It’s now 4pm the festival gates will have opened so I get scrambling. It’s still quiet having not succumbed to the arrival of the legendary M4A Party bus which will make its infamous appearance around 5:30pm, unfortunately a half hour to late for the openers who have just sound checked and nurse their beers and nerves before their set.

The setting for M4A Summerfest has not changed much having been hosted at the very capable Klein Libertas Theatre for the last 5 years and going from strength to strength ever since. The usual stalls of band merch, local and international are set up in one corner while in the other corner a outdoor stage with DJ Andy at the decks kicks off and it’s for some metal, fucking partying.

This brings me to the start of the show. First up saw newbies Forgive Us Not hit the stage for the first time in their short careers. Not being ones to hold back on their unsuspecting audience they deliver a brutal monstrosity of sonic distortion, severing eardrums and getting bodies to sway. They first act is always one of the toughest slots of the fest but they fared well and made their mark, no matter how insignificant it may have seemed. I did notice however a lot of the old school present were hard-pressed to be drawn in, but showed support irrespective and that’s what counts. Forgive Us Not has the drive, look and stamina needed to be a great band; but for how long will this last without the much needed guidance from their peers? A decent opener to the fest and with time and experience could be groomed into a true force of metal.

After a quick intermission, Diverge stepped up to the plate. Now, don’t get me wrong; I am a little out of the loop with a lot of the burgeoning younger metal heads who bring about immense amounts of energy, brutality and love for a genre only the few can appreciate, but it lacks the ever-present groove and catchy licks that make most of our metal idols so legendary. But in saying so, Diverge saw a better complement of patrons as the crowd swelled with the arrival of the M4A party bus. Sixty or so people dove in trying to take in as much of the little they had missed but still had a long day ahead to look forward too thankfully.

A bit of a longer break ensued and the murmuring started as time started to lapse into the red, the next band up had made their followers wait long enough to see them live. This all star cast of members that make up the prehistoric fin shaped death machine was Megalodon. Featuring a repertoire of seasoned musicians from legendary bands such as Odian, The Broken Result and Marching Dead, they sure as hell had to live up to the ripping math metal inspired tunes to make, dare I say, their idols Meshuggah proud.

Megalodon drew by far the biggest crowd by this point and for good reason. They delivared a kick ass show while I struggled to squirm and fight my way through the mosh pit to view them from a decent spot, only to be confronted by the statue of a body thats was their frontman Thomas. His movements while delivering big growling vocals made heads roll, while the strings complimented each other as the drums, with technical flawlessness, kept it tight and refreshing to say the least.

To break the politics of death metal inspired bands, Wargrave fronted by Infanteria main man Chris Hall took to the stage. Wargrave brought their thrash metal goodness to a crowd who, by now, I think needed a bit more melody to headbang and throw each other against the rafters to. The news of Chris leaving this act was disappointing to hear as this band really has a presence and has worked hard to put their mark on the metal scene in the past year. They were a really enjoyable band to watch and it was a pleasure to see them do what they do best.

My last act viewed was the ever catchy and watchable industrial act that is Terminatryx. Their stage was littered with projections, smoke and lighting to enhance the visual and aural experience as the day faded into darkness. The crowd had swelled even more and the booze flowed more freely and everyone was ready to be blown away. Terminatryx‘s brand of synthesized metal fronted by the ever erotic Sonja Ruppersberg and the illustrious by Paul Blom worked seamlessly to bring their audience a quality product with as much emphasis on the performance as with their music. This show was in support of their newly launched remix album entitled Remyx 1.0 which, quite frankly, is better than the original in my opinion.

Tomorrow, the BrutalViking wraps up the review. Stay tuned!

Albeit small, Factory in Centurion is always buzzing with an alternative energy and remains an underground and jock-free venue that caters for just about any non-commercial niche. Gig-goers were sauntering around the balcony area and sipping Black Label while eagerly waiting for the metal mayhem to ensue.

