Articles : Metal Obsession @ Hellfest 2016, Clisson – Day 1

Images & Words: Prarthana Venunathan

When you love metal and travel as much as I do, Hellfest is certainly the happiest place on Earth. From the moment you enter through the Gates of Hell (which ironically resembles the structure of a Gothic European Cathedral) walking through a sea of black band t-shirts and an atmosphere that is just unforgettable, to when you see your favourite bands, bands you’ve never heard of and bands that you will pray with all your might to leave your head, there’s an abundance of pure joy that not only lasts those three days, but will stay with you for all eternity.

And with that mushy sentiment I needed to get out of my system, it’s on this article.

Hellfest takes place in the gorgeous town of Clisson about 20 kms from Nantes, in the Western part of France. Trains from the main station in Nantes – Gare SNCF are quite frequent to Clisson till noon after which there’s one every hour. Day 1 saw an entire stampede of leather clad metalheads all set for three days of bliss filling up the carriages till some of us were quite literally stuck against the windows and making rather awkward small talk and glances at those around us. But everyone was there for one reason – the ride to Hell.

Almost 11, I walked past the Valley stage (my second favourite) and found myself lost in the incredible doom-laden atmosphere that Monolord was bringing, but got there in time just to catch the end of their set. From what little I heard, their sound was mesmerizing and had an alarmingly hypnotic effect, even if at 11 in the morning.

Vocalist/guitarist Thomas Jager had a commanding presence while the drummer was smashing the living daylights out of his kit. It really was a pleasure to start the day on such a strangely satisfying note. Following the heavy yet morose mood that they brought, Dust Bolt was a refreshing change when it comes to thrash, reminding me of a much heavier Lost Society. They had an immensely contagious energy that instantly got the semi-drunk crowd smashing beer mugs and headbanging fiercely. The guitars were clean, crisp and for someone that doesn’t listen to a whole lot of thrash, this was certainly a refreshing change and evolution in the typical 80’s and 90’s style of the genre. they held the attention of the audience throughout their set, slamming out some heavy anthems like ‘Soul Erazor‘ and ‘Agent Thrash‘.

Back in the Valley of the Damned, Stoned Jesus were cooking up some tasty bass lines with a side of groove and heavy beats for good measure. The Ukrainians were instant favourites at the festival with the tent already filled to the end and on either side – while it was still only 11.45. Playing some tracks of ‘The Harvest’ album, among the chaotic and aggressive nature of these tracks, you’ll still acknowledge and appreciate the catchy riffage, melodic undertones and just overall musical ingenuity that they bring to life on stage.

Things were starting to get cold and misty in Hell as I walked towards my other favourite stage. “We are Cruachan from the Island of Ireland and we brought the rain with us.” Oh yes you did mate! That psyched me out even more given that I’d been waiting years to see this band live and it was well worth the wait! Playing at the Temple stage, the crowd was packed in singing along to the Celtic metallers who wearing tartan kilts and chugging beer out of horns. It was just the happiest, heaviest setting and I was lapping up every second. Armed with Celtic instruments ranging from the Bodhran to the bouzoki and fabulously dressed, the band took the hellish crowd on a journey of musical delights that touched upon the lives of Vikings, Pirates and all things folk. With elements of black metal and melodic metal pulling together their largely Celtic sound, this is one band that everyone has got to see live, whether you are keen on folk metal or not. Think Eluveitie, but much heavier. Skeletal Remains, in stark contrast to what I had just seen and heard,  brought back a classic old school death vibe and played an absolutely crushing set with tracks like ‘Beyond Cremation’ and ‘Euphoric Bloodfeast’.  Age is not a factor when it comes to metal, and these guys proved that perfectly.

Solefald, another band I should thank one of my Metal O bosses for introducing me to, have a unique description for their music and rightly so, as said description is apt for their live shows and the music they play. But before there was any sign of a band, a very sophisticated man who turned out to be Christopher Rådlund a well-known Norwegian artist comes out onto the stage and starts painting this grim piece of art while the band began joining him on stage and oh my what a motley crue they are. Vocalist Cornelius was wearing something that a Samurai Sanyasi would probably wear but churning up some killer riffs and then without any prior warning, there’s German EDM beat hits the set and messes with everyone there. Solefald’s overall sound is rather unique and there are some tracks like ‘World Music with Black Edges’ and ‘Vitets Vidd I Verdi’ that step into black metal territory but just about. To be honest, there’s lot going on in the music of these Norwegians but strangely enough, they make it work quite well.

