Roadburn
Festival 2012
April 12-15th
Tilburg, Holland
April 12-15th
Tilburg, Holland
subjective reflections
part I
part I
part I includes: a
festival overview + Virus, Michael Gira, Chelsea Wolfe, Yob,
Nachtmystium, Hexvessel, Dark Buddha Rising, Oranssi Pazuzu)
* * *
part II includes: Urfaust, The Wounded Kings, Solstafir, Bong, Doom, Necros Christos, Electric Orange, Bongripper, Kong
click here to visit part II
. . . every truth is fragile . . . every knowledge must be learned over and over again, every night . . . we grow not in a straight line but in ascending and descending and tilting circles . . . what gives us power one year robs us of power the next, for nothing is settled, ever, for anyone. What makes this bearable is awe.
Carlos Castaneda
What a great thing, to be
alive.
To start over every day despite everything you know and against everything you know, yet somehow still find a way to keep a few dreams aflame, daring to hope that at one point they will materialize. And when it happens, to understand yet again that you live for that precious moment, for being truly in it, then and there, when nothing else in this world matters - circumstances or regrets, past or future, life or death. When it comes to this thing called music, that is the moment I seek, that is the joy that I crave.
To start over every day despite everything you know and against everything you know, yet somehow still find a way to keep a few dreams aflame, daring to hope that at one point they will materialize. And when it happens, to understand yet again that you live for that precious moment, for being truly in it, then and there, when nothing else in this world matters - circumstances or regrets, past or future, life or death. When it comes to this thing called music, that is the moment I seek, that is the joy that I crave.
On Sunday May 27th,
one of my biggest dreams was fulfilled - I finally saw Bethlehem perform live as part of MDF X. Such a good line-up this
year…but I was there for this one very special German band alone. I never
thought it would happen, and I didn’t think it would happen until I finally saw
them on stage. And looking back I still can’t believe it happened…they
definitely were incredible.
Bethlehem means something to me. Their 1994 Dark Metal still remains one of the most stunning debut albums I ever heard, shaping me into who I am today, being both my blessing and curse. And to this day everything they did till S.U.I.Z.I.D still remains unparalleled, undeniably brilliant. I’ve always thought they were not praised enough…either way, seeing them in flesh has brought me back to life.
Bethlehem means something to me. Their 1994 Dark Metal still remains one of the most stunning debut albums I ever heard, shaping me into who I am today, being both my blessing and curse. And to this day everything they did till S.U.I.Z.I.D still remains unparalleled, undeniably brilliant. I’ve always thought they were not praised enough…either way, seeing them in flesh has brought me back to life.
Thank you Jürgen, Olaf,
Steve and Malte!
I was truly in awe, and your performance was flawless and unbearably magical for this one fan.
I was truly in awe, and your performance was flawless and unbearably magical for this one fan.
* * *
I almost didn’t make it this
year. After multiple pillaging expeditions through Europe last year and having
seen quite a few festivals (Roadburn in Holland, Inferno in Norway, Party San
in Germany, a few days of leisure in Vienna, Dark Bombastic
Evening in Romania and then back to Norway for Hole In The Sky) I returned to
the US exhausted, worn out both mentally and physically. It was worth
it though, you have to push yourself to the limits sometimes to know what you’re
made of.
There was just no way I was going to miss Roadburn this year, and before I knew it, going back became the main focus for me above everything and all. All I could think about was re-living the unforgettable time I had last year.
There was just no way I was going to miss Roadburn this year, and before I knew it, going back became the main focus for me above everything and all. All I could think about was re-living the unforgettable time I had last year.
The festival has been over
for over for almost two months now, and this late review comes out now not
because of laziness, but because I really needed time to recover. Literally. My
ears were buzzing for long time after it was finished, and a week of having a good time in Holland (yes, I did smoke quite a bit) and
experiencing yet again the wonder that this festival has become, a good pause
from everything and all was necessary.
Until I saw Bethlehem and Ulcerate at MDF which brought me back to life...so I started writing and editing photos a week ago. Enjoy.
Roadburn Festival was yet again beyond my wildest expectations.