One of my personal favourites, Killatoria, where first on stage to release the beast and provide me with my heavy metal fix. This young and talented quartet never ceases to amaze me with their relentlessly heavy yet classic sound. While most younger metal heads sport skinny jeans, emo hairstyles and a mainstream driven liking for deathcore, Killatoria is clearly influenced by the more old school slow and heavy fundamental building blocks of metal. The moment they started ripping up the stage, my head began swaying involuntarily to the heavy riffs complimented with ease by Adri’s deep guttural growls. I always wonder where these boys will be a few years down the line seeing as they have mastered the art of heavy metal at such an early time in their lives.

Hailing from Pretoria, Boargazm were next on the menu with a set that was about to blow my mind. With members coming from well established old SA bands such as FUCK and RhütZ, I knew that despite certain stigmas attached to the ‘pig squealing’ genre, Boargazm would not disappoint or sound like a thousand other bands out there. I was all too right. To add a little something different to their performance, the band members wore latex pig masks throughout their theatrical performance making it a visually entertaining show without compromising on the quality of the music. I watched in awe as Boargazm pulled off a high-energy set that was both brutal and potent in terms of well orchestrated metal. What sets them aside in their chosen genre is the fact that they flawlessly maintain a balance between chaos and melody. Amongst the grind-style madness, they worked in classic heavy metal breaks and beautifully melodic riffs to form an interesting contrast in styles. Being partial to percussive bass, the way the bassist was slapping at the strings appealed to me deeply and added solid heavy structure to the music.

A well respected muso within our scene, Chris “Danger Thunderbolt” was very entertaining with his infamous “Fuck You” guitar, energetic stage presence and well crafted riffs delivered with so much talent. I managed to have a quick chat to Chris before they jammed. He described their genre as “swine-core” and gave mention to metal gods Pantera as one of their influences. Maintaining the thrash element in this fairly new style of metal makes Boargazm unique. Despite this genre being one our scene is rather unfamiliar with, Boargazm reeled in the crowd and had many heads banging profusely to their music. A breath of fresh air, this band is rich with versatility without over doing it.

To end off the night on a good note, Emperium played a soothing set that remains unchallenged in its slower yet intense, heavy feel. Being no strangers to the stage, they delivered a great performance despite a few technical glitches and took me right back to my metal roots.

Needless to say, my neck suffered a stiff state the following day with me being a bit out of practice after the holidays, but it was definitely worth every ounce of pain! I look forward to watching Boargazm change the general conception surrounding the “pig squealing” and experimental sides of metal. I am beyond thrilled that this exciting new project comes from well oiled and experienced musicians that can do it right and have most certainly earned the freedom to experiment and shift boundaries without taking a step backwards.

Now, on to the meat and potatoes of the review. Boargazm‘s The Aporkalypse is a concept album, a ballsy and maybe dangerous move, but one that works if only for the sheer lunacy of it. Here’s a quick rundown of the story: The year is 2086, Earth is under attack by the pig people from Planet Zorg. The Pig-lord General Barbatus slaughters millions of people in mere hours. The humans have no choice but to submit to slavery or die. Unbeknownst to them, the pig people have been to earth before. There is hope though, in the form of The Pig Whisperers: rebel fighters who want to liberate the humans. They go and see the oracle, who sends them back in time a hundred years earlier – to the era of mullets, big hair, guitar solos and cocaine binges – to alert the world of the looming and ham-pending (apologies, I don’t know how that one slipped in, honestly) Aporkalypse.

I will be quick to admit that I am by no means a fan of pig-squeals or any music with the “core” suffix (the Boargazm Facebook page lists their music as “Swinecore”), which this album has in spades. I think pig-squealing is silly, most probably a joke gone too far. I am however a fan of melody, grooves and a sense of fun, which this album also has in spades and I am happy to see these lads have their tongues firmly implanted in their cheeks. Boargazm is the brainchild of well-known musician and South African Air Guitar champion Heine van der Walt, who is responsible for a number of metal projects such as FUCK and Rhütz – in addition to being an accomplished jazz musician and multi-instrumentalist. This shows in this album, and what I really like about it is the fact that the songs are well thought out and have a true sense of musicality to them.

