Neurotic Deathfest 12 Part I: Live at 013, Tilburg NL

Posted on April 27, 2015 by News Team

It was that time of the year! It was time for the annual festival full of Death, Grind and Slam metal. It was time for Neurotic Deathfest again. We were blessed with another year with extremely good weather and after drinking some beers at a local bar we strutted to the 013 venue. We are going to talk about the atmosphere, why do I always want to go to Neurotic Deathfest so bad, and I will highlight some bands.

The reason I love to go to Neurotic Deathfest is at first my love of death metal off course, but what also counts is that the 013 is comfortable. I live in the city of Tilburg, which means that I can sleep in my own bed and my whole group of buddys is headbanging or somewhere else in the city.

But this year was different. This year it was clear the atmosphere was different, ther was a cloud of astonishment hanging in the air. There was something going on, we were soon to find out. We hadn’t gone up to get a festival program, but when we did, we knew what was going on. This will be the last Neurotic Deathfest ever!

Farewell message from the Neurotic Deathfest Program

After hearing this news it kind of hit me like a bomb, Neurotic Deathfest was a statement for the city of Tilburg. Even Non-metalheads knew what was going on when this festival was in town again.

Dutch bands always represent on this festival and Koprse was one of them, the first pit is a fact and this venue was filled up. This was blasting to the max! We still had to warm up but we were ready for a party and Korpse made you feel like you wanted to party. So you got back from the venue with five extra beers in your stomach to go on to the next show.

Morgoth, by Susanne A. Maathuis

Morgoth was a band that had high expectations for us. The big venue was still a bit quiet. It was not crowded enough to get the party going and get the feeling of a crowded place. Morgoth started to play and we noticed that this is a band that means serious shit. Nice piece of death metal with a tight hard and a sound that filled up the whole place with a nagging feeling. This band made me think of Asphyx for a bit, not for all of the music but more about the kick this band gives in your nuts.

Entombed A.D., by Susanne A. Maathuis

Strutting around the venues there was a swirling mass of people, it got more crowded The more we got to the headliner Entombed A.D. the more people got excited.

Entombed A.D. for me the least interesting headliner. So I might have drifted away sometimes in the show. Though this band was dominant over the rest of the bands, they never stood on Neurotic Deathfest before but they rip this place apart. Front man LG Petrov shows that he enjoys doing this and isn’t afraid to show this to the audience. A golden shine rises from the stage and gets thrown upon the audience, they get wild. Entombed is a band from the first hour and the A.D. does add something to the name, but the music still stands tall. Good job guys, they definitely got me more interested into Entombed.

The Afterparty was headlined by the also Swedish band Tribulation. Tribulation and Entombed don’t have much in common though, but both bands do know how to show the audience some enthusiasm about their music.

Saturday

Day 2 started way more crowded than the Friday. We all had the idea that Friday was very low on visitors. We were still having fun but it did something with the overall atmosphere, the 013 is more built for crowded concerts but not that much for a calm party. Maybe it was time for the last edition, the line up was interesting though even I have seen most of these bands before. If you wanted to explore new bands, you had some chances but most of the bands everybody has seen multiple times. It were good bands, you wont hear me complain about that.

Talking about good bands, let’s start about Disavowed, there is no better wake up call than Disavowed. This dutch band is a band we have to keep in mind, it was amazing and this front man Robbe Kok really shows what enthusiasm is. You could see he was happy to open the Saturday of Neurotic Deathfest for bands as Benighted and Bloodbath. With a swing he drops himself in the audience and climbs in the barriers. This is energetic and a bulk of energy a lot of bands could learn from. This band does not fly on autopilot.

Disavowed almost had a full venue and they opened on the main stage, this was in great contrast with the Friday where the main stage wasn’t filled up until Entombed. This was good for the overall atmosphere and coziness amongst all metalheads. There was enough beer to give a 3rd world country and food your bowels got mad about. Today you knew you were at a festival.