What you've heard is for real, this event is today the most exquisite live experience a music fan can treat him/herself to. The fact that people from over forty countries came together this year and three thousand tickets sold out in five minutes months in advance speaks volumes of the quality we’re talking about here. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s a miracle that something as incredibly beautiful and diverse as Roadburn even exists. Last year was my first time in Tilburg, and if I had to be honest. I'd say that I didn’t think they could top it simply because the line-up for 2012 defied reality. But they did, and then some.
Until I saw Bethlehem and Ulcerate at MDF which brought me back to life...so I started writing and editing photos a week ago. Enjoy.
Roadburn Festival was yet again beyond my wildest expectations.
What you've heard is for real, this event is today the most exquisite live experience a music fan can treat him/herself to. The fact that people from over forty countries came together this year and three thousand tickets sold out in five minutes months in advance speaks volumes of the quality we’re talking about here. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s a miracle that something as incredibly beautiful and diverse as Roadburn even exists. Last year was my first time in Tilburg, and if I had to be honest. I'd say that I didn’t think they could top it simply because the line-up for 2012 defied reality. But they did, and then some.
Think about it: where else
are you going to see the almighty Sleep
play their seminal album Dopesmoker
from beginning to end (confessing later that it was their best show ever),
sharing a bill with a kick ass Canadian band called Dopethrone, then add to the mix Chicago’s
Bongripper doing two skull crushing sets,
and on the last day you have Newcastle’s Bong
(who were truly exceptional!) ending the fest? Notice a theme here? Was this was the perfect time for a Bongwater reunion, or what! Add to this
Michael Barberian of Season Of Mist and the ever enthusiastic Gunnar Sauermann
giving away Saint Vitus rolling
papers – that’s what I call a recipe for success. Priceless!
From the moment your plane lands in Amsterdam, you’re a different person. Life
just changes, all the negative noise your brains make ends and realize how
lucky you are, being just a few days away from the most fun you’ll have
anywhere else that year.
Roadburn is the place where
you go once and you get this wonderful feeling of familiarity, as if you’ve
always been there but somehow you just don’t remember it all, it's just flashes. You’re surrounded by
genuine people, happiness, camaraderie, love of life and truly good music. Everyone
is one, musician and fan alike - it’s the crossroad where the most bizarre, diverse,
hardworking, and genre-bending artists come to have a party and share who they
are with a select crowd of fans who truly get it, those always in search for
something new and exciting (and lucky enough to get their hands on a ticket of
course). There is something for every ear and soul once April comes in Tilburg,
and when you take a step back and reflect, it all makes sense there, especially
the things that don’t make sense.
This year for example Chelsea Wolfe shared the stage with Necros Chrisos, Hexvessel with Doom, Agalloch with Killing Joke, Electric Orange with Dark Buddha Rising, Dopethrone with Urfaust, Black Cobra with The
Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation, and so on.
It’s just like in life, and in
some cases you live with the consequences forever because what you chose to
pass on will most likely never
happen again - case in point: I would have killed to see Celestial Season play their Solar Lovers from beginning to end, but
I needed to see Dark Buddha Rising soooo
badly. Everywhere you looked on the bill it was pretty much the same story.
Uff...decisions, decisions…
This year was particularly
special for me as Roadburn welcomed Costin Chioreanu as official visual artist
for the festival. Not only an incredibly gifted young artist but a good friend
and a wonderful human being, Costin’s art decorated the red walls of 013 and
filled me with a feeling of national pride, seeing his life long
efforts and dreams being appreciated on a platform as special as
Roadburn brought me great joy. I did a story on his life and work here, please check
it out.
It goes to show that
this festival really is about authenticity and value above all, quality over
quantity, support and appreciation going to those who may be unknown to the
masses but truly deserve it.
Costin with Kvohst
Costin with Kvohst
The festival also got a bit
smaller but more special this year. Midi Theater got closed but in exchange we
were treated with a wonderful new venue, Het Patronaat. It’s pretty much an old
church turned into a concert hall. Smaller than Midi, Het Patronnat has a vibe
of its own and brings a special aura to the fest, having great architecture and
stained glass work. To think that bands like Doom, Oranssi Pazuzu, Solstafir or Bongripper performed there is quite remarkable.