To my pleasant surprise, the hardcore/metalcore elements aren’t forced and the songs don’t rely on annoying screams and blast beats to carry them. They instead opt for some plain old lekker riffs, with some thrashy bits thrown in for good measure. There is a good balance between heaviness and melody, and you can even occasionally distinguish some words. Very occasionally. The vocals however never overshadow or impede the instruments, and mostly accompany the riffs in an amiable, buddy cop kind of way. All in all, it is a fine line between homage and ridicule, with some parts more infectious than the swine flu. The album is a concept, a story, so I will take you through it one rasher of bacon at a time.

The intro track is entitled “Onslaught” and that’s exactly what it is; a barrage of machine-gun drum attacks, and panic filled screams proclaiming that indeed, “the pigs are coming”. It sets the manic and deranged pace for the album, and like the rest of the tracks, makes no apologies. “Barbatus” follows in which The Pig-Lord has descended and destruction is imminent. What strikes me about this song initially is the surprisingly melodic solo that hits about a third in, along with a grooving, bassy riff that really gets your head swaying. It’s an indication of the groove to come, and as one of the ‘catchier’ songs on the album, is probably the best indication of the album’s overall sound.

The battle is on in “Ground Zero” and the pigs have decimated millions. After some war-like sound effects and an expansive opening riff, we again have pig squeals and grunts buddying up with the riffs and drum beat, ensuring many a head bobbing. This track also has another wicked solo that’s not just 7-string sweep-picking wankery. The starting riff of “Blood Feast” has some serious off-beat groove to it. It’s basic enough to headbang to like mad, but with enough variation to not get boring. It’s one of the shortest tracks too, at just over 2 minutes.

Now here’s where the melody comes in. “Power Struggle” is a short instrumental of tremolo picking in a somber key – it gets you ready to start moshing again for the next track. “The Pig Whisperers” tells the tale of the rebels fighting for the humans. Staccato, punchy riffs again accompany grunts in a seriously mean killbeat. It changes tempo for a chaotic solo, falls back into the main riff and (just like Van Gogh) goes mad before it dies in a frenzy. Owing to that addictive main riff and insanity, it’s one of my favourite tracks.

The opening riff and accompanying tapping in “A Great War” would not be out of place somewhere on an Arch Enemy style song and it descends to yet another groove, goes a bit chromatic, sinister and finally explodes with squeals intensifying. “Intermission” is another melodic instrumental track. It’s somber, reverb and delay infused guitars, really are an intermission for your ears before the madness starts again. Not the most technical of solos, but then again it’s not supposed to be. “Tide of Echoes”, is a bit more madcap and not ideally my cup of tea. It brings some more ‘core’ elements than most of the songs, but still has that groove. There are many more tempo changes thrown in as well. Halfway through it descends into even more chaos with the solo. Like the album, it’s almost thrashy at times, as if the metronome was kicked off the table in fury, but it echoes the insanity of the song and the album.

At this point, I’m starting to feel like the tracks are melding into one another, but “Manifesto” does have another body-slamming riff, pinch harmonics and all. Any additional commentary would just be repeating myself. “Lust”, starts off fast-paced and again, more like a traditional hardcore song. One of the few with blastbeat-like drumming, but it doesn’t last too long and shies away from becoming too annoying. There are some serious double bass attacks and Kerry King style disharmonic string murder in the solo. One thing that does bother me slightly though is that the guitar tones differ somewhat in the solo. It closes with a thumping main riff and that staple of 80′s tunes, a fade-out. “The Oracle” is purely strange, electronic warbles and drones with a drum-machine beat. It’s ominous and dreadful sound echoes the ending of the album, but also forebodes the next chapter in the Boargazm saga.

