Written by:	Darkside Momo
Published:	August 02, 2016
Event:	Hellfest Open Air 2016 (Website)
Galleries:	Hellfest 2016 by Darkside Momo (47)

So, after 2014, 2015 saw no MetalStorm delegation at its gates. But 2016 and this eleventh Hellfest edition had me coming back to the rain-soaked lands of Clisson Rock City. Yet, as I was the sole MS staff member there, I had to enlist a friend for this report... So, please welcome Ben (with whom I did a few radio shows back in the day - that is, about ten years ago)!

Note: want to see some of the shows? As always, Arte posted a whooping third of them all, but beware! The full shows are only streamed for about six months (well, five at the time of this article's posting), so be sure to check 'em before it's too late!





Table Of Contents

Part 1: Back to Clisson Rock City

Part 2: Friday 17th

Part 3: Saturday 18th

Part 4: Sunday 19th

Conclusion

---

Once again it's been two years since I last left Clisson, and as usual, it just felt like yesterday.
But... What about the fest site?

Each year sees improvements. Last year, the short-lived stairway to hell came back from whence it came; stadium grass (really resistant one) was planted in front of every stage, and both Altar and Temple were separated, now sitting one next to the other. And while the decorum is the same as usual (and part of Hellfest's identity for sure) only two things really changed...

Ben: "In Hell City Square, the 'World Of Warcraft' tavern has been removed and replaced by another building [DSM: Hellgate's Tavern, with its cyberpunk / post-apo feel, only serves strong drinks], with its huge painting of Lemmy Kilmister on the wall (so the godfather of rock'n'roll is keeping an eye on us!)"

The other main change awaited us at the Warzone; we knew beforehand it would be rebuilt from scratch (it was about time!), and there were sketches of a certain statue floating around...

Ben: "Whereas in the past it was just kind of a poor mistreated place, left off for punk / hardcore followers, now this is the most amazing area of the fest. Accessed behind two huge wooden arches with "HF" metal carved letters on top (like if it was a giant axe... or a guillotine - remember this is a French festival ), the stage is surrounded by a war landscape with rusted buildings, metal fence with barbed wire, watchtowers, rocks? and a huge Lemmy statue wearing a cowboy hat; he holds a HF prong in his left hand and looks ferociously ahead. It's a bit strange to adore someone and I wonder how Lemmy would have reacted in front of this? nevertheless I think he would have been pleased to know that his legacy lives on. The most important thing is to keep on listening to his music and remembering good times through it."

Well, it's sure they did succeed at making the Warzone a great place, especially with this wondrous Lemmy statue... On the downside, the "military zone" look could be felt more like a concentration camp.




Also, let's note that there are giant TV screens for all stages now, not just the mainstages. Finally!
Another fun addition was the zip-line (tyrolienne in French), that overlooked the two mainstages. One could get a ride by buying two energy drinkings and having a winning ticket. Not really surprisingly, a couple did, one after another, take the ride while being completely naked

One final note about the weather. Announced to be stormy, windy and rainy too, with glimpses of the sun only for Sunday, it proved far less worse than predicted - during the fest itself, there were only a few real downpours, the biggest being on Friday evening. However, Wednesday night, a storm not unlike the one we weathered on Thursday night in 2007, struck Clisson (and most of France to be honest). But this year, unlike 2007, Hellfest had the logistics and financial backbone to take care of it. Emergency work was done, scrapping the mud and putting wood chips in strategic areas - like in the Warzone terrasse.
Problems solved on this matter!

---

It was past midday when I finally arrived on the festival grounds, with the fourth row of bands already playing! But yeah, I cheated, press access and all. Gaining entrance on Hellfest grounds proper always was a tedious affair, particularly on Friday, but this year with the legitimate security controls that were added, it usually took more than one hour for people to get in.

While I still was at the campsite, Ben checked Cowards, who "were playing their sludge / hardcore stuff but there were few mosh parts, so I didn't really get into it. The music went well with the stormy weather, though."

Dust Bolt 11:40/12:10, Altar

Ben: "Dust Bolt are aband of this revival thrash movement - four young hairy guys who look like Metallica first era, hungry to put the world at their feet. There's variety in their formula - some nice mid-tempo parts mixed with mosh parts and melody - and , the audience liked it; and even though the circle pit was small and gentle at first (with a Japanese guy wearing a kimono suit!), it then became bigger and bigger especially when the band played an older track from their first effort.
This isn't the best thrash band on earth for sure, as they lack originality; but it's ok, their Bay-Area-based music influenced by Testament and Exodus was enjoyable and their singer / lead guitarist did the show (the others too, like the bass player who jumped and moved all over the stage)... But I've got the impression that they just follow the tide and respect tradition in terms of songwriting / general mood / thrash look with long hairs, happy faces. Nice concert in the end, but they miss the little extra thing to become huge."

After that, while Harm's Way sounded aggressive enough for metalcore, Tremonti's show was cancelled, as the band was stuck in a Nederlands airport...


Cruachan 12:15/12:45, Temple

Catchy celtic folk as expected, Cruachan were really commited to their set and delivered a really energic and catchy show. A good-natured and fun moshpit was already in full swing and, while Cruachan may not be Skyclad or some trendy viking stuff, their classicaly celtic folk metal is definitely enjoyable live!




Solefald 13:35/14:15, Temple




Kosmopolis is the name of the game, just see Cornelius with his arab prayer robe, Thor hammer pendant and kamikaze headband.
Long a studio project, Solefald's shows are few and far between (this one was only their twentieth or so) and obviously this was not to be missed! Not surprisingly then, Cornelius, Lazare, and their backing band (In Vain members) played a really nice setlist spanning all the band's discography.
Always avantgardists and unique, Solefald did something never done before at Hellfest: they brought a painter onstage. Sure, it wasn't the first time that Christopher Rådlund did work with the band during one of their shows, but it was their first time together out of Scandinavia. Let' just say that the result, done in less than an hour, was impressive!
(btw, I'm told the painting was later sold to a couple of fans - and that hi-def images and/or printings should be available on the web at some point in the future)




Jambinai 15:50/16:40, Valley

Remember back in 2012, when we were raving madly about Jambinai's first album Différance? Well here was our opportunity to see them live, and I certainly didn't indend to miss it at all.

