Long Distance Calling: Live at 013 in Tilburg, NL

Posted on February 28, 2014 by News Team

Tonight we had a special treat, post-rock rising stars Long Distance Calling are played a full “An Evening With ” concert in 013. No opener, just 2 hours of ambient complex bliss. On their last album, the formerly instrumental band decided to get vocals involved, and this led to some speculation on part of the live shows. Many fans were concerned the instrumental epochs the band was known for would be shoved aside by the new tunes with vocals. The new vocalist also made us very curious to see how he preformed. It’s one thing to sound good on record, but live is a completely different set of playing cards.

The first thing we noticed when the band started playing is they didn’t have their vocalist in a prominent place up front. He’s hidden behind the keys, synths and computer elements, with the guitars on the front of the stage. Another thing we were quite happy about is the mix of songs of the set. Instead of focusing on their newer work from their last album, they provided a good mix of older, instrumental songs, flowing seamlessly into newer songs with vocal elements. The two hour show was in two parts, with a short intermezzo between the first and second hour. The first part relied more on a little more edgy and up tempo set, with vocals coming in at different intervals. In the second set they mellowed out more and it felt more like a lengthy jam, where they wove several numbers together, including a brand new song. Vocalist, Martin Fischer, also got a somewhat bigger role to play in the second set. His vocal timbre fits well into the music and reminds a little of Brian Molko from Placebo and Alice in Chains original vocalist, Layne Staley. Where I can listen to this band for ever, it’s not for everyone and I can see how the use of almost the same chord schemes and tonalities can become a little dull. The music is more rhythm driven in it’s variations at times. These elements do mean they can seamlessly weave their music together, pulling the listener deeper and deeper into the world they sketch, almost becoming hypnotic. All in all, a very good gig and definitely a band worth looking out for.

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Set List:

Into the Black Wide Open

Inside The Flood

The Figrin D’an Boogie

Sundown Highway

Timebends

Black Paper Planes

How The Gods Kill (Danzig cover)

Jungfernflug

(Unknown) (new song)

Ductus (with extended middle section)

The Man Within

Arecibo (Long Distance Calling)

Metulsky Curse Revisited

Encore:

Apparitions

Long Distance Calling on Facebook

Words and photos by Susanne A. Maathuis

Protest The Hero – TesseracT – The Safety Fire: Live at Sheffield Corporation, UK

Posted on February 17, 2014 by News Team

Early door times for gigs inevitably result in the first support being missed and that’s what happened to my viewing of Intervals, as I arrived to a venue looking surprisingly sparse in numbers. The Safety Fire was an interesting proposition adorned in white shirts and looking rather posh to me as they hit the knowledgeable audience with a progressive set of math structured rock and metal with songs like ‘Glass Crush’ and ‘Old Souls’ showcasing some versatile guitar playing and vocal adeptness. There was a pleasant charisma to this bands music though at times it felt like each member was playing something totally different to the rest of the band, though it still meshed nicely together.

Seemingly from nowhere people arrived and filled the front of the stage ready for Tesseract, this UK outfits’ reputation has garnered exponentially though this was my first time seeing the band live. Unfamiliarity with a bands material produces anticipation and an air of nervousness, making the adrenalin kick in, hoping for something special and Tesseract didn’t disappoint as their mammoth sound erupted from the venues PA like the sound of a freight train going past your window. The down-tuned aural thuggery whilst not fast was ultra heavy, creating an impenetrable wall of sonic thunder from the bass and drums. Very few song titles were announced during their 45 minute set which saw vocalist Ashe bellow his way through the riff infested djent swamp but also add some deft clean tones occasionally to the set. ‘Of Matter – Proxy’ was a beast as a shoeless Amos on bass strummed, plucked and gouged deep caverns of dense and rich bass work throughout this song and the set as a whole. The straight ahead death metal aspects of the bands set were enough to set the pit off randomly making ‘Of Energy – Singularity’ seem that much more violence even though their whole performance had an atmosphere of sophistication through the playing ability of all the guys on stage.