As someone who usually shuns this style of music, I must say I’ve been drawn into it quite unexpectedly by Boargazm. I knew from the start this was not going to be the style I gravitate towards, but that’s why I chose to review it. I thought it would give a fresh perspective. What made me decide on the spot, was when I saw GWAR listed as one of their influences. I knew immediately these guys don’t take themselves too seriously – unlike most ‘core’ or death metal bands. I enjoyed it, but I am still going back to listening to some Helloween after this. But, as my Afrikaans brethren say; “meng jou met die semels, dan vreet die varke jou”.

Now, after a small number of live shows, lots of time spent writing and a seven month long recording process, Wildernessking are poised to release The Writing of Gods in the Sand in February 2011. The wait has been arduous, but from the opening bars of “Rubicon”, the band proves that it has certainly been worth it. Sounding like an amalgamation of Wolves in the Throne Room, Drudkh, Walknut and Cult of Luna (basically, everything that has been going right with metal the past few years) the album ebbs and flows through a number of different moods, but always feels cohesive and deliberate.

“Rubicon” is a vicious opener, with bassist/vocalist Keenan Oakes (ex-The Horror Cast) leading the charge before the literal wave of sound hits. The blast beat furore eventually gives way to a more measured groove and eventually a reverb-soaked interlude that feels almost pedestrian in comparison to the song that began less than a minute and a half ago. “Discovery” continues this theme, with Keenan unleashing truly tortured howls over the rest of the instruments. One of the things that stands out the most with the album is the mix, courtesy of Magnus Lindberg of Cult of Luna. All of the instruments have a very defined place in the overall mix, with everything sitting a comfortable distance apart. Whether it is an open space or a tightly pressed together burst, no instrument ever feels overpowered or lost.

“River” picks the pace up and lets the band really show their black metal chops, with a swirling vortex of riffs creating a strong atmosphere. Wildernessking‘s music can really only be likened to running through a thick forest, chaotically dodging tree stumps and branches lashing at limbs. Every so often, a clearing appears, allowing a brief respite before careening back into the fray. The album’s centerpiece, “Utopia”, is a prime example of this, with a chuggy, driving riff pushing forward before the way becomes clear and breathing room is given. This track also does an excellent job of showcasing guitarists Dylan Viljoen and Jesse Vos’ interplay. Their two instruments weave in and out of each other to create a thick fog of sound that is absolutely spellbinding in it’s construction. The “ballad” of the album, “Surrender”, is a slow piece that has a beautiful catharsis that reminds me of summer rain. Keenan’s vocals once again shine in this track and special mention should be made of drummer Jason Jardim proving that he’s not all blast beats and double kick drum punishment.

The penultimate track “Reveal” is a more uptempo, instrumental affair, that gives a very definite nod to Emperor in it’s riffing and structure. The keening lead lines are locked in a constant battle with fast, black metal riffing, drenched in atmospherics and it is a strong contender for my favourite track on the album. Finally the album draws to a close with “Infinity”, which starts softly and gradually builds up into a whirling dervish of fury by the end. It is a fitting closer to what is already my favourite album of the year!

I would love to be able to criticise this album, but in all honesty, I cannot fault it. It may just be one of the finest metal albums to come out of South Africa in recent years. The usual detractors will look at the band’s image or read the lyrics and immediately decry it as “hipster metal” and “un-true”, but those who spend all day fantasizing about 90′s Norwegian black metal won’t “get” this evolution of the genre anyway. The lyrical themes, the sounds created and the passion with which it is all delivered is a pure rejection of modern life, an open embrace of nature and a call to become a king of the wilderness that lies before you.

The Writing of Gods in the Sand is set to be released in the first week of February 2012 by Antithetic Records.

“Rubicon” and “Utopia” are available for streaming at Wildernessking‘s Bandcamp, and you can listen to the whole album at the black metal blog, Lurker.

