Articles : Metal Obsession @ Hellfest 2016, Clisson – Day 3

What was to be the final day, seemed like it had already been a month of moshpits, pad thai and windmilling. Bearing the Metal Obsession flag for Day 3 of Hellfest 2016, I took in all the sights, sounds and of course smells, trying to remember as much as I possibly could. 150,000 people come together for three days to go stark-raving mad all in the name of metal. You’d think with a gargantuan group of human beings such as this, put together, you’d end up with brawls of all sorts everywhere – wrong. In my two years of attending the festival, every nook and cranny of Hellfest has been nothing but a pleasure, a learning curve and an all round beautiful experience. This is where people misunderstand those who really love their doses of heavy music (I refrain from using the label ‘metalhead’ because it instantly puts forth an expectation of sorts). Friendly, nerdy, and eccentric, it’s festivals like these that disintegrate boundaries of religion, nationality, race, creed, sex and everything else that divides us senselessly. Not the music.

The line for the taxi to the site was long so I managed to make it just in time for the end of Municipal Waste‘s set who were essentially waking everyone up, people walking around completely hung over, exhausted but still ready to take on Day 3. Orphaned Land opened at the Mainstage 02 with their oriental tunes, creating a beautiful atmosphere for a Sunday morning. It’s admirable how big a band such as them have become, but what’s more is the message that they aim to convey through their traditional yet heavy sound – ‘All is One’. However my love for Fallujah meant I couldn’t stay too long so once again, I walked at a speed I didn’t know I was capable of, towards the Altar where I witnessed the San Fran metallers being perfect in every way. Alex Hoffman really is an incredible vocalist. Along with drummer  Andrew Baird who is certainly not human and the extreme metal riffage courtesy of  Scott Carstairs and Brian James, Fallujah is indeed a powerful force to be reckoned with. The atmospheric, ambient sections merge beautifully with the heavier, down-tuned passages to create an absolutely crushing sound. The experience is truly blissful. The band really got people amped up for the day, playing songs from their latest album ‘Dreamless’ a gem of a release as well as ‘The Flesh Prevails’.

A seemingly intense morning, I stood amongst a very happy group of Germans who were dancing away at my home stage (the Temple) while Iceland’s Skálmöld marched on to the stage only to be met with an instant uproar. I love this band to no end, especially for the vocalists who seem as if they are battling it out with each other, one’s raspy gurgles versus the others low guttarals. Viking metal through and through, tracks like ‘Ad Hausti’ and ‘Miðgarðsormur’ are bound to make you feel some sense of pride even if you’re nowhere near being Nordic, Icelandic or have anything to do with that entire region. The band exuberate a massive energy and their sound dynamic is absolutely tight! With their set psyching me out to no end, I scoffed down a quick vegan wrap and some weird bread business (you need your energy), to catch a few songs of Dragonforce who were playing one of the Mainstages and instantly wondered why they’re fans of Babymetal. They were also quite good, and attempting to watch Herman Li shred hurt my brain cells so I went back to the Altar and watched The Skull. Again, one of the most enlightening things about Hellfest – their support for the underground scene is absolutely phenomenal – not just from France, but world over. Combining the best elements of heavy and doom metal, the Chicago band brought forth a  very unusual but catchy sound.

After waiting a few minutes to meet Insomnium it was back to the Mainstage again for one of the biggest surprises of this year’s festival which came in the form of No One Is Innocent. Reminding me in a few ways of Armoured Saint, possibly due to their similarity of  bald vocalists and thrashy groove-laden energy, the band from  were one of the most dynamic, exhilarating acts I had seen over the three days. Rougish and causing a mad frenzy, this band are the epitome of hard rock ‘n’ roll. It was an unbelievably good set and the stage presence of this band was beyond electrifying. Playing songs from their latest album ‘Propaganda’, the crowd was lapping up every bit of energy that came from the band.   However, another piece of festival advice, always plan your days at festival well in advance for I had certainly not prepared myself for what came next.

I usually never say much about bands/musicians I don’t like in my articles, not because I’m a mushy, soppy optimist but because I don’t care enough to say much. But holy shit, is Tarja annoying. I was instantly beating myself up for standing there waiting for Gojira to come on – while having to undergo the shrills operatic vocals of this Banshee. It wasn’t just her singing that completely put me off, her sheer lack of humility and interaction with the people was just downright sad. I’m glad I’m finally getting this out of my system – worst performance I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen some pretty weird shit. Tarja definitely is right there at the top. Once she stopped it was time to see Bayonne’s sons of metal and Clisson’s favourite band of the day. 60,000 people (if I’m not mistaken, from what a fellow punter told me) had gathered to witness the majesty that is Gojira. Second row, right up front watching one of my favourite bands in the world – the feeling is truly unmatched. Also being Mario Duplantier’s birthday, the crowd was extra wild and I’m pretty sure I saw an inflatable whale or two floating around, for obvious reasons. The entire set was indescribable – they played all of the classics such as ‘Flying Whales’, ‘Toxic Garbage Island’ which they opened with, ‘The Heaviest Matter of the Universe’ and of course, two new songs from their new masterpiece ‘Magma’. For the first 20 minutes, I was pressed against some rather large men and being at the front, with a sea of people behind you is, scary. The love and support Gojira has brought themselves over the years is one thing – but the impact they have had on people through the glory of their music is undeniable.

