The 8th Eindhoven Metal Meeting takes place starting today, Friday December 16th and tomorrow, Saturday, December 17th, in The Netherlands at the legendary Effenaar club. Full details below!Continue reading
The 8th Eindhoven Metal Meeting takes place starting today, Friday December 16th and tomorrow, Saturday, December 17th, in The Netherlands at the legendary Effenaar club. Full details below!Continue reading
Volbeat announced their 2017 Summer European tour dates yesterday, and now they’ve unveiled a new live video for get fans excited for those 2017 dates. Continue reading
The eighth edition of the venerable Eindhoven Metal Meeting takes place in less than a month on Friday 16 and Saturday, December 17th, in The Netherlands at the legendary Effenaar club. Ghost Cult will once again be on hand to cover the festival. The full festival time tables are now available. Continue reading
Saturday we were up for a great hangover from the amazing day we had at day one of Eindhoven Metal Meeting. This was maybe a bit too much beer for the rest of the year. But still we held our heads high and bravely went to The Effenaar (by bus, there was no way we went by bike). This might be the reason why we were a bit too late, and I missed Distillator and Bodyfarm. But I walked in on this great old school death band named Necros Christos. I wonder how this band would have done on the smaller stage, the large stage really didn’t seem to fit them. The atmosphere they were trying to convince me about didn’t really came through. You can hear that this is a really good band, but it just didn’t come to me. I really want to see this band again sometime soon, but I want to experience them on a smaller stage.
German doomers AHAB definitely gave a great show! You could see that there wasn’t a great doom scene at Eindhoven Metal Meeting, the crowd at the Large Stage was empty if you ask me. Some real doom enthusiasts stayed, and they heard one of the greatest shows I have seen. Damn this is a band of quality. A band with a great atmosphere and we noticed that this band can really drag you out of a severe hangover. And for that we thank them.
I was really siked for Lvcifyre, but this didn’t last. I didn’t enjoy this band at all, the drummer delivered quite a show. However, the frontman said nothing at all and have no contact with the audience at all just doesn’t fit the job. I like black metal and I know the contact mostly isn’t that present, but most vocalists still sing to the audience, this guy didn’t even seem to bother. I do not have to see this band again.
Now we were really up for a party with one of the very last shows of the dutch goregrind band Rompeprop. I have always had this strange relationship with the style. There is nothing more party-mode-setting as a goregrind band. A bunch of friends were standing with me and we were doing the most crazy dance moves, because it is goregrind! We can do sprinklers, the lawn mower, and the hot towel! No one just cares and everyone is as crazy as you are. Just go with the flow and have a great time. A great, no-nonsense band with beach toys as props. Yes, this is my kind of party.
Now we were up for Marduk. This is definitely not the first time I have seen this band performing. But they always give a great performance and never disappoint. The quality this time was better than I have heard before, the riffs were more defined and the drums seemed to be more powerful.
Next up was the exclusive headliner Samael. The sound wasn’t that great, so it was not what I have expected at all. They used drum machine and they tried to play the old songs in the new style. It definitely wasn’t my piece of cake, but still I was intrigued and wanted to stay and watch the show.
After this band we headed for the last after party at Stratumseind. Eindhoven Metal Meeting 2015 was a good edition if you asked me. I met a lot of friends and a lot of new faces. I have noticed there were more foreigners than the years past. This was a plus for the atmosphere of different cultures and styles and that combined to a good festival experience. I am definitely going back next year.
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Eindhoven Metal Meeting: Day 1 Review
WORDS BY KAAT VON DORMALEN
On a remarkably warm December day, we rode to Eindhoven again for the sold outEindhoven Metal Meeting. With a killer lineup this year, it would have been a shame to miss this event. The line up of EMM has never disappointed me so far.
Last year I was kind of nagging about the fact it felt way to crowded, there is still no place to sit except for the stairs and some places in the smoking area but it really felt less crowded this year! This helped the atmosphere of the festival a lot. Eindhoven Metal Meeting is not an open air festival so you can indulge yourself in the luxury of a hotel and the luxury of descent facilities, which is common in winter, but very welcome after a whole summer festival season behind us. No getting nasty from standing in piss soaked mud this time!