Black Divine (Grim Music – 2011) is the band’s second album, released just a few weeks ago on 10 December, 2011 and it speaks absolute volumes on the band’s development since The Gallows Are Calling, recorded back in 2008. What also cannot be overlooked is the bands impressive visual identity overhaul, including not only the graphic identity, but also stage attire. These guys and their new album look world class… but do they sound it?

I think the albums opening track, “Autumn’s Woe”, should answer that question well enough. It begins quite abruptly – with a no-nonsense black metal feel – leaving out any fluffy drawn out intro ditties (the likes of which seem almost a trend with releases these days). It sounds huge! Probably because the band has taken the same approach which has resulted in other great sounding releases come out of South Africa in 2011: international-standard post production! It’s no secret that experience in mixing and mastering for the genre is sorely lacking in the local scene, resulting in many a sub-international-standard release, but there’s nothing wrong with our local studios. One studio which has been producing great results for many rock and metal bands over the years is B# Studios, and the album was tracked and mixed there, and then shipped off to Cutting Room Studios, Sweden, for the magic touches that can’t seem to be found locally. And the proof is in the pudding!

Anyhow, back to the songs – “Autumn’s Woe” is a fantastic choice for an opener. It takes the listener on a journey through pretty much every dynamic of the band’s sound right from the word go, and keeps the ear drawn in. The second track lives up to the bands claim of being blackened thrash with a choppy-chuggy riff to lure the ear (and headbang o’meter) in, and just evolves from there. The following tracks provide plenty of happy heavy metal listening, but by number six or so I begin feeling a yearning for the same dynamic range as demonstrated in the opener. Track seven, titled “Illumination of God and Lucifer”, does it for me with what is possibly the most memorable guitar hook on the album! It’s as though this, at track seven, represents something of a turning point in the album to a new level of sophistication – and continues through the next two tracks to the albums conclusion, with each song having a major hook of some sort: be it a particularly nifty guitar piece, or the female guest vocals provided by Heike Van Dominic (ex-Inferium; who, incidentally, is also the lady responsible for the fantastic album design), or even just some atmospheric accompaniments – but especially in that the band does not borrow the same tricks used in one song for another. I think my absolute favourite has to be the last track “Betrothed Black Winters Dawn”, which appeals to my own liking for slower, doomier stuff, and just provides a really nice sense of closure as well. I would have to conclude that Warthane‘s Black Divine lives up to its namesake. It is both Black and Divine.

Black Divine is available now for digital download Warthane’s Reverbnation store.

Saturday the 10th of December at Rumours Lounge marked a sad but memorable moment in Metal, when Sam graced the stage with Fragmented Children for the final time. So many bittersweet emotions welled up in my tummy as I watched Sam seduce the crowd with her enthusiasm and energy with the boys of Fragmented Children for one last show…

Words cannot be wrapped around the absolute thrill of indulging in live music with likeminded comrades. This was a well organized gig and a fantastic end to Sam’s career with FC. However, within an end lies merely a new beginning… “This is not goodbye, it’s just a see you later” Sam said with a mysterious smile.

Saturday morning dawned… Literally. By 8 AM, the sun was already toasty, and we were guzzling water and energy drinks, slathering up with sunscreen and preparing to head down to the stage. At the metal stage we were greeted with campus rock outfit Four a Penny. Probably the “softest” of the days’ bands, but a good start nonetheless. The rest of the afternoon had a great selection of bands, showcasing several different styles of rock and metal. From the deathcore stylings of The Impalement Theory to the melodic death antics of Sindulgence (who performed an amazing cover of System of a Down‘s “Toxicity”), to the classic thrash grooving of …ING.

