Event:	Roadburn Festival 2016
Written by:	Auntie Sahar, X-Ray Rod
Published:	08.07.2016
Galleries:	Roadburn 2016, Day 4 by Auntie Sahar (25) Roadburn 2016, Day 3 by Auntie Sahar (33) Roadburn 2016, Day 2 by Auntie Sahar (54) Roadburn 2016, Day 1 by Auntie Sahar (39)

After the usual procrastination and delay, Apothecary and Mr. Doctor are happy to bring you the much overdue final installation of our coverage of this year's Roadburn Festival.

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Che: After three days of getting your ass kicked by a landslide combination of awesome bands, great local food, and binging on merch, the Afterburner of Roadburn Festival is your come down period. On this day, only three of the five Roadburn stages are open, making for a more relaxed atmosphere that serves as the perfect closer to the fest. This year, the aforementioned food and merch binging had really hurt my wallet over the first three days of the festival, and I was at first considering not going on this final day at all. But "eff it," I finally said to myself. Go big or don't go at all.

Rod: The Afterburner comes each year like a breath of fresh air. Exactly at the time I'm getting sick of being around way too many people, Afterburner comes along with only a fraction of the people who attended the previous Roadburn days. This time only the Main Stage, Green Room and the Cul De Sac were open (why not Extase instead of Cul De Sac? Hmmm?). My companion and writing partner Che was having second thoughts though. Too much fun at Roadburn really does cut deep on your wallet. Three rules for Roadburn: Preparation, preparation and preparation. Peter and I were already leaving after breakfast to get the train when Che suddenly pops out of nowhere with the great news called "tax returns." The three amigos are back together and ready for Roadburn's last punch to our bodies and minds.

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GREEN CARNATION

Che: The final day of Roadburn 2016 kicked off with Green Carnation. I had never heard of these guys before, and I'm not overly into progressive metal to begin with, but after urging by Rod and Zaphod, I decided to start the day off at the main stage with these Norwegians. What I was greeted with was a warm wave of lush prog, more psychedelic and gothic-influenced than something you'd typically expect to hear out of modern prog metal, and I could definitely dig it. The music danced through pleasant alterations between heavy riffs and mellow, relaxing atmospheres, and all band members seemed to be having a great time performing, especially Kjetil Nordhus, whose rich, exuberant vocals were the main focus of the set. Definitely a band that I was not expecting to enjoy as much as I did, which is testament to the fact that at Roadburn, sometimes it's good to take a gamble on the stuff you didn't necessarily come to the festival for.

Rod: I must say I'm not really a fan of these guys but even I know and appreciate the greatness of their monolithic album Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness. This album was going to be played in its entirety, thus making this set absolutely unmissable. We noticed that they didn't play the entire song by taking some sections and shortening them (in particular the calmer ones). I did not see a problem in this, as the performance and music overall blew me away, so I couldn't even register that fact until much later. Kjetil Nordhus is a brilliant frontman. He looked extremely excited to be there along with all the other band members. Their excitement took us by the throat like a massive virus and everyone had a huge smile on their faces. The catchy riffs and beautiful leads and acoustics, the astonishing vocal abilities of Kjetil who sounded like a thunder, the crescendos and atmospheric pieces? It all came down upon us like a massive wave of great music. An energetic way to start my day, now I was definitely ready for the negative forces to take over?

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CHAOS ECHOES

Che: Chaos Ech?s were one of a few bands playing two sets at this year's Roadburn, and as I had greatly enjoyed their set on Saturday in which they played Transient in its entirety, I couldn't say no to their Afterburner set. This time these strange Frenchies were focusing on their "debut," the Tone Of Things To Come EP. With all six band members now packed into the tiny Cul De Sac, this second set was, as I expected, a lot heavier and more aurally intense than the one that had preceded it, as Tone Of Things To Come has considerably more of a death metal influence than Transient does. In some ways I was looking forward to this set more because while the one from Saturday had been excellent, it was more meditative and transcendent than anything else, and I was looking for the band to get more into their aggressive nature, which they did here. This set demonstrated just how brilliant Chaos Ech?s can nail both sides of the coin, but more importantly, how they can be brutal while still making their music eerie, puzzling, and incredibly forward-thinking.