Ben: "A very strange formula for this band which everyone speaks about? A curiosity that's good to see. Jambinai mixes post-rock with traditional korean music and instruments. Three guys play "normal" rock instruments: there are a bass player, a drummer and a singer-guitarist, plus 2 women on both sides of the stage, playing these strange things: one looks like a violin (the haegeum) whereas the other one is more akin to a harp (the geomungo). Both instruments give to the whole thing an exotic vibe. While the music is instrumental most of the time, there are apocalyptic screams when the songs get heavier and reach up a climax but it seems like there are no real words. It's strange to see that all musicians sat down during the show. Was this zen attitude? Not really when you listened to the music! It's original, agressive and kind of a digest post rock formula because the songs are short and efficient. Very good surprise. I must check out their albums as soon as possible!"

Another convert to the Jambinai cause it seems!
Well, once the surprise (or not, if you ever saw some YouTube videos of them) to see them all seated has passed, well, just enjoy the music and close your eyes. Or not, to notice the haegeum player has some make-up reminiscent of oriental ghost stories to complement her instrument's wailing sounds, or to enjoy seeing the geomungo gal hitting the cords - which can be pretty violent!
So yes, it was powerful, entrancing, excellent from start to finish. Definitely one of the not-to-be-missed shows of the week-end, given how rare they are on our shores... And how ridiculously good the concert was!



At the same time, Ben also checked part of Havok: "they play harder than Dust Bolt did 3 hours before; the tent was packed and the audience welcomed them very well."
Still at the same time, there was Mass Hysteria, a french mainstream metal band, quite danceable and headbangable. They were good live, but the singer - now in his forties - still delivers rants "like an angsty teenager" (as a friend of mine puts it), and this sure can be boring in the long run.


Anthrax 16:45/17:35, Mainstage01

Ben: "Anthrax played on Mainstage01 under a hot sun. The setlist was pretty good with songs like "Fight 'Em 'til You Can't", "Evil Twin"... "Antisocial" (the Trust cover song) was, of course, a must for French fans so Joe Belladonna made everyone sing. They played two songs from their newest effort: "You Gotta Believe" in the beginning, and "Breathing Lightning"; they were great and proved that this old band still knows how to do the job. They finished with "Indians", with Belladonna wearing a native american headdress that a fan has thrown to him. Anthrax have played well with a lot of energy and conviction. I wish I could have seen their concert closer but the place was packed (something that we will experience during the whole week-end and a negative aspect of the last Hellfest editions)."

Well, my growing headhache sadly prevented me to fully enjoy a really decent show - on that I agree with Ben, but they gave too much importance on new songs to my tastes. Still, Belladonna has a great voice, and classics like "Got The Time" or "Indians" always work wonders.




Turbonegro 17:40/18:30, Mainstage02

Ben: "I'm not really familiar with Turbonegro and I missed them several times when they played at Hellfest. Having already seen Vader on mutiple occasions, I decided to stay around the main stages. Turbonegro is far from being the typical metal thing, with their decadent look... but after all, this is rock'n'roll... and rock'n'roll is not meant to be nice and clean. I didn't know any of the songs played but their mixture of punk / heavy metal was a lot of fun to listen to, and a good medicine for clouds surrounding the site at that moment. The music was easy to get and at the end of the day, as the singer declared: "we're all satanists". The show ended with "I Got Erection", and a big part of the crowd singing the chorus along with the band. Nice moment!


Sacred Reich 19:30/20:25, Altar

Ben: Sacred Reich was one of my fav thrash bands at the time; the music was great, and they had a political edge that I really admire. But... A lot of bands have reformed over the recent years and some of them go on creating good music - sometimes better than in the 80's (like Exodus, Testament or Death Angel...) So I've got mixed feelings about Sacred Reich, as they are only playing songs from the past. Sure they played well and the old material is still relevant to this day, but it wasn't be as memorable as I wished it would be. We got all the classics, from the thrash monuments that are "Death Squad" and "Ignorance" as well as excerpts from their most famous record The American Way (the title track, "Love? Hate" and "Who's To Blame"). They also played more 'recent' songs with "Heal", the antifascist song "Blue Suit, Brown Shirt", "Independent" and of course the Black Sabbath cover "War Pigs". Nice concert but that's all."

I'll disagree with Ben here. My headache still present but thankfully receding, I had to be there, as I enjoyed their previous appearances at Hellfest (2008 and 2012). And this probably was their best show of the three - and still, I missed part of it and couldn't headbang nor mosh. I mean, the four guys were were happy as fuck to be there (Phil told us he loved France), and it showed, as they played with genuine passion and energy. Nice bonus, the setlist was changed a bit, welcoming "Heal" to the fold. And finishing with "Surf Nicaragua" were mandatory - to everyone's delight!
So, no surprise, it was a great show with free hugs in the audience!
(But I readily admit I'd love some new material too)

Then, time to use those well honed fest survival skills: it was time to eat, drink, and, sadly now given the size of the fest, place myself early in front of the mainstages (quite mandatory if you want to see a headliner )


Volbeat 20:45/22:00, Mainstage01

Ben: "I saw a little bit of the Hatebreed show from far away; once again the place was crowded and it was impossible to get near. I had the impression that it was a little bit less hardcore than before... but it's so hard to get into a show when you are far from what's happening on stage that I might lose the point on this one...

Then Volbeat got onstage, on the sounds of Motörhead's "Born To Raise Hell". Then, after a tribal intro, the show started. With their own material ("Heaven Nor Hell", "Dead But Rising"?) and cover songs (the excellent Dusty Springfield song "I only wanna be with you"), Volbeat managed to create a bridge between pure metal and vintage rock'n'roll. In ten years time, they've gone from underground to (almost) the top of the bill, and I think they deserve the success they have. "Sad Man's Tongue" with it acoustic guitar intro reminded us of Johnny Cash (singer Michael Poulsen is a fan). Meanwhile, Rob Caggiano enjoyed his time with the Danish as he kept on smiling al concert long. I don't know their last record, but reviews were so-so, arguing that the band was getting softer. Well, the new songs they played were typically in this direction and I just hope Volbeat won't lose its 'cutting edge'. Overall a good show."

I'm told that the sound at first was really thin and not good at all. At the end (saw the last three songs) it was pretty massive.


