As the world was setting up for Christmas, De Effenaar Eindhoven hosted the European metal scene’s unofficial office Christmas party known as Eindhoven Metal Meeting. With some heavy hitters on the bill, 2016’s edition of EMM was shaping up to be one for the ages.
Friday
Due to the Dutch rush hour, Susanne and I arrived at the Effenaar a little after the first bands kicked off and walked in halfway through Ill Disposed’s show. Some brutal slam-inspired death metal to start off the festival; I could think of worse ways to get the show on the road. A big name in their native Germany this was Ill Disposed’s 2nd time on a Dutch stage in 25(!) years. Apart from the heavily Bolt Thrower-inspired ‘Throw Your Bolts’ (what’s in a name, huh?) the band unfortunately didn’t really appeal. The crowd was obviously still warming up to being at a gig and the band’s stage presence was a little clunky. Moreover, for the solo’s the entire feel of the music changed to be almost power metal to the ear. A very strange way to go with your songs. They were good at what they do, but what they do just wasn’t for me.
After Ill-Disposed, the stage was set for Bleeding Gods. Classic chuggy death metal with a surprisingly symphonic twist. The guitarists were freely interacting with each other and obviously feeling the music and the vibe. The rest of the band followed suit, with their enthusiasm spreading to the crowd. The synthesizer-tracks encapsulating the growling death metal barrage were just where they needed to be. They weren’t too loud as to drown out the rest of the band, nor were they too quiet to be heard. These guys (and girl, the bass player) are definitely to be recommended for death metal fans looking for something new, whilst not straying too far away from their traditional norm.
Moving to a different room we were immediately greeted by the smell of incense. It was time for some good, old-fashioned, ritual black metal to kick off. Enthroned were definitely bringing their A game today. Shrouded in fog and their cloaks, they delivered a show as tight as the snare drum head that was getting blast-beaten into submission. With the vocals heavily echoing overhead, the black atmosphere was up to snuff. Everything from the performance to sound and light seemed to line up for the band, making this one of the most enjoyable shows of the day. Their black metal gun show was sure to make many new fans of their work. Well, one at the very least!
After the smoke and scents of Enthroned, the stage was ready for Netherlands’ very own Hail of Bullets! Having enlisted ex-Bolt Thrower vocalist David Ingram, filling the void left by Martin van Drunen, which he curiously also did in Bolt Thrower, they rained some groovy death metal on the willing crowd in Eindhoven. Obviously a fan-favourite, judging by the reaction in the room, the menacingly low grunts and almost ear-piercingly high and chaotic Slayer-like solos made for a metal display as it should be. Loud, low, fast and secretly (but only VERY secretly) having a lot of fun.
With the very first stage-diver of the day, Germany’s Destruction made sure that thrash metal fans got their fix this weekend. Riffing and thundering their way through their set, it was clear that this is what German thrash metal is supposed to be. No fancy footwork, just put the pedal to the metal and headbang like there’s no tomorrow. Although a little too “German” (meaning industrial and meticulous) for me, they pulled off a very solid show.
And then came Watain. That should almost be all that needs to be said. The black metal druids played their début album Casus Luciferi in full and it was everything anyone could have hoped for. With their ornate stage design, the upside-down crosses with flames on top, the bones suspended on ropes, and of course the goblet of rotting pig’s blood, Watain managed to live up to the hype. Now, I’m not a spiritual person. At all. But there was something about this band that radiated a chaotic energy through the room. The feeling was almost palpable. I could feel myself raising my fist after every song, in tribute to their work and found myself wondering why on earth I did that. If ever there was an incentive to be part of a cult, Watain would certainly be one to drift towards. Definitely the highlight of the day, Watain made sure the visitor’s got way more than their money’s worth. What a band, what a show!
Following this would be difficult. Very, very difficult. Luckily, the programmers behind EMM managed to book Mayhem on their tour of playing De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas integrally. Right from the get-go, however, there were microphone problems. Now, there are various ways of dealing with this, but the singer chose to be very obvious. In doing this, he completely broke the dark atmosphere the décor and costumes had tried to create, essentially spoiling the show for me. The band’s sound made it really hard to pick up what was exactly going on riff-wise and all-in-all it was a bit of a disappointment. This show confirmed for me that a name can go a long way, but I still do not understand Mayhem’s appeal.
Playing at the same time as Mayhem in another room, was one of my discoveries of 2016. Having seen them in February, opening for The Black Dahlia Murder, Benighted brought the grind they know best. Chaotic, loud, and face-meltingly fast riffs and drums made for a crazy show. The barefooted singer leading the crowd into their ‘hit’ “Let The Blood Spill (Between My Broken Teeth)” they found more response than I anticipated. The show got better and better as more fans seeped in through the doors from the Mayhem show. There was a pit, it was rowdy, there were shout-alongs, exactly my type of show. Thank you, Benighted!
WORDS BY SAM C A VAN DE LEUR
PHOTOS BY SUSANNE A. MAATHUIS