Devils Rock For An Angel 2021 review
-- Devils Rock For An Angel 2021 --
01/01/1970 - 01/01/1970
Stijn Daneels
[INTRODUCTION]
Review
written by Stijn “Metal Shredder” Daneels. All pictures (except for the final
pic) taken from the Devils Rock For An Angel Facebook page with respect to their
respective owners.
I’ve always
loved charity-oriented metal events including Metal Against Child Cancer &
Metal For Angels which I all attended in recent years. Devils Rock For An Angel
is one such event as well as a festival that we’ve been proudly sponsoring
since 2017. So of course, we had to be there to bang our heads and shred the
bands and event for fun and charity.
[HUNTER]
The first
band of Devils Rock 2021 was the classic heavy metal act Hunter. A band I’ve
been following for years ever since they participated and reached the finals of
the Wacken Metal Battle 2019. If you know what I define by old-school heavy
metal then you’ll be immediately aware that the band is inspired by such acts
like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest & Saxon.
But the
band did more than simply taking cues from these icons (although I must say
their style of bass and vocals reminded me a lot of Maiden & Priest
respectively). One thing that was quite unique about Hunter is that there was a
storyline and setting linking their songs together. The band told the story of
their blade-wielding mascot who travelled across a post-apocalyptic wasteland
and did all sorts of dark deeds in the process.
The
majority of Hunter’s songs at Devils Rock came from the eponymous debut EP (which we reviewed here: https://www.belgianmetalshredder.be/reviews/142) as well as a well-made cover of
Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper.” All these tunes were charged forward by pumping
bass gallops, operatic vocals, expressive guitar riffs and a band that clearly
enjoyed being live on stage. A short, but very enjoyable opening gig.
[SHUULAK]
Next up was
the Dutch metal band Shuulak, a band that I was introduced to personally by
frontman Bastiën who offered me to review their 2021 EP “Rubedo” (which we did
here: https://www.belgianmetalshredder.be/reviews/263). Like Hunter before them, these
Dutch folks mainly took inspirations from classics like Judas Priest and Iron
Maiden but in the case of Shuulak the band added some occult and sexually
charged vibes to the show.
The band’s sound overall was quite hypnotic thanks to the crunchy bass, beautiful solos and the high-pitched singing. The band balanced upbeat sections with more meditative parts and the band members danced around the stage with great vigor and frequently interacted with the crowd, luring them into their Aleister Crowley inspired rites. I do think the band could further amplify their occult feel with some extra smoke or candle lights rather than the usual stage lightning, that would made whole experience feel even more mysterious and intriguing.
While Shuulak
lacked some of the musical finesse of the preceding act Hunter they did make up
with sheer flamboyance and gothic flair. It’s the type of band that easily
entertains you with their seductive vocals, heavy riffing beats and overall charisma.
[LIQUID THERAPY]
Liquid
Therapy is a rock band that I’d been aware of for a while now thanks to our
friends at Hard Life Promotion but hadn’t yet given any serious time to
discover. Good thing that changed with their gig at Devils Rock 2021.
Describing Liquid
Therapy’s style is rather difficult since the band combined elements from hard,
grunge and alternative rock. Throughout their set (with songs mainly coming
from their 2020 debut album “Breathe”) these guys showed both bluesy riffs and
heavier pounding beats, but it was mainly frontman Bart with his crystal-clear
vocals and engaging stage presence that gave the most personality to Liquid
Therapy’s show since his guitar, bass and drum-wielding colleagues brought their
tunes rather laidback. I think the band could’ve shown a bit more pure energy
on stage because while their sound had potential, it also felt a bit generic
and therefore didn’t quite click that much with me compared to the other bands on
this festival’s lineup.
While
Liquid Therapy didn’t manage to keep me fully engaged throughout their Devils
Rock gig, I still had fun checking these guys out, chilling to their sweet and
multi-layered rock tunes. I’m curious to see how they’ll evolve in the coming
years.