Friday I spoke about looking for new bands, and this was one of the perfect examples of one of these bands that I didn’t know and got completely siked about! PerfeCitizen is the loudest, hardest most brutal stuff I heard in years! This got in my ears that it was pure sweet ear-rapement. Already after hitting the first chord, if it even was one this band shows its hardness, but also their tightness and know how to play. This is one of the bands where the drummer will make it or break it, but he definitely made it. You don’t hear it often that you hear a drummer go this fast and tight like him. Jarda Haž shows what drumming is all about and it gets clear why this is called “Blastcore”. Missed this band? To bad, for me they were one of the best bands of Neurotic Deathfest.

Dead Congregation, by Susanne A. Maathuis

One of my favorite genres is Deathdoom. Imagine a candle dripping slowly and oozing all over your table and drips on your toe to sometimes break open the gloomy feeling that came over you. One of these bands that perfectly know how to do this is Dead Congregation, it was time to throw some good old darkness into the audience. If it wasn’t for the soundguy, this band normally knows how to bring this feeling and make you feel naggy. This was just a shame, they became a victim of their own sound and this is why it didn’t really got to me this time.

Origin, by Susanne A. Maathuis

As we already discussed there is a big amount of old friends we have seen on Neurotic already. Origin is one of these bands. And I understand why they ask them back all the time. This is just an awesome tight Techdeath band brought with a great bunch of humor from the singer. Straight from Origin we started waiting for Bloodbath, we wanted a good spot we were siked for this show. There were a lot of chatter going on: is this a new singer for Bloodbath? Is this going to work? Doesn’t it affect the sound? How will this affect the audience because this Nick Holmes (Paradise Lost) is a completely different kind of person than Mikael Akerfeldt.

Bloodbath, by Susanne A. Maathuis

We were waiting for what was going to come at us. The venue filled up. We had our beers already paid in front of our nose. You could hear the tension in the air. Bloodbath, not on an open-air festival and in such a setting. Then the venue went dark and we knew Bloodbath was gong to enter the stage and we would soon hear the first chords. This band is theatrical and sometimes maybe a bit plastic. It started as a tribute to old school Death Metal. The vocals were good. Actually very good! They went back to a more old-school sound. Though I am a big fan of Opeth and Mikael, and it is hard to admit for me, but I think I like Nick Holmes more in Bloodbath.

WORDS BY KAAT VAN DOREMALEN

PHOTOS BY SUSANNE A. MAATHUIS

FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Neurotic Deathfest

Posted on April 17, 2015 by News Team

The biggest and certainly best indoor death metal extravaganza of the festival season kicks off today as Neurotic Deathfest gets underway at 013 Club in Tilburg, NL. Now in its 12^th year and still going strong, the 2015 NDF will feature 42 bands on three stages in total from all manner of death metal, grindcore and black metal greatness. Ghost Cult’s Dutch team will once again be on hand to bring our fans the review.

Friday has the benefit of a top band of the moment and a legendary name as the main headliners. Tribulation and Entombed A.D. will surely have the heads banging and drinks flowing. Tech death grind champs Devourment, the avant-garde minded Nader Sadek, and the back from the dead Morgoth are other can’t miss acts on Day 1. Soulburn and Sinister are two other choice names among others too.

Saturday reigns over nearly every fest in 2015 for the sheer murderers row of death metal royalty in a row with Obituary, Immolation, Broken Hope and Pyrexia. Whoa! Other good choices to get your brutal fix on for Day 2 include Internal Bleeding, Incinerate, Mass Infection and Bleeding Utopia. Stay hydrated my friends, this day will be a bumpy ride for the moshers!

To close the fest on Day 3 we are presented with a bit of old and a bit of new in the form of Bloodbath, Origin, Benighted, Dead Congregation and Gorod. Other worthy acts on this day also included Ingested, Jig-Al, Kronos, Acranius, and Slaughter to Prevail.

In Solitude Split Up

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Steve Tovey

Swedish rock artists In Solitude have confirmed they have split up.

The band, who released three critically acclaimed albums, and who spoke to Ghost Cult twice during the cycle for their Sister album (Metal Blade) have issued the following statement via their Facebook page:

Dear friends.

It is with great sadness that we inform you that we have chosen to end In Solitude here.

This is something that’s been taking shape for a long time and suddenly the day came when we had to evaluate our positions in life and find a solution.

The reasons for our departure are not hostile in any sense and our love for each other and the music is stronger than ever before. But it is with respect for that music and that love between us that we choose to end it at this point.