So let’s get down to business now. What follows is the first part of some selected memories (in no particular order) I brought back. Last year I reviewed the festival day by day (links are here: Day One, Day Two, Day Three) but this time I'm doing a different approach, choosing the artists I'd talk about randomly.
I hope you enjoy.
No matter how much I wanted to see Disembowelment, there was no way I was going to miss seeing Virus.
I L O V E VIRUS!!!
The second time seeing this phenomenal act, they were the main reason for my visit to the last edition of Hole In the Sky and once again one of the most convincing arguments to visit Roadburn.
Carl Michael Eide to me is
unparalleled, by any standard. Besides the fact that on a personal level I
always worshiped everything this man has touched (from Ulver’s 1993 demo to Ved
Buens Ende to Cadaver), he’s
always been one of the most truly gifted and exceptional musicians out there, and
seeing him today on stage with Aura Noir
and especially with Virus is
something beyond words.
The band has become incredibly tighter live, way more confident and lethal. Virus is the exact opposite of everything that feels normal or familiar. Each song feels like a defibrillator, so twisted and beautifully bizarre, overwhelming to the point where you can’t believe a human being with two legs and two feet can write music like this.
Czar is the ultimate alien composer for me, a true genius drawing inspiration from other galaxies, hiding in one of the most kind, genuine and humble man you’ve ever met. It was so great seeing him again and getting a chance to catch up.
Needless to say, it was the first show of the festival for me (I literally just made it in and ran straight to the stage as they had just started) and still stands out as one of the best performances of the entire festival overall. Virus totally killed it!
The set list was as criminal as it could have been, to say the least:
Red Desert Sand, Be Elevator, As Virulent As You,
Chromium Sun, The Black Flux, Carheart, Road, The Agent That Shaped The Desert,
Shame Eclipse, Queen Of The High-Ace, Stalkers Of The Drift.The band has become incredibly tighter live, way more confident and lethal. Virus is the exact opposite of everything that feels normal or familiar. Each song feels like a defibrillator, so twisted and beautifully bizarre, overwhelming to the point where you can’t believe a human being with two legs and two feet can write music like this.
Czar is the ultimate alien composer for me, a true genius drawing inspiration from other galaxies, hiding in one of the most kind, genuine and humble man you’ve ever met. It was so great seeing him again and getting a chance to catch up.
Needless to say, it was the first show of the festival for me (I literally just made it in and ran straight to the stage as they had just started) and still stands out as one of the best performances of the entire festival overall. Virus totally killed it!
The set list was as criminal as it could have been, to say the least:
Dylan Burns: We arrived a bit late
but very much ready: Fumigated, spiritually adrift, and feeling the love. Virus had just started. They mostly
played material from their chilling new album, The Agent that Shapes the
Desert, although one or two oldies from Carheart
made an appearance. I was particularly pleased to hear the creepy warbled
instrumental that is Roads.
Virus is one of those bands
where, despite an excellent ensemble, it really is all about one guy, and he,
of course, is Carl-Michael Eide. Even in his innocuous moments—rolling to the
drum riser to get a drink of water, coldly surveying the audience for a spare
moment—he draws your complete and utter attention: This man has done, see,
thought more than you; there are depths and whorls and skies that you don’t
know, but he does, and which you might get a taste of, if you pay attention for
a minute. Then he begins singing...
fan moment #1
Upon finding out that
Virus would play Roadburn I did a
piece paying tribute to Czral and his work. I just had to, and it's one of the pieces I'm most proud of. Two years ago I flew to
Inferno because of a rumor, that he’d be on stage with Aura Noir. It happened, it was one of
the best shows ever and you can read about it here. Out of principle, today I
refuse to see Aura Noir without him
on stage...a tribute to Czral along with an interview is here.
To see more photos and
read about Virus playing the last edition of Hole In The Sky,
Reunion with Czral...priceless!