[OBJECTOR]
Next up on
Devils Rock 2021 were the beloved thrashers named Objector. I recall seeing the
band a couple of times in the past as well as getting myself a copy of their
2018 debut “Social Intolerance.” And now it was time to see these guys again at
this great charity event.
One thing
that I quickly noticed about Objector was the high chemistry
between vocalist/guitarist Bock and his brother-in-shreds Filip. Both guitar shredders
frequently dueled with each other, throwing their fast and technical solos at themselves
and at the crowd. Aside from that, the band’s old-school thrash metal style was
intense to say the least. Bock’s vocals soared through the venue and the band’s
ferocious speed was beautifully balanced with their melodic sides. It was an adrenaline-filled
thrashercoaster from beginning to end and the audience loved every second of it.
Objector
promised to get people up and moshing with their thrashing rawness and they
certainly succeeded. I’ve always been a sucker for pure thrash ferocity from
the likes of Slayer, Kreator and Exodus and the Objector crew certainly form a
nice addition to this often replicated, but rarely fully nailed metal subgenre.
[CARRION]
The death
metal band Carrion is one of the first Belgian metal bands that I began
following on a regular basis after having had an enjoyable first encounter with
them back in early 2015. Since then I saw them perform on a yearly basis and I had
a ton of fun with their second full-length “Time To Suffer” which came out in
2018 (read it: https://www.belgianmetalshredder.be/reviews/82).
Like
Objector before then, Carrion is a band that pays homage to the extreme metal acts
of old, but in Carrion’s case, it’s death metal. And boy, do they make for some
skull-grinding beats. Thunderous guitars, pounding blasts, plenty of melodic
sections interlaced throughout and a plethora of death metal vocal styles. All
wrapped together into meticulously tight songs.
Carrion’s
show at Devils Rock 2021 was a definite highlight of the event. The band ravaged
through the crowd and their gig with nothing more or less than absolute death
metal brutality. Over the years Carrion has become gradually become a true
beast of a metal band and I’m very curious to hear their new full-length when
they unleash it onto the world next year.
[SIN SAVAGE]
Sin Savage is
an act I quickly got to know since I had known the band members since their Nightmare
BE days. They were also quick to have me check out their excellent debut EP “Lost
In The Dark” (which we reviewed here: https://www.belgianmetalshredder.be/reviews/158)
but I can’t quite recall whether I had seen Sin Savage live before Devils Rock 2021.
Not that it mattered, since Sin Savage immediately got me hooked with their easy listenable but passionate hard rock and heavy metal beats. Sin Savage’s material both in style and themes reminded me of acts like AC/DC and Motörhead. Straightforward rock n’ roll that takes no shortcuts or cheap gimmicks. Clean, attention-grabbing vocals, dual guitar solos, catchy lyrics and more. One thing I loved about the Sin Savage gig is that, not only did they play tunes from their aforementioned “Lost In The Dark” EP along with other songs but they also played “Running Away,” a sweet, catchy song they had made back when there were still called Nightmare BE. I remembered that song and it gave me a very warm feeling to see how Sin Savage hadn’t forgotten their roots.
Sin Savage’s
style may sound simplistic on paper but the seemingly indispensable energy pouring
out of the band is enough to keep any fan of heavy tunes interested. And it
certainly did keep me interested. I’m looking forward to hearing new stuff from
this up and coming heavy rocking act.
[SIGNS OF ALGORITHM]
The people
behind Devils Rock 2021 didn’t forget about metalcore and so they brought up Signs
Of Algorithm, a band that really impressed me back when I saw them during the
2018 Wacken Metal Battle Belgium contest because of their absolute relentlessness
on stage.