Arriving on stage five minutes earlier than planned, yes a headliner starting early, Protest The Hero must have had a premonition considering the bass issues Arif had about four songs in, but more on that later. I caught this Canadian band some years back on one of the ‘Never Say Die’ tours that also had Parkway Drive, Unearth, Architects, Despised Icon, Whitechapel and Carnifex on the bill. With everyone taking about four steps forward as they started the Canadians flew on stage and bombarded the listener with their unique brand of riff saturated rock and metal that opened with ‘Underbite’ from last year’s Volition (Razor & Tie) album. Immediately the energy was amplified on stage from this bunch of Canuck crazies as the riffs, hook and melodies honed in on the senses with surgical precision. ‘Hair-Trigger’ followed in similar fashion with Rody working the audience superbly. The guys voice is unbelievable, his tone and range were faultless throughout and added to that his stage charisma and banter make him the perfect front man and many would-be and so called established people fronting rock and metal bands could learn a lot from him. As the band went into ‘Clarity’ and ripped through it bass problems ensued though I think only the band realised, meaning that Rody had an extended period of banter with the crowd which he unduly did, with much laughter including a session called “Hunk Of The Day” where he picked some dude from the crowd he thought was a hunk, brought him on stage and gave him a beer. Bass problems resolved produced a round of applause and straight into ‘The Dissentience’ with some outlandish guitar work covering multiple genres flailing the audience and creating a small but reasonable pit for some energy to be expended. ‘Bury The Hatchet’ from the band’s debut was followed by ‘Mist’ from the last album and the seamless flow from each song to the next was excellent. With each between song break giving Rody more opportunity to demonstrate his stand up routine I was thrilled to get ‘C’est La Vie’, a tune steeped in death metal in places but no less absorbingly catchy with riffs being flung far and wide. Early doors means curfews for venues like this and the bands performance had soon hit its finale point with ‘Tilting Against Windmills’ being a demonstration in guitar wizardry and vocal acrobatics. The other acts were good on this tour, but no match for Protest The Hero, and I suspect massive things await this band very soon.

Protest The Hero on Facebook

Tesseract on Facebook

The Safety Fire on Facebook

Intervals on Facebook

Words: Martin Harris

Photos: Adrian Wheeler

Killswitch Engage – Trivium: Live at 02 Academy, Manchester UK

Posted on February 13, 2014 by News Team

Traffic is an inconvenient thing when you’re doing anything but when you’ve got somewhere to be, it always seems to take the biscuit that little bit more. Unfortunately, this was the situation that occurred as this guy made their way to the Manchester Academy and as such, the first and second acts of the night, Battlecross and Miss May I, were not seen through these writers’ eyes. Luckily a friend with usually excellent taste was on hand to witness the Ohioan five-piece and her review, so elegantly put, was “f-ing awesome,” so lets go with that. Trivium, however, was thankfully a different story and one that starts with yours truly actually getting to observe some live music in action. Having witnessed these boys before in a fashion that brought words such as lacklustre and tedious to mind, it was with surprising but blisteringly excellent style that the Floridian metallers went about their set, showing how far they’ve come in recent years.

As for the rest of the room’s reactions, they too seemed to be more than happy with the performance in front of them, ‘Down From The Sky,’ ‘A Gun To The Head Of Trepidation’ and ‘Shogun’ being of particular vocal highlights amongst the mostly blurry-eyed fans. The music however wasn’t the only thing we were treated too. Smoke bursts and lighting effects to rival the Olympics brought another entertaining if not blinding dimension to their show, an element that always appears to come to the stage when this four-piece is in town. Ending the show with the an excellent rendition of ‘Pull Harder on the Strings Of Your Martyr,’ trivium left the stage having shot many a proverbial bullet to any trepidations that I or others may have had concerning their live prowess.

For the main act, or seemingly most popular act in the Academy anyway, it was their turn to bring the noise and this time the room tinged with so much drunken and sober (ahem) enthusiasm that it even the most cynical of spectators would have been hard pushed not to be swept up in it. Coming out to ‘Eye Of The Tiger,’ Killswitch Engage (KSE) leapt on to the stage, their leader Jesse Leech brimming with confidence and front man swagger. Launching into ‘A Bid Farewell,’ the crowd wasted no time joining in with the verbal festivities, word for word being sung back to the quintet. As for the makers of the music, chugging beer on stage, encouraging female viewers to expose their breasts when on friends shoulders and generally having fun were just a few things in the KSE repertoire, showing to those who could see the love they have for what they do.

Musically it was as tight and as brilliant as we’ve come to expect from KSE, but it was lead man Jesse who, for me anyway, really stole the show. Screaming or singing, Jesse’s vocal performance was excellent no matter which way he was vocalizing it, and having being disappointed by the Howard Jones departure before, it’s safe to say I am no longer (we still love you Howard!). A wonderful set and fantastic show by the KSE boys, the Massachusetts five-piece brought tracks such as ‘The End Of Heartache,’ ‘My Last Serenade’ and closing number ‘My Curse’ to a new level of awesome, one that they managed to bring throughout and one they will undoubtedly continue to do as long as their metal-core hearts beat on.