Rod: For those who did not enjoy the great debut Transient, first of all: What the fuck is wrong with you? Second: Chaos Ech?s had a second set up their sleeves and this time they were going to dive in some of their older material, in particular their Tone Of Things To Come EP. The chosen stage was the Culd De Sac which is the smallest stage, but with only a fraction of the entire Roadburn population left I must say it worked pretty well with the cavernous and oppressive vibe of their music. With beer in hand I watched the less hypnotic but more aggressive set from these guys. It was certainly more leaded towards the riffage and less towards the more ambient side these guys pulled off with the debut. It's hard for me to compare both sets because both have some cons and pros. I loved the music on their first set far more but at the same time I had a way better spot during the second one which, at the end of the day, does play a part in enjoying a concert. Unfortunately I couldn't stay for the full hour so after 35-40 mins I decided to go camping on the Main Stage for my last two sets of the festival!

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AMENRA

Rod: Three years ago, at Roadburn 2013, I discovered Amenra, who blew me away with their intense style of post-metal. Unfortunately they were the very last band playing that day and I was so exhausted that I sat on the floor of the balcony of the Het Patronaat and actually passed out for the second half of their set. I never really forgave myself for that, so this day was my chance of redemption. In the following three years, Amenra's fanbase has grown quite a bit. This was more than clear when I got in the Main Stage which was slowly getting packed even though we had half an hour left to wait. Once the ritual began, we knew the waiting was worth it. The tribal drums and massive wall of sound created by the riffs came down upon us like a tsunami. There is a really visceral and animalistic nature to Amenra's music. Their music is not exactly unorthodox but it's the soul-crushing intensity and rawness of their performance that make them so unique. It was like a call for the beast within to rise and take over our bodies. This was without a doubt one of my favorite sets of the entire festival and considering their previous acoustic set, I'm looking forward to the two upcoming full lengths (an acoustic and metal one) Amenra will unleash upon us. Check this wonderful footage of the entire set and enter the Church Of Ra.

Che: After hanging around a bit following Chaos Ech?s' wonderful set, I made my way back to the Main Stage for the final band of the evening: Amenra. I must be honest, I'm not all that into this type of music, the heavy, sludgey post metal type stuff, but after Neurosis the previous day, I was intrigued to the point of wanting to know more about it. Even getting to the stage about 20 minutes early the place was getting pretty packed, and I only managed to get a spot right in the center of the crowd. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise however, as Amenra soon came onstage in full force with their raw, violent brand of industrial sludge post metal whatever (I really don't know what to call it, all that matters is that it's good). My distance from the stage seemed to make everything count, as, being right in the center of the room, I was able to hear the crashing drums, rumbling bass, gritty guitars, and powerful howls of the frontman perfectly. As with Neurosis the previous day, Amenra's performance here convinced me that I certainly needed to investigate the band further. A true neckbreaker of a set that was a fantastic end to Roadburn 2016.

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NEUROSIS

Rod: I decided to stay in the Main Stage because of-fucking-course! There was no way I was going to miss the second journey through their discography. I wanted something a bit different and Neurosis certainly delivered when it came to present another long set that somehow didn't feel like a second part. This set was shorter yet with more songs, so as you can imagine the songs were shorter and more aggressive. It felt much more in-your-face. This could be noticed already from the get go as Neurosis' first song, "To Crawl Under One's Skin", went to much faster and more intense soundscapes than what the more atmospheric "Lost" was for the previous set. The band suffered an unfortunate problem with the sound. but it was quickly fixed after 5 minutes and after that they continued to roll with their well-known intensity.

