Admittedly, the holidays caught me in quite a stranglehold and I’m just now finding the time to work on my best of 2012 lists. I know we’re halfway into January already, but I’m going to ignore that fact and pretend it’s mid-December, haha.
The first of my best 0f 2012 lists consists of my favorite live bands of 2012. Granted, I saw quite a few of these bands at Maryland Death Fest, I also saw a few great tours, as well as a ton of awesome local shows. If you had a particular favorite live show from 2012, leave a comment below, also be on the look out for my top 100 favorite metal albums of 2012 coming soon.
The Flying Humanoids – I took in quite a few local shows this year, but none was more impressive than the first time Torche played at The Corner Bar. Obviously Torche were incredible, but I feel that The Humanoids also stood out big time that night. I’ve seen them numerous times this year, and every single time I was impressed at how much heart they put into their music.
Prestor John – Prestor John has been kicking around in one incarnation or another for a while, but with the addition of Matt from Repeat Offenders on drums, as well as Mitch from The Heritage on bass, the elevated to a new level in 2012. Their sound is a mixture of blues, funk, jazz and good ole foot-stompin rock n’ roll ran through a blender, and stirred to perfection.
Jethro Skull – These guys played their first shows ever this year, and though they are still new on the scene, they’ve already left a major impression. Their first show was with The Stovebolts and SuperCrush, two out of town punk bands who were great, but due to their horrifying amalgamation of old school classic rock, thrash metal and skate punk, Jethro Skull stole the evening without question.
Mailbomber – I wrote about Mailbomber quite a bit last year, so if you read this site much, you have an idea how I feel about them. Every time I saw them, whether it was in the confines of an incredible doom show, or in a parking lot during the Art Crawl, their unique mix of punk, death, grind and sludge was a welcome breeze of stinking air.
Red Shield – There were quite a few great bands on tour that graced Monroe this year, but none brought as much volume as Red Shield. They are a crushing doom band from Lafayette, La, and I saw them, alongside Mailbomber, at one of a few awesome doom shows Tsunami held this year. They had a huge wall of amps behind them, and each appeared to be cranked to 11, so needless to say, they left my ears ringing for a number of days afterward.
Saint Vitus – I was actually fortunate enough to see these guys twice this year, once at MDF and again in Little Rock. They are absolutely crushing live, plus they play every song from their new album live, which rules. They were easily one of the best live bands I saw all year.
Napalm Death – I never thought I’d get the chance to see these guys live, but I’m glad I was wrong because they kill! They played a ton of songs from their new record, one of the best of 2012, and they also played at least one song from most of their albums, which was incredible.
Nasum – Of all the bands I saw in 2012, none were as intense as Nasum. They are my favorite grind band of all time, so it was awesome to catch them on their farewell tour, especially because it was the most chaotic thing I’ve ever witnessed.
Rwake – Like Saint Vitus, I saw Rwake twice this year. Once was at MDF, the other was at a show in Little Rock. They’re a band I’ve been obsessed with for a number of years now, and their performance at MDF was the most jarring thing I witnessed all year.
Haemorrhage – Unfortunately, I’d never actually seen a goregrind band live before until I saw Haemorrhage at MDF. They ended up becoming one of the best bands of the festival for me. They performed their medical-themed carnage in scrubs and nurse costumes, which was pretty cool, but my favorite memory of their set was the constant stream of crowd-surfing throughout their set…it was absolutely beautiful.
Ghoul – When it comes to live shows, Ghoul is like a thrash metal version of Gwar. Throughout their set, they had different people in costumes coming out and spraying blood on the crowd, they also had a giant robot named Killbot make an appearance. I was excited to see them beforehand, and I knew they put on a good show, but I never expected them to be one of the greatest live shows I’ve ever witnessed, which is exactly what they were.
Suffocation – “We’re Suffocation from New York, and if it’s alright with you, we’re gonna play some brutal death metal”. These guys are absolute legends in the death metal scene, and seeing them live was an absolute honor for me.