Overkill 21:35/22:35, Altar

Ben: Overkill comes to Clisson at last! They were supposed to play here a few years ago but cancelled for obscure reasons (were they unsatisfied by their place on the bill?). Overkill French appearances are so rare - actually I've never seen the band live - that this was something not to be missed out.
Bobby "Blitz" is the perfect frontman. His voice might be too high-pitched for some, but he's got attitude and balls and knows the job very well. Along with his bandmates, he gave a very good concert. The smoke on the stage created quite a special atmosphere, while they offered us a best off of their back catalogue. "Electric Rattlesnake", "Elimination" (I got mad on this one !), "Coma", "Ironbound" (a pledge of allegiance to metal)...
There even was someone crowdsurfing in a wheelchair [DSM: just like during Sodom in 2011]!! On which Bobby declared: "Now this is metal. Hellfest is the best festival of the world!". Did he really believe what he said, or was it to please people? Anyway, everyone in the place (both audience and musicians) shared a great moment of fun and unity. "In Union We Stand"? Yes, we do! This was thrash metal at its best, just the way it should be all the time. The best concert for Friday."


Dropkick Murphys 22:05/23:05, Mainstage02

Dropkick Murphys? Once again, a great live band that didn't disappoint, with their celtic brand of hardcore from Boston. They pleased everyone with an all-spanning setlist featuring both classics and recent songs, even playing two songs from their upcoming new album.
So it was good, with people singing, and moshing going on. Still, is it me or were they a bit more in 'auto mode' than in 2012?

Meanwhile, by all accounts, Converge were for once disappointing, at least in part because of a terrible sound.


Rammstein 23:10/00:40, Mainstage01

For long, the German warmachine refused to come, but 2016 saw them finally bringing fire to Hellfest's stages. And sure, Rammstein drew in a LOT of people. It was so densely packed in front of Mainstage01 that quite a few people had to leave, not standing it anymore.
Rammstein have the reputation to play with a lot of fire, right? Well, they did (a bit less than I expected though); add to that the excellent light racks hanging from the ceiling, that could move up and down, and on which Till or the guitar players found themselves from time to time, and you were in for some real visual treat. While most flashes and bangs came at expectable moments, they did manage to surprise me, when Till took a bow and shot a fire arrow to the sound tower way behind... And then shots from the tower came back!
Music-wise, the setlist featured some nice surprises ("Halleluja" and the Depeche Mode song "Stripped"), but otherwise was quite classical ("Du Hast, "Engel", you name it).
Kinda like KISS, you came to see a precisely set show with no variations - but hell, with all the fiery and boom stuff, they'd rather not go nuts and jump everywhere! But, I don't like Kiss while I enjoy Rammstein's music, so yeah, I had a good time!

After that came the difficult moment to navigate between the Rammstein crowd and the one coming to see The Offspring: that was really a fucking lot of people. But damn, I wouldn't be trapped in front of a band I despise, and that many went to see just for some teenage nostalgia factor (while Ben, with his pals, "went through the main stage area while The Offspring were playing their hit single "Come Out And Play". Totally drunk, we danced on this song - which was a nightmare for a friend of mine who's a grindcore / black metal fan, but we managed to get him moving? ").

At the same time, the final shows of this first day featured Abbath - who had many tech problems but was enjoyable for Immortal fans; and...


Kvelertak 00:20/01:50, Warzone

They were good, I guess, but somehow failed to wake me up after that huge Rammstein experience (but at least, unlike two years ago, I could see them without problems, thanks to the fantastic new Warzone layout).

Ben: "We only saw a part of the Kvelertak show and it wasn't be as good as I wished it would be. Actually the band played very well and the musicians know their trade - instrumental parts sound vintage and modern at the same time - but the singer's vocals were kinda lost in the mix. He moved around the stage, but seemed to give little shit about the event. Was he drunk too? Anyway, Kvelertak is an original band and I'm sure they'll keep on writing good music. I hope to see them live in better conditions."

But... there was also a bonus show under the Valley. Remember the cancelled Tremonti? Turns out they could make it in the end so they were rescheduled to this late time slot. Seemed to me thay played some average-to-decent modern radio friendly metal, and it showed they were happy to have made it to Hellfest!

---

Another morning lazying in the camping... before some serious kickass punk shit! And once again, Ben was onsite earlier than I was.


Les Sales Majestés 12:15/12:45, Warzone

Ben: "Undead Prophecies's show started too early (10.30 am). Then, Hangman's Chair were not really my cup of tea, so I went to the Warzone for a moment of fun... A French punk band was going to play and their typically punkish attitude is a lof of fun to look at. The band's name speaks for itself: Les Sales Majestés [DSM: "the dirty majesties" or something, dirty in a familiar, pejorative sense]. Neither music nor lyrics are memorable and this band will never change the face of music... But somehow their childish lyrics made me laugh ("on crame les poubelles, on fout bien le bordel" - "we burn trash cans, we wreak havok"). The fact that all musiciens are in their 50's and have been doing the same old shit for years is a proof that they believe in what they do. Police, politicians, finance traders and such are the main targets. A good laugh!"


Entrails 12:15/12:45, Warzone

Ben: "I didn't know their music but Barney Greenway likes them, and that's enough to draw my attention. So... They play classic old school death metal in the swedish vein so if you like Entombed, Grave, etc., this will work. It"s not that original, though, and I must admit I was a bit disappointed. The occult feeling they gave was a good point, but there are so many bands playing the same style that I'll forget about them."

While I didn't really check any band before Discharge, I'll admit that Atreyu (playing at 14:20!!), while indeed some run-of-the-mill metalcore, were still relatively decent.
Meanwhile, Cattle Decapitation sounded pleasantly violent and agressive... But Ben felt a bit different: "I saw a couple of songs. This death metal outfit has a singer with a wide range of vocals, sometimes turning into black metal growls and this is something particular... but it can be annoying to some. Not for everyone."


Discharge 15:05/15:55, Warzone

Ever wondered what's that so-called 'energy' to be found in punk is about?
Well, go see Discharge live, and you'll know. Songs and riff might be simple, as befits punk, but they're still so pissed and angry at the state of the world it showed throughout the set. And while the audience was still relatively small - as usual in the early afternoon - the ones here moshed, circle-pited, raised fists in the air, and enjoyed their time. I know I did!