Changes in our personal lives demanded that we treated this as carefully as we could and with our deepest respect and reverence for all personal feelings, and for the aim of our journey.

This has been one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever had to make and we’ve had to investigate every inch of our beings in order to make this right. In Solitude has been the center of our lives for 13 years and we’ve invested everything we have in this and to make this decision was to rip us up by ours roots and make us re-evaluate our entire lives and our future.

As the final words fell in our concluding agreement, we looked back and saw with new eyes the magnitude of our brotherhood and the things that were carried through because of it. Our trust, our love, our shared obligation. The truth of the hand and the truth of the word to disperse the bounds between us and to diverge the shore for us follow. How it gave us the width of the world and the means to share it and store it together. All that was in it and all that was taken from it. And all the things that now shall pass without our collective notice. We saw with new eyes how clarity entered in stagelight and moonlight and sunlight and darkness and landed us finally over and over in that inexplicable mystery of beauty that we’ll share as ours forever. If there was ever an accomplishment in what we did, it was the merging of the five of us in unity and the things that came as everything grew because of it. Not a single second was spared in these 13 years, and we’ll never ask for any of them back. We spent everything in our world on this and got more than everything back.

We want to thank all our closest brothers and sisters for being there and standing by our side the whole way through. Your love, support and hard work will never be forgotten and your presence have realized this band and enriched our lives in ways you’ll never understand. You are all truly the geniuses who shall change the course of the world. You know who you are. And we’ll always admire you for that.

Last, but most importantly. We thank all of you for being there. In the crowds, in front of the stereos and in our hearts. Without you, this strange and wonderful dream would never have happened. The impact of your support can never be put in words and the outcome of our lives will always be in debt to you for what you gave us. As much as we were In Solitude, you were as well.

We know that this will come as a shocking surprise for many of you. And we hope you understand that we must follow our hearts in order to stay true to what In Solitude is and what that entails.

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you forever.

/Pelle, Uno, Gotte, Nicke and Henke

Neurotic Deathfest Announce 2015 Initial line up

Posted on December 19, 2014 by News Team

Neurotic Deathfest has added even more names to its 2015 bash. Floridian Death Metal legends Obituary have joined the bill along with Death Metal supergroup Bloodbath who will also be taking to the stage at the annual festival in Tilburg Netherlands from the 17th to the 19th April 2015. Tickets are available now.
Press Release: Neurotic Deathfest 2015 announces Obituary and more

Europe’s premier indoor extreme metal festival, Neurotic Deathfest, has announced new names for the 2015 instalment, set to take place at 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands on April 17-19, 2015. Four new acts are confirmed: headliner Obituary and Gorod, Kronos and Holocausto Canibal. The organization earlier confirmed heavyweight acts such as Bloodbath and Immolation. Tickets are available through neuroticdeatfest.com.

With the confirmation of Obituary, Neurotic Deathfest adds yet another headliner to the already massive line-up of this year’s festival. Originally formed in 1984 in Boston, this United States-based band is considered one of the pioneering bands of the death metal genre. The album ‘The End Complete’ is the bestselling pure death metal album ever in the genre, selling over 100.000 copies in the US and more than a quarter million copies worldwide. Their last album ‘Inked In Blood’ came out in 2014 and is the first album in 5 years. The French bands Kronos and Gorod and Holocausto Canibal from Portugal are also confirmed for Neurotic Deathfest 2015. Despite the already impressive running order, the organization still has to announce more than 15 acts.

These names have all been confirmed for Neurotic Deathfest 2015: Bloodbath (SWE)
Obituary (US)
Immolation (US)
Hate Eternal (US)
Devourment (US)
Nader Sadek (US)
Broken Hope (US)
Pyrexia (US)
Tribulation (SWE)
Internal Suffering (COL)
Benighted (FRA)
Dead Congregation (GRE)
Disavowed (NL)
Soulburn (NL)
Liquid Graveyard (UK)
Mass Infection (GRE)
Gorod (FRA)
Kronos (FRA)
Holocausto Canibal (POR)
Jig-Ai (CHZ)
Nominon (SWE)
Unfathomable Ruination (UK)
Acranius (GER)
Cardiac Arrest (US)
Incinerate (US)
Neuroma (UK)
Slaughter To Prevail (RUS)

Eleven years ago the organization behind Neurotic Deathfest started with the desire to create the ideal festival for fans of extreme metal. Initially started as an event with 250 visitors and only 8 artists, the Neurotic Deathfest has grown into the biggest extreme metal festival of Europe, with more than 45 acts per edition. The festival will be held for the 12th successive year, of which the coming edition will be the 8th at the 013 venue. This makes Neurotic Deathfest not only the biggest indoor festival in Europe aimed at extreme metal, but also the longest running.

