Written by:	Auntie Sahar, X-Ray Rod
Published:	May 13, 2016
Event:	Roadburn Festival 2016 (Website)
Location:	013, Tilburg, The Netherlands
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)

Che: Following the relentless onslaught of amazing bands that occurred on the first day of Roadburn, it was time for Day 2. I woke up at Marcel's place in Utrecht with an intense bangover, but after a good meal with Rod and Zaphod at the Bagels & Beans right down the street, I was feeling wide awake, re-energized, and ready to continue the odyssey.

Rod: After another great breakfast we arrived at the festival to start the ritual once again. With my feet ready to get tired and my bladder ready for the copious amounts of water I'd be drinking in order to escape dehydration, we entered the venue with a far calmer vibe now that the new changes were properly digested. After a quick bite I decided to just camp in the main stage for what I knew was going to be one of the big highlights of this year.

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NIBIRU

Che: Nibiru ended up being the first band of the day for me, playing over in the new Extase venue that has replaced Roadburn's Stage 01. This new place is tiny, with a relatively small stage, but this compact nature of it makes great for band/audience interaction. I was surprised at how quickly it got filled up, considering Nibiru's relative obscurity. These Italians haven't even been around for 5 years, but have already dropped three full lengths and one EP, proving themselves a formidable force in the realms of sludge, drone, and psychedelia. As all band members came on stage, with one of the guitarists wearing a cow skull as a mask, I suspected we were in for an intense ritual. And indeed, it was an intense ritual we got, with droney guitars, vocals alternating between eerie chants and harsh shrieks, and the highly commendable drum work of L.C. Chertan, who only joined the band last year, but effortlessly proved himself as a perfect fit.

It's interesting to note that live, all of the band's various influences come out and fuse together much better than on album. All of Nibiru's members were in other bands previously, some of them doing sludgey, industrial stuff, some playing black metal, and others making some creepy dark ambient music, and live you really see how each of these genres combines into the larger drone sound for truly spectacular results. As Nibiru partly clashed with Diamanda Galas, I left these guys about 20 minutes before they ended to go check out the final bit of Diamanda, but most of my attention in that dilemma was devoted to them (I wore the badge of Mr. Unpopular Decision proudly for that one). Fantastic set from a highly talented group of musicians who deserve more attention, and who I would go on to interview the following day.

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DIAMANDA GALAS

Rod: In the early days of January, Roadburn announced that this year's curator, Lee Dorian, had invited Diamanda Galas to perform as one of the headliners. I was excited beyond belief, and she remained on my top 5 artists I HAD to see this year. For those not in the know, Diamanda Galas is an avant-garde artist with one of the most terrifying and versatile vocal ranges ever, from harrowing howls and growls to glass-shattering banshee screams, from bouncy and jazzy to elegant and dark cleans. Most of her work could be described as devilish and pitch-dark (Plague Mass being one of the most extreme musical works ever recorded), but this day was different. A grand piano and a light above it were awaiting us.

This concert was part of a tour named "Death will come and have your eyes." And yes indeed, a death goddess solemnly walked towards the piano, dressed in black, and all our tongues were silenced and all our eyes were hers alone. I was in the second row so I can't confirm this information, but from what I've heard all three bars in the main stage were closed and you couldn't get out unless it was in between the songs. As I can't confirm any of this I won't give it too much thought, because seriously... you better shut the fuck up once Diamanda starts to sing in multiple notes at the same time. The bizarre atmosphere that plagued songs originally from artists such as Johnny Cash and Blind Lemon Jefferson left everyone speechless. Diamanda sang in English, German, and French, demonstrating her brilliant and vast range of styles juxtaposed with her soothing yet often erratic piano style. The absolute silence of the masses impressed even Diamanda herself, as she commented in between songs: "You all have such an amazing attention span, and I don't even have a drummer."

