I definitely got dragged into some Light….
It was a cold november night, I think this was one of the first days of freezing cold in the Netherlands. And on this they we ventured to the DB’s in Utrecht to see some blackish, sludgy, post, doom, droney.. well do I have to continue?
First up was Galg (eng. Gallow) , this pretty young band is ready to be accepted by a bigger audience. This band definitely has this awesome vibe, they are going in the right direction with the music. They are good with giving you this squishy, nagging feeling in your stomach. So how does this involve the audience , you might ask? Galg got into the heads of a lot of people standing there. I have to say it was pretty crowded already when they began to play, which is a great measure for the way this genre has grown in the Netherlands. The young crowd was ready to get the party going and listen to something with more depth and something to start a conversation about. Galg is a great step toward exploring more in the genre. I have the feeling they could get more experimental musically, it wasn’t as diverse from the bands we already know. They can take this to the next level. Though, this is a pure band that knows how to set a mood with a sublime use of light or show. With a very subtile and smooth use of drums and a wall of sound, they created; they proved to be a very good band!
The second band up there was a very catchy and impressive act that definitely brought something new to my ears. Hemelbestormer (eng. Heavenstormer) is a band that brings a slightly progressive feeling into the post-doom, drone-ish sound that we already know. This band is hard, aggressive and really really catchy! It got me right at the beginning and didn’t let me go. They know we don’t need those boundless screams that seem to go nowhere at all. They just don’t do vocals, and it’s perfectly fine. The guitar lines are sublime, the drums fit perfectly, and the visuals were completely in sync with the music this band was producing. It was even pretty melodious! It was notable that the band could keep my attention during the whole show because they weren’t sticking in the endless guitarmastrubating, no instead they mixed it up and surprised the listener often. This band is a keeper, and really bringing something new. I loved it. I hope they had the same effect on more people over there.
Last but not least, off course, Dragged into Sunlight. This just is a fine piece of hypnotizing chaos. It was such a great atmosphere, people were so sucked into this show. And it was so dark, I was even afraid to write on my phone, I didn’t want to get people out of their vibe. But let’s get back to Dragged into Sunlight. This definitely one of the best shows I have seen yet. During the show the band plays with their backs to the audience in total darkness, except for a strobe light that is completely in sync with the drums. This works perfectly for their mesmerizing vibe. This is the kind of band that takes their music very seriously. It is not about the ego’s of the band members; no it is about the music. And they do everything to keep it this way. They never release their real names. Their vocalist, simply named T, he is not the standard extreme metal vocalist, it is not the screamer you normally see, it is more like it is a lone howling wolf that is amped on speed. Dragged Into Sunlight brings you the complete package, their music is executed perfectly, and it sets a psychoticly energetic mood!
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WORDS: KAAT VAN DORMALEN
PHOTOS: SUSANNE A. MAATHUIS PHOTOGRAPHY