Signs Of
Algorithm’s metalcore nicely ticked off all the necessary boxes, breakdowns,
blast beats, distorted guitars and shouting, screaming and grunting vocals. But
what made Signs Of Algorithm really attractive for me was their huge sense of
melody. Very often Fre’s vocals tagged along with long guitar solos from guitarists
Didier & Kevin. The band also never stood still for a single second, using
every inch of the stage to roam around like wild, uncaged animals. While the
band didn’t have live bass, their sound was still surprisingly powerful, that
being said, however, I do hope they’ll be getting a new full-time bassist soon.
Although
metalcore isn’t my favorite subgenre, when it’s well-performed live on stage
you can bet I’ll be enjoying every second of it and Signs Of Algorithm has certainly
nailed it. They’ve taken the metalcore genre and added complexity and technique
to it without sacrificing any of the subgenre’s usual ferociousness.
[CATHUBODUA]
Another band
I’ve been following for years now is the epic symphonic metal act Cathubodua with
their 2019 debut album “Continuum” being a true joy to review through (read it
here: https://www.belgianmetalshredder.be/reviews/195)
and like any other band I’ve seen before and since I was really looking forward
to see them live on stage (again).
But Cathubodua’s
gig sadly got butchered a bit because of sound issues, during the gig there were
several moments of audio feedback and during one particular song vocalist Sara’s
microphone went silent for some time. The band, however, didn’t let these
setbacks drag them down and they still brought their entire arsenal of operatic
and raw vocals, intense riffs and rhythms, orchestral samples and violin being
played like an extra guitar. Cathubodua’s sound was also quite versatile for
the symphonic metal genre, with elements of symphonic, folk, power and even
some extreme metal.
Despite the
technical issues Cathubodua did deliver on their promise to bring an hour of
beautiful symphonic metal to the masses. They sure bring one high fantasy metal
show that can make people dance and bang their heads. If you enjoy the likes of
Nightwish, Epica and Within Temptation then you can certainly put Cathubodua on
your list.
[REJECT THE SICKNESS]
The
headliner of Devils Rock 2021 was the death metal band Reject The Sickness who
had been on a roll this past year, riding off their well-received new album “While
Our World Dissolves” (check out our review here: https://www.belgianmetalshredder.be/reviews/306).
I’ve been aware of Reject The Sickness’s existence before but I can’t recall
whether I had seen them live before or not.
In any
case, Reject The Sickness came on stage and destroyed the place with a
cinematic style of death metal featuring galloping beats, lengthy solos, furious
vocals in clean as well as harsh forms and drilling drums. All presented on a stage
filled with flickering, multi-colored lights, layers of smoke and a band that
just can’t help but move to the intensity of their own beats.
A more than
worthy headliner for Devils Rock 2021, Reject The Sickness provided a cocktail
of sheer power, technical complexity, musical finesse and a do-or-die attitude.
Devils Rock 2021 rumbled throughout the entire set and we all heard, saw and
felt it. The weak may disapprove, but we sure don’t.
[BACK TO BACK]
Devils Rock
2021 ended with an afterparty from the cover band Back To Black. We enjoyed a
few tunes from the band including a very fun cover of Judas Priest’s classic “Electric
Eye” but we didn’t stay for long since it had been a very long day, we still
had a long ride back home and I don’t care that much about cover acts in
general. But still, I know the band members from other acts like Shocker and
Enchantress (both of which I enjoy very much) so I didn’t have to stay to know
that these guys know how to bring one rocking show.
[CONCLUSION]
{+ a huge, varied and talented Benelux metal lineup;+ great acoustic throughout the venue and even on the outside terraces;
+ spacious and well-structured parking space;
+ it’s for charity.
- The available food was rather limited in terms of variety.
This was my
fourth Devils Rock For An Angel event (and the first one with Marjolein "Mrs. Metal Shredder") and once again it was great to be present
at this awesome festival. Not only do the Devils Rock folk support various
charitable organizations with their annual event but they also show that our
small & humble Benelux region is home to a ton of awesome rock & metal
acts from various subgenres. We’ll certainly be coming back here next year(s).