Just when I thought it was over, my heart was beautifully shattered by a slow death march melody and her dark voice: Sadly, one Sunday? This was the first and last time the audience applauded in the middle of her set. Gloomy Sunday was originally composed by Hungarian pianist Rezső Seress and later popularized by jazz singer Billie Holiday. Many covers have been done, yet I still maintain my opinion that Diamanda Galas' version triumphs over all others for its naked portrayal of despair and loneliness. Only the truly heartless weren't moved by her interpretation. Without shame I shed a couple of tears while silently singing along to what Diamanda herself wrote for this anthem of sorrow. One of the highlights of the festival and a moment I will surely remember for many years to come.

My eyes could not see who I wanted to love me
The earth and the flowers are forever above me?

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ALKERDEEL/GNAW THEIR TONGUES

Che: Taking a short break after seeing Diamanda finish her set, I then made my way on over to the Cul De Sac for this gruesome combination. Warning to all potential future Roadburners: you can NEVER underestimate how quickly this place can fill up... if it's a band you REALLY need to see, get there as early as possible. Even arriving to this little pub about a half hour before set time, it was already PACKED, and I was forced to take a spot right adjacent to the bar, being unable to actually get down into the pit or get any view of the stage. When the carnage got going, however, I might not have seen... but I did hear, and what I heard was effing nasty. The vicious, buzzsaw guitar style of Alkerdeel blended and procreated with the more noisey, bass-heavy sound of Mories for some truly evil, evil results, with pleasant alternation between the violent shrieks of Alkerdeel's frontman and the inhuman growls of Mories. The set essentially consisted of the three parts of "Regardez Ses Yeux" from Alkerdeel's new album Lede, with Mories contributing, and then a performance of the 20 minute "Dyodyo Asema," the 2014 collaborative track between Alkerdeel and Gnaw Their Tongues. Overall the set wasn't too far off from Gnaw Their Tongues at Roadburn last year, only now a lot more riff heavy and tilted towards the realm of black metal from the presence of Mories's Belgian brothers in arms.

Rod: After getting my spirit properly crushed by Diamanda Galas, I decided that I needed some nourishment in order to keep on going, so I grabbed a cone of French fries and ate outside the Cul De Sac, waiting for the next band to grab me by the throat. This was an unfortunate mistake, as the stage got packed already 20 minutes before Alkerdeel and Mories (of Gnaw Their Tongues fame) were even onstage. I didn't let this discourage me though, and while many were leaving due to the huge crowd, I worked my way closer to the bar. I sat on a stool were I could get a decent view of these crazy sludgers collaborating with a master of the black arts. I bumped into Mories the day before and asked about their set, which was going to consist of Alkerdeel playing the three part song off their new album Lede, and then a rendition of their collaboration with Mories, the monolith of horror that is Dyodyo Asema. Needless to say, what we witnessed was a prime example of extreme metal. Highly hypnotic, bassy and noisy. The vocal duties were shared between both vocalists, with Pede providing his insane screams along with Mories' monstrous growls. While it was a shame that I couldn't get a closer look, the sound was still great from my end and I enjoyed every minute of their maddening sound. A small pet peeve I had was that these guys did not have a glorious orange/blue t-shirt with the farting demon from the artwork of their latest album! Guys, what a missed opportunity!

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TERZIJ DE HORDE

Rod: Next up on my list was Terzij? No, you know what? Fuck it. To all of you who don't speak Dutch, try to pronounce this name without giving up and shaking your head in resignation. From what I'm told the band name means [url= http://metalstorm.net/bands/band.php?band_id=4801&bandname=Terzij%2BDe%2BHorde]Beside The Horde[/url], and that's all that matters to me. Anyway, [url= http://metalstorm.net/bands/band.php?band_id=4801&bandname=Terzij%2BDe%2BHorde]Beside The Horde[/url] play a really intense form of black metal mixed with elements of post metal, hardcore and who knows what else. The point is that you feel like you are, well? beside a horde. The guitarists just shredded violently while the vocalist constantly jumped down to the audience and screamed with a frightening look on his face that certainly solidified the war-like atmosphere of their music to me. I give extra creds to the bassist for being extremely intense. He contributed with high-pitched screams and solitary howls during the quieter moments without the use of a mic. No idea if they forgot to have a mic on or if he simply screamed in the heat of the moment, but it certainly gave an extra edge to their songs. Unfortunately I had to leave [url= http://metalstorm.net/bands/band.php?band_id=4801&bandname=Terzij%2BDe%2BHorde]Beside The Horde[/url]'s set after half an hour, as I had a legendary set upcoming that I simply couldn't miss. Let's hope I can catch them some other time at Roadburn, as [url= http://metalstorm.net/bands/band.php?band_id=4801&bandname=Terzij%2BDe%2BHorde]Beside The Horde[/url] really stood up for me as far as black metal goes at the festival. Maybe they can teach me to pronounce their name next time!

