Seven metal and hardcore bands, what more do you want us to say?!? The Altamont Never Say Die Tour at Tivoli Oudegracht.

Carnifex had the honour to open the ball. Usually that’s a hard job, since openers have to play for small audiences, but this time the hall was already pretty filled. To make it even better, when the band entered the stage the crowd already created a circle for the dancers, while the band didn’t even play one note! Therefore it was no surprise that a tough hardcore mosh was immediately started when the band began their set. Their performance was short but very powerful and with a reasonable sound. The triggers on the drum kit were well audible and so we were able to hear the drummer playing not so synchronic, but Carnifex’ brutal deathcore presentation made up for that. (Mindsaver)

After Carnifex it was time for the second deathcore act this noon; Whitechapel. This sextet from Knoxville, Tennessee had to deal with a way worse sound than their predecessor. The songs were hard to recognize and the three (!) guitarists seemed to be on stage for decoration. The vocalist had troubles with his heavy screams and so their show became kind of a deception since they also had fewer dancers in front of them. Quite a disappointment, because this band holds a lot of quality, as can be heard on Whitechapel’s latest record This Is Exile. Better luck next time! (Mindsaver)

Ever since I reviewed Protest The Hero’s debut full length album Kezia I’ve been curious to witnessing this band live, and tonight I was about to find out. Although I didn’t see the entire show properly, for that is practically impossible at a show with seven bands, I was very convinced by the technical skills of this band. Their progressive metalcore/mathcore was executed superbly, yet the sound wasn’t too optimal. And I’m still no fan of those emo vocals, they kind of ruin the atmosphere for me. The show was pretty fun to watch by the way for they include a lot of humour in their stage presentation. A great show with a not so great sound, I’d like to see them again under better circumstances. (DemonDust)

The last album of the British Architects made a reasonably good impression on me, so I was also keen to find out how these guys would sound in a live environment. This proved to be way better than the sound on the record Ruin, 'cause it was way more powerful and convincing than what I heard. It showed the band is comprised of skilled musicians who know how to write a good song and perform it in a convincing way. The interesting and complex song structures in the vein of bands like The Red Chord captivated my attention throughout the show. The punch that I missed on the record was definitely present at this show, I hope they’ll be able to really catch it on the next recording. (DemonDust)

The real reason I came to this metalcore trek were the Canadian deathcore giants of Despised Icon. Never do they fail to please me with their mix of fast, brutal death metal and devastating breakdowns, and tonight was no exception. A variation of songs from their last two records was unleashed upon the audience, (gravity)blastbeats, breakdowns and technical death metal, all the ingredients needed for some violent music. Definitely the most brutal band of the day, and for me also the nicest performance of these seven bands. Next time, I’ll be there again. (DemonDust)