back from this new edition of the now worldly famous HELLFEST !!! 3 days of extreme metal all day long (from 10:00 am to 2:00 am), tired but happy :)
this was the last year with this configuration, next year the site will be just a few hundred meters from the actual one, let's hope it'll be larger cause with a bit more than 25 000 everyday, it was definitely too much this year and the fact that the weather was not good at all (on friday especially, there's just sunday which was let's say correct, cloudy but without rain and wind) didn't help... but well, the essential has been once again guaranted : lots of great bands, good timing, from correct to excellent sound conditions...
my highlights :
GOATSNAKE : excellent, they started in the best way possible with "flower of disease" and during 40 shorty minutes it's been a deluge of ultra heaviness with a dantesque vocals performance... awesome !
CHURCH OF MISERY : logically the rock n' roll psychedelic edge is very developed on stage with a totally epileptic singer, crazyness combined with heaviness, delightful.
EYE HATE GOD : no surprise, they are still among the best sludge kings ! very concerned, compact, dirty, brutal; they played a cool new song
HAIL OF BULLETS + BOLT THROWER : yeeeeaaahh some topless death metal with these two bands, ultra heavy with excellent vocalists, among the most influential and experienced from the european scene ! DM the way it used to be, that's more than ok for me :)
CLUTCH : they just played two songs from the last album, I would have enjoyed a few more, but that's a period of re-editions, so... everything was cool anyway, Fallon was very impressive as always, the best vocalist I've seen this week-end (with Goatsnake's)
TRIPTYKON : excellent performance, not a lot of people coz Coroner was playing at the same time... with Tom G. Warrior motivated for a very special dark ceremony, some cult songs of C.F. of course but great songs from this particular band who mixes all the darkest forms of metal with talent.
SUP : first appearance here for this old french band, pretty rare on stage; they have always been apart since more than 20 years of existence but very respected, playing an experimental death metal with very cold climates and a futuristic general concept always renewed from album to album... a great and special moment
ELECTRIC WIZARD : no real surprise, still an excellent occult ceremonial hour with catchy videos, he he !
GRAND MAGUS : I was having a rest at that time, just listened not seen, but was enough closed to the terrorizer tent to enjoy their excellent traditionnal heavy metal with epic and doomy parts
THIN LIZZY : the best old hard rock band from the week-end that I've seen (UFO were crap, very bad singer... SCORPIONS were tired...)... JUDAS PRIEST seemed pretty good too with their new guitarist (looks a bit like KK 30 years ago !!) but I just saw 20 minutes and then went to E.W.
HEADCHARGER : nice rock n' roll /stoner band from France... 30 short but good minutes of hot energy
C.O.C. and IN SOLITUDE, two bands I saw and enjoyed yet two months ago, same sets but same pleasure :)
average or a bit disappointing :
POSSESSED : JB rules but he has had to change his musicians and the new guys have been a bit too much under his level despite an obvious motivation, the sound was also weak which is a real shame for such a band... still enjoyable and a special moment to see this legend
HAWKWIND : despite very good animations, I think they played too loud (two basses especially !), I expected something far more spacey... not bad at all, but I left before the end to breathe some fresh air !
GHOST : I didn't really like the album but wanted to see them after having missed them at Roadurn... but all is confirmed on stage, there's very good heavy 80's metal parts too badly completely annihilated by boring pop 80's parts... brrr
A big deception was BLACK LABEL SOCIETY : one of the most popular band in general, but I'm not sure anyone has 100%enjoyed this show, what an awful performance from Zakk W. , especially with his soooo loooonnnnggg solo... so fuckin long and empty at the same time !!!
