Written by:	Auntie Sahar, X-Ray Rod
Published:	May 15, 2015
Event:	Roadburn 2015: 20th Anniversary (Website)
Location:	013, Tilburg, The Netherlands
Galleries:	Roadburn 2015, Day 4 by X-Ray Rod (15) Roadburn 2015, Day 3 by Auntie Sahar (58) Roadburn 2015, Day 2 by Auntie Sahar (59) Roadburn 2015, Day 1 by Auntie Sahar (28)

It's that time again, folks! A month after it's already passed, and a bunch of reviews have already been written about it, your favorite procrastinators Apothecary and Mr. Doctor are once again getting to their four day breakdown of Roadburn Festival. We may be late to the game, but hey guys: you haven't heard the tale of Roadburn until you've heard it from us. So sit back, put your feet up, throw on that guilty pleasure power metal album that no one knows you like, and come along for the ride.

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Che: Right off the bat, Roadburn 2015 promised to be more fun than last year's edition of the festival. Enslaved and neofolk band Wardruna were curating (curators pick all the bands that perform on three of the five stages on Friday), guaranteeing a better experience than Opeth's boring prog day last year (sorry, Mikael!). Roadburn newcomer Johan joined Rod, Marcel, and myself, and there were many more bands I wanted to see. After we all got in to Marcel's place the Wednesday before the fest, we awoke on Thursday and began the four day odyssey, ready to get the action going.

Rod: "Here we go again," I said when I left my apartment for my fifth pilgrimage to one of the best metal experiences ever. It has come to a point where I barely check in advance which bands are going to play. I barely plan which bands I'm going to see each day, etc, etc, because I know that every year is different. Every year is good. An opportunity to meet great people and enjoy music together. I arrived a day earlier to leave my merch-hungry luggage at Marcel's. Meeting my other MS bros Che and the Roadburn-virgin Johan for some beers, food, and metal was a good warm up for the upcoming event. Well rested, we started our journey and the weather couldn't have been more perfect! Not a single cloud, and a calm breeze welcomed us. The anticipation before the doors open is great. As everyone calmly gathered around the entrance, saying hi to those they recognized from previous journeys, I felt like I was home.

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BELL WITCH

Che: Everyone in the MS crew was in agreement over what band to see first: the mighty funeral doom duo that is Bell Witch. Gathering in the Het Patronaat, we got the Roadburn feels going with an hour of lush, hypnotic doom riffs, and a beautiful contrast in vocals between the drummer and the bassist. These guys are truly fun to watch live. I always love seeing bands in witch (see what I did there?) the drummer sings, and Adrian Guerra satisfied that love in me, pounding out entrancing rhythms on his kit while letting out deep, guttural growls into the mic above it. Frontman Dylan Desmond, meanwhile, is an incredibly talented bassist, and with all the various effects he sets on his 6 string, he gets an incredible array of sounds out of it. This band is a prime example of the "less is more" formula, and after their set I felt rather lightheaded, but in a good way, as if I was just coming out of a spiritual daze. The only real complaint here was that they played during the day. Funeral doom is not meant for the mortal sunwalkers!

Rod: What better way to start this four day marathon of metal with sunny weather than crushing funeral doom? I was barely familiar with the band's discography, to be honest, so I had no idea they were just two guys. Definitely an example of how much you can do with so little. As the first chord was hit, I just looked at Johan, who was standing next to me, with a "Daaaamn?." expression on my face. Gloriously heavy and well performed. The drummer's growls and harrowing shrieks echoed in the annex of the church in a way that left no soul unscarred while the clean wailings of the bassist were a pleasure to hear. A great beginning for the whole festival indeed.

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SALEM'S POT

Che: What happened next turned into a debacle for me. I had planned on seeing SubRosa, who were up next after Bell Witch in the Patronaat, but I left to go get some merch, and when I came back, there was a huge line outside the place and security were letting people in at a very slow pace. So I said to hell with it, and went on over to the Green Room for Salem's Pot. These guys are psychedelic doom; not overly original, but they get the job done and are great at what they do. Slow, groovy riffs were augmented by trippy keyboard and synth effects, with accompanying visuals in the background of the usual flashing colors and moving shapes bands like this so often employ. Virtually all the members on stage were doing some boogie woogies as they played, which was just great, as I love to see musicians enjoying themselves. Overall a very fun and relaxing set.

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SUBROSA

Rod: I decided to stay in the balcony to patiently wait for SubRosa to start their set. As people were starting to leave, I picked one of the comfy armchairs and put it in the center of the balcony. As I was watching from above, sitting all Gendo Ikari style, the American quintet displayed an amazing array of emotions with their interesting brand of sludge mixed with violins and deep female vocals. From the heavy sludge to the psychedelic, calmer moments enhanced by the violins, SubRosa played a captivating set. Watching the two violinists headbanging sure was a cool thing to see!