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Trivium on Facebook

Killswitch Engage on Facebook

Words: Emma Quinlan

Photos: Emma Stone

Eindhoven Metal Meeting- Part II

Posted on January 17, 2014 by News Team

Saturday 14^th: After a fitful night of sleep and a late brunch we’re back in Eindhoven at two in the afternoon. Today’s program is a little more light hearted, mixing folk metal, some more experimental death metal, and symphonic metal. We start the day with The Monolith Deathcult, who gets to wake up the sparse and bleary eyed crowd with their a little more highbrow and complex death metal. The music and the show feel bigger than their slot suggests. The intros get a bit cheesy after the first few songs but the sound mix is excellent, though a little heavy on the double bass drums.

After a short respite we get treated to the old school trash-metallers of Destroyer 666. Sadly, their playing is a little sloppy and messy, possibly due to the inhumanly fast pace they keep it. The vocals seem pretty decent, but drown a little in the pummeling heavy base mix that plagues the venue yesterday as well. They do give a good an energetic show and the room quickly fills up with happy metal heads finally woken up.

We travel shortly to the cold regions of Russia with Arkona taking the stage. Their folk infused metal is less happy and energetic than most folk metal, and a little more somber. The whole music feels Russian, even if the singing wasn’t in Russian. Sound-wise, the guitars are very, very low in the mix and the vocals very high, which means the drums and bass overpower the vocals quite often. Interestingly enough the folky whistles and the bagpipes are very well audible in the mix, while usually they’re the first things to die. The folk influences are a little more subtle and apparently with their newer music the band is moving more towards the back metal side, though their folk roots stay important to them.

We return to death metal with Hail of Bullets. Normally death metal isn’t my cup of tea, but these guys are great and I find myself nodding along to the beat. With a great songs and a nice little party vibe going on throughout, even for the non-death crowd that’s was there was into it. That it’s a great show however shouldn’t be surprising as this band shares a front man, Martin van Drunen, with the incredible Asphyx, and the rest of the all star line-up of the band. This may also be the reason the sound mix is very well balanced and crisp. All in all a great show.

In metal it’s not rare for a band to form a completely new band simply by addition of a different, usually more prominent, vocalist. The best known example probably is Ihsahn with Leprous. Elvenking and Martin Walkyier’s Skyclad are a similar story. Elvenking played for forty minutes before being joined by Walkyier, and turning into Skyclad and playing another forty minutes. The music doesn’t change much between the vocalist addition (Elvenking’s somewhat emo styled vocalist stays on for the full eighty minutes, running around the stage behind Walkyier). It stays a sort of emo-folk inspired metal. They have a pretty good sound mix and a good performance, but Davide “Damna” Moras’s vocals get on my nerves a little. The switch in the feeling of the music when Walkyier joins the band is amazing. The music, feeling a little more emo oriented at first suddenly gets a darker and more power metal feel when Walkyier’s vocals join in. Sadly, Walkyier’s grand entrance fell a little flat with the crowd, where he clearly expected a grand recognition only confusion shone on the crowds faces when Walkyier walked up, arms spread like a messiah.

It’s now time for one of my personal highlights of the day, Arcturus. I had no idea what to expect but the avant-garde metal troupe of masked entertainers is incredibly good. Their music has so many influences it’s hard to really describe, but the vocals have a certain power metal/prog type feel and the music contains traces of black metal, but also power and symphonic. Simen Hestnæs’ vocals often drowned in the drum and bass parts, unless he belted, and the guitars ate the, quite atmospheric, keyboard additions. Still the show was incredibly good, and I hope to see them sometime with a better mix.

Coroner is described as the Rush of thrash metal. Now I like thrash, especially the hyperactive, aggressive party vibe it seems to share with punk. The more progressive and technical approach coroner has, while they do what they do very well, somehow just doesn’t connect with me. I have the feeling I’m not the only one, since the room is surprisingly empty for what basically is a headlining band. The feeling that if they were programmed in Tiamat’s slot yesterday and Tiamat switched to this slot, both bands would have been in front of a better crowd crept up on me. Again, in the back of the room, Coroners music got lost in the thundering low regions. The band does an energetic attempt to move the crowd, but people seem paralyzed in the sheer amount of sound coming their way. A real pity.

Finally we get to Therion, the proper headliner of the day. Being the symphonic-metal giant that they are, the stage feels a little small for them. With three vocalists (who are also the main crowd entertainers) guitars, bass, drums, keys and a huge amount of razzle dazzle (including a belly dance act.) Very nice. This show cannot disappoint. It’s magnificent to watch and, while softer than certain bands on today’s line-up, they certainly pack a pretty metal punch. The sound-mix is really well balanced, which is needed when you have such subtle vocal harmonies to balance against raging guitars. The soprano vocalist sometimes sound a little harsh and sharp in her high notes, but this is forgiven for the sheer amount of show this band puts out. Even is symphonic metal isn’t your thing remotely, you have to admire the enormity of the show. This was definitely the best band of the day, and rightful headliner.

