That Saturday was marked by the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome, which could be watched live on many TV channels. The weather wasn't exactly at its best, but there was plenty of excitement about an event in the evening. The Swiss metal band Thola from Valais visited the Rockfact Music Club in the municipality of Münchenstein as part of the “Unseen Tour 2025”. Level 19 and The Hunt were announced as special guests. This combination aroused curiosity and attendance at this event was a must. The doors opened at 6 pm and it was possible to eat sausages from the grill and talk to the band members in a cozy atmosphere. I really appreciate such things. The evening was inaugurated by the band Level 19 from

Muri, Canton of Aargau at 8 pm. “Back On Stage” was the first song. Their music is a mixture of hard rock and heavy metal influences. Bassist Jvana Groth provided the groove and was allowed to contribute background vocals. The German singer Michael Sablotny showed a good vocal performance and was fully motivated to heat up the audience. A keyboard intro was used for “Shine”. Then Micha announced “the next songs are about not losing hope and not letting things get you down”. He also said “Welcome to the 4 hours Schlager night” and when an audience member wanted to leave, he followed up with “Hey hey stay there, it's all just fun”. That was good to break the ice and lighten the atmosphere in a humorous way. The guitar solos by lead guitarist Mark Wietlisbach were played well. What A Shame" was about soldiers who are forced to fight in wars against their will because of tyrants. Drummer Christoph was the originator of the song. Here Jvana was allowed to contribute more vocals. After “My Life Is Rock'N'Roll”, Micha introduced the whole band. A keyboard intro announced “Higher” before rocking out and rhythm guitarist Jean-Claude Rossé aka JC was allowed to shine in the spotlight. “Black Dog” was about depression and the adversities faced by those affected. “Victims” was played as the last song. The five-piece said goodbye to the audience. Level 19 made a good impression. Setlist Level 19 Back On Stage Shine (Keyboard Intro) Hold On Never Give Up What A Shame My Life Is Rock’N’Roll Higher Black Dog Victims Thola was allowed to perform at 9:05 pm. This was completely unexpected for some members of the audience, but it didn't cause interest to wane - in fact, it had the opposite effect. I had the pleasure of seeing them in Münchenstein a few times and it was always an audio-visual treat.  The lights went out and the band trademark appeared on the screen, followed by the cover of the current record “Unseen”. Drummer Sven Imsand was the first member to come on stage and took his place. The other members Rodo Studer, Thomas Ambiel and Patrick Ambühl came on stage one after the other. Singer Thomas Rauch joined the band then  and the show started with “Needles In The Dark”. The power metal / thrash metal sound with progressive elements was a few steps harder. Furthermore, more people were present and the suspense rose. Guitarists Rodo Studer and Patrick Ambord provided the pressure with their riffs and bassist Thommy Ambiel integrated the groove. The rhythm worked through a perfectly coordinated interaction with drummer Sven. The members changed sides several times despite tight spaces. Killer Of The Beast" was my favorite song, which is a highlight in the Valais band's set. However, the other songs are also highlights. The show was lived with heart and soul and received a lot of applause from the audience. If you took a closer look at the audience, you could spot one or two well-known personalities such as Destruction singer Schmier. During “Tenderness”, Thomas asked the fans to come closer to the stage. This was put into practice immediately. After “1000 Times”, Thomas made the announcement “it's so nice to step into a spaceship, flying into space and looking at this dark, harsh world from above, because it looks beautiful there”. “Atmosphere” got played with outer space images in the background. After “Storm” came the song “March of the lost Generation”. At “Last Man Standing”, we had to shout these words. “Bloody Game” was announced as last song and was about the dead in the wars. Pictures of Chinese soldiers and photos of Mao Zedung and Josef Stalin flickered on the screens alongside the body count from various wars. We enjoyed 70 minutes of amazing music and the performance was phenomenal. All members took a bow to the audience and a photo was taken together before they left the stage to thunderous applause. A true gem of the Swiss metal scene. Setliste Thola Needles In The Dark Ashes and Ghost Killer Of The Beast Heroes Tenderness 1000 Times Atmosphere Storm March of the Lost Generation Last Man Standing Bloody Game The stage was rearranged, the stage decorations were set up and preparations were made for the last group, The Hunt. Before the show, it was time to have some drinks that we could enjoy the event without any negative side effects. The clock showed 10:35 pm and an intro bumped out the speakers. “Falling” rang out and the music was modern rock/nu metal. Singer/guitarist Rolf “Syn” Schütz alternated between clear vocals and screams. There was a lot of emotion in every sung syllable. Electronic beats made the sound a bit groovier and reminded me a little of Linkin Park. Coincidentally, the Transformers theme song “What I've Done” of this band was played and the audience sang along to the chorus at the top of their lungs. Their music with a lot of bass and powerful riffs was met with enthusiasm. Older and newer songs were played. After “I See Stars” and “Robellazer”, all members except drummer Lorenz Angehrn left the stage. He was allowed to prove his talent with a drum solo. He mastered this task without any problems., Rolf made an announcement before “I Am” with an intro was played. "We released a new EP recently. Two songs have already been released, but the other two songs will follow at the end of the year. We still have four CDs and if you want to hear these songs before, you have to come to the merchandise stand and buy them later. First come, first served". This statement stuck in my brain and “I Am” got played. Guitarist Chris Furer (Frozenroom) with baseball cap and horse tail was focused and sought contact with Rolf and bassist Dominik Robellaz.  The hits “One Step Closer” by Linkin Park and “Last Resort” by Papa Roach generated even more enthusiasm. Playing classics from the nu metal movement of the 2000s is smart. Side changes on stage followed with great lighting effects. A new song “Run” was introduced. After “Burning Sun”, the members wanted to leave, but as there was still time, “No Shelter” rounded off the performance. The modern rock/nu metal band from the city of Thun received applause and were very grateful. Setlist The Hunt Intro Falling Inside Back To Me The Storm What I’ve Done – Linkin Park I See Stars Robellazer Drum Solo I Am (With Intro) One Step Closer – Linkin Park Last Resort – Papa Roach Run Burning Sun No Shelter The merchandise stand of the bands was visited and you could buy CDs, T-shirts and even massage balls afterwards. It was also possible to have smalltalk with the band members. It was an interesting, varied evening with different genres. Mario at the mixing desk provided the powerful, hard sound. Jerry Thomas Ferrat was responsible for the successful light show. Livereport by Dominic Latscha

Rockfact Music Club, Münchenstein,  Switzerland – 26.04.2025