Gullegem Metal Fest 2022
-- Gullegem Metal Fest 2022 --
01/01/1970
Stijn Daneels
[INTRODUCTION]
Review written by Stijn “Metal Shredder”
Daneels with assistance from Marjolein “Mrs. Metal Shredder” Deduytschaever.
Pictures by Stijn “Metal Shredder” Daneels.
I found out about Gullegem Metal Fest (from
here on shortened to GMF) when the festival’s organization posted their lineup
in our Belgian Metal Shredder Community Facebook group. And having seen much of
the lineup live already, Marjolein “Mrs. Metal Shredder” and I knew we would be
in for a great time there. Although we officially entered the event as regular
visitors, I couldn’t resist the urge to getting in on the shredding.
[NOORD]
GMF started around 9:30h in the morning
with free coffee (yeah!) and a free entry 3-band metal battle in which the
winner would be featured on next year’s GMF lineup. The first contestant was
the alternative metal band Noord, who I still remember from last year’s Face
Your Festival event (check out the review: https://www.belgianmetalshredder.be/festival_article/84).
Noord describe themselves as a band that something different into the world of heavy music and all things
considered, they kept their word. Their style felt like a mixture between heavy
metal, grunge, progressive and even a bit of hardcore. Sometimes the music was
straightforward riffing, at other times the band uses some audio effects like a
wah pedal to amplify certain sections. It all helped in making their material technical
and unpredictable. Also, despite being a 3-piece act, Noord’s sound felt
impactful and vocalist/guitarist Cédric’s screaming vocals felt both natural
and helped to make the material even more hard-hitting. There were, however, a
few things that I think would’ve made Noord’s GMF performance even better. Both
Cédric and bassist Louis literally stuck close to each other throughout their
show which left a chunk of the stage (particularly the left side) unused and
empty. I think it would’ve been better if Cédric had an extra mic or two at his
disposal so that he can roam around the stage and screaming his lyrics from
various locations around the stage. Also the band had to shorten their show
because of time constraints, so their show’s ending felt a bit awkward.
Nevertheless, I had fun seeing Noord live
on stage once more. The band is gradually improving on their meticulous and
unusual take on heavy music and I’m very curious to see what new stuff the band
will be having in store for us in the (hopefully) very near future. If you
enjoy heavy metal with a good slice of grunge and other heavy rock genres, then
go check them out.
[NOCTURNAL EMPIRE]
The second contestant for the GMF metal
battle was the thrash metal act Nocturnal Empire. A band I hadn’t listened to
before although I did see their name appear from time to time on my social
media channels. As always, I was more than curious to check out some new metal
acts.
What I mainly noticed about Nocturnal
Empire’s style was that their thrash metal style also had some death metal
elements to it. Especially in the vocal department (gravely vocals) and sudden
tempo switches. But what I liked the most about Nocturnal Empire’s show at GMF
was the dark atmosphere they managed to provoke and the raw energy of frontman
Nick "Skullator" Vermote. He’s got the physique, headbanging fury and
a similar nickname to Cannibal Corpse’s beloved frontman George
"Corpsegrinder" Fisher. One song in particular that I loved on their
setlist was a song called “Feasts.” A very atmospheric tune with a variety of
vocal deliveries (ranging from clean to screaming and shouting) and both slow,
intimate melodies as well as fast thrashing. I hope Nocturnal Empire will be
making more songs like that.
Nocturnal Empire is a band that I don’t
find much info about except for an entry in the Metal-Archives (that mentions
the band “latest” album called “Genocide” dates back from 2007) and a Facebook
page (of course) but it does seem the band is getting more active in recent
months and the band still got two major gigs to go this year (specifically
Frietrock and PlutoFest). And since I enjoyed Nocturnal Empire’s gig at GMF I’m
curious to see them again this year at PlutoFest. It’s old-school thrash &
death, but it has a good sense of variety and an engaging, brooding atmosphere.
[PROMISE DOWN]
The third and final contestant was Promise
Down. A band I had seen multiple times in the past 6 months with the most
recent encounter being last April during an event at the underrated venue of JH
Kaddish in Schoten headlined by Hexa Mera (read my review of that event: https://www.belgianmetalshredder.be/festival_article/88).
So I knew exactly what Promise Down would have in store for the GMF crowd.