I already was psyched for this festival, one of my favorite bands as headliner (Behemoth), the great atmosphere from the crowd in the south of The Netherlands, a good brand of beer, great afterparties ahead of us and me and a friend even helped an old hag to her car for some karma points. So this year nothing could go wrong at all!
The festival began and we walked in to hear the band Winterfylleth. I heard of this band, but never saw them live before. I can say there is nothing wrong with some good old raging black metal to drink your first festival beers on. The quartets latest opus The Divination of Antiquity definitely left a mark on me when I heard it, and it really came alive on stage. It felt like black metal was meant to sound like this and nothing else.
Next up on the Large stage (which is not only called that way because it is the largest stage, but is also called after one of the sponsors of the festivals) was Aeternus, a band with grandeur and a real attitude if you ask me. Their show was way to short if you ask me. I want more Aeternus, but next time it wouldn’t hurt if the guitars were a bit less sloppy. I loved the low tuned voice which really took me away.
An unexpected highlight was Onslaught, even though I am not really a thrash enthusiast. They were convincing me with a really convincing and energetic front man, which really got me in the mood. A really tight and top-notch show was is definitely the result of band members that really want to go for it and really want to bring us a great show.
A real highlight of the Friday and if you tell me the best band up until now was Conan. I enjoyed it from the start of the show up untill the end. The wall of sound this band creates blew me away. They drag you away into this trance. What a great vibe this band creates. WE WANT MORE CONAN!
In the mean while it was time to grab some food, we weren’t the only ones with this great idea. After waiting a while for my pulled pork sandwich (which wasn’t that special at all) we went back to the District 19 stage (the small stage). There are a lot of bands from Eindhoven playing this year, but Heretic really impressed. Not everyone seemed to like the black punk and roll, but damn this was ment to party on. The enthusiasm from the stage really impressed and even made a few metalheads dancing, yes, dancing, not headlbanging. This was quite an experience I can tell.
Now we were up for the headliner Behemoth, the time schedule for the Large stage wasnt that accurate anymore so they started a bit late, but no worries. They gave away a show like only Behemoth can deliver. Grim, dark, but full with energy. Nergal really wins the Oscar for best stage performer ever! There seemed to be some technical difficulties, but I didn’t hear any and I think everybody was just enjoying the great light show and the performance of this great band. If you have never seen Behemoth, do not miss them. This is a must see band!
Next up was Candlemass, a lot of visitors have already left the building and it really wasn’t as crowded as it was before. Still, the heavy bass and good combination of riffing and incredible vocals was a great experience.
After Candlemass we were up for a good party! Lucky for us the Dynamo had a after party organised with some great cover bands: a GG Allin cover band, an Iron Maiden cover band (that didn’t convince me) and this great glam rock cover band Lipstick`N Bullets with members from the Metal Factory. (yes in the Netherlands we have a school where you can study metal). We were here to party, and this is what we got.
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WORDS BY KAAT VAN DOREMALEN
Into The Grave Festival, one of the yearly highlights of the heavy music circuit in the Netherlands, took place last weekend in Leeuwarden. A sell-out crowd of over 7,000 people in attendance (not counting bands and crew) witnessed great bands such as headliner Sabaton, Sepultura, Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, Ensiferum, Avatar, Betraying The Martyrs, Audrey Horne, and more lite up the stage.
Exodus has already been confirmed For Into The Grave 2016. Early Bird Tickets are on sale now for Into The Grave and its sister festival City Rock for next year at their website.
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.
If you are looking for a festival with old fashioned doom, psychedelic tunes, raging stoner, post rock and metal. You are not really planning to spend loads of money and you want to see some qualitative good bands and you like a small-scale festival. You should definitely travel to Mudfest in Venlo (south of the Netherlands). When we walked in we got drowned in good old barbeque smells from the catering (The burgers were fucking amazing, has to be said), and you immediately get thrown into the overall atmosphere of the festival. The venue is perfect for this kind of festival; you have nice places to sit all around the venue. If you go to the second stage you even have some nice cozy cabins where you can take a seat and watch the band performing.