Inhaling as much fresh air as I could (fresh is difficult on the third day of a festival where showers are considered a hassle, beer is water and people taking a piss everywhere) post that set, I took pride in having seen Gojira once again, and on their home turf. Be forewarned however, should you choose to watch a band play in their own country, either wear a suit of armour or camp near the barrier about 8 hours in advance. You don’t want your lungs pressed agains your spinal cord. Graphic visuals aside, I rushed (a routine at this point) to go see a band that I fell in love with last year – Norwegian black metal vigilantes Mgla. Reminding me of the cryptic natures of bands such as Ghost, Sun O))), Portal and Mesarthim who choose not to reveal their true identities on and even off stage, Mgla stood tall, magnificent and emanated a sinister yet oddly inspiring aura. The music they play, needless to say is other-worldly, intense and very very powerful. But what astounded me most is their completely covered faces. Mgla believe that the music must speak for itself, and that identities do not matter when it comes to this language.

Insomnium, my beautiful boys from Finland, put on a flawless set from start to finnish (had to). There are a number of melodic death metal bands that I know and love and have seen live, but none come close to the sheer musical ingenuity of Insomnium. The band keep things simple on stage especially vocalist Niilo Sevanen and drummer Markus Hirvonen who makes double bass seem like child’s play. Ville Friman and Markus Vanhala on the other hand feng shui themselves across the stage every few minutes but this is what adds the spirited nature to their set. Stepping back for a breather once again as Insomnium played their last track, I caught myself sauntering off to the Valley to watch Kadavar end their set in style. I really like this band for their unique take on sludgy doom music and translated live, it sounds even better.

Seeing Taake live once was enough to make me feel I belonged in the Netherworld but seeing Taake again was as if witnessing Satan’s messengers themselves spreading the word of the Dark Lord while Katatonia followed and changed the mood completely. Back at the Mainstage once again there was no doubt that the ‘Guardians of Asgaard’ would have a massive gathering as the burst on to stage, their incredibly impressive viking ship looking mighty in the background. If it’s one thing every music lover should experience, it is seeing Amon Amarth play from atop a massive Viking Vessel.

Empyrium – yet another band that I had seen floating around on the internet quite a bit but had never paid too much attention to. Grave mistake on my part for they were incredible; even that being a severe understatement. The slow, ambient pace of Empyrium’s presence allowed everyone to relax, taking in the strange yet satisfying vibe of the band’s music. Grand Magus and Ghost blew me away as well. Organs, church bells, choral voices filling the air and a massive fireworks show as is customary, Papa Emirutus III held everyone’s attention for the entire length of their set. Having been fed by the ‘Sisters of Sin’ on command from Papa, and listening to the ominous band play some of my favourite tracks from ‘Meliora’, I decided to keep moving ahead with my night which was difficult given that at that point my legs were numb.  I remember listening to Jane’s Addiction  back in school and seeing Dave Navarro on Rockstar Supernova and decided that for old time’s sake I had to check them out. Pole dancers and show girls, suited and booted, I wasn’t surprised with the band’s set up. It fit. However, I wasn’t in awe of their performance either.

As my time in Hell was slowly but surely coming to an end, I took my time to really bask in the ambiance of Clisson. Enslaved were beginning their set and while most people were at Ghost or waiting at the barriers for Sabbath, there will still a loyal bunch of fans that enjoy their black metal. Looking mighty as ever, the Norwegians commanded the utmost attention of every soul present, before erupting into ‘Jotunblod’ a song that took me way back to when I first heard the music of Enslaved. There is much to be in awe of, of this band, for 25 years they have been creating obscure music, breaking barriers and trends, setting the bar high for genre-defying metal.

I love Heaven Shall Burn. The emotive power of every song, their unorthodox ways of releasing new music, the merging of supersonic rhythms with spurts of melody and soaring riffs to boot. The light show, pyro and sheer stage presence of Heaven Shall Burn is something extraordinary. Listening to them on audio itself gives you a sense of strength but seeing them perform in the flesh makes you feel friggin triumphant. Marcus Bischoff has the fans at his mercy and as he ordered them to raise their hands with the Devil’s Horns and headbang along with the music, even in the dark you could make out the captivating emotions that emerge through their music. ‘Godiva’ was one of the last songs I saw of their set and it was a true piece of art.

How do you end three days you’ve dedicated to heavy metal? Watch Black Sabbath‘s farewell show, of course. With the sounds of Ozzy’s trademark high-pitched vocals, Tony Iommi’s menacing shreds, and Geezer Butler’s thunderous drumming, it was nothing but a sensational finish to Hellfest as I walked out of the Gates of Hell, already thinking about the fact that I need to bring gumboots for next year.

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