Since this show cannot be topped by Gothminister and last train needed to be caught, we left Eindhoven Metal Meeting’s party awestruck, exhausted and satisfied. Though the venue was plagued by less than supreme sound, certain bands shone through, and especially the ambiance was magnificent. Eindhoven, thank you for the party! Until next year.

Eindhoven Metal Meeting on Facebook

Official Festival Website: http://www.eindhovenmetalmeeting.com

Written and photographed by Susanne A. Maathuis

Eindhoven Metal Meeting- Part I

Posted on January 17, 2014 by News Team

Eindhoven Metal Meeting is quite the event in the southern Netherlands and even most of metal loving Europe by now. This year the festivities were three nights starting Thursday 12^th through Saturday 14^th of December. Billing 40+ bands in various genres and a very restricted press list, Ghost Cult was more than happy to be their press partner this year. Being solo, our reporter and photographer decided to only follow the main stage, excepting the Thursday when the running order was a little more forgiving.

Day one: Thursday 12^th the party begins. Sadly we missed the apparently brilliant set by Death Angel due to travel issues. Apparently these classic thrashers played a great deal of their newer work with verve and gave one hell of a show. Sadly, they didn’t play much of their older work in this set. Arriving just when Sabaton started playing the main stage, the power metal party was starting. Sabaton know how to engage an audience. They may be a bit over the top, although compared to the rest of the power metal genre, they’re pretty timid. Their show was bombastic and everyone in the room enjoyed them very much. There was a smaller crowd than you’d expect with a name like Sabaton, but maybe the variety of the line-up accounted for this. It seemed that the core of the audience came more for the thrash and death related acts. Sabaton decide to play a somewhat different set than they usually do, citing they know many fans at this gig have seen them many times before. The vocals and mix are a little off, but the solos and general mood were awesome. It’s clear though they were playing for a “home crowd.”

Next up in the small room downstairs was Izegrim, a local up and comer in death metal. These guys have been playing all over NL of late and personally I hadn’t caught them yet. Their female vocalist promises to add a slightly different touch to a genre that is usually pretty conservative in its taste. When they started playing, inexperience, and possibly nerves showed. There are some good show elements (stepping forward to the edge of the stage to solo and such), but they last only a fraction of a second, giving their show a nervous feeling. The guitar solos sound a little patchy and the music in general is straight forward death metal as we know it. It’s well constructed though and while inexperience shows in the lie show, these guys could definitely grow bigger after they relax due to some more stage experience.

Finishing on the main stage is Accept. These hard rockers have been around for years, and experience showed. Their show is big and well executed, but carefree and relaxed at the same time. The best thing to see was that they really enjoy themselves. This infected the crowd who, even if it’s not their cup of tea musically, seemed to enjoy them. The sound too was exceptionally good too. Props to these guys for pulling off flawless solos and vocals, thundering drums and even slight improvisations while giving a great show, building a real party. Since I hadn’t seen Death Angel, they were my highlight of the night, but I heard Death Angel could rival them in excellence.

Friday 13^th: The next day we return to Eindhoven Effenaar for a second day of loud. This day had a distinctly less party feel with mostly death and black metal bands playing the main stage. No power metal, thrash, or hard rock today, but bleak, dark, aggressive metal. Because of the denser programming today we could only cover the main stage. When we arrived we found out Fleshgod Apocalypse sadly had cancelled due to travel problems. The fans who came especially for this band (and there was a few of them) milled about the main room and in front of the venue aimlessly.

Now opening on the main stage is Morgoth. This German death metal outfit’s name is so common as a metal band, it’s a bit of a search to know who you have in front of you. They make a very quick solo filled type of death metal, with a very tight drum base. Sadly, many of the songs sound very similar, with growling vocals, and loads and loads of shredded solos. They’re very good at what they do (even though the sound is a little off, with the bass drum being overly represented.), but not very special. Good, more traditional and solid death metal.

At the same time Dues Mortem are playing in the smaller room downstairs. Since Morgoth couldn’t keep my attention I decide to have a look there. The room is decently full, but it seems most of the crowd prefers Morgoth to Deus Mortems somewhat slower, more song structured and listenable black metal. The Polish outfit is less black than some of the other billed bands, and doesn’t really use the more complex chord schemes and high vocals that normally characterize the genre, but pull off a good show.