Godflesh – The only thing cooler than seeing Godflesh, is the fact that they played right after Justin’s old band Napalm Death. Their set was definitely one of the coolest things I’ve ever witnessed, specifically because of the amazing crowd response to their opener “Like Rats”.
Tsjuder – Before going to MDF, I had never seen a corpse-painted black metal band. There were quite a few at the fest last year, but none stood out as much as these Norwegian legends. I hadn’t listened to them much before seeing them, so I was shocked at how incredible they were. Overall, they stood out as the biggest surprise of the weekend for me.
Electric Wizard – I still can’t believe I saw this band live, honestly. They are one of the best doom bands of all time, and they were also the last band I saw at MDF, and they absolutely murdered. I’m thankful that I can check hearing “Funeralopolis” off of my bucket list.
Crowbar – I’ve seen Crowbar a few times before, and they absolutely kill every time. Seeing them last year was particularly cool, because they played a lot of songs from Sever The Wicked Hand, one of the best albums of their career.
Prong – I’ve been a fan of Prong for a while, so getting to see them on the same bill as Crowbar was absolutely magical. Cooler than that though, is the fact that this show was the day their newest album Carved Into Stone came out, coincidentally it’s one of my favorite albums of the year, so it was nice to hear a few songs from it live.
Converge – Converge are another band I saw in 2012 who was on my bucket list. Everything about their performance was absolute perfection. I was particularly impressed at how well Kurt Ballou pulls off everything by himself live, as well as the drumming prowess of Ben Koller. I half-assumed they would sound weaker live than they do on albums, but they actually sound the same, something that blew my mind completely.
Torche – Astonishingly enough, I actually got to see Torche three times this year. Once was in Little Rock with Converge, the other two were at The Corner Bar in Monroe with The Flying Humanoids. The most memorable of the three shows to me, was the second show at The Corner Bar when they played a set consisting mostly of songs from Harmonicraft, as well as a song from their Harmonslaught 7″. Next to Saint Vitus and Iron Maiden, they were my favorite live act of the year.
Weedeater – Though I had seen Weedeater once before in Monroe, nothing compares to seeing them on a bill with Saint Vitus, Rwake and Yob. Dixie Dave is one of the more interesting frontmen you’ll ever see, and their live show is one of the heaviest things you’ll ever witness.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Though 2012 was a definitive year for me as far as metal shows go, it was also the first time I got to see Tom Petty live, and I’m so thankful for that fact. The man is an incredible showman, and he knows exactly how to rock the hell out of an arena. Few things are better than hearing “American Girl” live.
ZZ Top – I had seen ZZ Top live once before, but nothing could compare to seeing them in a casino. I saw them at the Paragon casino in Marksville, La, and this was by far one of the loudest concerts I’ve ever witnessed. Whether it was the acoustics, or whether Billy Gibbons was trying to cater to his older audience I’m not sure, but I do know that seeing ZZ Top playing live with the volume of a Motorhead concert was absolutely incredible. Plus, they played songs from their new album La Futura which was cool, because it’s absolutely incredible!
Fiona Apple – One of the key elements of marriage is achieving a good balance. In my case, balance means that when my wife sees ZZ Top and Saint Vitus with me, I have to go see Fiona Apple with her. This show actually took place just a few days after she got arrested for possession of hash at the Texas border. Though she didn’t mention the arrest at all, you could tell she was relieved to be back on stage again. She played quite a few songs from her newest album, as well as some older classics, but she didn’t play “Criminal”, which was kind of a letdown, but also expected given the circumstances. Admittedly, I’ve always kind of had an appreciation for her music, so hearing these songs in a live setting was very cool.