Ben: "Discharge played at Hellfest a few years ago and they were great, and now their new LP End Of Days has received great reviews from fans and magazines alike. Their new singer JJ Janiak is supposed to give a 100 % input so let's go for it! The guys might be old but they deliver the goods - and the singer surely does too, running along the stage and spitting his venomous lyrics. The new songs withstood the live test well, and fit well with the classics they played: "Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing", "Ain't No Feeble Bastard", "Realities Of War", "The Possibility Of Life's Destruction"... (all covered by metal bands; as a typical metalhead, that's the way I've been introduced to Discharge). The crowd was raging and circle pits were wild... just the way it had to be!
Discharge was and still is a real genuine influence for many bands and they've proven that they're still relevant to this day. Good show!"



In between Discharge and Fleshgod Apocalypse, I had the misfortune to hear some The Amity Affliction - that's some really terribly lame metalcore which made Atreyu sound awesome in retrospect.


Agoraphobic Nosebleed 15:50/16:40, Altar

Ben: "Agoraphobic Nosebleed were going to play? This is something not to be missed out: the band was launched more than 20 years ago but this is only their 5th show!! Is it because the band was formed for experimental purpose? The fact that they never got the right drummer and chose to use a drum machine instead makes it original. Is it cybergrind? In a way... So we have four people on stage: Scott Hull is on guitar - this is an extremely talented guy who has written and produced music for many noise bands including his own (Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Pig Destroyer or Anal Cunt) and all the drum programming; next to him we have a bass player and two singers, Jay Randall and Katherine Katz so a male and - unusual in the genre - a female growler. She was full of anger and agression whereas he seemed unexperienced and uneasy - he seemed lost on this large stage. The music's wild, very fast most of the time, with weird intros between songs. The crowd didn't get very much into it, everyone feeling like it was better to watch rather than move. Weird show... but worth seeing."

In between Discharge and Fleshgod Apocalypse, I had the terrible
misfortune to hear some The Amity Affliction - that's some really, terribly lame metalcore which made Atreyu sound awesome in retrospect.


Fleshgod Apocalypse 16:45/17:35, Temple

First and only time I saw Fleshgod Apocalypse live, they sucked. So, I just didn't really care about seeing them again - even if I was told they were really kickass now. Time to see if they changed!
Sadly, they were cursed with that recurring terrible sound problem under the Temple (those overpowering bass reverb and echoes), so for most of the show there was no hearing their soprano female singer, or the piano. Not until the very last songs anyway - and it was about time she could be heard, her addition was a great bonus indeed.
So yeah, they were tight, violent and professionnal; without the sound issues, that would really have been a highlight of the week-end. Point taken for me, Fleshgod Apocalypse are a good live band now!


Sick Of It All 17:40/18:30, Mainstage02

Sick Of It All are celebrating their 30 years under the sun... And they're still energic as fuck! And while I somehow always managed to miss their live shows, this time I had no excuses, as Entombed A.D. are no novelty to me, and I have no interest in doom supergroup With The Dead.
So, I experienced what it felt to be sick of it all: that's a 50 minutes all-mosh show, that's so full of energy and enthousiasm onstage and in the crowd that it feels twice as short, but in the end you're happy and tired as if it lasted double time.
Exhausting, exhilarating, excellent!




The Toy Dolls 18:35/19:25, Warzone

Another fun punk show that had people jumping and partying punk-style for one hour. As a friend put it, "I barely touched the ground for one minute during the whole set".
Classic after classic, joke after joke, that was just as we could have expected coming from The Toy Dolls! (and so, no surprise, happened one of the numerous wood chips battle on that warzone area)

Meanwhile, Joe Satriani played. That was totally amazing technically, obviously, but if you were not into guitar hero wankering, it became boring pretty quickly.


Asphyx 19:30/20:20, Altar

Ben: "I arrived late and only heard are "The Rack", "Scorbutics" and "Last One Of Earth" - that's two classics and a very good track from Death - The Brutal Way. Martin Van Drunen's vocals are so raw and unique that it is always a pleasure to hear him singing. This is a true death metal band!"
Yeah, what's to say about Asphyx live that hasn't been said already? Nothing, really, they were just awesome as usual. Great tunes, great frontman - who has a better French than most -, what's more to add?


Moonsorrow 20:25/21:15, Temple

This was the third time Moonsorrow played at Hellfest, and probably the best of the three (even better than the great 2009 show). You could easily feel you were in another world under that Temple Tent, a cold, dark and beautiful one, with all the audience singing the choruses in unison, while the band played their musical epics.
Such was the communion during the show, it's really difficult to put into words - particularly from "Suden Tunti" onwards. Probably one of the best shows of the whole fest - just check "Ihmisen Aika" on the Arte video (fourth song, starting at about the 30' mark). And honestly, I can't listen to the studio version now, as it feels so dull compared to this live experience...
Moonsorrow came, Moonsorrow saw, Moonsorrow slayed.


Bad Religion 20:25/21:15, Warzone

Ben: "Time for some melodic punk rock tunes! Bad Religion is a band I like quite a bit, even if I'm far from knowing their entire discography. The band has been enforcing its vision for more than 35 years - nearly a lifetime! - so they sure know the job. Many people were waiting for them, the Warzone was packed!
The bass player had a lot of energy, just like the drummer; meanwhile, singer Greg Graffin had a high school teacher look (actually he's teaching the evolution theory in the U.S.!) and it's quite fitting with Bad Religion's lyrics, which have always been intelligent and socially aware. I found that the more the band played, the better the show became... Or was it because I knew better the second part of the setlist - great songs such as "I Want To Conquer The World", "Generator", "American Jesus" or "21st Century Digital Boy"? They also played four songs in a row from Suffer.
So, we got plenty of up-tempo songs with an intelligent message, and less pure agression than from the average metal outfit... so a very pleasant moment indeed. Very good show!"