***
Michael Gira
Oh boy…this one was truly
emotional. It’s quite crazy that two of the main names I went to Roadburn for
this year played back to back smack in the very beginning of the fest. It felt unreal to say the least. Almost as if some divine thing up there ferociously slapped me a few times and then shook me and yelled “Alright, now let’s see what you’re really made of. Survive this if you can:
take Czral and Gira back to back!”
What a tremendous and
thrilling experience to be yet again just a few feet away from none other than Michael Gira, only this time around see
him with nothing more than an acoustic guitar, stomping his feet and screaming
his lungs out. A lot of musicians playing the festival in the crowd, people who
knew what’s what were there. Gira was in it, calm and composed in between
songs, only to turn into a disarming, nostalgic demon once in them. I felt
goose bumps throughout the entire set…all I could think of was that I was then
and there, this was actually happening and I would most likely never re-live it
again. Eden Prison and Jim from the come back album were
intense as hell. I recognized a few well selected tunes from Angels Of Light. But when he started
playing She Lives! I thought I was
gonna faint - everyone held their breath and were in disbelief.
Congratulations and
Thank You to those who were present…and a sincere WTF?! to the handful of people
who were chatting behind by the bar. Not cool!
Either way, it made his performance even more special in fact, as towards the set he asked the audience (about 150 or so) to get tighter and closer to the stage. That, right there was a special moment friends, and worth crossing the Atlantic ten times over alone – to be right next to him and be closely surrounded by Swans fans from all over the world…I will carry those moments to the grave.
fan moment #2
I can not imagine my life without Swans. I just can’t. So not too long before the festival occurred I felt compelled to pay him a humble tribute, by gathering some of the best photos I took of Swans in New York City in the last two years since they got back, and mixing them with some of my favorite lyrics. I think fans out there would like them, check them out.
DB: Nothing
like Virus to soften you up for the
colossus that is Michael Gira. As a
longtime Swans geek, Gira’s addition
to the lineup made the festival for me, but I was curious as to what he might
do. For some reason I expected a set mostly featuring Angels of Light material, or maybe spoken-word. False and false.
Gira played a lovely mix of Angels, some newer solo songs (with which I was not
yet familiar), and a spread of Swans material.
Eden Prison and Jim both tours de force
from the excellent 2010 comeback album, came out close to the beginning; I lost
it when he went into She Lives! the
first Swans song I ever head and
still a favorite of mine.
Either way, it made his performance even more special in fact, as towards the set he asked the audience (about 150 or so) to get tighter and closer to the stage. That, right there was a special moment friends, and worth crossing the Atlantic ten times over alone – to be right next to him and be closely surrounded by Swans fans from all over the world…I will carry those moments to the grave.
fan moment #2
I can not imagine my life without Swans. I just can’t. So not too long before the festival occurred I felt compelled to pay him a humble tribute, by gathering some of the best photos I took of Swans in New York City in the last two years since they got back, and mixing them with some of my favorite lyrics. I think fans out there would like them, check them out.
There were problems: The electro-acoustic guitar was putting out a
ton of feedback (and M.G.’s protests to the sound guy were not doing much), and
a lot of people in the back of the room were talking at the bar, a major no-no
at all events Gira. (I am afraid I saw it coming: My experience has taught me
that Dutch people and alcohol tend to produce a great deal of noise.) I swear
that at the end of She Lives! he
lurched forward with that guitar a bit into the monitors, just to abuse the
audience: the wave of feedback that emanated from the stage did not run up
through one’s toes as much as hit one in the face. I loved it, and then put in
my earplugs. Later on the audience earned a death wish from yours truly when
another favorite, Blind (from the White
Light… sessions but only later appearing on Drainland and Various
Failures), retooled as an edgy reverie with bouts of complete silence, was
marred by the chatter.
No matter: Gira was louder than them all (several times I thought to
myself about how perhaps he must be one of the LOUDEST vocalists I have ever
seen. In a room as small as Patronaat, the mic is a bit of a formality for a
guy like him. And what did Gira sound like as a baby???). A third Swans gem I thought I would never hear
played live emerged as well: I Remember
Who you Are, one of those songs from the Burning World-White
Light period that juxtaposes melody, Jarboe’s haunting sweetness, and
utterly threatening lyrics, communicated a new, darker side to its personality
that does not come across in the album recording; the finisher was, of course, God Damn the Sun, always an audience favorite.