And what did Promise Down offer? Straightforward,
old-school rock n’ roll with influences from Motörhead, AC/DC, speed metal and
blues rock. The result was material filled with catchy lyrics, commanding
vocals, rhythmic beats and a ton of flamboyance from and great musical
chemistry between the band members to top it all off. Not to mention the band
“climaxed” with a song called “Furious Masturbator” which ended with frontman
William shooting a cannon of heart-shaped confetti from between his legs. Fuck
political correctness, this is rock n’ roll baby! And did I already mention
that Promise Down made the crowd eat from their hands? It’s hard to describe
how they managed to do it (probably the hypnotizing tunes combined with the
aforementioned stage antics), but Promise Down just vibrated with
testosterone-fueled rock n’ roll charisma! The only thing I can think off that
could’ve made the Promise Down even better (only slightly but still) was if
they had a stage banner behind them, that would’ve made their show even more
larger-than-life.
At the end of the main GMF event the
festival’s organization revealed that Promise Down was the winner of the metal
battle and would therefore be featured on GMF 2023’s lineup and to be fair, I
didn’t expect anything else! Not only was Promise Down’s music catchy and
energetic, but more than Noord & Nocturnal Empire, Promise Down managed to
get the crowd engaged and by that I mean catching the audience on a leash and
not letting go until the final note was played!
[WUK?!]
After the metal battle had concluded we
re-entered the GMF venue (since the metal battle was free entry but the main
event itself was not) and then the festival started for real with WUK (short
for When Union Kills). I remembered WUK from their participation at last
January’s Metalworks Battle (read my review of that event: https://www.belgianmetalshredder.be/festival_article/86)
but not in a good way. The band’s style felt messy and the band members lacked
cooperation on stage and as a result, they ended up being the lowest scoring
band on the Metalworks Battle. I did however, took ample time to personally
provide feedback to the band and I hoped they would take my advice to heart.
And guess what? They did! At GMF the band
wasted no time to get the crowd and GMF up and running with their blend of
thrash, death, hardcore punk and nu-metal. I’d say their style reminded me a
lot of Hatebreed but with more melodic interludes and heavier vocals. Speaking
of vocals, WUK has two vocalists and they compared to their earlier Metalworks
Battle gig, this time vocalists Seba and Nelis had clear distinctions in their
vocal deliveries with Seba going for more grunting & growling while Nelis
often sang in a cleaner and faster voice that reminded me of heavy punk rock.
Sometimes they sang in duet and other times they each delivered a line or two
for the other to finish it off. I do believe they could further expand in the
vocal department to make their vocals even more unique from one another. Not
only did the band improve their vocals, but their show also felt much more
coherent and better structured. This time, I felt consistency in their
performances both as individual members and as a band overall despite all the
subgenres they’ve taken elements from. The style and tempo changes were
well-timed and the band showed genuine enthusiasm when performing although I
would cut out or at least shorten most of the interlude samples because they
did take away some of the momentum that WUK had worked so hard for to build.
After their lackluster show at the
Metalworks Battle I was more than impressed by how good WUK was at GMF. It’s
proof that you can’t really judge a band’s overall talents by just one show and
I’m more than happy to see that WUK didn’t let their spirits down. In fact,
they felt more motivated than ever to prove themselves as one metal force to be
reckoned with.
[ORTHANC]
I remember the heavy metal band Orthanc as
an support act for the British heavy metal act Vicious Nature in the Elpee
Music Bar in Deinze back in late 2018. Being such a long time since I had last seen
Orthanc live, I was curious to get reacquainted with them at GMF.
For me, Orthanc’s style mainly remembered
me of Black Sabbath (the classic Ozzy era, to be specific). For the most part,
Orthanc’s riffs were slow, heavy and menacing further amplified by the eerie
vocals by vocalist Ortwin. And with his calm demeanor and thick, white hair and
beard he looked like an old-wise man who would be sitting on a campfire in the
middle of the woods at night and tell dark yet fascinating tales. One track,
however, that stood out for me was “The Prophet,” which was a
Motörhead-inspired speed metal tune which as faster and shorter than Orthanc’s
usual material and which I liked a lot. And finally, the band ended their show
with a cover of Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds” but thanks to the beefy
riffs the song felt significantly heavier compared to the original. Usually I
dislike it when original bands perform covers, but if they take a song that’s
not all that similar to their own songs and give it transform it into their own
style then I’m much more receptive to it.
I don’t have much else to say about Orthanc
except that, after WUK’s chaotic furiousness, Orthanc’s slower and more
intimate yet still heavy melodies were a welcome change. If you enjoy
old-school metal with vintage Sabbath vibes then Orthanc is a suitable band for
you.
[POWERSTONE]
Next up was the power metal band Powerstone
(yeah, the name already hints at that, isn’t it). Our former reviewer Adelnor,
shredded the band’s 2021 eponymous EP and had a lot of good things to say about
it (read his review: https://www.belgianmetalshredder.be/reviews/342)
and since Marjolein “Mrs. Metal Shredder” and I both love some good power
metal, we were curious to see how Powerstone would sound and feel like live on
stage.