Terrorizer 21:20/22:10, Altar

Ben: "Terrorizer is alive! Who could have said that ten years ago, when Jesse Pintado, one of the two founding members, died? And even if Terrorizer released Hordes Of Zombies four years ago, they havn't toured a lot since then. In fact, a litlle bit like Agoraphobic Nosebleed, this grindcore outfit belongs more to legend than reality. I have never seen them, and few people did. Another question came to my mind: who currently plays in the band ? Even Season Of Mist (their label) didn't have any clue!
So... the band is now a power trio; the singer / bass player and the guitarist might be unknown to us (they share few in common with David Vincent's charisma but the singer's vocals were deep and heavy and sure did the job), but the mighty Pete "Commando" Sandoval worked hard behind his drum kit so we all know the Terrorizer spirit lives on. Unfortunately I missed the beginning of the show (Bad Religion had just finished). The majority of the songs came from their legendary World Downfall so we get all the great songs such as "Storm Of Stress", "Fear Of Napalm", "Corporation Pull-In" or "Dead Shall Rise". "Crematorium" from their 2006 record was added to the pack and "Hordes Of Zombies" completed the picture. The frantic light show with blue light and stroboscopic flashes went along well with the music and gave a real feeling of high speed velocity.
Thanks to the huge screen installed outside the tent, we could admire Sandoval's unique technique; the guy didn't seem to have any difficulty playing such fast music! He's cut his hairs and wears a black cap with "GOD" written in the back - he's a born again christian... but I don't care, he can believe in whatever he wants to, as long as he keeps playing drums this way!
A very good - and historical - concert!!"


Ludwig Von 88 22:15/23:10, Warzone

Oh. I guess Ludwig Von 88 aren't well known outside of France... To quote Wiki, "their music is quite similar to that of influent French punks Bérurier Noir: two-fingered and distorted guitar chords and drum machine as a drummer. Their lyrics evolved along their career from nonsensical and often juvenile humour to something more serious and sometimes social and political" (also: no, they're not facists, far, far from it actually). This Hellfest show was their first one in fifteen years, as the band just wasn't active anymore (with Nobru in Sergent Garcia, Karim writing fantasy, etc.)
Guess what? A huge audience awaited them, and as soon as the first notes started, everything and everyone went nuts, starting one hour of jumping, singing, moshing and whatnot. Spanning almost all eras of the bands, the classic setlist featured stupid songs ("30 Millions d'Amis") or more politically charged ones ("Harry Calahan (I Wanna Be A Poulet)" or "Come On Boys"), some of which pissed in the wheaties of some neo-nazes - the same kind I saw leaving Napalm Death while they played "Nazi Punks Fuck Off".
Anyway, it was a helluva lots of fun, and one of the best shows of the week-end for me!


Napalm Death 23:15/00:15, Altar

While Twisted Sister played a classic show in front of a cheering audience, on that farewell tour of theirs - they decided to call it quits since their drummer died, they just recruited Mike Portnoy for these last shows. It sure went smoothly with people, as before, screaming "I wanna rock" and stuff!
Meanwhile...

Ben: "This was Napalm Death's fifth appearance at Hellfest already!
The show started with "Apex Predator" intro song - first notes on tape and then all musicians came onstage and started playing, giving an extra aggressive vibe compared to the record version... And then it went: songs from a recent past like "Silence Is Defeaning" or "Continuing War On Stupidity" delivered a state-of-the-art crust grindcore and, on the other hand, tracks like "Lucid Fairytale" or "Unchallenged Hate" offered a primitive, straightforward side. As always we had four Scum tracks in a row ("Scum" - "Life?" - "The Kill" - "Deceiver"), with a very good surprise since Napalm decided to play long forgotten tunes like "Social Sterility" (THE perfect crust song in my opinion) and "Mentally Murdered". What a blast! Add to that six new songs, and this concert showed that ND's music has more variety than ever: fast, slow, heavy, groovy with violent mosh parts, crushing... and always aggressive anyway. The crowd felt the power and followed suit: at some point, there were two circle pits going on at the same time!
This was a great show for the Brummies as they appeared to be in fine form: Shane played his black Warwick bass and turned around the stage with determination while doing a lot of backing vocals, Danny played his drum kit like if he was on cocaine - but I've have the impression that he needed a couple of songs before being 100 % into it. Barney, as always, was roaring and running like a lion in a cage. Really pissed off, he announced songs with tremendous screams that are far more brutal than ever ("Suffer The Children"). Always concerned by social problems, he took time to explain the band's ethos: "everyone has got the right to live in happiness and freedom" / "it is always a disaster when you mix up religion and reality" / "we're here to make the as much noise as we possibly can". Finally, John Cook who stepped into Mitch's shoes last year did a good job: this big guy with dreadlocks and a Discharge T-shirt played every notes right, did high-pitched screams (even though I prefer Mitch's voice which tore everything apart), and once in a while he did a quick guitar solo (like Jesse), he banged his head and was really commited. He did a fine job... so congratulations to him!
Overall this was a very good concert, brutal but with variety so it made the whole thing very interesting to hear and look at, with this politically / socially awareness that I am fond of, and I wished it could last longer. Having seen the band more than 40 times over my life, I can tell you that this was one of the best show I've ever seen. In my opinion this is absolutely the best concert of this 2016 HF edition."


Hommage to Lemmy started about 00:20

Ben: "Then, the big fireworks. This year they were dedicated to Lemmy, who died six months ago; he was iconic to the point of gaining everyone's approval... And as Motörhead came five times to Hellfest, it was a bit natural to have him one last time in Clisson. Like in 2015, Hellfest productions prepared something huge and the fireworks lasted ten minutes [(DSM: I'm sure they put more cash in those than most municipalies ever do in France for National Day. I mean, a whole half of the sky was filled with lights and explosions at one point!], starting with a three-minutes footage video on Main Stage's huge screens that reviewed Lemmy's career (and in the middle a french TV apppearance back in the 80's with Yves Mourousi!). Then the sky turned red as the fireworks exploded everywhere with Motörhead's music on the background ("Love Me Forever" and "Ace Of Spades" being the most noticeable ones). A nice end to this beautiful day !"

End? No, not really... The hommage continued with Phil Campbell speaking, and then a few musicians covered some Motörhead songs.


Gutterdämmerung 01:00/02:00, Warzone

Gutterdämmerung? The self-proclaimed "loudest silent movie on Earth"! Here's the trailer:



Yeah, that was it: part open-air theater movie, part rock show (in front of and/or behind the screen), with legends on-screen, and legendary tunes (from "War Pigs" to "Raining Blood" etc).
Well, I guess you have to be into independent cinema to like it (even if it was more of a B-movie than an art film, it sure wasn't really mainstream stuff), but it was an interesting experience. I sure liked it - not much as other people I know, but still!
After than, Henry Rollins himself, with his backing band, played a few songs in tribute, namely "Ace Of Spades" and "Territorial Pissings" (yeah, never thought I'd hear that one, of all Nirvana songs, at Hellfest one day!).
Nice ending for a nice day!