Songs like "Locus Star" and "Eye" showcased Neurosis' expertise in highly dynamic use of vocals, with all three vocalists covering each other and amplifying the magnitude of the song by the end. A couple of tracks from their first two hardcore-punk albums surfaced, pummeling the audience into further chaos. Thankfully the band slowed things down in the middle with more calmer, yet still soul-draining, songs from the second half of their discography. Songs like "Distill" and "No River To Take Me Home" left me speechless with their delivery, especially with the later with its' heartfelt and raw lyrics. The last three songs are highlights in their own right for me. "Given To The Rising" was the very first song I listened to from the band (almost ten years ago!) and reflects the incredible balance between their harsher and more beautiful approaches to their style of music. "The Tide" focused solely on the more atmospheric side of things with (electronic) strings that truly elevate the beauty and passion hidden in Neurosis' music. Just as everyone hoped for a last calm tune to end their night, Neurosis hit us without mercy with "The Doorway", one of their most intense and fiery songs that would leave no neck undamaged and ears ringing to eternity. Thus ended Neurosis' journey through Roadburn. One of my most cherished memories in my 6 years of Roadburn.

Set list:
To Crawl Under One's Skin (From Souls At Zero)
Locust Star (From Through Silver In Blood)
Eye (From Through Silver In Blood)
Grey (From Pain Of Mind)
Life On Your Knees (From Pain Of Mind)
Pollution (From Aberration EP)
Distill (From Giver To The Rising)
The Web (From Souls At Zero)
We All Rage In Gold (From Honor Found In Decay)
Cold Ascending (From Enemy Of The Sun)
No River To Take Me Home (From The Eye Of Every Storm)
Double-Edged Sword (From The Word As Law)
Blisters (From The Word As Law)
Given To The Rising (From Giver To The Rising)
The Tide (From A Sun That Never Sets)
The Doorway (From Times Of Grace)

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Outro

Che: Thus ended my third year at Tilburg's quirky Roadburn Festival. It could very well have been the best installation yet, as I drifted through realms of the groovy (Neurosis, Herder), the meditative (Nibiru, Dark Buddha Rising), and the downright violent and aggressive (Converge, Full Of Hell). Once again, Roadburn seemed to have it all in terms of a wonderful diversity of bands and sounds, proving itself to yet again be the unique, visionary fest that I've come to know and love. Saturday at the festival I came down with a bit of a cold, which was an absolute pain in the arse to travel back home for 20 hours with on the Monday after the fest, but finally returning to Florida and crashing onto my own bed once again, there was simply an overwhelming feeling of "wow, what a journey!" Cheers to Rod, Zaphod, Marcel, and further Roadburn pilgrimages to come!

Rod: Our 4-parts tale has ended once again. A lot can be said to lift up both the good and the bad, but the fact remains that at this point? I don't even check the line up any more. I just go to what is for me one of the best festivals you can go to. Extremely well organized, great location and the community is extremely friendly. I could go on and on about my favorite bands, the amazing sound and also comment about the disappointing lack of visuals compared to previous years? But there's just one thing I'd like to remember a bit more than the rest of my memories of this year's Roadburn. Right before Neurosis' set on the last day, someone tapped my shoulder, asking if I was a reviewer (I was killing time writing down some notes for the article you are reading now!)? And when I said yes and mentioned Metalstorm he immediately knew who Che and I were and thanked us for our previous articles which inspired him to come along and enjoy the fun. That is without a doubt the most rewarding thing I've heard since I started writing for Metalstorm. My warmest greetings to you, Roeder! And to the rest of you: I hope I can see you next year! Just look for the small latino dude with a bottle of water, and writing down notes while waiting to rock out?

We thank you all for sticking around with us for this (delayed) 4 day recap yet again. If we've inspired any of you to someday get yourselves to Roadburn and hang out with us, we've served our purpose.

Bonus pics added for the fun and the memories