CONCERT REVIEW: Hellripper - Cloak - Sarcator Live at Poppodium 013

Hellripper have steadily been growing in esteem over the past several years, and today they are playing the small stage in 013, just like they did Roadburn 2019. The tour has been on for about a week, but is full steam ahead. Contending with the massive fun fair in Tilburg, makes this week’s shows a little tough. The time schedule had all bands set to play 45-minute sets, with Sarcator entering the stage just 15 minutes after doors open, with 15-minute changeovers. This seems like a Formula 1-level time window, so let’s see if they fully pull it off. It’s speed metal, but this is very tight planning. All of this so the show can end at the timely hour of 10 at night so a party can be held for the fun fair after. Talk about flipping venues! It’s still very quiet in the room when Sarcator take the stage. It’s clear the tight schedule and traffic and parking nightmare that is the Tilburg fun fair are having an effect. That’s a pity because Swedish Sarcator fly in full force. There is no time for talking, or breathing as Sarcator launch into their 45-minute set with the speed and power of a runaway freight train. Starting with probably the fastest songs in their set, midway through some of the more mellow melodic pieces come in. Bouncing around the stage vocalist and guitarist Mateo Tervonen steals the show, though drummer Jesper Rosén also has a solid presence. While the new guitarist Leo Buchalle is a little bit sloppy on some of the 120 notes a minute riffs, that little added chaos doesn’t dampen the mood one bit. Straightforward like a punch in the face, the band pummel through their fairly short set with verve and panache. They even seem to have a ballad, sort of, or at least a few slower more melodic songs. Finishing up their lightning-speed set with a number from their upcoming album, a thunderous opener clearly shook the room awake.

Thankfully during Sarcator the room started to fill up a bit more, as a smooth and fast changeover sees Cloak take the stage. A band I’ve been meaning to see for a while, they never hit our shore’s before. The American outfit make an excellent blend of old-school thrashy Black Metal with more of an occult, Gothic Doom flavor. They are the “slowest” band of the evening, tho this doesn’t mean they are by any means slow. It just means they aren’t hypersonic speed, just fast. Still a punch in the face but a lot more dark and ominous than the previous offering. The band play incredibly well, and are actually believably dark. It’s rare that American Black Metal works for me but these guys definitely get it. The band clearly take their craft and show quite seriously, as band members use the ominously dark atmospheric interludes between songs to center themselves visibly. Delightful clear melodic guitar riffs combine with excellent gravelly vocals by Scott Taysom. Don’t be fooled by the melodics, Cloak still smashes face especially when they pull open a can of blast beats that would smash through a wall. Definitely the odd one out on this bill, but highly enjoyable. A surprise gem for many of the attendees, I gather from overheard snippets of conversation. I’m sold myself and pop downstairs to quickly get a pin.

Hellripper is clearly the band everyone came for. It’s amicably busy by this point but not chock full. Fans gather tightly around the front of the stage, and a devoted young fan up front assured me this is the best band in existence. By now the crowd is well warmed up as another speedy changeover sees Hellripper rush out on stage. They pull no punches and kick in the gas from the first note to a chorus of “All Hail The Goat.” A slogan coincidentally scrawled on James Mcbain’s guitar. Wild and unruly, the crowd matches the energy of the band, as several crowd surfers get on stage and dive off again tumbling over and under the crowd. Despite the pace and the chaos of the music everything is remarkably tight. I don’t think I heard one skipped note or fumble the entire show, which is impressive given the sheer amount of notes in these tunes. Drummer Max Southall seems to have no brakes and just smashes his way through song after song with almost no effort it seems. Mcbain casually entertains the crowd, asking them if they want some speed metal, to a cheer in response. “Good cause that’s what they are getting.” Where Sarcator was a runaway freight train, Hellripper is more like a missile volley, that just keeps on coming, with brief pauses to reload. The earlier crowdsurfers, stage invaders, and stage divers also don’t stop, and at any point in the set there is at least one person being carried around the room. “Bastard of Hades” sees the return of Sarcator vocalist Mateo, joining Hellripper on stage, leading to even more frenzy in the room. While the sets were short for this show, I can’t say it was a problem, as Hellripper seems to play four-to-five-minute metal songs sped up and smashed into 2 minutes. Where the band is fast on record, they seem to play even faster live. When the show ends, punctually on time, the crowd are elated and flood the merch downstairs, where I’m sure most the bands are doing good business.

In conclusion, if you need a shot of musical adrenaline, go out and catch this package when it comes through town. Don’t be discouraged by short sets because really it’s just condensed, and an hour or more may even be a medical risk to your heart. Hellripper prove why they have such a good reputation as a live band, and the bands they have with them are excellent in their own right. They are on the road ’till mid August. Go out and see them if you can, it’s worth the cash.