---

Yay! For this last day of shows in hell, we got kind of a perfect weather: cloudy and sunny at the same time, not too hot nor too cold, often with a nicely cool wind.


Municipal Waste 12:15/12:45, Mainstage01

I didn't go check Stille Volk and their great folk metal from the Pyrénées, because I saw them twice in the last six months. So, off to Municipal Waste!
That was a short blast of violent crossover fun, to the point you could swear the audience continually regurgitated crowdsurfers. "The Art Of Partying" indeed, don't miss them next time!





Orphaned Land 12:50/13:30, Mainstage02

Quite a radical change of mood now, with Orphaned Land and their progressive middle-eastern folk metal. Nice as always, a bit on the safe side maybe; the setlist was really classical, with some songs out of All Is One and some classics ("Norra El Norra", "The Kiss Of Babylon"...). But without Yossi and his everpresent warm and cheery smile (and backing vocals and great guitar work) it felt a bit lacking.
So, Yossi, please come back in Orphaned Land!



Before heading to (we got what probably were the latest liters of Grimbergen! Seriously, WHY in hell didn't they have much more?) and Skálmöld, I stayed a bit in front of the mainstages to enjoy some Vintage Trouble: that's some heavy rock'n rolling rythm'n blues that grooved like the best of the 50's, but with a modern sound. Definitely interesting!


Skálmöld 13:35/14:15, Temple

So, Skálmöld. A band that I heard quite a lot about recently - mostly because they played in my home city last year (but no, I wasn't there). That's some serious folk metal coming from Iceland. Quite catchy, mostly epic, and varied... Yeah it's really decent - and the band is quite active onstage - so I can understand the hype. That was some really good stuff even if I wasn't blown away.


Turnstille 13:35/14:15, Warzone

Ben: "I followed my buddies to the Warzone for the Turnstille show. Biggest surprise of this festival along with Jambinai for me, but while Jambinai brings something new to the picture, I like their music less than Turnstille.
Their style's similar to what was popular in the beginning of the 90's when bands started to mix hardcore with other influences (hip-hop, for instance). It reminded me a little bit of Biohazard or Dog Eat Dog; with its many breakdowns or rhythm changes, it was perfect for circle pits and the crowd reacted a lot. But, beyond the style, it's really the energy, the relentless rage and passion that these guys put into their live show that I liked. Everyone in the band was moving around, jumping everywhere and making this live show a real moment of entertainment. I think that too many bands just come on stage and play their music without adding the little extra thing that makes the whole experience a moment of glory. Turnstille is not this kind of band. I might check their music one day but I will definitely see them live once gain if I have a chance. A very good show!"

After that, doomsters of all stripes united under the Altar to enjoy The Skull, old-school doom stuff done by pros. But unless you're into the genre - if so, seems you were bound to love it - it might leave you cold (as it did for me).


Power Trip 15:05/15:45, Warzone

Ben: "The crossover that these guys play might be tough but at the same time I felt disconcerned by them. Was it because of the previous show? Cos' they had less presence than Turnstille. Even though they played harder, I didn't get into Power Trip. It's a bit of a shame because I like some of their influences (Cro-Mags, Nuclear Assault, and thrash in general...). Maybe next time in better conditions (like, as headliners)?


No One Is Innocent 15:05/15:45, Mainstage01

Defined by mainstream media as a rock band, No One Is Innocent is really heavier than that - maybe think about a angrier, harsher Noir Désir, or a less punk-hardcore Lofofora? Listen!), with really political and angry lyrics.
Yeah, the catastrophic state of the world can bring anger and rage, and can fuel artistic endeavors. And YES, it can push a good band to become a cauldron of boiling, communicative rage, which made for a really intense, vindicative and yet fun show! From "Charlie" to "Djihad Propaganda" to "La Peau", we were served forty minutes of old and new songs, all energic anthems of rebellion.
Definitely one of the highlights of the whole fest!


Tarja 15:50/16:40, Mainstage02

I was probably a bit too extatic after No One Is Innocent to fully enjoy Unsane's walls of distortion and aggressive sounds, so I left pretty quickly (but, was it me or the band just wasn't as committed as in 2012?). So, while I drifted slowly towards the Warzone - with some real hot coffee - I checked Tarja. No need to present Nightwish's first vocalist, whose voice was as good as before. But, please someone crucify her backing band! While they did the job during her own songs (the ones I heard were totally lackluster), I happened to hear the Nightwish medley, and the guy who 'sang' Marco's parts on "Slaying The Dreamer" just butchered it all.


Brodequin 15:50/16:40, Altar

Ben: "I'll admit I followed my pals on this because I am absolutely not familiar with Brodequin's music. I heard it 15 years ago when they started their career and that wasn't to my tastes - too brutal and not clever enough to make it interesting imo...
Well, what went on the Altar didn't change my mind: it was very extreme, with only fast parts, but it's the way it was delivered that made me uncompfortable. We had two guys on the front, one playing bass and singing, the other one playing guitar. And in the middle of the stage, we had one guy standing up with a very small drum machine pad, playing on the buttons to simulate a real drum kit. To be honest, I found this pretty weak. I prefer having a programmed drum machine on the back like Agoraphobic Nosebleed did. Standing the way he did, he annihilated all efforts to give a strong vision to the audience... This was weird for sure and we wondered how he managed to play on such a small device... but this is not something I am amazed by so I'll forget them very quickly."


Ratos De Porão 16:45/17:35, Warzone

The legendary Brazilian hardcore band that is Ratos de Porão is pretty rare on these shores, so that was another of those 'not-to-be-missed' shows. And it was nice.

Ben: "I felt a bit exhausted at this point of the festival, so I didn't focus all my attention on Ratos de Porão, these brazilian guys mostly known for being friends with Sepultura [DSM: and I felt during the show that the influence of RDP on the Seps was quite audible]. They played well but their sound is less agressive than the previous bands that played on the Warzone, so Momo and I finally moved to see..."