I expected nothing from OZZY O., so no surprise to see and listen a guy that should have stoped a long time ago
Other bands I've seen too briefly but that I'd certainly like to see later have been KYLESA, MORNE and MONSTER MAGNET (just saw two songs, seemed really very good)
a great edition again, honestly this fest is now a reference and it is well deserved ...
this was the last year with this configuration, next year the site will be just a few hundred meters from the actual one, let's hope it'll be larger cause with a bit more than 25 000 everyday, it was definitely too much this year and the fact that the weather was not good at all (on friday especially, there's just sunday which was let's say correct, cloudy but without rain and wind) didn't help... but well, the essential has been once again guaranted : lots of great bands, good timing, from correct to excellent sound conditions...
my highlights :
GOATSNAKE : excellent, they started in the best way possible with "flower of disease" and during 40 shorty minutes it's been a deluge of ultra heaviness with a dantesque vocals performance... awesome !
CHURCH OF MISERY : logically the rock n' roll psychedelic edge is very developed on stage with a totally epileptic singer, crazyness combined with heaviness, delightful.
EYE HATE GOD : no surprise, they are still among the best sludge kings ! very concerned, compact, dirty, brutal; they played a cool new song
HAIL OF BULLETS + BOLT THROWER : yeeeeaaahh some topless death metal with these two bands, ultra heavy with excellent vocalists, among the most influential and experienced from the european scene ! DM the way it used to be, that's more than ok for me :)
CLUTCH : they just played two songs from the last album, I would have enjoyed a few more, but that's a period of re-editions, so... everything was cool anyway, Fallon was very impressive as always, the best vocalist I've seen this week-end (with Goatsnake's)
TRIPTYKON : excellent performance, not a lot of people coz Coroner was playing at the same time... with Tom G. Warrior motivated for a very special dark ceremony, some cult songs of C.F. of course but great songs from this particular band who mixes all the darkest forms of metal with talent.
SUP : first appearance here for this old french band, pretty rare on stage; they have always been apart since more than 20 years of existence but very respected, playing an experimental death metal with very cold climates and a futuristic general concept always renewed from album to album... a great and special moment
ELECTRIC WIZARD : no real surprise, still an excellent occult ceremonial hour with catchy videos, he he !
GRAND MAGUS : I was having a rest at that time, just listened not seen, but was enough closed to the terrorizer tent to enjoy their excellent traditionnal heavy metal with epic and doomy parts
THIN LIZZY : the best old hard rock band from the week-end that I've seen (UFO were crap, very bad singer... SCORPIONS were tired...)... JUDAS PRIEST seemed pretty good too with their new guitarist (looks a bit like KK 30 years ago !!) but I just saw 20 minutes and then went to E.W.
HEADCHARGER : nice rock n' roll /stoner band from France... 30 short but good minutes of hot energy
C.O.C. and IN SOLITUDE, two bands I saw and enjoyed yet two months ago, same sets but same pleasure :)
average or a bit disappointing :
POSSESSED : JB rules but he has had to change his musicians and the new guys have been a bit too much under his level despite an obvious motivation, the sound was also weak which is a real shame for such a band... still enjoyable and a special moment to see this legend
HAWKWIND : despite very good animations, I think they played too loud (two basses especially !), I expected something far more spacey... not bad at all, but I left before the end to breathe some fresh air !
GHOST : I didn't really like the album but wanted to see them after having missed them at Roadurn... but all is confirmed on stage, there's very good heavy 80's metal parts too badly completely annihilated by boring pop 80's parts... brrr
A big deception was BLACK LABEL SOCIETY : one of the most popular band in general, but I'm not sure anyone has 100%enjoyed this show, what an awful performance from Zakk W. , especially with his soooo loooonnnnggg solo... so fuckin long and empty at the same time !!!
I expected nothing from OZZY O., so no surprise to see and listen a guy that should have stoped a long time ago
Other bands I've seen too briefly but that I'd certainly like to see later have been KYLESA, MORNE and MONSTER MAGNET (just saw two songs, seemed really very good)
a great edition again, honestly this fest is now a reference and it is well deserved ...
Hey fella,
ReplyDeletethis years Hellfest was awesome. Saw pretty much the same bands, only that my camera is much more fucked up than yours, so sadly only few pictures. Besides, did you miss Melvins? heavy and two drumers, was really nice.