After this we go to catch Belphegor. A quick discussion over genre-types with a clear black metal connoisseur in the press pit leads to the label of “Blackened Death”, who, while starting out as a black metal outfit, is moving more and more towards death metal. They still work with the wall of sound approach, but the vocals are lower and more growling, there are less dissonant in the guitar work and the song structure is simpler than most black metal. These guys also definitely know how to give a show, adorning the stage with some interesting bone sculptures. Melodies that almost float over the wall of noise created by blast beats, and quick guitar strokes are actually quite good and catchy. Definitely a very enjoyable band.

Napalm Death takes the stage next, and definitely show the punk roots in their hyperactive, aggressive grindcore and death metal. Running around the stage, vocalist Barney Greenway never leaves a dull moment in their 2-3 minute elapsing songs. They get 50 minutes to completely annihilate the crowd. Sadly, the sound is poorer than usual with these guys, and it kind of muddles and confuses the more crisp sound they normally have. Everything was very loud, which is good for Napalm Death in general, but now gets a bit over the top, especially with the sloppiness in both the playing and the mix. Definitely not a bad gig, but I’ve seen them do better.

The next band is one I’ve been looking forward to for some time; Carpathian Forest is, according to my black metal connoisseur, the only real black metal band on the bill. Being one of the relics from the old Norwegian scene, they should be exceptional. Sadly, the mix is terrible, laying emphasis on the bass drum and low sounds, vocals strangely mixed, where‘s vocals drowned out whenever the second set came in. It almost felt like a death metal mix, and even then was very poor. A fan mentioned, flabbergasted, that he hardly recognized the songs they played. Definite disappointment, while from an engagement and visual point of view the show was exceptionally good.

Then it’s time for odd duck on today’s billing; Tiamat. The new wave/Goth metal band would have been in front of a better crowd had they been billed the next day, when there is more melodic metal booked. This means that the rather dull song structures and lethargic deliverance which works wonderfully for goth fans does nothing at all for the more death and black oriented crowd today. Many trickle out or silently abide, waiting for whom they really came for to get on stage next, Watain.

Playing on Friday the 13th of the 13th year of their existence, the show doesn’t seem to hold much special value for Watain themselves. Having heard horror stories of the bands stage props and blood chucking habits, I was prepared for the worst, but didn’t get anything too bad. They left home their rotting sheep’s heads, only tossed one goblet of old blood into the awaiting crowd (which hit a very excited young man and his much less thrilled girlfriend), and had their fire rig set up flanking the drummer, accompanied by two huge screens made up of skin and bone panels. The band still has their own particular funk, but nothing too bad, and the sound was actually the best of the whole day in the much plagued room. I think the band has toned down the gore for a festival gig, where the next day the same room still has to be used for a full day. The show was excellent and really engaging, even though the band is mostly interested in their own ritual performance, and not much in the ecstatic crowd. Definitely worth waiting for the witching hour for them to start.

See our review of Part II here:

Eindhoven Metal Meeting on Facebook

Official Festival Website: http://www.eindhovenmetalmeeting.com

Written and photographed by Susanne A. Maathuis

Into the Void Festival, Live at Poppodium Romein, Leeuwarden, NL

Posted on December 9, 2013 by News Team

I could not think of a better way to spend my Sundays than with a concert close to home. No traffic, no getting lost trying to find the venue and no needless getting tired from traveling before you even get to the thing. But is metal a good way to spend a day best spent free of worries? It is when you visit Into the Void. Just some carefree stoner, sludge and doom where you can gently bob your head up and down to the tones of New Keepers of the Water Tower, Monomyth or Abysmal Grief, to name a few. We can already assume I was not the only one who enjoyed himself, because the date for next year has already been set. But how enjoyable was it exactly?

Supposedly the organisers of Into the Void mentioned in casual conversation with Midnight Ghost Train, while on the Roadburn Festival elsewhere in the Netherlands, that they should visit Leeuwarden some time and they would get a show to perform at. Thus the first band for the new festival, from the same people who brought us Into the Grave, was set.

A wide range of other bands were also invited of course, like Night of the Lotus Eater, 44 Venom, Yama, Cherry Choke and Toner Low. Each had their charm, but a couple clearly stood out. Monomyth for example, who cleverly hid the fact they had no intention of singing, by making the first two songs sound like an intro. At some point I started to wonder when they would start singing, when I noticed they had nothing to sing into. Not that they needed the superfluous luxury of lyrics, because their set list had been neatly designed into a build-up to an epic climax. I thought the climax could have been a bit more climactic though, because I felt the performance ended just as they were about to hit it – but maybe that is just the way they make you want to listen to more of their music. Though, the audience me they got exactly the climax they wanted, by giving an approving applause.

But if you were looking for something a little less smooth and a little more complex, you were still at the right place in the former theatre, former church. Yama, for instance, were not at all afraid to turn up the bass and the distortion, just to remind you what genre exactly you were listening too. I am not sure I would have gone with the same light plan, but it did suit the music.