Gojira 16:45/17:35, Mainstage01

Ben: "Gojira is probably one of the most reverred band in France and they deserve this cult status because they work so hard and embody a very unique musical vision. The band came several times to Hellfest and it's always a pleasure to look at them because they are true and this is priceless.
Unfortunately we saw very few of their live show, but "Backbone" was more than successful. Plus, it was the drummer's birthday - this was the best party he could get! Once again the guys gave 100 % and they were happy to be there as singer Joe told the crowd ("We take each show the same way, without pressure... But here we're at Hellfest, goddammit!"). A good show but I wish I could have seen more of it... and be closer to the stage (the place was litterally packed)."

And indeed, Gojira had the appeal of a headliner, so the whole mainstages area was choke-full of metalheads. Yeah, that's how big they are here. So now, let's hope for a headline tour soon!
Oh, and guys, remember that your older songs = better songs!


Blind Guardian 17:40/18:30, Mainstage02

Ben: "Like with Gojira before, I felt bad to be in a place that crowded; I was far from the stage, and I didn't get into the gig. Yet Blind Guardian played very well. They started with a new song, "The Ninth Wave", but though it is magnificently written, I prefer old material such "The Script For My Requiem", "Time Stands Still" or "Mirror Mirror"... not forgetting "Valhalla" of course. Even though time was short, Blind Guardian played the acoustic highlight "The Bard's Song", enabling [DSM: once more ] everyone willing to sing along with them to turn the moment into a beautiful event. I just wish they could play at night with a decent light show."

Once again Blind Guardian presented the paradox of a no props / no great presence band, but who never fails to deliver a fantastic set (with moshing included this time - I even lost my glasses!). Obviously, in the front rows the audience was nuts, like with most bands during this sunday afternoon. The fantastic setlist, with a lot of classics, sure helped to make the show memorable. BTW, the new songs are much better live than on record (where they sound so flat and dull)!




Slayer 18:35/19:35, Mainstage01

Ben: "Originally Megadeth should have played now, but they switched places with Slayer on the bill. Anyway t'was time for me to move, so I only heard "Repentless". But once again, the place was so packed that I did not get any pleasure... Also, some people must have been be annoyed by the P.A. that was too loud."

Well... Just like Ben I left Slayer quite early - I've seen them a few times already, and had my Muscadet to buy - but I was pleasantly surprised by how Repentless (great album!), has revitalized them. It sure has been a while since I haven't seen them this energic and commited onstage!


AmonAmarth 19:40/20:40, Mainstage02

With each new album they've released in recent years, Amon Amarth went further downhill in terms of energy, originality... almost everything. Yet each time I've seen them onstage, they've never disappointed me. So, what about this fourth appearance of theirs at Hellfest?
Well... To put it mildly, it kicked major ass!! First, the stage set was awesome, with these (about four meters tall I guess) stylized dragonheads that could spew forth smoke and that served a few times to Johan Hegg to climb upon. Speaking of which, if the musicians weren't that über active onstage, Mr Hegg the singer more that compensated for that, being the great frontman he is. Cheers to you
While the setlist featured quite a few new songs, there were more than enough classics ("Pursuit Of Vikings", "Death In Fire", etc.) to keep everyone on fire. And yep, they did use fireworks this time. So guess what? The crowd went nuts from the very start, shouting and moshing with abandon.
Definitely another highlight of this edition. And yes, it was so good that you could see that Johan Hegg was really moved when saying goodbye at the end (he even was somewhat unable to leave the stage)...


Empyrium 20:30/21:25, Temple

Quite the rarity, the announcement of Empyrium's presence at Hellfest made some people squee with glee (that's for you, Virginie ). I'm not a fan myself, but the opportunity to sit under the tent while eating and listening to them was too good to pass up.
And so, to a reduced but extatic audience, they easily managed to instill their peculiar, melancholic atmosphere, with their violin, keyboard, and twisting folkish songs... Exquisitely played, it was definitely a success - apart of the small audience, that is - and fans of the band were very happy that's for sure.

After that, Ghost sounded real good. They had a special show, with fireworks, free condoms, and the Clisson children choir on one song (to the utter dissaray of Christian extremists ).


Jane's Addiction 21:30/22:30, Valley

Ben: "Something that's not really 'metal', at the crossroads of alternative rock and so many different influences, yet with their own identity, Jane's Addiction are an all-time personal favorite. I discovered the band more than 20 years ago because Napalm Death members were really fond of them, and Jane's music has followed me since then. Add to this the fact that they often split up... I mean I never imagined that I could see them live once in my life! Their name appeared on the Hellfest bill pretty late and that was just the icing on the cake for me. So tonight I feel a bit like a kid who is gonna have his first date
Many beautiful songs were part of the show: "Mountain Song", "Ted, Just Admit It", "Been Caught Stealing" from their first records and "Just Because" from their 2003 comeback. The concert reached a climax when J.A. played "Three Days", a long piece of music that takes you from mellow mood up to an orgasmic moment - like if you are on top of the world.
Jane's Addiction were not only a band to be listened to: the stage was full of beautiful lights and both singer Perry Farrell and guitarist Dave Navarro were rock stars in the best possible way. They have a lot of charisma but they were generous to their audience - there was lot of communication going back and forth. The final thing was the stage set: there were metallic stairs and strip dancers walking around and moving sensually - to the point of sometimes coming to the frontground and playing with Perry, who seemed to be in heaven during "Three Days"'s solo ! At one point, another two girls were tied on very long ropes and they swang all around the place. Beautiful and eye-appealing. Finally, a roadie brought an armchair, and the light decreased for a last moment of intimacy: the final song was of course the acoustic hit "Jane Says" that everyone sang along.
In the end, we left with a big smile on our face. Jane's Addiction was the most entertaining band on the bill and they gave happiness to everyone who was ready to open his heart. One of the best concerts!"


Heaven Shall Burn 22:35/23:35, Warzone

Heaven Shall Burn have a reputation of violent shows. Guess what? It's deserved! I mean, circle pits this big on a late Sunday evening? Whoa, now that's something really impressive... During the final hours of a three-days marathon like Hellfest, everyone is exhausted, and moshpits on sunday evenings usually are small and tired, if genuine, affairs. Not this year during Heaven Shall Burn's show. Circle pits were almost as large as the stage for most of the set!
The band? Oh yeah, no red shirts like the last time they were at Hellfest. Some serious walls of sounds and aggression. And a nice frontman, urging us to mosh and be nice to each other.
Yeah, even to tired me, that was great. Don't miss them if they play near you!