Iron Maiden – It felt like I had been waiting my whole life to see Iron Maiden live. Fortunately, I finally got the chance last year on their Maiden England tour. Admittedly, I’m glad I waited til that tour to see them, because they played most of their biggest hits, as well as a few gems like “The Prisoner”, which made me happy. This tour also gave me a greater appreciation for the Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son album as well. After the show, I proclaimed that Maiden is the greatest live band I’ve ever seen, and five months later, I still feel the same way. UP THE IRONS!
January 12, 2013 | Categories: Listomania, Show Reviews | Tags: converge, crowbar, electric wizard, fiona apple, ghoul, godflesh, haemorrhage, iron maiden, jethro skull, mailbomber, napalm death, nasum, prestor john, prong, red shield, rwake, saint vitus, suffocation, the flying humanoids, tom petty, torche, weedeater, zz top | Leave A Comment »
I’ve gotten kind of lazy with my blog lately and haven’t done anything on here in a while, but today’s post is something i’ve looked forward to doing for a while. Last week, I went to Baltimore, Maryland for Maryland Deathfest, a festival dubbed “america’s biggest metal party of the year”. It always takes place during Memorial Day weekend and always features incredibly memorable performances from some of the most extreme bands on the planet. For their tenth anniversary, I decided it was time to make the trek north to experience it in all it’s glory. I’ve been to a few music festivals before that featured alot of metal bands, but I’ve never been to a festival that consisted solely of extreme metal bands and I have to say, it was better than any festival experience i’ve ever had before.
THURSDAY:
I got to the venue right before doors opened on Thursday and was able to see Extermination Angel, a fantastic death metal band from Baltimore, as well as Needful Things, Rorschach, Dying Fetus, Absu, EHG, Agalloch, and Autopsy. The most surprising performance of the night belonged to Agalloch, who played a set entirely comprised of their older material from albums like “Pale Folklore”, and “The Mantle”. Dying Fetus also put on an incredibly brutal set and I was glad to finally see them live. Autopy was also pretty awesome, despite drama during their set that caused them to start late and get their pa shut off during their final song, but I think EHG were the ones who put on the best set of the night and set a perfect tone for the weekend.
FRIDAY:
After witnessing quite a few awesome bands on Thursday, I was incredibly stoked to arrive at the venue on Friday. I really wanted to watch Castevet play their full set, but instead I chose to roam around the various merch tables, but once I blew all of my cash insanely early in the day thanks to Relapse Records, I headed inside where I saw Nashgul and Ghoul. I then watched a few songs from Demigod while waiting for Macabre to start. Once Macabre was done, I saw a little bit of Negura Bunget and Artillery. When Artillery finished, Napalm Death came on and completely blew my doors off, right after them was Godflesh. After Godflesh was done I went inside and watched Unsane, who were awesome. I chose to peruse the merch tents while Setherial played, but I came inside and watched Nasum when their set started and they were incredible.
As far as highlights go…there were 3 bands I saw on Friday who could now easily rank among the best bands i’ve ever seen live. One was Ghoul, who brought forth a brutal thrash attack mixed with an incredible stage show and a ton of blood which is about like watching Gwar, only there’s less blood and better music. Another was Napalm Death, who are a band i’ve always wanted to see live, so getting to see them play on an outside stage in downtown Baltimore was pretty rad. Also, it didn’t hurt that they played an incredibly varied set list featuring all my favorites from the newest album “Utilitarian”, as well as songs from pretty much every other album they’ve ever done, so they definitely left an impression with me that i’ll never forget. The best performance of the day, however, belonged to Nasum who is currently on their farewell tour. In fact, to call their set the best of the day is an understatement, Nasum was definitely the best performance I saw all weekend. They played with a vicious, bloodthirsty energy, and combined with the violent nature of their songs, it created something that was visually, aurally, and physically overwhelming. Another highlight of the day was Godflesh’s set, however, after getting beaten to death by Napalm Death, Godflesh were more of a surreal experience than an overwhelming one.
