugitively showed many times, as the band evolved, but it is presented in full clarity for the first time. Anathema did not perform at ARTmania Festival since 2007, the year when Sibiu was European Cultural Capital and the festival was at the second edition.
Clan of Xymox is among the first adepts of darkwave. Their music is a combination of synthpop, darkwave and gothic rock. The band went through many changes of genre through the three decades of their career, and enjoyed an increasing popularity during the 80s, when many of their singles entered the Billboard Charts. The video of the song “Imagination” was broadcasted in heavy rotation by MTV, and in 2011, their new single “In Your Arms Again” was included in the soundtrack of the film “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”.
Saturnus, one of the most inspired and well-known bands in the melodic doom metal genre, is another newcomer for the ARTmania Festival. Founded in 1991 in Copenhagen, Denmark, the band is well-known for their unique approach and for alternating vocal styles – reciting, growling and melodic singing – but also for the intense emotions they express, while carrying the listener in a music journey that is simultaneously melancholic and dramatic.
Subscriptions grant access to all events included in the festival. They are available at the price of RON 115 until the end of February and at RON 180 during festival days. They may be purchased in the network of Diverta stores, in the Eventim network, or at the ARTmania headquarters and online, on artmaniafestival.ro.