Yeah, the final hours of this 2016 Hellfest edition were upon us. Ben drifted around to check a few shows... As he says: "Enslaved was playing 'old stuff only', while Black Sabbath were playing the same old shit again and again. Don't get me wrong, I like them and have a lot of respect for the huge impact they had on heavy metal, but I dislike the fact that this "last tour" is probably a marketing thing, and I dislike that they play the same classic old songs. They do not take any risks and heavy metal should never be 100 % safe in my book. So I only saw a couple of songs (they played very well, by the way, and Ozzy sang well tonight [DSM: no kidding? I didn't even bother to check, so accustomed I was to grandpa Ozzy and his failing voice].)"


Paradise Lost 23:40/00:40, Altar

Another real threat - one directly 'borrowed' from Roadburn - was Paradise Lost playing their whole landmark Gothic album. Problem was, the really terrible sound at first made it impossible to recognize "Gothic" out of this sonic magma. Thankfully it went gradually better and we could finally enjoy the show - even if Nick Holmes announced us, about "Falling Forever", that "it's the second time we play this song live. Good luck!" (God bless English humor!)
Gothic being one of my favourites PL albums, I enjoyed the set a lot - even considered my sorry, tired state, and even considering we're talking about Paradise Lost live. Then they played three songs after that, two new ones, and "Embers Fire" (a nice candy too!)

And finally, the last three bands of the 2016 Hellfest edition... King Diamond sounded as in 2012, and then...


Deicide 00:45/01:45, Temple

Ben: "As soon as you arrived to the Temple, you entered another world, full of aggression and blasphemy. I missed many songs as I arrived when they played "In The Mind Of Evil"; fortunately, the second part of the set contained many death metal jewels, like "Blame It On God" or "Dead But Dreaming". I saw Deicide twice in 1995 and 1997 and it was good to see that Glen Benton is still the same possessed guy barking vocals with a dark look in his eye. He's got so much presence (this night Satan was playing at Hellfest!) that all his bandmates disappeared when he was around. Of course, both guitarists played tight and drummer Steve Asheim was very impressive as well... but Benton's overwhelming presence crushed everything around. His voice was so deep...
The two last songs finished to destroy the poor human beings still intact on the Hellfest site: "Sacrificial Suicide" and of course the mighty "Lunatic Of God's Creation" did put a final point on a very intense show. Good ending!"


Refused 00:45/01:45, Warzone

Come Sunday night, everyone's exhausted. But who can say no to a Refused show, especially considering they did a fantastic job four years ago? I certainly couldn't, even if I was way too tired to enjoy it to its fullest. The band, however, were as energic as expected, particularly frontman Dennis Lyxzén who jumped everywhere and screamed on top of his lungs all the time.
Yeah, they were still awesome as fuck, but now I'd really like to see them in a regular venue, on a normal day... Just to enjoy their show a bit more!

---

Rain? Yeah, once again, but this time, while not dramatic like in 2007, it could have been quite crippling, I guess, if measures hadn't been taken on Thursday morning. Anyway...

Ben: "This year's bill was great and once again Hellfest Productions booked a wide range of bands: some very obscure, some young, and big selling machines as well. I had the impression that two worlds shared the same space, because the two main stages and the other stages share few in common.
But the ferris wheel and the zip line are too much and the event is slowly sliding to the world of Disneyland. Perhaps it's only a detail but I ain't sure that these extra things are in the right place here."

So Hellfest has changed a lot - for the best - since its inception, and while it continues to grow, this year was quite a smooth ride, really, especially considering the sorry state of the world (I guess all of us thought, at least once, about November 13th and the Bataclan, and about the risk of Hellfest, being miscreants as we gleefully are, to be a target...). It really feels, now, that the Hellfest machine as reached its cruising speed; it's established with its visual identity, and the bands seemed genuinely happy to play and come back (as many were wont to say). Maybe there's even some kind of emulation between bands playing here now? I don't know, but lots of shows were really great this year, and everything went very smoothly.

There were also far less complaints than two years ago, it seems, except for the same usual one. One that's perfectly understandable, even if, for once, it didn't bother me as much as before: the "TOO-MANY-FUCKING-PEOPLE" factor.

Ben: "60000 people per day at Hellfest is a bit too much in my opinion. The place was packed, especially at night (it was possible to walk around during the day but it became a pain in the ass at night) and it's a nightmare if you hate queuing: you queue at the entry (for security measures that serve nothing), you queue at cashless desks, you queue to have a beer, to take a piss? Really I wouldn't go to Hellfest if I had to wear a normal pass. I think Hellfest Productions will have to thoroughly think about it [DSM: The complaints were loud enough to prompt Ben Barbaud, HF's main man, to answer here...] We all know that the place's great with a very nice look and the event's wonderful? but all the joy can be annihilated because of the gigantic proportions Hellfest has taken in recent years. I wish I could see more gigs on the main stages but the place is so crowded that it is useless and boring. Fortunately the rest of the scenes featured a number of interesting bands..."

As a sidenote, I guess the fact that Friday's audience was more mainstream (once again, Rammstein, The Offspring) didn't help. Check the Arte Mass Hysteria video, for example (at about 19:40): when the band played IN the audience and wanted a circle pit around them: fawning morons agglutinated themselves to the security guys instead of circle-pitting or standing aside. Oh well, whatever.

A worst problem, I think, was the sometimes horrible sound we had under Altar and Temple, with these bass reverb and/or totally muffled sound.

Otherwise, toilets were cleaned regularly (or so I was told), grass held through it (except maybe in front of the stages), and I found some great food (the little pies with their sweet potatoes fries were just delicious!).

In the end...

This edition was almost sold out even before the bill was announced; in the end it was a success, and the smoothest edition so far. Yet Hellfest shouldn't grow too comfortable; Brutal Assault, for example, has an arguably much better bill for more extreme metal fans. And while us froggies often are content enough to stay in France (such ensuring HF's continued success), international audience will go where the bill is best.

As for next year, nothing's been announced yet, but the first 5000 tickets were sold in a few hours. According to an article published in early 2016 in Ouest France, discussions had already started with Iron Maiden. And who knows?... Maybe the fact that Puscifer were here this year hints at Tool coming in the future?

Thanks and cheers to each and everyone I met during the fest... You know who you are!