When we arrived at the Sugar Factory Amenra was already playing. They probably started earlier, because I can't believe their show was only 15 minutes long. Anyway, this sludge band from Belgium presented us some aggressive, heavy, dark and slow music. I wasn't that impressed by the vocalist, but the band on the other hand really convinced me of their powerful music. It wasn't the perfect opening act for this tour, but they did their best and I'll definitely check them out again when I have the opportunity. (Gilles)

 

Second band on the bill was Coliseum. I heard from DemonDust that their latest record, No Salvation, was great, but up till now I didn't have the opportunity to check them or their music out. The rock n' roll hardcore of these three guys was impressive and their stage performance was good, but they did play very sloppy, though. It was fun to see the ADHD-drummer, the Steve Harris-influenced bass player and the mighty vocalist/guitarist/frontman, but I think I'll appreciate their music on CD more. The sound wasn't that great and they just made too many mistakes, so it never had the pretence of a memorable show. (Gilles)

 

The legend that is Integrity was unknown to me up 'tll this evening. I’ve heard a lot about them and their reputation; they were supposed to be one of the first hardcore bands to really incorporate metal into the hardcore sound. Which means they probably had a tough time back in those days. The band is doing their reunion in a good style and an almost completely different line-up; it seems that only the vocalist remains from the guys that started it all. Right from the start it becomes clear what makes this band so great; the abundance of slow, dragging ultra-mosh riffs that must surely have been a great source of inspiration to bands like Hatebreed and the likes of them. The vocalist did sound quite weird when compared to the albums, though. It was very obvious he had a distortion effect covering for his voice, but to me it sounded very cool - a bit evil even. The music these guys play deserves to still be out there, and I’m happy that they decided to give it a go once again. If you dig hardcore and metal and you get the chance to see them, make sure you do so. No way you’ll be disappointed. (DemonDust)

 

Headliners of the evening, Converge, had finally convinced me when I saw them a couple of days earlier at the Graspop Metal Meeting. This band is a one of a kind outfit. And they give a hell of a show. Tonight was no exception, with a lot of songs from their Jane Doe and No Heroes album they kicked in the audience with full force, not letting go for a moment. The barking vocalist, thunderous bassist, highly skilled guitarist and insane drummer made this a show to remember. They played for a full hour (which could have been a little less, so that Integrity could have played a little longer than thirty minutes) and maintained the same high level of quality throughout the entire set. And when they even came back to do an encore, I decided it was time to join the party in front of the stage and kick some faces in. Now I can say I’m really impressed by this band and anxious to get my hands on their records as soon as possible. Great show by a worthy band to wrap up this evening. (DemonDust)