Still a little zoned out from their set, it felt good to  waddle my way down to the Mainstage for Shinedown, after eating my weight in Indian food and catch them performing some of their classic hits, as well one of my favourite tracks off their latest album ‘Cut the Cord‘. The energy was unimaginable and the band did well,  really bringing in the crowds, getting a few thousand to jump up and down, with me hanging on to another human for dear life. As much as I love loud, heavy music, I like the ground beneath my feet to be steady, a preference you can’t really have when you’re at a metal festival, I’ll tell you that.

All Pigs Must Die were finishing their set when I popped into the Warzone to check them out. The rain was starting to come down pretty hard again but troubled no one as the  stage was  being massacred by the American punk-hardcore band. Easily one of the most insane sets on the first day, they pummeled out tracks that would hammer their way through one side of your skull and out the other. Relentless blast beats courtesy of monster drummer Ben Koller and gruesome guttarals, there was no wonder this stage was never short of a few mosh pits happening simultaneously. Post the consumption of more vegan-van food ( I chose Mexican this time), I lingered around right at the back to watch Les Bal des Enrages comfortably from my bench watching them cover ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, ‘Ace of Spades’ and LedZep’s infamous ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’. The energy was unmatched and bloody maddening.

I looked forward to seeing the next band whose sheer presence would make you feel like you were having coffee with Satan himself. It’s quite simple really – there is no bullshit when it comes to Behexen’s music and especially their live performances. Casting Satanic spells on the hellish crowds, Vocalist Hoath Torog ordered the progressively louder gathering to basically go batshit crazy – which they did. Creating an absolutely sinister atmosphere with their heavy, dark tunes were Finland’s Behexen. Their most recent release being ‘The Poisonous Path’, the black metal outfit opened with ‘Chalice of Abyssal Water’ followed by older material such as ‘By The Blessing of Satan’ and ‘Mouth of Leviathan’. As I said, there was no bullshit. It was dark, ritualistic black metal goodness from the icy depths of Scandinavia.

Havok stayed true their name and caused complete chaos and were just a fun in-between band to watch but that’s when I caught some weird oriental tunes coming from the Valley and off it was again. Catching a bit of a breather, I walked towards the sounds of Jambinai opening their set while taking in the atmosphere of the beautiful setting of Clisson.  This band are quite frankly unlike any other in many ways. I went straight to the front and was instantly captivated by the melodically blissful tunes eminating from the instruments of the ladies in the band – namely the haegum and geomungo. Listening to the South-Korean post-rock outfit instantly reminded me of Godspeed! You Black Emperor and a 14th century church choir collaborating. I’m not sure myself but it is extremely hard to describe this band. The women especially had such an awe-inspiring dedication and dynamism when t hey played their traditional instruments, it added to the magnanimity of their set.

Kampfar did what they do best and yelled their Norwegian guts off through some insane pyrotechnics – it was bloody brilliant! Playing tracks like ‘Daimon’ and ‘Mylder’, there was no shortage of hard-hitting blackened riffs and vocals that would suck your soul out of you. Kampfar do what they do with a gargantuan stage presence and passion which was further proven by the fact that the vocalist casually informed the crowd that he was rushed to the hospital 7 days prior to the festival – and now he’s here. What a bloody legend.  Dark Vader (I had to, I love Star Wars!) took over and effortlessly laid out one aural assault after another at the Altar. They played a set that was as tight as a panda in spandex. There’s no drama and bullshit banter when it comes to these Polish lords – they get straight to it. Along with tracks such as ‘Triumph of Death and ‘Go

to Hell’ from their latest album Tibi Et Igni, they also played some really old stuff like ‘Reborn in Hell’ and of course my first Vader track ever, ‘Decapitated Saints’. Shit got real in the mosh-pit with arms flailing about and people whipping each other in the face – it was pure madness.