Two hours in, and I had already seen two of my most
hotly-anticipated acts, with nary a disappointment. On a side note, the
American girl selling Gira’s merch…if she were president, she’d be Baberaham
Lincoln. (Stefan - whaaat?! :-) )
***
Chelsea
Wolfe
I did something unforgivable this year. I passed on Voivod the first night so I could see Chelsea Wolfe. It's official, I have a crush but can you blame me? I’ve been really intrigued by her music as of late, but now that I have seen her live I am totally impressed by her fantastic stage presence and delicacy. Her music is so incredibly emotional to the point where it gets abysmal, totally dark and eerie, haunting, overwhelming. It really is a bittersweet feeling to watch and experience this band, I recommend to anyone into any kind of music to see them. I don’t think a single soul who was in that room regrets any band conflicts they may have had at that very moment. Chelsea is immaculate live, and besides The Gathering’s Anneke Van Giersbergenand I doubt I’ve ever been as totally impressed by a woman on stage before. There is of course The Third And The Mortal’s Kari Rueslåtten but sadly none of us will ever see them, so I guess that doesn’t count (such a shame!)
Anyway, I’m confident this tall,
brunette siren stole a lot of hearts that night. She just puts a spell on everyone...
And because life is good, it’s
just been announced that she will be opening for Russian Circles this August in the US on their East Coast dates. I’ll
make the trip to Philly so I can see both bands twice…can’t wait. Add to that
seeing Dead Can Dance two nights in
a row and finally seeing Sigur Ros,
and this summer is already a success in New York City.
***
YOB


YOB

Ok so can we please talk
about Yob now? Holy Hell, what a monolith
of a presence!
I am getting shivers down my back just to think about it my friends, Mike Scheidt & Co. pretty much stole the festival as far as I am concerned, proving that Yob are without a doubt one of the most important and relevant metal acts in the US right now. Unfuckwithable. Period.
I am getting shivers down my back just to think about it my friends, Mike Scheidt & Co. pretty much stole the festival as far as I am concerned, proving that Yob are without a doubt one of the most important and relevant metal acts in the US right now. Unfuckwithable. Period.

I’ll never forget the
feeling I got during the first moments of Quantum
Mystic…that unspeakable energy coming from the stage, those riffs could
have literally awaken the dead from their sleep. I refused to be in the photo
pit for this one, so instead my friends and I glued ourselves to the fence, we
just had to, it was the only reasonable option. Back to the music now.
Mother of God! The whole 013 was shaking with excitement and joy, every single person was banging their heads on the same rhythm, hundreds of fists thrown in the air, pure fucking catharsis! Puny, I know. I doubt that I will ever see them play The Unreal Never Lived from beginning to end again, so that set in particular was beyond special for me…and they finished with the last song from their latest album Atma, Adrift In the Ocean…it was perfect, it felt like some wonderful kind of cleansing after the album ended.
Mother of God! The whole 013 was shaking with excitement and joy, every single person was banging their heads on the same rhythm, hundreds of fists thrown in the air, pure fucking catharsis! Puny, I know. I doubt that I will ever see them play The Unreal Never Lived from beginning to end again, so that set in particular was beyond special for me…and they finished with the last song from their latest album Atma, Adrift In the Ocean…it was perfect, it felt like some wonderful kind of cleansing after the album ended.
On Sunday they went on stage again and performed Catharsis entirely. This is the stuff dreams are made of, and boy
am I lucky to have been in the first row for both. And I just saw
them at MDF a few weeks ago…guess I have Yob
fever? Admit it, you do too!
Thank you Mike, Aaron and
Travis.
Keep going strong – the time is now, the world is finally paying attention!
Keep going strong – the time is now, the world is finally paying attention!