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PRIMITIVE MAN

Che: Now it was time for things to get a little (excuse me, a lot) more intense. After splitting up after Bell Witch, Rod, Johan, and I reunited in the Green Room for the absolutely crushing band that is Primitive Man. The soft spoken words of frontman Ethan McCarthy, telling us "thank you so much for coming out, guys, we really appreciate it," were our last glimpse of any calm, relaxed atmosphere. What followed was an hour of barreling blackened sludge, with bass and drums heavy enough to stop a freight train, and the menacing snarls of Ethan that could put fear in the heart of a serial killer. This music is surprisingly catchy live: these guys know how to wreck you to hell, but they also know how to hypnotize you and keep you hooked as well. This was one of my most anticipated sets of the fest, and it delivered in spades. A highlight for sure.

Rod: After a relaxing set provided by SubRosa, it was time to wreck some shit and get our souls drained. Primitive Man was one of the bands I was most curious to see. The room in which they played was steam hot with all the people gathered for their set. The suffocating feeling was perfect for the oppressive nature of their music. Agonizingly slow with bursts of speed and sheer anger together with perfect visuals (the video of their latest EP). They ended their set some 10-15 mins earlier than expected, but honestly I don't think many of us were hungry for more. Exhausted, we left for some fresh air and saw Ethan, the vocalist/guitarist passing by, and we (Che, Johan, and I) chatted with the dude for a while. He's one of the nicest persons I've met in my Roadburn years! Such a humble guy.

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KEN MODE

Rod: I needed an energetic kick after the devastating experience that was Primitive Man. The unique hardcore/noise rock force that is KEN Mode delivered an extremely tight performance. Barely taking a moment to breath in between songs, it was clear that both the audience and the members were exhausted by the end. The charismatic singer jumped down and played while looking like a maniac next to the amazed audience. A sight to behold! I can't wait to be able to see them again at Temples Festival, as their set was without a doubt one of the most intense ones of the entire fest.

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EYEHATEGOD

Che: With nothing on my list for a while, there was a good three hours of free time for me after Primitive Man, which I spent just buying merch, eating festival food, and having some beer before heading on over to the main stage to catch these sludge godfathers. Eyehategod have come through my local South Florida multiple times, but I'd never got the chance to catch them. To say the least, Roadburn couldn't have been a better place for me to experience them live for the first time. With the charismatic Mike Williams at the helm, asking "ARE YOU FUCKING READY?!" the band then plunged into a catchy, riff-heavy landscape that was just what I needed. I had gotten some groove earlier with Salem's Pot and Primitive Man, but these guys were on a whole different level, and they even got some pits going! A rarity at Roadburn, indeed, and an eye opener as to just how mosh-able sludge can sometimes be. A fun as hell experience that left me desperate for more, which I would receive the following day.

Rod: A shorter set by KEN Mode allowed me to watch more than half the set by the sludge masters. I was going to see them the day after, but no way was I missing the opportunity to see one of the most defining bands of my musical journey, back when I was just a teenager. From the top of the stairs in the main stage I could see short bursts of violence through the mosh pits that formed every now and then when the band displayed their more savage, punk-infused sounds. The relaxed attitude of the band suited well with their groovy sound. This set was basically an appetizer for me as I was sure to see their entire set tomorrow, first row, dead center!

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GOATWHORE

Rod: In order to end the night with some energy left for the long ride home, a dose of energy was given by Goatwhore. If some people have trouble seeing how Goatwhore have developed into a filthy thrash metal identity, it's clear as day that they haven't seen them live! Their energy and performance is exactly what you'd come to expect from a thrash band, but with the groove and violence of their respected repertoire. Even though I wasn't that much into it, mostly because of exhaustion after standing up an entire day, they definitely made the rest of the audience happy and hungry for more.

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WRAP UP

Che: I had considered seeing Goatwhore or Bongripper after Eyehategod, but ultimately passed on both, as I'd already seen the former multiple times, and the latter were playing all through their new album, so I wanted to save them for the Afterburner when they'd play a regular set. This was an excellent first day for the festival: heavy, groovy, and crushing. However, virtually all the bands I saw were in doom/sludge territory, and while that certainly wasn't a problem, the stylistic diversity of the sets I'd watch would really open up much more over the next three days. After the crew (me, Rod, Johan, and Marcel) reunited later in the eve, we were lucky enough to get a ride back to Utrecht from a generous friend of Marcel's. Getting upstairs into the big guy's pad, I collapsed on my mattress, tired, but eager for more to come.

Rod: All in all, this was an extremely solid start for the festival. Looking back at the previous year, it was clear to me that I was going to enjoy this edition a bit more. In further retrospect, I can also say that this was one of the more (if not the most) consistent days of the festival this year. Together with the fact that there were no set clashes for me, which meant a less stressful day with less running around between stages!

See you all in the next article, and take a closer look at some Day 1 pics in the meantime!