At the beginning of this year I couldn’t wait for the festival line ups to start rolling in. When they did I was beyond disappointed. Limp cunting Bizkit at (the ever depressing) Download? Linkin fucking Park at....what the fuck is a Sonisphere anyway? And the ‘Rock & Alternative’ day at Reading being monopolized by moody student favourites, Radiohead and Lost-give it a fucking rest-Prophets. Not even with the addition of Faith No More to the line up enough to entice me.
So, after being bitch slapped by every UK festival promoter I had to look further afield....just across the channel actually. Hellfest was the only festival that I have seen this year with a credible line up. Absolute fucking quality head to fucking toe. So myself and a few good men packed sleeping bags, beer and whiskey and began out journey.
So, after being bitch slapped by every UK festival promoter I had to look further afield....just across the channel actually. Hellfest was the only festival that I have seen this year with a credible line up. Absolute fucking quality head to fucking toe. So myself and a few good men packed sleeping bags, beer and whiskey and began out journey.
Friday:
It was only fitting to kick off the whole weekend by having some mid morning whiskey and taking the final walk to see a band I have idolized for years but never seen. Eyehategod. A band that seldom travels as far as Europe, venture to France for this year’s Hellfest. Mike IX Williams and company deliver some of the most down tuned, abrasive, heroin riddled jams I have ever heard. Carving out classics like ‘Jackass and the Will of God’ is just amazing to witness live. They are even joined by Phil Anselmo for a jam session. Eyehategod do not disappoint and go far beyond my expectations. This band really set the bar for the weekend.
It was then a sprint to the Terrorizer tent the much loved Soilent Green churn out some southern grind glory and again another sprint to the bar. We had just enough time to fuel up on Jager and march to the RockHard tent to see a band on the recommendation from my new friend Sergio. Taake are the epitome Norwegian black metal. Everybody was going ape-shit for these guys. Even in the harsh light of day they still manage shred through music blacker than their own corpse paint. Then fan favorites, Torche ruled the Terrorizer tent with a sound so damn loud it could have filled an arena. They were gob smackingly good.
It was only fitting to kick off the whole weekend by having some mid morning whiskey and taking the final walk to see a band I have idolized for years but never seen. Eyehategod. A band that seldom travels as far as Europe, venture to France for this year’s Hellfest. Mike IX Williams and company deliver some of the most down tuned, abrasive, heroin riddled jams I have ever heard. Carving out classics like ‘Jackass and the Will of God’ is just amazing to witness live. They are even joined by Phil Anselmo for a jam session. Eyehategod do not disappoint and go far beyond my expectations. This band really set the bar for the weekend.
It was then a sprint to the Terrorizer tent the much loved Soilent Green churn out some southern grind glory and again another sprint to the bar. We had just enough time to fuel up on Jager and march to the RockHard tent to see a band on the recommendation from my new friend Sergio. Taake are the epitome Norwegian black metal. Everybody was going ape-shit for these guys. Even in the harsh light of day they still manage shred through music blacker than their own corpse paint. Then fan favorites, Torche ruled the Terrorizer tent with a sound so damn loud it could have filled an arena. They were gob smackingly good.
Due to Bobby Libeling forgetting his false teeth, fighting an airline attendant and getting busted with a bag of crack in his sock, Pentagram failed to play. No matter. The back to back combo of seeing Voivod and W.A.S.P was absolutely killer and provided enough drunken fun for the next band….
Then with the sun setting, excitement in the air NOLA’s finest Down march on to the main stage one to a heroes reception. I have seen Down many a time before but never had I seen the band so damn energetic. It’s almost as if they were as excited to be there as we were. Phil Anselmo was commanding the stage like he did in his Pantera days. Down chug out huge riff laden anthems ‘Lifer’ ‘NOD’ and completely blow Hellfest away with the mighty set closer ‘Bury Me In Smoke’. Another triumphant Down performance. Unfortunately Anthrax were buried tonight. They turned in a solid performance, dished out the classics and even threw in a cover of Refused’s ‘New Noise’ but following an earth shattering performance by Down combined with the build up to Black Sabbath they seemed a bit lost even though new vocalist Dan Nelson was impressive.
Up next, in the now black of night, arise the mighty Black Sabbath (I’m not calling the Heaven & Hell….NO!)! Everybody was transfixed by Tony Iommi’s solos. Geezer Butler pounding home the rhythm section and the absolute gentleman that is Ronni James Dio’s voice defining amazing songs like ‘Time Machine’, ‘Die Young’ and ‘Mob Rules’. The sheer occasion of seeing these men on stage doing what they do best is an absolute privilege.
The anticipation for long awaited return of doom gods Saint Vitus was unparalleled. From the moment Dave Chandler staggered out on to stage with Wino in toe until the moment they left was simply astonishing. This is doom at its finest peppered with Chandler's acid induced solos and Wino's haunting howls and guttural wails. . ‘Saint Vitus’, ‘Living Backwards’ and ‘Mystic Lady’ are fuzzed out in trademark unpredictable Vitus way to a background of psychedelic imagery that hypnotizes the doom fanatics in attendance. Tonight Vitus close their set with the cornerstone of doom anthems, finishing on the amazing 'Born Too Late'. It truly is the stuff of legends.
Motley Crue are not even worth writing about. Their gelatinous, flaccid, feeble performance styled on past glories and nostalgia is a slap in the face to people who had paid hard earned cash to come to this festival. Somebody do the right thing, take them behind the wood shed and put them down. However, this foul display couldn’t tarnish what an awesome first day this had been. A day that belonged to the mighty Saint Vitus.
SWEET!
ReplyDelete