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G.I.S.M.

Che: The announcement that G.I.S.M. would be performing at Roadburn this year shocked just about everybody. For those who don't know, these guys are some super cult status hardcore punk that emerged in Japan in the early 80s (the band acronym has stood for many things over the years, but was originally short for Guerilla Incendiary Sabotage Mutineer). Not only was this set at Roadburn their first show since 2002, but it was also their first ever outside of Japan... so you can imagine how high the hype was for this special, likely one off event. As all the members came onstage, dressed in crazy wardrobes and with multi-colored hair (except for frontman Sakevi Yokoyama, the only "normal looking" one), we knew we were about to witness something truly special.

G.I.S.M. kicked off with the powerful "Endless Blockades For The Pussyfooter," and, as with Converge the previous day, mosh pits broke out immediately and essentially did not stop until the band had stopped playing. The adrenaline was kept going by an energetic barrage of hardcore combined with a cool Priest/Maiden-ish heavy metal influence, and... CRAZY visuals, the best of the festival by far. Words can't fully do them justice, but they were like Dr. Seuss on PCP, or something... relentless assaults of (mostly animated) surreal collages, anarcho-punk imagery, sex scenes, and more, which served as an unexpectedly trippy complement to the more aggressive nature of the music. Everybody in attendance to this set, self included, seemed to exit the Main Stage afterwards in a dazed state of awe. We had all gone in expecting some shit, but I don't think anyone was quite expecting G.I.S.M. to be as great as they were. Hands down the most fun set of the day, and a festival highlight without question. You think that Akira was the most intense thing to ever come out of Japan? G.I.S.M. would like a word with you.

Rod: The addition of G.I.S.M. came as such a huge surprise that rumour has it the Roadburn webpage crashed just by the sheer number of people checking out if the announcement was true or not. I was completely unaware of who these guys were to be honest, but the more I researched the more excited I became. G.I.S.M. play a very peculiar type of hardcore punk, truly their own style, with alternative songwriting filled with heavy metal hooks and leads, violent screams and neck-braking catchiness. This together with the fact that it was going to be their very first show outside of Japan and their first show in over a decade? It was bound to be a legendary set for both veterans and first-timers alike. The audience roared as soon as the band got on stage, looking crazy with blue/orange hair and punk attire. The blood pumping started immediately as everyone began to jump and mosh as the first chords played. The chaotic yet extremely fun vibe was aided by the craziest visuals I've seen in a long time. Who needs acid when you get seizure-inducing visuals filled with bizarre sexual and political imagery? During the last couple of years I've gained a lot of interest in hardcore punk, and G.I.S.M. definitely annihilated my expectations. Groovy, energetic, fun and just a total blast in general that even made me jump into the mosh pit a couple of times.

ENDLESS BLOCKADES FOR THE PUSSYFOOTER!!!!

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HERDER

Che: After taking about an hour to come down from the MASSIVE set that was G.I.S.M.'s, I made my way back on over to the Cul De Sac for the barelling sludge of Dutch natives Herder. I'll be blunt: I don't quite know what it is, but there is just something to the music of this band that makes it heavier, groovier, and all around more memorable than about 90% of other contemporary sludge bands I can think of at the moment. These guys hook you, and they hook you HARD. As all members were onstage sound checking and cracking jokes with the crowd beforehand, I could already tell that it was going to be a fun as hell, interactive set. And it was indeed a banger, with pounding riffs, thundering drum and bass, and topped off by the powerful vocals of frontman Che Snelting (no relation). Also, more mosh pits! Not entirely unheard of for sludge, especially sludge that tilts heavily towards the hardcore side of things, as Herder do. It was an incredibly bouncy, energetic vibe created by this band, but unfortunately, I had to catch only 20 minutes of them, as there was still one final fish to fry.

