Unfortunately, initial headliners Clutch reported having family problems, and were forced to cancel for tonight. The remaining three bands, Komatsu, The Sword, and Red Fang, were given extra stage time, and while Clutch was sorely missed, these bands’ shows more than made up for their absence.

Opening for this evening are local sludge and stoner metallers Komatsu. This four piece band released their first full-length album Manu Armata this February, and did a good job of warming up the crowd. My main criticism of this band is that most of their songs didn’t end, they just stopped. I would have liked more of a build up towards the end, so that the audience doesn’t stand around awkwardly for a few seconds before clapping. Despite this, the music has a delightful groove, and the vocals fit in well rhythmically. It is always nice to see a lady on drums, and having a bass player with good stage presence is another plus. All in all, I think this band played a good show, and has potential to become even better.

With the crowd warmed up, it was time for The Sword to hit the stage, and blow our minds. The venue was filling up nicely, and from the first notes there were heads bobbing rhythmically as far as the eye could see. It didn’t take too long for the first cheerful mosh pit to be formed. This band from Austin, Texas brings stoner back to the 70s, with a great fusion of classic rock and modern stoner.  They performed with such an infectious energy and enthusiasm that it was hard not to dance. Musically they worked very well together, with great classic guitar solos and dual riffs, mixed with heavier stoner sections and rhythms. They even had a very well-balanced and interesting drum solo, which fitted perfectly in the set list. This band puts a swing into stoner that I did not know was possible.

Then it was finally time for Red Fang, a band who certainly deserved to be in the spotlight as the new headliner. Playing songs from their two albums, Red Fang and Murder the Mountains, these rockers are tacking the stoner world by storm. The crowds went wild over songs as ‘Hank Is Dead’, ‘Wires’, and, of course, ‘Prehistoric Dog’. Every single song seemed to be a crowd pleaser, and much beer was thrown. The mosh pit was probably the most amazing one I’ve witnessed so far, with massive grins on everyone dancing around within. Even better were the smiles of the musicians themselves, who seemed almost overwhelmed by the response at times, and often repeated what a great time they were having at this show. The show was incredibly tight, with songs in rapid succession, and the music being absolutely spot on. The energy was amazing, and I’ll freely admit that this performance was even better than the one they gave at Roadburn last year. With each song, the moshing seemed to grow more cheerful, and it wasn’t long before the first tentative crowd surfer made his appearance, soon to be followed by numerous surfers every song. I hope this band will soon get the recognition they deserve, and I am glad they had the opportunity to headline a show, as they are clearly able to pull it off. That was one impressive performance.

Red Fang
Eindhoven, Effenaar
July 2nd, 2o12
Lorraine Lysen
Photography: Susanne Maathuis

Red Fang – Facebook
The Sword – Facebook
Komatsu – Facebook