The first day, Friday the 1st of November, was more of a taster. Three bands played in the evening in the Venlo venue, free of charge! First of we got Nijmegen Stonerfront a Dutch trio making some great instrumental stoner rock. Interesting is that the interaction with the crowd al comes from the drummer, Peter Dragt. Definite desert psyche elements swirl through their music. Their stage presence isn’t too energetic but with the energy and complexity of their music that doesn’t matter too much. This also means vocals aren’t missed. Next to take the stage was Downfall of Gaia, from Germany. With a beautiful almost sub-oceanic blue lightshow and a very high energy stage presence, we get more of a post rock trip from these guys. Using three vocalists the vocals sometimes distracted from the general soundscapes the band created. In the mix on record the vocals are quite low, but live they were more up front. Sadly we felt the band would have been better with either no vocals or the vocals on a lower level. They were however quite thumping and engaging. The nights final band was Abrahma, these Parisian psych rockers have a definite 70’s vibe going on. Their rather enigmatic front man Seb Bismuthwears fared jeans and, though he has an accent, has a very pleasant voice. The combination with the heavier psych the band plays and the long instrumental intros, outros and bridges is incredibly catchy. Combined with this they probably have the most engaging live show of the evening, and definitely wouldn’t be out of place on a bigger stage. Honorable mention goes to their incredible debut album art, Through The Dusty Paths Of Our Lives (Small Stone Records).
We went back to the Mudfest grounds on Saturday the 2nd of November. Starting with the band Acid Deathtrip, coming with a musical mix they call ‘Blasphemous Boogie’. They definitely give us some bashing raw stoner rock that seems to be a bit standard, but hey, we like to boogie and therefore everyone likes to boogie. We got some nice standard but lurking riffs mixed in with some really low toned and bone shaking bass. What we definitely liked was the voice of their singer, yet raw that suits the overall stoner sound. But what we found characteristic was the pretty melodic vibe mixed into that raw sound.
Next up was another Dutch band named Wangunst, we were sitting in the back of the venue enjoying some beers when we heard a nice Hammond organ in their sound. We got exited so we rushed to the front, unfortunately it wasn’t a real Hammond. But well, it still sounded awesome if you ask us. This band brings us a really nice vibe that adheres on the thick, muddy bass playing and loads of feedback. This band definitely gets the whole venue to vibrate, and yes, we are talking about every material in there. Their sound definitely pounds on your chest. If you translate Wangunst, it means something like Envy. This name conceals the very vigorous and dynamic vibe that is thickened with a very dark overtone.
After a little break we went to see the Swiss band Rorcal. Rorcal starts with a very spherical, apocalyptic and atmospheric sound and it gets clear that this band isn’t suited for the easy listener. After the long lasting intro, it gets taken over by some really massive drone that gets you in some kind of trance. The trance gets interrupted by some harrowing, ice-cold, cold blooded screams. They mixed in some samples that definitely make your blood clot and some heavy feedback to support the overall sound. And all of a sudden, like it came out of nothing, the music changes to some classic lurking black metal complete with blast beats, heavy riffs and sick screams. This sound does have a little post- sound, especially in the black parts of the music.
The following band was the more easygoing Mantra Machine. If you are into space rock and psychedelic thickened with some nice stoner sounds, this is definitely your band. It sounds as a nice day in spring when you’re in your rowboat in a still lake. The music builds to get more movement and more variable. Accents in the music take you by your throat with a screaming guitar that supports the overall sound. What you see a lot with this kind of bands that the music starts to nag a bit, this is not the case with Mantra Machine. It is full of repetition but it definitely isn’t simplistic and at the very end they show you they know how to make the audience party. Good job Mantra Machine!
Now back for some old fashioned doom with the band Pilgrim from the USA. As soon as the band starts, you get drowned into the wall of feedback they sent into the venue. This is doom metal as pure as it gets. Their vocalist simply called The Wizard really gets to you with a very pure and unctuous voice. Sometimes the voice gets pulled into the background in a very anxious and vicious way. This creates a pretty nice contrast between the vocals and the lurking doom oozing out of the instruments. With pretty low resources and pretty much no hodgepodge this band still creates a big wall of sound that both vivacious and lingering. This is a band that drags you completely into their sound and truly gets to you. One of the best performances of the evening if you ask us.