It's sad to say, however, that I felt
disappointed. While the band’s power metal was solidly performed, I also
couldn’t help but feel that frontwoman Miriam tried way too hard to get the
crowd going and her vocals felt forced as if she was exhausted. After the show
was over, she told me that the songs they performed on GMF were already written
before she had joined the band and therefore weren’t adapted to her proper
strengths as a singer. What I did like, however, were the virtuosic solos from
lead guitarist Kenny. They were filled with energy and technique and gave the
songs some much needed pepper. I noticed that in their EP they also had a
rhythm guitarist called Stefaan Vantyghem who was absent during Powerstone’s
GMF gig. I think that having a second guitarist who can play along with Kenny
could also help in making their music more engaging. Also I think that having a
great ballad (since I believe Miriam can really pull that off) would be nice.
Compared to the bands that came before and
after Powerstone, their show at GMF felt unengaging and lackluster. There were
some good things, however, with the guitar work in particular worthy of praise
and once again I took my time to personally talk to the band to tell them my
thoughts and how they could improve their material and stage presence in the
future. And speaking from experience, sometimes bands only need some honest and
constructive feedback to get them on the right track. So no worries,
Powerstone, we’re not giving up on you!
[AEVERIS]
Another band I was very curious to see live
for the first time was the groove metal act Aeveris simply because of who the
members were. They all had prior experiences in excellent Belgian metal acts
like Lethal Injury, Fields Of Troy & Thorium amongst others and despite
playing only a couple of tryout shows and releasing a couple of singles Aeveris
established a solid, loyal cult following mere months after debuting. Their gig
at GMF was their first official non-tryout gig.
Aeveris felt a lot like modern metalcore
but very intense and flexible. Vocalist Louis had a commanding voice, similar
to his Fields Of Troy performances but he also wasn’t afraid to scream his
lungs out. The band also had great pacing in their material, sometimes going
full-speed ahead with relentless riffs but on well-timed occasions they could
down with melodic tunes and clean singing. But what I liked the most about
Aeveris was the awesome guitar chemistry between Dennis & Jeffrey, both men
played some really sweet solos and complemented each other very well. And all
this engaging metalcore stuff and pure on stage energy infected the crowd
almost instantly which resulted in several mosh pits and crowd surfers. Hell,
even their flawless cover of Slipknot’s Duality didn’t put any wind out of
Aeveris’s sails. They came, saw and conquered in one fell swoop!
At the moment of me writing this review,
Aeveris has entered the studio to work on their full-length debut and I’m very
exciting to hear what they’ve got in store for us. In the meantime, however, I
can already shred my way through the band’s eponymous 3-track mini-album which
I’ll be doing very soon. Even if you don’t quite enjoy 2000s metal acts like
Trivium, Slipknot or Killswitch Engage, then I would still recommend you to
check Aeveris out even if it’s just to segregate the wicked!
[TEMPTATIONS FOR THE WEAK]
The fifth band on GMF was another metalcore
band, this time Temptations For The Weak a band I remember from many years ago
with their 2015 album “Black Vision” being an enjoyable romp to get through
(read that old review: https://www.belgianmetalshredder.be/reviews/40).
Since then things have changed with
Temptations For The Weak with the most noticeable change being a new frontman
in the form of Jadran Beauprez who shares vocal duties with founding member
& guitarist Djoni Tregub. Jadran in particular was quite the showman during
their GMF gig with him roaming back and forth on stage like an uncaged animal
ready to pounce and furiously waving around a towel like a ventilator. Did that
mean that Temptations For The Weak cooled down the audience? Absolutely not,
the vocalists growled, grunted and screamed and occasionally cleanly sang their
way through the show backed by intense galloping riffs that still had a very solid
sense of melody to them. And for Marjolein “Mrs. Metal Shredder” and me,
standing at the front line, it was quite an intense metalcore spectacle both in
front and behind us (the crowd frequently moshed around behind us, not that it
annoyed us one bit).
During the show Jadran asked us if “we
could feel the love tonight?” And we all certainly did, metalcore isn’t a
subgenre that I often listen to but that I do enjoy seeing performed live and
Temptations Of The Weak serves as a great example to that. It was a
testosterone-fueled experience with tunes that I’ll certainly be jamming more
often when I’m pumping my dumbbells.
[AFTER ALL]
Next up was the old-school thrash metal act
After All, who acted as a replacement for the post-metal band Carneia. After
All is a band I’d seen live multiple times over the years both with former
vocalist Sammy Peleman (who now fronts a solid heavy metal act called Shocker)
and with current singer Mike Slembrouck (who I’ve also seen live as part of the
power metal act Iron Mask).