SATURDAY:
After getting grinded to bits on Friday by Nasum, Napalm Death, and Godflesh, I have to admit, it was incredibly difficult getting out of bed on Saturday and prepare for another full day of metal. Once I arrived on Saturday, I was immediately greeted by three grind bands in a row. I didn’t watch much of Infernal Stronghold, but I really enjoyed Bloody Phoenix and Looking For An Answer quite a bit. Once the incredible Looking For An Answer finished, it was Dragged Into Sunlight’s turn. They were by far one of the more visually intimidating bands I saw during the weekend. After watching a bit of Dragged, I went outside and watched British crust punks Hellbastard, right after them was October 31 who feature Deceased’s King Fowley on Vocals. When October 31 were done it was legendary thrashers Morbid Saint who announced that they were playing their classic album “Spectrum Of Death” in its entireity which was awesome. When they were done, I ate and watched a little bit of The Devil’s Blood, Deviated Instinct, and Anvil. When Anvil finished, I got to see Confessor which was awesome, they were way better live than I imagined they’d be. After they finished, I watched the first two or three songs from Brujeria which featured Shane from Napalm Death, and Jeff from Carcass. I then went inside to get a good spot for Noothgrush who were absolutely fantastic and incredibly heavy. After Noothgrush, I found a good spot for Morbid Angel where I waited for them to come on…20 minutes and an incredibly long intro later and they finally showed up. I had never seen them before, so it was nice to see a legendary death metal band, however, my feet hurt and I wanted a good spot for the last 3 inside bands, so I made my way inside shortly thereafter.
While waiting for Morbid Angel to finish, I was hanging out inside and getting ready for the start of Tsjuder’s set. I wasn’t particularly stoked to see Tsjuder, but I wanted a good spot for Haemorrhage, so I watched their whole set and i’m really glad I did because they killed it. Once Tsjuder finished their set with a fantastic cover of Mayhem’s “Deathcrush”, Haemorrhage took the stage a short while later, dressed as doctors and nurses and it was time to party. Haemorrhage are a band from Spain and their songs are all related to the medical field, they are also always one of the most requested to play at MDF, and after seeing them on Saturday night, I can certainly see why, they were very impressive and i’ve never seen so many people crowd-surf before. Once they were done, Winter took the stage and I thought I would be impressed by them, but after witnessing Haemorrhage’s incredibly intense set, Winter just didn’t do anything for me due to their music being super slow. The main highlights of Saturday for me were October 31′s fantastic stage presence and guitar hero friendly music, Noothgrush’s absolutely crushing and very headbangable riffs, Morbid Saint playing their classic album all the way through, and Haemorrhage’s incredible energy and stage presence. In fact, Haemorrhage was the fourth band I saw this weekend that I knew would be in my MDF top five.
SUNDAY:
When I woke up on Sunday, I was incredibly stoked that I would be seeing Suffocation and Electric Wizard that night, but I was not stoked that it meant the fest would be over soon. Sunday at MDF started much like the past 3 days, which featured a ton of incredibly fast punk/grind/death bands. I didn’t watch much of Backslider, but I really enjoyed Coke Bust, and though I wanted to watch all of Agents Of Abhorrence’s set, I made my way outside for Disma and they did not disappoint. After Disma’s incredibly crushing set, I tried to watch Cough, but the room was so crowded and hot that I decided to look at merch while waiting for Rwake to come on. After watching Rwake, I was in a fantastic mood because they put on an amazing show. The down-side to seeing Rwake play one of the best sets of the weekend is the fact that it made it that much harder to enjoy Church Of Misery who weren’t as intense, so I went inside to watch Ulcerate for a bit, which was a good decision because they were absolutely crushing. I did, however, come back out later and finish watching Church Of Misery and you could tell they got much better as they warmed up. When they finished, I made my way back inside to watch Yob who were awesome, after them it was Suffocation. Suffocation were by far, one of my most anticipated of the weekend and they definitely did not disappoint. During Suffo’s set, however, I snuck inside for a minute to watch the band Nausea who had Leon from Exhumed/Intronaut/Murder Construct on guitar and they were awesome.