I would have to say New Keepers of the Water House Towers, gave me a bit of a mix between the two: a little more rough than Monomyth, a little less lyrical than Yama. As a pleasant surprise the voices reminded me of the Queens of the Stone Age, like in QOTSA’s Songs for the Dead. As they were playing I noticed there was no gentle bobbing, but either intense focus on the faces of the audience, being swept away in the flow of the music, or firsts with horns in the air. The applause afterwards told me the audience had enjoyed the solid riffs and hypnotizing voices as much as me.

The band that stood out most to me was Abysmal Grief. They set the mood the moment they appeared on stage, bathing in red light, neatly dressed as a priest, a rabbi and a dark monk and surrounded by candles and crosses. To live up to the showmanship of the promising setting, the “rabbi” enlightened us with his dark voice and his ominous church organ, which was actually a synthesiser disguised as a lectern. It was not just the looks that drew me and the audience in though, the dark tones combined with the low, ominous singing had a way of taking you over, compelling you to stay and listen. The audience was not afraid to show it either, with rounds of applause and horned firsts in the air that seemed to plead Abysmal Grief to keep going.

In conclusion, if I decide make a habit out of metal concerts on Sundays, Into the Void definitely did the job of convincing me and would definitely be on the top of my go-to list.

Into the Void on Facebook

Laurens Ruiter

Mudfest 2013- Live At Perron 55, Venlo The Netherlands

Posted on November 21, 2013 by News Team

If you are looking for a festival with old fashioned doom, psychedelic tunes, raging stoner, post rock and metal. You are not really planning to spend loads of money and you want to see some qualitative good bands and you like a small-scale festival. You should definitely travel to Mudfest in Venlo (south of the Netherlands). When we walked in we got drowned in good old barbeque smells from the catering (The burgers were fucking amazing, has to be said), and you immediately get thrown into the overall atmosphere of the festival. The venue is perfect for this kind of festival; you have nice places to sit all around the venue. If you go to the second stage you even have some nice cozy cabins where you can take a seat and watch the band performing.

The first day, Friday the 1^st of November, was more of a taster. Three bands played in the evening in the Venlo venue, free of charge! First of we got Nijmegen Stonerfront a Dutch trio making some great instrumental stoner rock. Interesting is that the interaction with the crowd al comes from the drummer, Peter Dragt. Definite desert psyche elements swirl through their music. Their stage presence isn’t too energetic but with the energy and complexity of their music that doesn’t matter too much. This also means vocals aren’t missed. Next to take the stage was Downfall of Gaia, from Germany. With a beautiful almost sub-oceanic blue lightshow and a very high energy stage presence, we get more of a post rock trip from these guys. Using three vocalists the vocals sometimes distracted from the general soundscapes the band created. In the mix on record the vocals are quite low, but live they were more up front. Sadly we felt the band would have been better with either no vocals or the vocals on a lower level. They were however quite thumping and engaging. The nights final band was Abrahma, these Parisian psych rockers have a definite 70’s vibe going on. Their rather enigmatic front man Seb Bismuth wears fared jeans and, though he has an accent, has a very pleasant voice. The combination with the heavier psych the band plays and the long instrumental intros, outros and bridges is incredibly catchy. Combined with this they probably have the most engaging live show of the evening, and definitely wouldn’t be out of place on a bigger stage. Honorable mention goes to their incredible debut album art, Through The Dusty Paths Of Our Lives (Small Stone Records).

We went back to the Mudfest grounds on Saturday the 2^nd of November. Starting with the band Acid Deathtrip, coming with a musical mix they call ‘Blasphemous Boogie’. They definitely give us some bashing raw stoner rock that seems to be a bit standard, but hey, we like to boogie and therefore everyone likes to boogie. We got some nice standard but lurking riffs mixed in with some really low toned and bone shaking bass. What we definitely liked was the voice of their singer, yet raw that suits the overall stoner sound. But what we found characteristic was the pretty melodic vibe mixed into that raw sound.

Next up was another Dutch band named Wangunst, we were sitting in the back of the venue enjoying some beers when we heard a nice Hammond organ in their sound. We got exited so we rushed to the front, unfortunately it wasn’t a real Hammond. But well, it still sounded awesome if you ask us. This band brings us a really nice vibe that adheres on the thick, muddy bass playing and loads of feedback. This band definitely gets the whole venue to vibrate, and yes, we are talking about every material in there. Their sound definitely pounds on your chest. If you translate Wangunst, it means something like Envy. This name conceals the very vigorous and dynamic vibe that is thickened with a very dark overtone.
After a little break we went to see the Swiss band Rorcal. Rorcal starts with a very spherical, apocalyptic and atmospheric sound and it gets clear that this band isn’t suited for the easy listener. After the long lasting intro, it gets taken over by some really massive drone that gets you in some kind of trance. The trance gets interrupted by some harrowing, ice-cold, cold blooded screams. They mixed in some samples that definitely make your blood clot and some heavy feedback to support the overall sound. And all of a sudden, like it came out of nothing, the music changes to some classic lurking black metal complete with blast beats, heavy riffs and sick screams. This sound does have a little post- sound, especially in the black parts of the music.