So I knew exactly what After All would be
bringing to the GMF stage, classic metallic thrashing similar in style to acts
like Anthrax and Death Angel. The band played classic songs from their lengthy
repertoire but they also treated the crowd to several new songs that will be
featured in an upcoming album. Like Aeveris and Temptations For The Weak before
them, After All provoked plenty of moshing in the crowd, but unlike those
earlier 2 acts, the slammers in the After All pits were, let’s say, a bit more
veteran in terms of age. It’s awesome to see how great music keeps people young
and fit even if the years keep piling up. It makes me hopeful when I’m going to
reach my forties in the next decade.
There isn’t much else I have to say about
After All. It’s pure thrash metal nostalgia for young and slightly lesser young
folks. As for me, I’m planning to delve into After All’s classic material in
the near future although I can already jam the tunes from their 2016 album
“Waves Of Annihilation” in the meantime. After All, it was great seeing you
guys in action once more and I’m looking forward to the next one, not to mention
a new album.
[SCHIZOPHRENIA]
The penultimate act at GMF 2022 was the
death metal act Schizophrenia. Back in 2020 the band impressed me with their
debut EP “Voices” (read my review: https://www.belgianmetalshredder.be/reviews/207)
and earlier this year they followed it up with their first full-length
“Recollections Of The Insane” which we still have to shred (don’t worry, we’ll
get to that soon enough).
This was my first time seeing Schizophrenia
live and since earlier this year they had toured along with one of my all-time
favorite Belgian metal bands Evil Invaders I was really looking forward to
seeing Schizophrenia live on stage. And for me, the band’s thrash sound with
death metal influences reminded me quite a bit of Evil Invaders but with a more
extreme delivery in terms of vocals and riffs while still maintaining a
lightning-fast pacing intertwined with melody and technique. For me, however,
the band’s sound was a bit overwhelming for me and at times I couldn’t quite
follow the frantic pacing anymore. Was that an issue? Not exactly (I blame it
on my preference for “softer” metal subgenre like heavy, power & symphonic
metal) and it certainly wasn’t for the audience! There were mosh pits and crowd
surfers going through the entire gig and with a band as relentless as
Schizophrenia, it’s not hard to see why.
In these past couple of years Schizophrenia
have made themselves known as a rising star in the Belgian metal scene and
their show at GMF left no doubt about that. It was an hour long frantic thrash
& death rollercoaster, meticulously played and brutally delivered.
[DYSCORDIA]
GMF 2022 wrapped up with Dyscordia. A band
I had fallen in love with pretty much as soon as I got a digital review copy of
their second album “Words In Ruin” way back in 2016 and that love got set in
stone during the band’s awesome release show of that album in Spring of that
same year. Since then, I’d seen the band perform multiple times including them
opening up Alcatraz 2017 on its mainstage and having a blast shredding their
2020 album “Delete/Rewrite” (read my review: https://www.belgianmetalshredder.be/reviews/189). This was the first time seeing Dyscordia again since the COVID-19 pandemic and
it was a long time coming.
And come to think of it, the band didn’t
yet have much opportunities to promote their “Delete/Rewrite” album and as a
result the band played several songs of their “new” album in front of a packed
venue filled with soldiers from their “Dyscordia Army” fan club. If you haven’t
heard of Dyscordia before, they play progressive metal but it’s quite unlike the
typical stuff you would hear from acts like Queensrÿche or Dream Theater. In
fact, Dyscordia’s sound is significantly heavier, thanks in large part to the
raw grunts of guitarist/vocalist Stefan who’s vocal deliveries are in stark
contrast to frontman Piet’s more operatic and angelic singing. The music itself
is very rhythmic and melodic thanks to the triple-guitars and while being prog
at its core, Dyscordia also employs elements from the classic, power, symphonic
and death metal subgenres. The band played a lengthy set with featured a lot of
their most-beloved material (although I did miss certain songs like “A Perfect Day”
and “Words In Ruin”) but still, they did play “Chthonic Star,” my personal
favorite tune, so I can’t complain much.
An energetic band, a complex and versatile
sound and tons of colored lightning and smoke, Dyscordia is one band that, in
another universe, would’ve done multiple tours across Europe (and probably the
rest of the world as well). Their music feels larger-than-life and appeals to
many types of metalheads and they always know how to put on a great show. But
still, we, humble Belgians, can be blessed with a band like this.
[CONCLUSION]
{GMF 2022 was without a doubt one of the longest single day events I have attended thus far and I wouldn’t mind doing it all over again the next year. Marjolein “Mrs. Metal Shredder” and I have seen no less than 11 Belgian metal acts and it’s yet another all-Belgian metal event that shows how much great bands we have in our tiny, humble country.
}