When Suffo ended, everybody made their way across the lot to see Saint Vitus, but I decided to hang in the back and get a good spot for Electric Wizard since I had already seen Vitus before, but I could hear them very well and they absolutely killed it. Right as Saint Vitus’ set was ending it began to rain and I knew automatically that Electric Wizard was going to be a moment i’d never forget. After Vitus ended and Wizard got tuned up, the rain held off for a little bit, only to fall again during “Dopethrone”. I kind of thought Electric Wizard was going to be an overwhelming experience, but like Godflesh, it was more surreal because they are a band I never thought i’d get to see live and yet, they were completely mesmerizing. Needless to say Electric Wizard were one of the main highlights of the day, but the main band that stuck with me was Rwake, there was an energy and a magic to their set that I had never experienced before. Suffocation and Disma were the two heaviest bands of the day and I really enjoyed them quite a bit, but honestly, there wasn’t a single band all day that didn’t bring the thunder completely and i’m glad the fest ended on a super high note.
After spending all weekend at Sonar, at stages both inside and out, I couldn’t help but be impressed with just how well-ran and organized it was. Another thing that I thought was neat is how many awesome people I got to meet, whether they be a fan, a musician, or a journalist. Another cool thing was the merch selection which featured numerous vendors. I managed to grab some pretty cool records, but my favorites were the Roadburn edition of dISEMBOWELMENT’s “Transcendence Into The Peripheral” and Testament – “The New Order” as well as records from Noothgrush, Kings Destroy, and Coalesce. I also managed to get a few awesome cassette tapes from bands like Bolt Thrower, Pantera, Slayer, and Overkill. As far as shirts go, I got special MDF shirts from Disma and Nasum as well as shirts from Haemorrhage and Napalm Death. All in all, this was definitely one of the best weekends i’ve ever had and if I get the chance to go to MDF again, i’m certainly going to jump at it.
June 3, 2012 | Categories: Show Reviews | Tags: absu, agalloch, disma, dying fetus, electric wizard, eyehategod, ghoul, godflesh, haemorrhage, looking for an answer, maryland deathfest x 2012, napalm death, nasum, rorschach, rwake, sonar baltimore, suffocation | 3 Comments »
A couple of days ago, I posted my list of the 10 albums that didn’t make it onto my top 25 favorite metal albums of the year list, but who should have. Today i’m posted part 1 of that top 25 list. If you feel the need to listen to any of these bands based on my description, i’ve included my favorite song from each record to give you a reference point.
Part 2 of this list, featuring my ten favorite metal albums of the year will be released on new years day, and it will also be in the January issue of the Spazzine, which should be on newsstands around the first week or two of January.
Please enjoy, and if you think i’m stupid for ranking something too low, too high, or not at all, please comment.
11. Absu – Abzu
This album is a full on black metal assault. Traditional black metal riffs and rhythms are abound, but it has a little something extra, namely a king diamondesque howl on the first track, and a barrage of skin-charring riffs that make it my favorite black metal album of the year. Favorite song: Earth Ripper.
12. Havok – Time Is Up
I don’t usually like thrash revival bands because there’s no sense in re-inventing a perfect wheel, however, Havok have released one of my favorite thrash albums i’ve ever heard, and that’s saying alot. This album is full of bonecrushing thrash riffs, and solo’s and songwriting ability that would make Dave Mustaine smile. Favorite song: Fatal Intervention.
13. Crowbar – Sever The Wicked Hand
An incredible sludge machine from the creators of the new orleans sludge sound. Plenty of awesome signature Crowbar moments on this album that will make you want to break everything you own and then re-think your entire life. Favorite song: Cemetary Angels.
14. Helms Alee – Weatherhead
This album is beautiful. Lots of shoegazey parts and a crushing guitar/bass tone courtesy of amps made by their guitarist Ben Verellen. Definitely one of the best albums put out by Hydra Head in a while. Favorite song: 8/16.
