The atmosphere was entirely different at the Expo Zone of ICCB, as people of all ages thronged to the venue. 'Of all ages' might be a cliché now, but it holds true in the case of this year's November Rain concert, but I'll get to that in a bit.

ICCB has been the go-to venue and the practical choice of concert organisers as of late – but for dedicated fans, the hit-and-miss acoustics of the halls could never quite capture the olden days of RCC and other stellar underground concerts.

As the event started, Powersurge alleviated all their worries, with their powerful set taylor-made for the open-air of the Expo zone. The more the headbangers did their ritualistic dance in front of the fist-shaped stage, the price of admission in this festival of rock seemed immediately worth it.

Chirkutt's Sumi interacting with the audience.

Whether it be Ashes' intoxicating tunes fronted by Zunayed Evan, Chirkutt's wonderfully energetic back-and-forth between vocalist Sharmin Sultana Sumi and the maestro Emon Chowdhury or Meghdol's otherworldly sound in Shibu Kumer Shill's calming voice, the proceedings were wonderfully managed by the organisers.

Almost as much as it was a festival of music, it was one of surprises as well, as the rollicking crowd ate up every bit of Viking's performance when they called their old colleague, 90's pop icon Kaniz Suborna on stage to sing Bhalobashi Jare.

The big pull, as suggested of the elaborate marketing of the concert, was the 'ABC' tag, the nostalgia of the 2000's, Artcell, Black and Cryptic Fate performing. This is where my previous remark of 'of all ages' comes to, as there were sections of the audience who were nervous as to what will happen once they take of their nostalgia-tinted glasses.

Jon Kabir with Indalo.

They were not disappointed -- the three juggernauts of the music industry indeed blew everyone away with their iconic solo sets.

The usual 'Artcell, Artcell' chants were dime-a-dozen among the crowd. When they got to know that Artcell's original bassist, Cezanne, flew in from Australia to perform in the show, they went crazier still.

Cryptic Fate and their 'Bhoboghure' fans owned the audience for their set, churning out one after another hits from their long library of dazzling heavy metal tracks.

Black hadn't lost a step, as their new vocalist Ishan showed why he is worthy of taking the mantle from Rubaiyat, their previous frontman.

The crescendo of their acts came when they stood together on stage for what seemed like an eternity to perform their iconic Ashirbad, transporting fans to the 2000's in a heartbeat. When the Limp-Bizkit inspired verses of the song started blaring out the speakers, I once again was an 11-year old with a penchant for rock music.

Cryptic Fate with their fiery set.

Just when you thought that the night couldn't get better, the performance was capped off by Aurthohin, re-energising an almost spent crowd with their classics.

November Rain, based on the evergreen song of the same name by Guns N' Roses, was an initiative by Brandmyth Experimental. The organisers certainly deserve praise for going all-out for a memorable musical night.