DB: Yob’s performance of The Unreal Never Lived start-to-finish was one of the headlining performances of the festival. The recent trend of featuring full performances of albums isn’t necessarily a good thing - think of all of the great tracks embedded in spotty releases - but some records really are perfect from beginning to end, and TUNL is one of them, a heady mixture of sludge, stoner doom, and progressive pacing and stops. Yob benefited from a terrific, enormous sound in 013 that ignited a blaze of headbanging to Quantum Mystic, and utterly crushed the audience with the conclusion of Grasping Air. From Mike Scheidt’s startling work with the delay pedals to the formidable crunch of Aaron Reisburg and Travis Foster in the rhythm section, Yob was a triumph of technical prowess as well as emotional expression. One of the festival’s best.
***
Nachtmystium
Nachtmystium
was yet another great presence this year, and in the good spirit of Roadburn
they played for the first time ever everyone’s favorite album, Instinct:Decay. What a treat! They
killed it and everyone was left wanting more. Congratulations to Blake (whom I
wasn’t too surprised to see close to the stage for Virus) for keeping this band going through all the struggle, I
think they are one of the hardest working groups in the US right now…
Saw them two years ago at Inferno in Norway, last year at Party San in Germany, plenty of times here in the US...they’re all over the place. Not bad!
Saw them two years ago at Inferno in Norway, last year at Party San in Germany, plenty of times here in the US...they’re all over the place. Not bad!
***
Hexvessel
One of the most interesting
packages this year at Roadburn was without a doubt the Finnish Hexvessel/Dark Buddha Rising combo. Together
they were one of the winning tickets for sure, both bands sharing members and
yet offering such a different musical approach and vibe.
I had the fortune of seeing Hexvessel live last year in Romania, as
they played the 3rd edition of Dark Bombastic Evening Festival in Romania (check out this new rising
festival, all Roadburn loyal fans should definitely have a wonderful experience
if you chose to go!).
Hexvessel play a very beautifully
nuanced psychedelic folk that lingers between pure joy, fantasy and nostalgia…eight
people on stage, lots of stuff going on. Very catchy and enchanting, they
definitely made a strong impression this time around too, for those with an
open mind of course. It’s fine with me that not everyone gets them, it makes me
enjoy them even more. The band is
fronted by a beautiful female presence (Marja Kontinnen) and Englishman Mat
McNerney aka Kvohst, known to most from having been in Norway’s Code and DHG.
Very interesting switch for this great musician…if you hear his clean voice you’ll be convinced it’s one of the most enchanting vocals ever in metal. And just in case this is necessary, if you’ve been missing out on Code all these years, get on it right now even if Kvohst is no longer with them. Albums like Nouveau Gloaming and Respelent Grotesque basically define the Avant-Garde Norwegian Black Metal scene. Just sayin, check them out, they’re fantastic. Which makes Hexvessel even more intriguing.
Very interesting switch for this great musician…if you hear his clean voice you’ll be convinced it’s one of the most enchanting vocals ever in metal. And just in case this is necessary, if you’ve been missing out on Code all these years, get on it right now even if Kvohst is no longer with them. Albums like Nouveau Gloaming and Respelent Grotesque basically define the Avant-Garde Norwegian Black Metal scene. Just sayin, check them out, they’re fantastic. Which makes Hexvessel even more intriguing.
DB: Hexvessel
started the next day on a good vibe. I was not familiar with their work, and
excited to be presented with shamanic ritual cleansing. Textured acoustic
passages—I counted three guitars plus bass and pipes on stage—wound along
inspiring melodies and, occasionally, heavier rhythms expressing worldly pain.
I was somewhat put off by the vocals—clean and sweet, but I think Mat McNerney
(aka Kvohst of Code fame) is still
looking for the right approach for this project—yet I could not deny the charm
of this psychedelic “forest-folk,” with an international and gender-diverse
cast. One to watch.