Tickets for Neurotic Deathfest 2015 are currently on sale through www.neuroticdeathfest.com, www.ticketmaster.nl and the 013 box office. Ticket options: 1-day tickets for Friday (€ 45.00) and Saturday or Sunday (€ 50.00), 2-day tickets for Friday and Saturday (€ 85.00) and Saturday and Sunday (€ 90.00) and 3-day tickets (€ 95.00). All prices are exclusive of service charges.

Neurotic DeathFest On Facebook

Neurotic Deathfest On Twitter

Amon Amarth Announce European Tour

Posted on October 21, 2014 by News Team

Sweden’s premier Viking metal five piece Amon Amarth has announced their European tour for 2015. “The Invasion” as they put it will feature dates across the continent including a full stretch of dates in the UK. The tour supporting the band’s new album Deceiver Of The Gods will also feature US female fronted power houses Huntress and UK bringers of riffs Savage Messiah.

Press Release:
AMON AMARTH announces European tour for early 2015!

Swedish heavy metal icons AMON AMARTH will be returning to Europe in January/February for a month long tour in regional UK, regional France and Spain/Portugal.

Comments the band: “UK, Portugal, Spain and France…get ready this January for a Viking invasion! We’ll be making an extensive UK expedition where we’ll be pillaging smaller clubs in virtually every nook and cranny of the country. We’re also making a more in depth raid of France, Spain and Portugal. Finally! As support on this mission we’re bringing our friends in Huntress and up-and-comers Savage Messiah. Don’t miss this awesome night of metal and we will take no prisoners!”

AMON AMARTH
+ Huntress
+ Savage Messiah
15/01/15 FR – Lille – Le Splendid
16/01/15 UK – Brighton – Concorde 2
17/01/15 UK – Plymouth – The Hub
18/01/15 UK – Bristol – Thelka
19/01/15 UK – Nottingham – Rescue Rooms
21/01/15 UK – Norwich – Waterfront
22/01/15 UK – Colchester – Arts Center
23/01/15 UK – Oxford – O2 Academy 2
24/01/15 UK – Stoke – Sugarmill
25/01/15 UK – Manchester – Academy 2
27/01/15 UK – Glasgow – Classic Grand
28/01/15 UK – Leeds – Stylus
29/01/15 UK – Newcastle – Newcastle University
30/01/15 UK – Lemmington – The Assembly
31/01/15 UK – Southampton – 1865
02/02/15 FR – Rouen – Le Cargo
03/02/15 FR – Reims – La Cartonnerie
04/02/15 FR – Nancy – L’autre Canal
05/02/15 FR – Nimes – La Paloma
06/02/15 ES – Bilbao – Santana 27
07/02/15 ES – Barcelona – Sala Razzmatazz
08/02/15 ES – Madrid – La Riviera
10/02/15 PT – Lisboa – Paradise Garage
11/02/15 PT – Porto – Hard Club
12/02/15 ES – Santiago – Captol
14/02/15 FR – Clermont-Ferrand – La Cooperative De Mai
15/02/15 FR – Strasbourg – La Laiterie

Tickets go on sale on Monday, October 20th. For tickets go here: http://amonamarth.com/tour

AMON AMARTH just recently launched their new music video, the title track to their 2013 album, Deceiver of the Gods. The video features clips from the upcoming film, Northmen – A Viking Saga, which stars Tom Hopper, Ryan Kwanten, Ken Duken, and features Johan Hegg as Valli. The film is scheduled for release this autumn. It’s no surprise, given the level of talent and eye-catching visuals of the film that this is the most remarkable AMON AMARTH video to date.

http://www.amonamarth.com
http://www.facebook.com/OfficialAmonAmarth

The Ocean Collective Held Hostage in India

Posted on October 21, 2014 by News Team

In a bizarre turn of events, German prog metallers The Ocean Collective have been held hostage by security at their hotel in Bangalore, throwing their gig in the city into doubt. The German five piece were allegedly assaulted by hotel security when they tried to leave the hotel and held there for three hours. The incident arose when sponsors of the gig in India Kingfisher failed to pay the bands hotel room. However after three hours and the intervention of the German embassy the incident has been resolved and the bands show will go ahead this evening.

