Monday 23 June 2008

Hellfest 2008

Yes this Mayhem had to come to an end. This was a great festival this year too !! My highlights (and biggest deceptions) are:

  • The weather, no rain this time !!! And cold at night, so it was perfect to rest after one exhausting day !!

  • The organization was flawless this year. Obviously the festival team did learn from their mistakes of last year


First day:

  • Alchemist. This band build on atmosphere, and I don't always like that, because it sometime means weak, but not this time. Check them out !!

  • Septic Flesh, excellent Greek black metal

  • Job For a Cowboy. I like their albums, but I did not know how they were on stage. And I can tell you: They are not only buzz, their show was a killer !!!

  • Rotting Christ. It was the second time I saw them, and I can't say they made a strong impression on me...

  • Marduk did not disappoint me, and the duo with Mortuus and Alan (Primordial) was an excellent surprise !!!

  • Testament were alive and kicking, hailz Trash metal !!!

  • Carcass showed that they did not reformed only for money

  • Venom were a big deception for me. How about kitsch ?


Second day:

  • Legion of the Damned. Once more a Trash metal band, but I liked them !!

  • Benighted, an excellent French Brutal Death band

  • I really like Satyricon, and I liked very much this show, with insanely heavy drumming by Frost of course !!!

  • Haemorrhage, funny but excellent Spanish grindcore !!! Are you a pathology ?

  • Shining, this Swedish Black metal band really look dangerous on stage. The singer cut himself on stage, arms bleeding, he threw a cigarette in the middle of the public, he broke a bottle (of Jack Daniels ?) and cut himself with the remains... But they also have a very depressive but heavy sound. A discovery for me !!!

  • The Watain show was just after Shining, but they really offered Black metal to remember (sorry no dead rats on stage this time)

  • Ministry, the show (one the lasts) was excellent, with almost no blanks between the titles


Third day:

  • Origin, insanely fast, insanely good Brutal Death. At one time, someone in the public shouted "faster !!", and the singer answered "faster ?". It was impossible.

  • Primordial, I really like the Celtic / Folk Black metal of this band, and their singer really have an amazing presence on stage !!!

  • Obituary, of course...

  • Dying Fetus. speedy, heavy, full of integrity. And Sean Beasley had a Origin T-shirt ;-)

  • Motörhead, they are always heavy, heavy, HEAVIER

  • Morbid Angel show was faultless

  • And finally, the Slayer show was a bit disappointing, probably because of Tom Araya's voice which seemed to never be really there (ill, maybe ?)



Pictures to come soon...

Thursday 19 June 2008

Hellfest

Hellfest looks to be really great this year:

  • first the weather should be better than last year - not that it will be very difficult ;-)

  • second it seems that the organization (camping sites, etc...), has been improved too - it was easy to improve too


... but what is the most important thing: the bands. Think about it:


You see the general idea...