***
Dark
Buddha Rising
In Dark Buddha Rising, some of the guys in Hexvessel switch sides and erupt pitch black darkness all over. It’s hard to believe it’s the same guitarists, such anthetisis
between what they do with these two entities. DBR have got to be one of the most punishing, soul crushing Doom
out there in this moment. Fans of Monarch!
or Bloody Panda (check them
out!) should eat this stuff like hot bread. The band is massive live,
enwrapping every soul with a cloud of evilness I’ve rarely experience before. The
vocalist (also handling some pedal effects) brought a chalice filled with blood
and slowly poured it on himself in the beginning. The whole set felt more like
a slow and painful procession, a ritual to cross to the dark side…and it’s especially
effective because it’s trippy and psychedelic as hell. Quite a mindfuck, to be
honest. When you leave the room you feel like you sold your soul to the devil
and there’s definitely something wrong with you for even having been there. Too
late to turn back now, the Finns brought Satan and enforced him! Thank you
Finland, you got class!
Add Oranssi Pazuzu’s performance this year and seeing Circle last year now I know I want to live there!
Add Oranssi Pazuzu’s performance this year and seeing Circle last year now I know I want to live there!
DB: Members of Hexvessel also perform in Dark Buddha Rising, who opened
Saturday. After Doom literally took
Roadburn apart the night before, we were still feeling a bit sore, inside and
out—DBR didn’t care, and led us
along dark winding pathways of doom, doom, doom for the better part of an hour.
A set featuring pieces from their crushing latest album Abyssolute
Transfinite seamlessly melded the groovy vibes stoner doom and ORTHODOX
SATANISM. These guys have to be heard to be believed. Vocalist V.A. donned the
stage in corpsepaint, a lanky, twisted body with a rare body mass index (a
performance in itself), and a goblet of blood that got everywhere. Truly
unique.
***
Oranssi Pazuzu
Call it every name in the book, but at Roadburn, this was the moment that had been given me shivers down my back ever since I saw their name first on the bill...I'm getting goose bumps right now just to re-live this. It's just not natural, whatever is happening here is not of our world.
How can one even put into words what these guys are doing???!?!
It sounds like music coming from far away galaxies that somehow, by some crazy accident made it to us through a black hole.
Wicked, bizarre, tormenting, malevolent, visionary, blissful – Oranssi Pazuzu is pure madness, they are beyond any categorization or praise words. I’ve never done shrooms but I’d love to try it out during their set…what need though, these Fins ARE the ultimate sonic drug!!
Jokes aside, just listen to a song like Andromeda, it’s the stuff made of dreams, sending you floating light years away. Who would have thought when A Blaze In The Northern Sky came out, that one day we’d be listening to stuff like this, that this genre would evolve in such a way? What these guys are doing is quite unprecedented, and there is a reason why they’re easily one of the most talked about bands in the scene lately.
Oranssi Pazuzu prove there’s no limit to anything anymore, they bring a total cosmic transfiguration through a pure genius vision, and seeing them live is just unreal! A must see at any cost, and a band that totally turned Roadburn upside down!

Dear friends,
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Oranssi Pazuzu
Call it every name in the book, but at Roadburn, this was the moment that had been given me shivers down my back ever since I saw their name first on the bill...I'm getting goose bumps right now just to re-live this. It's just not natural, whatever is happening here is not of our world.
How can one even put into words what these guys are doing???!?!
It sounds like music coming from far away galaxies that somehow, by some crazy accident made it to us through a black hole.
Wicked, bizarre, tormenting, malevolent, visionary, blissful – Oranssi Pazuzu is pure madness, they are beyond any categorization or praise words. I’ve never done shrooms but I’d love to try it out during their set…what need though, these Fins ARE the ultimate sonic drug!!
Jokes aside, just listen to a song like Andromeda, it’s the stuff made of dreams, sending you floating light years away. Who would have thought when A Blaze In The Northern Sky came out, that one day we’d be listening to stuff like this, that this genre would evolve in such a way? What these guys are doing is quite unprecedented, and there is a reason why they’re easily one of the most talked about bands in the scene lately.
Oranssi Pazuzu prove there’s no limit to anything anymore, they bring a total cosmic transfiguration through a pure genius vision, and seeing them live is just unreal! A must see at any cost, and a band that totally turned Roadburn upside down!
Incidentally, they’re
playing this summer at Dark BombasticEvening IV in Romania with Hexvessel,
Dark Budda Rising aaaaand Unholy! Visit this festival, and you’ll discover a
smaller, more intimate Roadburn taking place inside a medieval fortress…hopefully
I’ll find the time to write about my experiences there last year.

