Ελληνικά
1996 was a good year for metal music. In at least three different countries some people started organizing an event solely dedicated to the heavy metal genre. This summer Rockwave (Greece), Hellfest (France) and Graspop Metal Meeting (Belgium) blow out 20 candles on their birthday cakes. 20 years of bringing together metalheads to celebrate the best kind of music for a few days.
While you can read more about the history of Rockwave here and here, I want to share a short overview of this year’s Graspop in Belgium through some of my personal highlights and disappointments. Those of you who have read my four day report of last year (link 1) (link 2) (link 3) (link 4), should know it is really a festival worth visiting. With headliners such as Kiss, Scorpions, Judas Priest, Korn, Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, both the young and the old get to see something they like. Take a look at this year’s line-up to get an idea of the diversity of the 100+ bands who performed.
Click to enlarge picture.
Here’s my personal top 5.
5. Scorpions. 50 years on stage. Let that number sink in, people. I believe the list you can come up with of bands that have been around for so long and are still active is very very short. Because of their long existence everyone will have their personal favorites they hope to hear when they have a chance to see these German legends live. With their immense discography you will always miss this or that song you hoped to hear. Personally, I was rooting for ‘Tease Me Please Me’ and ‘No One Like You’, but I was not so lucky this time. What I did get was an amazing show of a bunch of old rockers that don’t sound like they will run out of steam any time soon!
4. Slipknot. I got to know them many years ago as a bunch of misfits with creepy masks who created music filled with hate and aggression just for the sake of being aggressive. However, times have changed. It was already the fourth time I saw them live and I must say it was their best performance for me so far. Slipknot has gone through some changes the last few years and then I’m not only talking about the obvious loss of bassist Paul Gray and departure of drummer Joey Jordison. I sense more of a psychological change in the band as well. They are no longer the young guys just screaming and blasting away, but their music has reached new levels by also delving deeper into their own dynamics and psychology as a 9-piece outfit. Their recent monster hit ‘The Devil in I’ being a perfect example. Together with the fact that Corey Taylor now uses his immense vocal range much better in Slipknot, these guys’ shows keep getting better and better.
Slipknot
3. Ne Obliviscaris. My live discovery of Graspop 2015, all the way from Australia. Their latest album Citadel had a nice spot in my personal top 10 of 2014 and also their debut album Portal of I really blew me away. The big question was if they could pull off their complex wall of sound live? My answer now: hell, yes! A feast for the ears to hear all their intricate song structures blend perfectly, while leaving space for emotional atmospheric passages to catch a breath. I certainly hope to see these guys return to Europe in the future!
Ne Obliviscaris
2. Children of Bodom. What can I say here? This is the band that made me fall in love with metal music and broadened my horizons beyond nu metal. Unfortunately, their latest records were very disappointing to me. Understandably since they have also evolved as a band. However, when you play a set filled with classic songs and you completely ignore your second last and third last album, I’m guessing you know as a band what people prefer to hear. An almost perfect choice of songs and again that sparkle of hope that the new album will be better.
1. Amorphis. This Finnish band has gone through several changes in sound, but stood without a doubt at the cradle of the international popularity of the Finnish metal scene. Sounding more like melodic rock these days, the band did start off as a death metal project. Their big breakthrough album was Tales from the Thousand Lakes in 1994. Last year the band announced that in order to celebrate its 20th anniversary they will perform the monumental album in its integrity on several selected shows. And I was very pleased to be among the lucky people who got to witness this moment. Old school death metal, but already drenched with the signature Amorphis sound carrying hints of doom and folk. A masterpiece recreated live.
Of course there were much more bands performing at this year’s Graspop Metal Meeting. Let’s go for a quick run-through. My biggest discovery on Thursday’s traditional ‘Belgian Night’ was Bliksem (Dutch for ‘lightning’). This female fronted thrash outfit gathered a strong live reputation and proved they completely deserve it. Vocalist Peggy Meeussen made sure that Arch Enemy’s Alissa White-Gluz would not be the only brightly colored woman people talked about this weekend. Besides that, it was nice to see a onetime reunion of avant-gardists Oceans of Sadness. A lost gem that decided to call it quits after 15 years in 2011, but agreed to come together one last time for Graspop’s 20th anniversary. And what better way to kick off the first night of the weekend with tribute bands of Dio, Pantera, Iron Maiden and Metallica?
Bliksem
So it was Avatarium’s job early Friday morning to make me forget my hangover. Candlemass’ Leif Edling did a pretty good job, but it was frontwoman Jennie-Ann Smith who stole the show with her amazing voice and peculiar dances. Another female fronted band surprised me early on the day. Blues Pills fit the recent trend of bands successfully reviving the ‘70s hard rock style (think Orchid, Vintage Caravan, Graveyard, …). Singer Elin Larsson provides the finishing touch on this Swedish-American band with ex-Radio Moscow members. A powerful performance that got even the sleepiest souls in the audience shaking.
Blues Pills
Later that day the Cavalera brothers made the earth tremble with a relentless setlist of Cavelara Conspiracy filled with Sepultura classics: Refuse/Resist, a medley of Beneath The Remains, Desperate Cry and Dead Embryonic Cells, We Who Are Not As Others, Attitude and of course Roots Bloody Roots. On top of that die-hard Cavalera fans got treated with a Nailbomb cover of Sum of Your Achievements. With Orgasmatron no less than half of their setlist consisted out of covers!
Biggest disappointment of the weekend without a doubt was the real Motorhead. Lemmy simply cannot keep up with the rest of the band. In fact mr. Kilmister is lucky to have such good fellow band members to cover up for his mistakes. It is hard to see legends retire, but since his health problems during the recent years Motorheads performances are simply below par and I would really recommend Lemmy to throw the towel in the ring. Of course there are also minor disappointments although some of these can be called ‘first world problems’. When you have so many good bands together during one weekend you are bound to have some difficult choices to make due to overlaps. Especially if you like a broad range of metal subgenres like me. This way I had to make a choice between melodic death metal founder At The Gates and the enchanting tones of the French Alcest. Due to technical problems of At The Gates I ended up with Alcest who played a very diverse set and one of the most beautiful and relaxing shows of the weekend. Lamb of God coincided with Amorphis, Arch Enemy (with Jeff Loomis as the new axeman!) shared playing time with Alice Cooper and Primordial, and the Greek Septic Flesh had to compete with the parties of Airbourne and folk metallers Equilibrium. You win some, you lose some.
Arch Enemy
Hope to see you next year!