15. Exhumed – All Guts, No Glory
I love death metal with gory lyrics and this album brings that by the boatload. Matt Harvey is a fantastic guitarist and this album absolutely crushes. There are more than a handful of memorable riffs and lyrics on this album and it is definitely more than just a comeback album. Favorite song: Your Funeral, My Feast.
16. Burzum – Fallen
Very weird album full of non-traditional black metal elements, but this album it also has some amazing signature buzzsaw black metal guitar riffs that completely rule. Favorite song: Jeg Faller.
17. Craft – Void
Very angry, anti-social black metal with a bit of thrash and death thrown in to make it sound even nastier. Very crusty black metal album and perfect for jamming on a bad day. Favorite song: I Want To Commit Murder.
18. Hate Eternal – Phoenix Among Ashes
Erik Rutan returns with another solid, brutal as hell death metal album. Most death metal bands these days get boring after 5 or 6 songs but not this album, it has enough flavor to keep every song fresh and awesome. Favorite song: The Art Of Redemption
19. Vallenfyre – A Fragile King
Members of Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, and At The Gates created a masterpiece that perfectly mixes doom with swedish death metal. My favorite guitar tone ever. Favorite song: Cathedrals Of Dread
20. Dark Castle – Surrender To All Life Beyond Form
This album is a smorgasbord of atmosphere and crushing riffs with a bit of a doom flavor. Even more amazing is that this band is only 2 people. Favorite song: Surrender to all life beyond form.
21. Macabre – Grim Scary Tales
Death metal songs about serial killers sung with hooks ripped straight out of nursery rhymes. This album is terribly sick and twisted, but the vocal hooks are so infectious that they stay stuck in your head forever, particularly their renditions of “The Big Bad Wolf” and Venom’s “Countess Bathory”. Favorite song: The Dark Knight
22. Looking For An Answer – Eterno Treblinka
Incredible spanish grind in the vein of Napalm Death or Brutal Truth. My favorite part of this album is when the singer growls and it sounds like he’s making fart noises with his mouth and growling at the same time. Favorite song: Campo De Exterminio(but listen to the song before it for the sweet growls leading up to this song).
23. Batillus – Furnace
Super doomy and droney. This album is full of incredibly heavy riffs, but also has some Isis-esque post-metal swing at times. Favorite song: …And the World is as Night to Them.
24. Haemorrhage – Hospital Carnage
Spanish goregrind songs about death in a hospital. Best songtitles ever and the dude growls with a pitchshifter at times so it sounds like a demon growling about flesh devouring pandemia. Many very memorable and catchy riffs on this album make it certainly standout amongst most other death metal albums this year. Favorite song: 911 (emergency slaughter).
25. Wormrot – Dirge
These Singapore grind warriors completely destroy. 25 songs and most all of them are a minute or less. Incredibly mean record with many testicle-shattering riffs. Favorite song: Compulsive Disposition
December 31, 2011 | Categories: Listomania | Tags: absu, batillus, burzum, craft, crowbar, dark castle, exhumed, haemorrhage, hate eternal, havok, helms alee, intronaut, looking for an answer, macabre, paradise lost, vallenfyre, wormrot | Leave A Comment »
After getting grinded to bits on Friday by Nasum, Napalm Death, and Godflesh, I have to admit, it was incredibly difficult getting out of bed on Saturday and prepare for another full day of metal. Once I arrived on Saturday, I was immediately greeted by three grind bands in a row. I didn’t watch much of Infernal Stronghold, but I really enjoyed Bloody Phoenix and Looking For An Answer quite a bit. Once the incredible Looking For An Answer finished, it was Dragged Into Sunlight’s turn. They were by far one of the more visually intimidating bands I saw during the weekend. After watching a bit of Dragged, I went outside and watched British crust punks Hellbastard, right after them was October 31 who feature Deceased’s King Fowley on Vocals. When October 31 were done it was legendary thrashers Morbid Saint who announced that they were playing their classic album “Spectrum Of Death” in its entireity which was awesome. When they were done, I ate and watched a little bit of The Devil’s Blood, Deviated Instinct, and Anvil. When Anvil finished, I got to see Confessor which was awesome, they were way better live than I imagined they’d be. After they finished, I watched the first two or three songs from Brujeria which featured Shane from Napalm Death, and Jeff from Carcass. I then went inside to get a good spot for Noothgrush who were absolutely fantastic and incredibly heavy. After Noothgrush, I found a good spot for Morbid Angel where I waited for them to come on…20 minutes and an incredibly long intro later and they finally showed up. I had never seen them before, so it was nice to see a legendary death metal band, however, my feet hurt and I wanted a good spot for the last 3 inside bands, so I made my way inside shortly thereafter.
