SYBERIA (CAT), Verstärker, 30.3.2026, Munich

We would like to thank Dominik (Downfall of Gaia, All Noir-PR) for the guest list spot and 4NDREAS for organizing the concert. Without them, we probably would never have discovered this fantastic band and would never have seen and experienced this concert. Together with the long-established Munich band "Verstärker," it was a cohesive and compelling musical package. Musically, "Verstärker" can be placed somewhere between Motorpsycho—in terms of the jams—Mogwai—in terms of the dreamy passages—Maserati or Tuber—in terms of the danceable and rocking parts. Despite the length of the songs, it was a very entertaining and interesting concert, as the band packed all their musical influences into a single song. They've been doing this for about 20 years now, and as always, as a spectator, you wonder why you don't see or hear this band more often and why they have 550 followers. It seems there are simply too few suitable clubs in the metropolis of Munich. A shame. After a short break for setup, Syberia took to the stage with their impressive pedalboards. Actually, there were three additional band members on stage, responsible for loops, samples, sounds, and melodies. The focus of their set was on their new album "Quan tot s'apagi" (When Everything Ends), and the sheer intensity of the performance, the extreme dynamics of volume, shredding, and drumming, was something we hadn't experienced before, so close and immediate. The complex and intricate rhythms didn't seem to deter the enthusiastic audience from headbanging or dancing. When a Munich crowd is dancing and headbanging, the music is better than the beer, and so is the band. Besides the usual suspects in their musical influences, there were many influences from the realms of black metal, death metal, and brutal death metal, not least due to the drumming of their new drummer, Manel. At the same time, there were many quiet passages whose ambience was almost reminiscent of Wolves of the Throne Room. This list of musical reference points shows how extreme the music was and how extremely well the band performed. After Neurosis in 1991, this concert was, for me, the most intense and best concert of this kind of music.

So everything must have been fine then? The sound was just about adequate for the space, whereas the lighting seems to play a rather subordinate role in the venues. The audience at the venue, located in one of Munich's trendy districts, was predominantly from that area, because there simply isn't any parking for out-of-towners like us. Parking for the evening in the adjacent parking garage cost €18. One shudders to think what will happen if the Backstage in Munich disappears due to the adjacent new construction project. Parking there is considerably cheaper than in Munich's city center, with a flat rate of €6 for the entire night. It's a shame that culture is becoming almost unaffordable due to transportation costs.