Original post:
We are not sure if tonight’s show in Bangalore can go on as planned, as we are currently being held hostage (yes, that’s precisely what it is) at MATTHAN HOTEL, because apparently KINGFISHER, India’s largest beer company and sole sponsor of the festival we were supposed to play on Saturday but didn’t, has still not paid our hotel bill. We have been physically assaulted by hotel security when trying to leave the premises – the German embassy is involved now.
We are very sorry again for all this, people of Bangalore- we want to play for you, but at this moment, it is not even sure if we can catch our return flights later tonight. We will keep you posted! Cross your fingers! Rock N’ Roll!

Update:
The show is happening! After being stuck at our hotel for 3 hours, the German embassy sorted things out within 20 minutes… props to those guys! We are currently at the venue (Vapour) and will have a quick soundcheck now, doors at 7.30. We’ve had a mad day, come drink some bloody maries with us on the rooftop terrace before we fly out tonight at 3 AM !!!!!

Ocean Collective on Facebook

TJ Fowler Interviews Grave Digger for Skullbanger Media

Posted on June 26, 2014 by News Team

Ghost Cult’s correspondent for Finland and Scandinavia, TJ Fowler also does interviews and covers metal for his own website, Skullbanger Media. TJ spent last week At the Metalfest Loreley, Germany covering the festival and interviewing bands. Interviewing Grave Digger’s Chris Boltendahl, TJ and Chris talked about the bands upcoming album due next month, Return of the Reaper (Napalm Records). Being that the festival was their first show of what stands to be a long touring cycle, they discussed creating the set list, the new album, the history of the band, creativity with album artwork, Star Wars, and their past fascination with concept albums. Special thanks to TJ for letting us share this interview.

Grave Digger on Facebook

Metalfest Loreley on Facebook

Skullbanger Media on Facebook

TJ Fowler Interviews Sabaton for Skullbanger Media

Posted on June 24, 2014 by News Team

Ghost Cult’s correspondent for Finland and Scandinavia, TJ Fowler also does interviews and covers metal for his own website, Skullbanger Media. TJ spent last week At the Metalfest Loreley, Germany covering the festival and interviewing bands. One such band he interviewed was Sabaton, coming off their triumphant new album Heroes (Nuclear Blast). TJ was cool enough to allow Ghost Cult to also run his interview. In this often hilarious interview, TJ along with Joakim and Chris from Sabaton covered the new album, finding new lyrical themes about wars, touring behind the new album, and future touring plans in 2014. Thanks for sharing TJ and keep up the good work!

Sabaton on Facebook

Metalfest Loreley on Facebook

Skullbanger Media on Facebook

A New Beginning for Blake Judd… The End For Nachtmystium

Posted on November 4, 2013 by News Team

While it is great to hear that Blake Judd is out of jail and looking to get on the road to dealing with his addictions, this update will come as distressing news to the band’s fans.|http://ow.ly/qsHyu

From Blabbermouth.net

Blake Judd of Chicago-based extremists NACHTMYSTIUM, who was arrested early last month on charges of theft by unauthorized control of property not exceeding $500 in value, has posted the following message on his official Facebook page:

“Hello, everyone. I’m home, alive and well. Much to certain people’s dismay, the last month wasn’t that big of a deal and I actually did some serious soul searching and have made some amazing steps within my own mind on where I’ve been and where I’m going.

“It’s no secret to any of you that I’ve dealt with serious substance-abuse issues (breaking a leg and getting a four-month supply of Oxycodone from a doctor is where that began back in 2009… not by deciding one day, ‘Hey, I want to be an opiate addict!’).

“In regards to this issue, I’ve never tried to hide it; listen to the words in my music. It’s obvious what I’ve been dealing with.