For something completely different we get Throw Me In The Crater who really kick down the pedal and get way over the speed limit. If they were a car they would be a Mustang. They are vigorously and seem to have a lot of fun on that stage. But still have an authentic sludgy crusty sound. If it comes to a stage, they don’t have boundaries, what makes this the most energetic band up until now. The screams of the vocalist seem a bit plastic, most of the atmosphere and vibrant sounds come from the band around him. Don’t get us wrong, the vocalist Mr. Ash Spitter knows how to transfer the energy from the stage to the audience. They also take a rest with some serene sounds that really holds a nice epos.
Next up is the band Cultura Tres from Venezuela. Due to illness the band Pendejo couldn’t make it to the stage so Cultura Tres replaced them. At first it seems this band is really elementary. The lead guitar really speaks to us and is really deepened. This band comes with sludge/doom in a very simplistic way. There weren’t really any surprises in the music and it stays the same in the entire show. When they tend to go to a peak in the music, they are disappointing us. We expected more of this. This band definitely earns some kudos when they told us the bass player is a friend they called last minute to play and is out there improvising on the music. He did do a good job; the music is pretty whipping and even a bit danceable. The vocals are really distinctive and leading; even though we think it would be better with clean vocals. This band is quite simplistic, but still gets you in a vibe and suitable for easy listeners. You want to get known with the sludge genre, this is a good band to start with.
We got upstairs to the second stage for another Dutch band named Gigatron 2000. They definitely give us some up tempo no nonsense stoner metal. They definitely let the venue vibrate up into the foundations. Normally we are not that fond of instrumental bands, because we would miss the vocals at some point. This definitely is not the case with Gigatron 2000, they don’t need vocals because they are replaced with very vivacious guitar play and a bass player that physical is very energetic. Again we stand in front of a band that definitely keeps the tempo high, every time we think there is a rest point in the music, the drummer kicks up the tempo again and in this way we get smashed by a lot of nice surprises in the music. The music gets interspersed by some nice spacy sounds, think of you sitting in a spacecraft going on a big adventure with the dangers and problems you would or wouldn’t expect. You took a mix tape with you with some nice thick and muddy stoner on it, and there you got the closest definition we can give you about Gigatron 2000.
The last band we saw before we had to run for the last train was Atlantis. For us this was a suiting band to end this festival. They immediately kick their thick and heavy sound into your face. They create a wall of sound that leans on a lot of samples. Again we get faced to a band that uses a lot of low tones that easily pull you into the Atlantis experience. They take you away in a trance that at sometimes gets interrupted by pretty hulking and droning doom. They have three guitarists that thicken the sounds by the power of 10¹°. This definitely is a band that knows how to indulge you in their atmosphere and delivers quality. And for that we thank you.
Conclusion: Mudfest is a festival that thrives on atmosphere and the love of doom, stoner, sludge and all the sub genres in it. It is still a nice small scale festival that really gets people together and gets what music is about. We had a wonderful time and we are waiting for next year. Let’s see what the Mudgate has in mind for us.
Words: Kaat Van Doremalen
Photos: Susanne Maathuis
Upon entering the small venue in 013, the first thing you noticed was the fact that there were chairs, which set the scene for a pleasant and personal show. Andy Cairns, frontman for Therapy?, is treating us to a special acoustic tour as a warm up for the Therapy? Tour later this year. They are currently working on their fourteenth studio album, to be released around the same time as the tour. Continue reading
Every avid fan of death metal drools with pleasure when Neurotic Deathfest comes to town again. The event started out as the Rotterdam Deathfest, but from 2006 on, it became the Neurotic Deathfest. Each year the line-up becomes better. This is reflected in the amount of foreign visitors coming to Tilburg to be a part of the biggest indoor death metal festival in Europe. On behalf of Ghost Cult Friso van Daalen (FD) and Mitchell Scheerder (MS) were on the scene to report… Continue reading