With the sheer intensity of Vader still rattling the contents of my skull ,Earth proved to be my oxygen giver post the aural assault from the Polish and  Norwegians that was well-recieved. The Valley at that point had the most serene yet electrifying atmosphere I had experienced. Much like their music of thick, slow chugging bass lines that made you feel as if you’re in the middle of an ocean, droning continuously. Completely zoning out, the music seemed to give me the feeling of Gaia herself expressing the glory of nature through music in the form of a very heavy rock band. Slow, deliciously heavy yet satisfyingly soothing, they calmed your senses in the most magnificent way possible.

Inquisition was my next choice post the doom-laden bliss of Earth’s set, I went straight to the Temple stage out of the moody sunlight to witness Dagon belt out some absolutely crushing vocals, punishing the minds and souls of every human that had gathered. The grim, majestic Columbian vocalist had the crowd at his mercy, his voice resonating throughout the place, while old mate Incubus effortlessly blasted his kit at inhuman speeds. Known for their long, glorious titles,    I pick up on the sounds of ‘The Realm of Shadows Shall Forever Reign‘ which was followed by “Force of the Floating Tomb’, another favourite ‘Master of the Cosmological Black Cauldron‘ among others. While the song and album titles are reminiscent of Absu, the dissonant riffs and obscure soundscapes coupled with mindlessly intense blast beats were all evidence of a flawlessly executed set by the powerful duo.  An unstoppable force the two combine to form!

Hearing Jesse Leach’s vocal chords rip through the air, I contemplated for a few minutes on going into the Warzone to catch Killswitch in acton but decided against it given the magnitude of the crowd and my fun-sized height. Plus having seen the band once already was good enough for me. Instead, food was of major importance and grabbing a quick snack, I waltzed my way to the Mainstage again to catch Bullet For My Valentine because Bullet For My Valentine. This wasn’t a band that ‘got me into metal’ or that I would ‘die to see’ but having had a fair few tracks from the band over the years, I was keen to see how their music translated live and quite frankly it was a good pick.

Hatebreed‘s Jamey Jasta could be heard from a mile away (not literally of course) and I understood right then why they are one of the most respected bands in the heavy music world. The crowd for these New Yorkers was feeding off the sheer power and energy that the band gave out – just passing by, all I could see were limbs flailing around and a fair bit of stomping taking place. Sacred Reich were not my cup of tea but their brand of American thrash metal was rather addictive to say the least and it was understandable, the abundance of vest-clad, long-follicle followers they had. After exploring the grounds a little more and eyeing the merch stand, I headed back to my turf to see the famous Finnish men that dedicate their music to the wonders of booze. I’m not the biggest fan on Earth of Korpiklaani but there’s no denying the utter amusement they bring singing folk songs all about alcohol and the joys of drinking. Armed with drinking horns filled to the brim with beer and all sorts of other folkey props, fans were doing jigs and hops of all kinds, and getting piss drunk while the Finnish outfit ecstatically sang tracks from their latest album ‘Noita’ as well as some older tunes like ‘Vodka‘, ‘Rauta‘ and ‘Eramaan Arjyt’.

Passing by the Altar once again to re-fuel at the drinking station, I caught some of Overkill‘s set and I have to say they really are a sight to behold. Old school thrash anthems at ther absolute finest. Never pass up the opportunity to watch legendary bands perform even if you’re not too interested in the kind of music they play – you’ll always remember something from their set. (same goes for support bands). Magma, however blew me away with every track they played. I listened to a few songs by them before and the sheer obscurity of their music intrigued me greatly. In addition to this, drummer of the band Christian Vander has ingeniously created his own language called the “Kobaïan”, a phonetic language created by elements of the Slavonic and Germanic languages to be able to express some things musically. This is also the language the band sing in. There was a good mix of airy ambient soundscapes with heavy, proggy riffs with a fair bit of funky jazz thrown in. The three vocalists compliment each other and as strange as the band may seem at first, it is something that will grow with songs like ‘Theusz Hamtaahk‘ and ‘Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh‘. I’m not quite sure either but give them a chance.