While waiting for Morbid Angel to finish, I was hanging out inside and getting ready for the start of Tsjuder’s set. I wasn’t particularly stoked to see Tsjuder, but I wanted a good spot for Haemorrhage, so I watched their whole set and i’m really glad I did because they killed it. Once Tsjuder finished their set with a fantastic cover of Mayhem’s “Deathcrush”, Haemorrhage took the stage a short while later, dressed as doctors and nurses and it was time to party. Haemorrhage are a band from Spain and their songs are all related to the medical field, they are also always one of the most requested to play at MDF, and after seeing them on Saturday night, I can certainly see why, they were very impressive and i’ve never seen so many people crowd-surf before. Once they were done, Winter took the stage and I thought I would be impressed by them, but after witnessing Haemorrhage’s incredibly intense set, Winter just didn’t do anything for me due to their music being super slow. The main highlights of Saturday for me were October 31′s fantastic stage presence and guitar hero friendly music, Noothgrush’s absolutely crushing and very headbangable riffs, Morbid Saint playing their classic album all the way through, and Haemorrhage’s incredible energy and stage presence. In fact, Haemorrhage was the fourth band I saw this weekend that I knew would be in my MDF top five.
When Suffo ended, everybody made their way across the lot to see Saint Vitus, but I decided to hang in the back and get a good spot for Electric Wizard since I had already seen Vitus before, but I could hear them very well and they absolutely killed it. Right as Saint Vitus’ set was ending it began to rain and I knew automatically that Electric Wizard was going to be a moment i’d never forget. After Vitus ended and Wizard got tuned up, the rain held off for a little bit, only to fall again during “Dopethrone”. I kind of thought Electric Wizard was going to be an overwhelming experience, but like Godflesh, it was more surreal because they are a band I never thought i’d get to see live and yet, they were completely mesmerizing. Needless to say Electric Wizard were one of the main highlights of the day, but the main band that stuck with me was Rwake, there was an energy and a magic to their set that I had never experienced before. Suffocation and Disma were the two heaviest bands of the day and I really enjoyed them quite a bit, but honestly, there wasn’t a single band all day that didn’t bring the thunder completely and i’m glad the fest ended on a super high note.
After spending all weekend at Sonar, at stages both inside and out, I couldn’t help but be impressed with just how well-ran and organized it was. Another thing that I thought was neat is how many awesome people I got to meet, whether they be a fan, a musician, or a journalist. Another cool thing was the merch selection which featured numerous vendors. I managed to grab some pretty cool records, but my favorites were the Roadburn edition of dISEMBOWELMENT’s “Transcendence Into The Peripheral” and Testament – “The New Order” as well as records from Noothgrush, Kings Destroy, and Coalesce. I also managed to get a few awesome cassette tapes from bands like Bolt Thrower, Pantera, Slayer, and Overkill. As far as shirts go, I got special MDF shirts from Disma and Nasum as well as shirts from Haemorrhage and Napalm Death. All in all, this was definitely one of the best weekends i’ve ever had and if I get the chance to go to MDF again, i’m certainly going to jump at it.