DB: Like Darkspace, Oranssi Pazuzu recognize that there is nothing more cold and black
than outer space, and nothing heavier than the movement of planets. Yet somehow
their themes of cosmic and trans-dimensional exploration and majesty are
interwoven with a lush, organic vibe that speaks of the forests and hills of
their native Finland…Their music recognizes that passage of the soul into the
stars is also its journey within, and nature is nature, whether in the sky or
under the earth. During the instrumental passages in their songs—which really
recall early Pink Floyd jams above
all else—this organic, natural quality really came out to the fore, in part
thanks to masterful work at the soundboard. Space was never so groovy,
tremolo-ing guitars and dirty vox never so un-black metal. Their debut album Muukalainen
Puhuu left me “cold” when I first heard it; now I get it, and love it, and
am psyched to check out their new release, Kosmonument.
Dear friends,
More photos and reviews from Roadburn Festival 2012 to follow soon.
Urfaust (seriously tore my heart apart and brought me to my knees. Spellbinding and unforgettable, one of the most incredibly powerful and emotional performance I ever witnessed!),
The Wounded Kings (as expected, just great!)
Solstafir (very special show, genuine and intense)
Necros Cristos (Righteous Death Metal the way it was meant to be),
Doom (a total riot featuring Mike Scheidt stagediving!),
Kong (class!),
Bongripper (their first set - sooo dope!),
Electric Orange (my one great discovery this year, incredible, trippy as hell psychedelic kraut rock),
Bong (the cherry on top of the cake...the perfect, quintessential Roadburn band)
Urfaust (seriously tore my heart apart and brought me to my knees. Spellbinding and unforgettable, one of the most incredibly powerful and emotional performance I ever witnessed!),
The Wounded Kings (as expected, just great!)
Solstafir (very special show, genuine and intense)
Necros Cristos (Righteous Death Metal the way it was meant to be),
Doom (a total riot featuring Mike Scheidt stagediving!),
Kong (class!),
Bongripper (their first set - sooo dope!),
Electric Orange (my one great discovery this year, incredible, trippy as hell psychedelic kraut rock),
Bong (the cherry on top of the cake...the perfect, quintessential Roadburn band)
Thank you, Walter!!!
In the end, I want to send out my sincere respect, gratitude and admiration to one man who made this all a reality, Walter Hoeijmakers.
Hole In The Sky, Bergen, 2011
My life would have
certainly been less exciting for the last two years without this festival. What you’ve managed to do
with through this event is truly extraordinary, it’s pretty much my utopia
made reality. I've discovered some really amazing music at Roadburn and got to see artists that will most likely never come to the US.
I can’t thank you, Jurgen and your entire team enough for your vision and efforts. I’ve only been a visitor for the last two years but every time I was there it felt like home.
Mike Scheidt said it best Walter, you truly are a Saint!
I can’t thank you, Jurgen and your entire team enough for your vision and efforts. I’ve only been a visitor for the last two years but every time I was there it felt like home.
Mike Scheidt said it best Walter, you truly are a Saint!































































































































































































































































































































Hi!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Loved this year's festival and wrote a review of it at http://riddere.blogspot.no/p/roadburn-12.html.
Rock!