Rod: I left the main stage extremely exhausted and hungry. This was basically a reprise from my early mistake with Alkerdeel (what can I say? I'm loyal to my empty stomach). The Cul De Sac was getting packed again, yet I managed to get a spot at the bar table. Just when I thought "well, this sucks," considering the distance and my short stature, Herder came and rocked out with so much groove and catchy sludge that the bar was at that moment the perfect place to be. After a couple of beers, yours truly was definitely enjoying the mix of sludge/stoner that at points even reminded me of good ol' death'n'roll era Entombed. Fun times were had by all as the band clearly looked enthusiastic for being there. Herder is harder, indeed! It's meat and potatoes metal but it was a great way to end my day. Never forget your primal sense of joy!

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DARK BUDDHA RISING

Che: The biggest clash of the festival for me was definitely that between Herder and Dark Buddha Rising. Thankfully their sets weren't totally simultaneous, but as I'm more of a drone shaman than I am a sludger at the end of the day, I opted for checking out just the first bit of Herder before moving on over to the Patronaat for the wizardry of the psychedelic wardlords in DBR. Unfortunately... I misjudged again, underestimating just how high a demand there was to see these guys at the fest. When the Patronaat gets PACKED up, a line forms in front of it that can go on forever, with security only letting new people into the venue as people already inside come out. No problem, I thought to myself, as I had gotten there 10 minutes before set time, and the line really wasn't even that long.

As it turned out, I stayed in that damn line until about 20 minutes of DBR's set had already passed. Just before being let into the Patronaat, I was in a mood to hurt small animals, but I ended up thanking myself for my patience and not bailing. Climbing the stairs up into the stage area, I was greeted by a loud pulsating hum, and a dimly lit stage drenched only in small shades of alternating blue, red, and green light. Nibiru had brought the ritual vibes at the festival earlier, but Dark Buddha Rising? This set was at another level entirely, a mind altering substance in itself. From the chant-like vocals of M. Neuman, to the band's minimalstic guitarwork, to the stunning drum abilities of Jukka Ramanen, this set was a dark, imposing, but nonetheless epic and transcendent end to the evening, and just what I needed after getting banged up by G.I.S.M. and Herder earlier. Dark Buddha Rising are one of the bands standing at the forefront of innovation within the drone genre today, and are easily one of the best bands to be currently found within it. NOT a force to be taken lightly.

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WRAP UP

Che: After Dark Buddha Rising I considered just staying in the Patronaat for the upcoming Ulfmessa (a collaborative performance between Misþyrming and some Icelandic drone band), but, already super tired, inebriated, and seeing that that set would go til 2 in the morning, I decided against it. Rod, Pieter, and I hooked back up and got a ride back to Utrecht with two of Marcel's hilarious friends who provided laughs all the way. This second day at Roadburn was really a strange combination of aggressive, heavy as fuhhh bands, and really dark, transcendent, and meditative ones, with little to no in between. I was either at one end of the spectrum with Nibiru, Diamanda Galas, and Dark Buddha Rising, or the other with G.I.S.M., Herder, and the Alkerdeel/GTT set. Bruises and meditation? You bet!

Rod: Tired and slightly tipsy, I decided to end my day there. I had no intentions of waiting in line for Dark Buddha Rising, and I wasn't particularly interested in anything else at the time. So I enjoyed a couple of more drinks and friendly chats with acquaintances while waiting for my Roadbrothers to arrive. I felt that watching less bands turned out to be better than the previous day in which I felt stressed out. It also made my impression of the festival and the bands I saw much more defined. Never rush through things in festivals like this! Sometimes less is indeed more.


Enjoy our Day 2 Gallery while eagerly awaiting our recap of Day 3