The following band was the more easygoing Mantra Machine. If you are into space rock and psychedelic thickened with some nice stoner sounds, this is definitely your band. It sounds as a nice day in spring when you’re in your rowboat in a still lake. The music builds to get more movement and more variable. Accents in the music take you by your throat with a screaming guitar that supports the overall sound. What you see a lot with this kind of bands that the music starts to nag a bit, this is not the case with Mantra Machine. It is full of repetition but it definitely isn’t simplistic and at the very end they show you they know how to make the audience party. Good job Mantra Machine!
Now back for some old fashioned doom with the band Pilgrim from the USA. As soon as the band starts, you get drowned into the wall of feedback they sent into the venue. This is doom metal as pure as it gets. Their vocalist simply called The Wizard really gets to you with a very pure and unctuous voice. Sometimes the voice gets pulled into the background in a very anxious and vicious way. This creates a pretty nice contrast between the vocals and the lurking doom oozing out of the instruments. With pretty low resources and pretty much no hodgepodge this band still creates a big wall of sound that both vivacious and lingering. This is a band that drags you completely into their sound and truly gets to you. One of the best performances of the evening if you ask us.

For something completely different we get Throw Me In The Crater who really kick down the pedal and get way over the speed limit. If they were a car they would be a Mustang. They are vigorously and seem to have a lot of fun on that stage. But still have an authentic sludgy crusty sound. If it comes to a stage, they don’t have boundaries, what makes this the most energetic band up until now. The screams of the vocalist seem a bit plastic, most of the atmosphere and vibrant sounds come from the band around him. Don’t get us wrong, the vocalist Mr. Ash Spitter knows how to transfer the energy from the stage to the audience. They also take a rest with some serene sounds that really holds a nice epos.

Next up is the band Cultura Tres from Venezuela. Due to illness the band Pendejo couldn’t make it to the stage so Cultura Tres replaced them. At first it seems this band is really elementary. The lead guitar really speaks to us and is really deepened. This band comes with sludge/doom in a very simplistic way. There weren’t really any surprises in the music and it stays the same in the entire show. When they tend to go to a peak in the music, they are disappointing us. We expected more of this. This band definitely earns some kudos when they told us the bass player is a friend they called last minute to play and is out there improvising on the music. He did do a good job; the music is pretty whipping and even a bit danceable. The vocals are really distinctive and leading; even though we think it would be better with clean vocals. This band is quite simplistic, but still gets you in a vibe and suitable for easy listeners. You want to get known with the sludge genre, this is a good band to start with.

We got upstairs to the second stage for another Dutch band named Gigatron 2000. They definitely give us some up tempo no nonsense stoner metal. They definitely let the venue vibrate up into the foundations. Normally we are not that fond of instrumental bands, because we would miss the vocals at some point. This definitely is not the case with Gigatron 2000, they don’t need vocals because they are replaced with very vivacious guitar play and a bass player that physical is very energetic. Again we stand in front of a band that definitely keeps the tempo high, every time we think there is a rest point in the music, the drummer kicks up the tempo again and in this way we get smashed by a lot of nice surprises in the music. The music gets interspersed by some nice spacy sounds, think of you sitting in a spacecraft going on a big adventure with the dangers and problems you would or wouldn’t expect. You took a mix tape with you with some nice thick and muddy stoner on it, and there you got the closest definition we can give you about Gigatron 2000.

The last band we saw before we had to run for the last train was Atlantis. For us this was a suiting band to end this festival. They immediately kick their thick and heavy sound into your face. They create a wall of sound that leans on a lot of samples. Again we get faced to a band that uses a lot of low tones that easily pull you into the Atlantis experience. They take you away in a trance that at sometimes gets interrupted by pretty hulking and droning doom. They have three guitarists that thicken the sounds by the power of 10¹°. This definitely is a band that knows how to indulge you in their atmosphere and delivers quality. And for that we thank you.

Conclusion: Mudfest is a festival that thrives on atmosphere and the love of doom, stoner, sludge and all the sub genres in it. It is still a nice small scale festival that really gets people together and gets what music is about. We had a wonderful time and we are waiting for next year. Let’s see what the Mudgate has in mind for us.

