Eindhoven Metal Meeting 2009 - 12 hours of pure fckn metal!
Luckily they don't plan these killing fests every weekend otherwise Metalrage would probably not exists anymore. Eindhoven Metal Meeting (previously known as Arnhem Metal Meeting) have put together one hell of a fest again at Effenaar, Eindhoven and Metalrage was there for a report!The three Brazilian brothers in Krisiun were the first act to warm up the audience. The band was again very thankful to perform and that’s what we got to hear in between every song. I wonder if this ever stops, ‘cause although it is of course meant sincerely, I rather see them playing another song. Today they played a lot of stuff from their last two records, including 'Combustion Inferno', 'Bloodcraft', 'Vicious Wrath' and 'Refusal'. The first mosh was however started during an older tune - its on and on blasting made a lot of people smile. A good start of the day! (Mindsaver)
In the small hall we could see one of the very few Dutch acts on this festival. Devious is a quality death/thrash band from the province of Overijssel and gave an energetic appearance today. Too bad that the sound wasn’t powerful, and the fact that they were playing right after Krisiun didn’t help them either. Usually they’re more special (certainly on record) but today they didn’t stand out. (Mindsaver)
Unfortunately I missed out on Krisiun, who were on the same tour package together with Nile, Ulcerate, Hackneyed and, my first band of this long afternoon/evening, Grave! Grave have been around since 1986 and for some reason I’ve never seen them live up until this festival. The band played a decent set of old school Swedish death metal in the vein of Dismember, Vomitory, Unleashed and Entombed but for some reason I didn’t quite get into it yet. Maybe it was because of the early hours but the sound wasn’t too good at this point either. Swedish death metal has to blow your fucking brains out, but for some reason the drumming and guitars didn’t sound the way they should. Finishing with the obligatory ‘Into The Grave’ the band sure gave a decent performance but I would like to see them again on a smaller stage. I’m sure that’s the place where they will sound way more convincing! (Brent_)
I was really excited to see Shining from Sweden (not to be confused with the one from Norway!) for the first time. Their studio material can be considered as brilliant according to my one and only opinion and with their latest and sixth album VI: Klagopsalmer they managed to come up with yet another classic album. On the other hand, their performances were marked by some as bloody and egoistic especially due singer Kvarforth’s extreme behaviour on stage (self-mutilation and so on). Excited yet? Fuck yeah I was! Kicking in with ‘Claws of Perdition’ the atmosphere was soon set for the next half an hour or so. The sound was a bit dry at some points but still we were treated with a nice showcase of tracks from their latest three albums such as ‘Ytterligare Ett Steg Närmare Total Jävla Utfrysning’, ‘Vilseledda Barnasjälars Hemvist’, ‘Plågoande O'helga Plågoande’ alongside a brand new song from their next album VII: Född Förlorare which is due out in March next year. Unfortunately the song didn’t really sound convincing because of a boyband-like singing part and some Dragonforce solo work performed by both guitarists at the same time. Let’s hope the rest of the album will contain more work like Klagopsalmer and Halmstadt. Not much to see on stage from Kvarforth this time, except for putting out a cigarette on his arm and a kissing session with the bass player. Maybe Shining finally grew up? They definitely know how to perform a great show. Hope to see them more often! (Brent_)
Absolutely stunning was the show of New Zealand’s Ulcerate. This 4-piece performs their own brand of death metal; relentless and brutal, very complex and with dark atmospheres. Some parts during their lengthy tracks are post-metal influenced, while the rest of their material is insanely crushing. It’s probably hard to imagine how they sound, ‘cause for that you have to check them, but for many metalheads their shit is too difficult. That’s why there weren’t many people present in the small hall this time, but that didn’t ruin my pleasure absorbing this sovereign noise. (Mindsaver)
When a band is on a tour package together with Nile, Grave and Krisiun, things are getting interested. A fairly young death metal act from Germany called Hackneyed entered the stage in support of their brand new second full length album Burn After Reaping. The band already convinced me on cd and did the same thing with their live performance once again. In a short (half an hour or so) set, they played a fair mix of 90s death metal mixed with some more modern deathcore-like elements especially on the vocal parts. Singer Philipp Mazal proved to be an excellent frontman and besides his vocal capabilities, he knew how to entertain the crowd. Despite their young age, this is a band to watch out for! (Brent_)
After a really really drunk show from Entombed’s lead singer Lars at Neurotic Deathfest earlier this year, I really got into this band. The energetic and grooving so called “death ‘n roll” parts still make this band stand out in the genre for two decades already. Luckily no more vodka time for Lars at the Eindhoven Metal Meeting but just a few beers on stage and yet another awesome set! Opening with their usual intro, ‘Satan Is Real’ from The Louvin Brothers (NOT Hank Williams!), the band played a groovy set including almost only old tracks from their three most appreciated albums Left Hand Path, Clandestine and Wolverine Blues. After a 50 minute set the band left me with a satisfied feeling. Thought this band was done after 20 years? Well, Lars’ headbanging skills didn’t get any better over the years but this band sure know how to make a party! (Brent_)
Many people gathered in the main hall for a lesson in extremity from Nile. The band themselves did well today, but overall it wasn’t the best show I’ve seen from them. Just like with many other bands on the main stage the sound wasn’t in balance at all. Half of the drumkit wasn’t well audible, making the band sound less speedy than usual. Traditionally they ended their set with 'Black Seeds Of Vengeance', leaving a still satisfied crowd behind. I don’t think Nile’s fanbase will ever decrease. (Mindsaver)
Time for some fun in between the bands. We decided to check out a circus act from Germany they call Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult (DNS). No, but seriously. What the fuck was this? DNS play raw black metal and take this pretty serious. There was a huge altar on stage with upside down crosses and fake blood all over the place, spitted into the audience by singer Onielar, who is actually an undercover woman. The strange thing was they actually didn’t have a bass player, so the band consisted of a three piece including two guitarists. Result? A complete wall of sound of guitars where only the drumming really stood out (seriously, this guy was fast!). In between the tracks Onielar screamed (still with the black metal voice!) some things at the audience that were absolutely not understandable which made it even funnier. I must admit their albums are not much better so I’ll leave you with this advice: avoid at all costs! (Brent_)