Getting some Orangina (that’s your staple drink if you don’t consume alcohol at Hellfest, don’t laugh) in my system was another good idea, as I fuelled up and cantered towards the Mainstage 02 for some good ol’ Irish rock. The Dropkick Murphys are just one of ‘those bands’ that you have to see, whether you’re a metal-head or a punk or a monkey’s uncle. You don’t miss the chance to see these old-timers getting crowds of thousands to sing along to their classic Irish rock tunes. The opening notes of Sinead O’Connor’s ‘The Foggy Dew‘ gave me tingles and shivers as that was one track I had been listening to throughout the length of my trip and I knew instantly that it was going to be one of the most fun sets I’d remember. Fun was an understatement! As the fine lads roared out epic Dropkick Murphy tracks like ‘The Boys Are Back‘, with that beautiful bagpipe sounding through the air, or the choral shouts to ‘Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya‘.

Aura Noir were another band I was keen to check out and it was certainly well wroth it even if only for a couple of songs  Right from the get-go, the Norwegian black-thrash outfit stormed through punishing rhythms and hook-filled anthems that had everyone at their mercy. My reason for not further indulging in the drunken madness was so that I could go immerse myself in the Warzone yet again to see the legendary Converge and my what a treat for the senses.  It was the perfect time to make my way through the ‘Magical Kingdom’ as the festival burst into flames, a tradition once the sun goes down after 10 pm. It was warm and toasty and then just got immensely hotwith converge obliterating the masses that had gathered. There weren’t as many people as I thought there’d be, mainly due to the fact that the band was on at the same time Rammstein and Dropkick Murphys. Jacob Bannon was an absolute beast on stage nonetheless, and you could see the sheer energy of this band cracking the skulls of people even after a 12 hour day.

Rammstein are the band that everyone undoubtedly knew as a teenager and that was the case with me too. So to finally be able to see them live was pretty damn special and there was no compromise when it comes to their live performance. The pyrotechnics were insane, fireworks crackling around while the band performed their best tracks such as the eternally perfect ‘Du Hast’, ‘Links 2-3-4’, ‘Mein Herz brennt’ and ‘Ich Will’. The on-stage theatrics and placing of flame throwers on heads during ‘Feuer Frei!’ consolidated the fact that Rammstein will always be one of the greatest bands in the world.  After catching some of Rammstein’s classics, I knew I’d have to cut seeing them short because there was no way I was going to miss the absolutely mighty Sun O))). I have never made a better decision in my adult life.

Feeling completely spent and exhausted at this point, I went straight to The Valley and found the perfect spot to stand and take in the drones of Sun O)))’s sound. It was loud, crushing and hypnotically slow. Unlike anything I’ve experienced before, I did feel something close to an out-of-body experience as I closed my eyes and let myself be consumed by the music. The eerie, haunting soundscapes coupled with the bands magnificent stage presence, dimmed down lights and intense atmosphere, it was just what I needed at the end of a massive day. You’d feel the music running through you quite literally, poking every nerve and putting you under a complete trance.

Abbath of course, I was not going to miss even though at this point my legs had no feeling left in them. Lucky for me, it was at, yes, the Temple. I swear, next time, I’m taking a tent and camping at that very stage! What’s to say about Abbath? It’s Abbath! As profound as that may seem, the man really has a style of his own that is unmatched. No suspense of any kind, the man quite literally bounced out on stage blasting his way through the first few tracks of the set. ‘Nebular Ravens Winter’ and ‘In My Kingdom Cold’ were two great Immortal tracks I managed to catch while the band also played some of his new material. His signature corpse-painted face was as grim and dark as my soul and he had the crowd at his mercy.  I’ve never seen Immortal live before but seeing Abbath was enough to understand why he is one of the most respected black metal musicians out there.

Almost 1 am and I was knackered beyond belief plus considering the fact that I was staying on a horse farm in the middle of nowhere, I managed to catch a few minutes of The Offspring‘s set on my way out as they were playing on Mainstage 01 and I’m pretty sure it was the nostalgic tunes of ‘Pretty Fly for a White Guy’ playing in the background while I walked away in complete contentment of my day and the fact that I got to do it all over again two more times.

Stay tuned for Day 2 and 3 coming soon. To find out more about Hellfest, head to www.hellfest.fr.

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