Words: Kaat Van Doremalen

Photos: Susanne Maathuis

Wardruna – From the Bogs of Aughiska: Live At Queen Elizabeth Hall, London UK

Posted on November 7, 2013 by News Team

The Norse gods are watching over London as ambient folk metal band Wardruna arrive to perform on UK soil for the first time. With the unfortunate departure of Steindór Andersen and Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson from the support slot on the bill, the challenge was left to From The Bogs Of Aughiska. Having described themselves as the musical equivalent of standing atop the majestic Cliffs Of Moher with a gale force wind in your face, it was certainly music with impact. The low droning rumble concealed vast soundscapes that struggled and blossomed into audibility before melting back down into the murk. Their choice to wear black face masks while performing diminished any chance of a connection with the performers, forcing the audience to fully engage with the music. This was not about personality but truly focused on sonically documenting the power of nature and Irish folklore. My only criticism would be the volume of the performance was too low to appreciate the full majesty of their sound.

Right from the first beat, the hairs on the back of my neck are on edge and shivers are running the course of my spine as Wardruna begin to play. For a short time the dark theatre, leather seats, and audience transform into vast forests, crystal lakes and imposing mountain edges. The soundscapes created by this band using old and traditional instrumentation alongside the sounds of nature are positively tribal, a reminder of old spirituality more in connection with the trees and the land. Starting off with songs of their first album, Gap Var Ginnunga they work from older to newer pieces building up from the calmer tracks to the more dramatically performed songs off Yggdrasil. Again, a choice by the band to perform in all black costumes allowed for the music to be the real focus of the piece, although splashes of drama were added through lighting for the more climatic moments. Wardruna is a truly unique experience live, leaving me emotionally exhausted through the sheer power of their performance. As the final noise fades, the voice of the gods recedes and we are left as we began, back in the darkened theatre and our leather seats.

Wardruna on Facebook

From The Bogs of Aughiska on Facebook

Wardruna and From the Bogs of Aughiska

Queens Elizabeth Hall

London UK

October 24^th, 2013

Words: Caitlin Smith

Photos: Susanne Maathius

Baroness – Royal Thunder: Live At The Manchester Club Academy

Posted on October 31, 2013 by News Team

Returning to the United Kingdom for the first time since their ill-fated tour last summer when a tragic bus crash severely injured the band and their road crew, Savannah quartet Baroness are back with a new rhythm section ready to air songs from 2012’s magnum double album “Yellow And Green”. Before John Baizley and co grace the stage, it is time for labelmates Royal Thunder to warm up the audience with their pulsing tribal rhythms and the smouldering voice of Mlny Parsonz. Throbbing bass and an orgy of twisting psycadelic rhythms allow numbers like “No Good” and a rampant rendition of “Whispering World” transform a once quiet Tuesday night crowd into a torrent of enthusiastic cheers.

John Baizley’s call to “make our time together count” is a mantra embraced wholeheartedly by the devoted this evening. Much of the set is culled from their last opus and while the band hit the ground running with “Take My Bones Away” and “March To The Sea”, it would be nice to see a couple of the more mellow numbers replaced by earlier cuts for the sake of variety.

The absence of any “Red Album” era material is somewhat disappointing considering its gargantuan power but there are many anthemic choruses on numbers like “Swollen and Halo”, which incite hearty sing-a-longs from the adoring public.

Where the band chooses to steer themselves musically is anyone’s guess but one thing these songs have in common is that they are chock full of intestinal fortitude delivered by a dynamic act whose heartfelt sincerity shines through everything they do. A colossal rendition of “Eula” demonstrates emotive and majestic songwriting that is sure to transport them to greater success and maybe even mainstream recognition.

“Isak” brings the curtain down on a triumphant evening full of a sense of celebration and relief. Baroness are both alive and in rude health, having stared death in the face and spat defiantly in its eye.

By Ross Baker

Incubate Festival Report

Posted on October 14, 2013 by News Team

incubate festival 2013 poster Let’s tell you something about Incubate first; This cultural circus settles itself in Tilburg every year for a week. With art and theatre and music of various kinds, lectures and general cultural goodness it’s known to turn every pub into a venue. It’s not particularly known as a metal festival, however enticing us with a black metal Friday this year, billing names such as Immortal and Mayhem, we couldn’t resist to take a peek. This year Susanne Maathuis and Kaat van Doremalen will brave the tidal wave of different cultural influences to report on the darker and louder sides of this wonderful festival. On the 20th of September they were set up for a good night of some old-fashioned (and some new stuff) black metal. And even took a look at some nice doom on Sunday.Continue reading →

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Category Archives: Concert Reviews: Europe