Another weekend of pure Heavy Metal hellfire begins, this time with Thrash Metal (mostly of the old school, evil variety) being the main focus. Time to dig into this weekend of extreme aggression that was unleashed upon a picturesque Czechia town.
Friday
Sexmag hail from Poland, blasting the festival into life with a lustful blasphemous rage of true metallic spirits. These maniacs desecrated the room with their unholy medley of evil Heavy Metal with scything sonics and impressive visuals to deliver the promised execution sadistically. Scattering the crucifix both literally and figuratively, this is exactly how to explosively start an underground festival to a horde of adoring bangers.
Nuclear Revenge continue the ferocity with their Black-Thrash mayhem. Firing on all cylinders, their blasting and savage riffs accompanied by banshee shrieked vocal assaults really felt a natural way to continue from Sexmag. For many, this underground act was clearly the next surge of adrenaline required to storm on with their day. Another totally raging set.
Schizophrenia are one well oiled machine. Giving us one of the most crushing and tight sets of the weekend. This Death-Thrashing Belgian bunch have two extremely refined guitarists, an insane drummer and their vocalist / bassist in perfect harmony. Each member violently impassioned and yet always playing with razor precision and masses of energy. Their set flew by in a flurry of headbanging and merciless morbidity.
Whiplash close the night with their classic power thrashing death. A legendary band, who as last minute replacement for Razor managed to fill the bill triumphantly with all in the room clearly satisfied by this last minute addition. A very worthy replacement, the trio play as tight as ever and with great presence to destroy all one last time for the evening. Bringing the first night to an explosive close of total 80s mania, all were left satisfied by the lash of the whip.
Saturday
Destructo open the day with a horde of blasphemous noises. A trio of tyrants whose hostile and debaucherous performance was rivalled only by the total annihilation that their sound conveyed. Firing filth from every angle, the Blackened Thrash sadistically delivered death to all with no mercy. Like a storm of South American-style hellfire, none were spared by the ravaging artillery of Destructo.
Sacrifizer ramped the energy into overdrive with their blistering Speed Metal, albeit with a blackened edge. I always thought this band sounds like if Agent Steel and Nifelheim collided, so naturally I adore them. Just as strong as on the record, these five maniacs tear the stage apart with a ridiculously tight performance, excellent sound and ferocious energy. The drummers varied attack and use of rototoms (always a way to win my love), along with the thick and pummelling bass tone met savagely sharp guitars and razor-like vocals, altogether ripping Pisek apart with pure steel.
Old are obviously one of the main draws of this weekend for most, myself included. The German Black-Thrash masters do not disappoint with their Celtic Frost adoration and blistering venomous rage. The slaughter took things into overdrive for the entire set, refusing to leave when the sound was cut. These veterans of violence stayed and got their finale, playing to a rabid and restless crowd who clearly felt the call to warfare that Old blasted into their guts.
Metalucifer were phenomenal in Germany last weekend at Keep It True Rising, so my hopes were already high. Getting to be front and centre against the stage by Gezol made it even cooler to be here. The Japanese horde play an utterly amazing set of their classic Heavy Metal anthems, to a crowd whose voices almost drown the band out. Headbanging, raging and fists pounding; the love for Metalucifer could be felt through the whole room and it is obviously well earned.
Death Strike close the weekend. Paul Speckmann and co give us true Death Metal morbidity with breakneck delivery. Every second felt a crushing blow of true intensity as the trios massive sound ripped all apart leaving only viscera in their wake. The nasty vocals and pungent instruments insured the evening fell into the abyss with charnel putridity of the most rotten fashion. A festering end to the festival that closed the coffin for now…
If you are an underground Thrash Metal maniac, this festival is perfection. Showcasing enough diversity while keeping it fast and furious, there is not a second of this weekend where whiplash headbanging was not required. An absolute must attend event for the thrashers of the world who prefer it old school.
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