“Today, however, I’m clean as a whistle THANKS to this situation I’ve been dealing with and I’m SO incredibly grateful that this happened, as it’s probably saved my life.

“As for the merch issues and money stuff, yeah, I’ve fucked up with a lot of you and for this I’m terribly sorry. When you’re in the throes of addiction, you’ll find yourself doing things that are completely out of character because you’re enslaved by something more powerful than you at that point in time.

“I’m ashamed of what’s happened regarding this as I’ve never wished to cheat anyone out of anything nor was it ever the intention. Money just goes quick and one’s priorities are completely fucked up when you’re in the place that I’ve been in on and off over the last few years.

“The only thing I can do is to do my best to start clearing up each and every debt that I can as I can afford it over the next few months and hope that will clear my name on this matter with each of you who fell victim to this unfortunate set of circumstances.

“I’m leaving Chicago tomorrow and will not be coming back for quite some time. I’m choosing to spend the coming months with my family and getting additional treatment for my issues with substance abuse because this is the fucking bottom for me. I’ve hit it and hit it hard. I have no intentions of even attempting to play any shows or work on anything else music related until I’ve got my life 100% under control again.

“Actually, I’m not even sure if I will continue on with NACHTMYSTIUM, as it’s been a catalyst for chaos in my life in its very existence and what it represents creatively.

“There is nothing ‘fake’ in the contents of my music, particularly on a lyrical level on the last few records. Those are the words of truth from my life. I don’t hide anything, it’s out there and it’s real. So, if you’ve paid attention, none of this should come as a surprise, as much as I hate to say that.

“On a positive note, however, I’ve had an amazing run with NACHTMYSTIUM and been to many places, seen many things, played a lot of great shows, met hundreds of or maybe even thousands of amazing people through it, had experiences that most musicians can only dream of having and I was fortunate enough to get to live out many of the dreams of my own that I’ve had since I was a small child in regards to playing in a successful and well-known rock band. Most importantly, I’ve made a lot of records that I’m very proud of that I know many of you (per your feedback to me) have enjoyed very much, and for that I’m so grateful. I can only hope that those records will serve your collections well for many years to come and be enjoyed time and time again.

“I have one more in the pipeline recorded last summer that will be out sometime early next year, appropriately titled (given the current climate of my life), ‘The World We Left Behind’, and I feel that it may be the perfect epitaph to this wild ride I’ve been on with NACHTMYSTIUM for the last thirteen and a half years. The record tells a story and is easily the most honest work I’ve ever made, so with that being said, it may very well be the band’s last record as it completes the circle for me, I feel. That could always change, but as of today, that’s how I’m feeling about it.

“As for the shit-talking on forums and in comment threads on metal news sites and the childish moves of the people at Hells Headbangers with their attempt to further exploit this situation, I find it to be not only incredibly immature but also very embarrassing for them. I’m just thrilled to know that I have no association with this label or these other phantom Internet people who speak about me as though they know me or have a fucking clue about who I am and how I live my life. In doing these things, they’ve only ensured to all be on a short list of people whom I will not be going out of my way to ‘make good’ with after such a ridiculous move on their part, regardless of what the issues between myself and them may be.

“That’s the only time I’m ever even going to address that topic, as I will not waste my time on such ridiculous shit. Life’s too short to be worried about things like this.

“Anyways — that’s what I have to say for now.

“I’m fine, doing better than ever actually and I’m looking forward to getting out of Chicago for an indefinite amount of time and completely focusing on my life and not worrying about this band or anything else until I’ve completely regained control over the demons that have been haunting me for the last three years.

“To all of you who’ve left supportive messages over the last month, I truly appreciate it and thank and commend you for your public support of me during this time of trials and tribulations in my life.

“And now, I return to my silence.

“I will be back here sometime in the not-too-distant future to get back to work on my music when the time is right.

“Love and light to all of you who have stood by me. Your support nurtures me greatly and is appreciated on levels greater than you may know.”

NACHTMYSTIUM‘s sixth album, “Silencing Machine”, was released in July 2012 via Century Media Records.

Ghost Cult Magazine

Music News, Interviews and Reviews that matter.

Tag Archives: news