GIG REVIEW: Thrash Nightmare XI (Pisek, Czechia)

After having one hell of a time last year, it is my utmost pleasure to return to the Czech Republic for the eleventh edition of Thrash Nightmare festival! Two days of underground power-thrashing-death! Although I watched and thoroughly enjoyed every band, I thought it best to simply talk about my highlights. Let’s thrash!

Friday

Flageladör prove the golden rule that Brazilians are some of the wildest headbangers on the planet. Their utterly ferocious set spanning several albums and a storied career was an enchanting and diabolical assault on the senses. After fellow Brazilians Gravedancer kicked things off strong, Flageladör cranked it to eleven and set the tone for mayhem…

Hellish Crossfire is a real cult name in the German underground, one of those bands you should feel lucky to see. The wrecking crew really did put on one hell of a show which embodied all of the Black-Thrash might that such a band should be associated with. Reaping us with the scythe until all had fallen to their evil powers, I was over the moon to see these maniacs perform such a killer set and honour the memory of the late and legendary Sick. These guys clearly have plenty of fire in their bellies ready to spew like dragon’s breath into such a raging audience as one can find at Thrash Nightmare.

Blood Feast are another cult band that I never expected to see and was very glad when their logo was inked onto the poster. With their debut album and “Face Fate” EP both regularly spun here and the newer releases of equally high quality; this band is set to kill. The old schoolers absolutely crushed and managed to pack the room with die-hards hungry for 80s metal mayhem. Blood Feast are still putting out quality albums and playing phenomenal sets, the classics cannot die!

Deströyer 666 was a last minute addition, due to a cancelling from Exciter. Thankfully Thrash Nightmare managed to get such a superb choice in their hour of need. Funnily enough, this is the second time I’ve seen Deströyer 666 save the day at the eleventh hour (the first being at The Abyss Festival in Sweden, 2022). Anyways, this setlist was a bit more focussed around the first two albums which is a special and unusual treat. Although plenty of ragers from across their spotless career were played, seeing songs from the first and second records did feel a bit more like a unique occasion even though “Wildfire” remains my favourite by the band. As always, I had a blast and the crowd went berserk to this horde of bestial Black-Thrashing demons as the night came to an ecstatic eruption around midnight.

Saturday

Mörghuul I knew from reviewing their absolutely fantastic new LP. These youngsters were rabid, going absolutely crazy on stage with a crowd who clearly adored them. Stage-diving, headbanging and moshing ensured the energy was high as the Czech maniacs ferociously blistered through their scathing set of Black/Speed/Thrash delights from hell. Their frontman had a magnificently mental presence while the instrumentals were all triumphant and rehearsed, lacerating the air with high speed sonic razors. I was extremely impressed by just how killer these guys were live, making me love the record even more. Absolute mayhem!

Blackevil continued the evil with their mystically dark Black-Thrash Metal. Elements of more traditional Heavy Metal creep into their ritualistic and eerie sounds which have a bit more atmosphere but no less savagery than necessary to play this festival. Between them and Witching Hour, a more occult ambience is achieved while the 80s Heavy/Thrash and first wave Black Metal legends can be felt in spirit. Another truly bewitching set of flaming ferocity that captivated my attention throughout.

Witching Hour is one of my favourite bands. Their last album is probably my favourite release to come out in my lifetime. So my hopes were high. Thankfully the trio, joined by Max from Attic to add extra shredding magic to the set, did not let me down. Their mystical, eerie and otherworldly Blackened Heavy Metal onslaught was bewitching and evil to the maximum. This band had my full engagement from start to end, with their haunting songs casting spectral spells into the room for ultimate arcane armageddon. There is something truly special about Witching Hour’s chilling music and I am so glad it translated so wonderfully in a live environment.

Skelethal took us into the crypt for a lethal dose of Death Metal ferocity. Bludgeoning the crowd with some classic extremity that felt like a mix of Morbid Angel, Dismember and Grave; these guys were extremely well-rehearsed and had a brutal live sound which lived up to their brilliant records in true glory. While more of a Death Metal band than anything else on the bill, their traditionalist approach to the genre made sure they fit in well and got the same headbanging and roaring appreciation from the room. After really liking this band for quite some years, it was perfect to see them live in such a setting at last. Totally morbid, charnel greatness!

Cruel Force was the highlight of the weekend for me personally. While every band ruled, these guys just brought pure Heavy Metal energy and power to the stage with a crushing set of tight, old school glory. The dry ice filled the air and the walls of Marshall amps were screaming as electric riffing and hammering drums surged through the air cut only by laser beams of vocals. Mixing the debut and latest album for the majority of the set but with a number from album two and closing with a cover of NWOBHM legends Holocaust, this set was pure mania. Running wild into the night, Cruel Force had a well-earned crowd of maniacs going utterly insane to their majestic set. Feel the power surge!

Protector adds to the list of superb 80s legends who continued putting out elite albums right up to this very day. The German/Swedish horde covered the essentials from “Golem”, “Misanthropy”, “A Shedding Of Skin”, “Urm The Mad” and also plenty of their excellent later releases. The set felt well balanced and the maniacally macabre delivery from the band, especially frontman Martin, was totally barbaric. These guys had a lot of people holding their breath but the delivery was of an exceptionally sadistic quality that we maniacs all loved.

Morbid Saint closed the festival with a bang. Intense performance and extremely tight musicianship, mostly centred around their golden masterpiece “Spectrum of Death” along with some newer tracks ensured headbangers could lose their minds one last time to Death-Thrashing violence. The guitars were perfect, the drums lethal and vocals savage for this most excellent headline set from a band I’ve wanted to see for many years. I was unsure how well these legends would sound so far into their existence, especially on the classic material, but I felt stupid for doubting even for a second when the horde blinded us with total magnificence.

So that’s it, two days of endless pain and extreme aggression! Thrash Nightmare brings us back to the olden days of Thrash Metal, but also keeps the current underground spirit burning bright with equally worthy fresh blood. This mixing ground of Thrash, Speed, Heavy, Black and Death Metal from the ancient days and the current subterranean world is absolutely perfect and I can’t wait to return for more darkness and evil! I’ll be back for more Bohemian barbaric brutality…