The stage really got heavy when, as the sun started fading, Wildernessking appeared. I must say, Wildernessking are the only local band to stay black metal without needing corpsepaint and their progressive sounds helped inch the sun down. Next up were industrial/EBM rebels, Axxon. Although they were one of the wildcard bands on the stage they didn’t disappoint and pulled in a crowd that stayed for most of the night. Vocalist Stephen Green throwing in some clean singing was a surprise, but not at all an unwelcome one, and hearing them cover Rammstein‘s “Sonne” was an audible treat! They also announced that their first single, Bite Your Tounge, is on the horizon. Definitely one to keep tabs on!

Marching Dead: what can I say? They haven’t been on stage in a good while, and it showed, but this didn’t stop Igor and the guys from giving it their all and managing to keep the crowd going. Next up were power metallers Strident. Their set was the highlight of Saturday night for me, opening with “Metal or Death”, knighting three deserving fans (and their new bassist Sylus). They also unleashed a new song upon festival, “March”, and even had a surprise for Manowar fans, covering “Hand of Doom”. Lead guitarist Neill Schoeman truly shined here, riffing like a beast on his axe! Not to mention a faster, more powerful than usual performance of the tongue-in-cheek “Power Metal From Space”.

The crowd dissipated slightly as The Warinsane arrived and almost broke the stage with sheer neck snapping brutality! The fence around the stage was nearly ripped out of its concrete blocks, and I was shocked not to find the ground soaked with blood! The crowd had a bit of a break as Crow Black Sky were setting up. They may have taken longer than any other band to set-up, but it was worth the wait. Crow Black Sky rang in 2012 in a blaze of fire and explosions. Their set was truly a spectacle to behold, with skulls strewn across stage and the band in Behemoth-inspired armour. After such a long day and night, we retreated back to camp. Bodies beginning to break, we still had to survive a whole second day!

On Sunday morning, under the baking sun (yes, it was a hot day again) we could see a slew of campers packing up and leaving. Apparently some of them thought it was one night only, and others just couldn’t take it anymore. But not the seasoned metalheads or the M4A crew. We were going strong! Sunday afternoon was, on the whole, more relaxed than Saturday with more of an alternative feel. The crowds also dwindled during the day. I blame hangovers, and the sun. Nevertheless, the performing bands still put their best foot forward, and really gave it their all.

I have to make an honourable mention of The Summer Underground – with these hard rockers performing the hardest for the smallest crowd. The stage picked up again at 19:00 with Terminatryx. These experimental industrialists, brought the crowds crawling back to the stage. Once again I saw why. Every time Terminatryx get on stage, they do not disappoint! Make sure to catch them at Summerfest ’12 later this month. Hot on their heels was balls-to-the-wall metal outfit, Bulletscript. They got heads rolling again, with their relentless riffing and blasting drums. Joe gave his farewell this evening, making way for his replacement George, It will be interesting to see what the band does going forward following this change.

Night had fallen, and next up were heavy metal stalwarts Mind Assault: the Sunday night highlight for me. Coming on stage wearing South African flag “kilts” and dropping black S.A flags behind the stage, this was likely the most politically charged set I’ve seen from these guys. And they played two new songs! It was a powerful performance, much respect to these guys for keeping metal alive in this country, even in the face of adversity. Next up were new kids on the block, Wargrave. These thrashers were great to see and are another band to keep tabs on. I’m sure they’ll rise to headline status before too long! The last band on the bill was the indomitable Suiderbees. Their brand of brutal death metal sapped the crowd of every last drop of energy they had left.

Every band on the bill filled a great slot to make the stage varied enough to keep drifters close. They all put their best performances forth, even with widespread monitoring trouble and it made me proud to be a metalhead in this country. Be sure to check out the pics on the Metal4Africa facebook page. And don’t forget about Metal4Africa Summerfest ’12 just around the corner!

When arriving at a venue an hour and a half early for a gig, one usually does not expect to see many people waiting to go in, however, on Saturday 10 December 2011, this wasn’t the case. A sure sign already that the event was going to be an awesome success. With raffle tickets and Jagermeister shots being sold at the door, the vibe instantly set in for the rest of the night.

Corpse painted faces and an enthusiastic vocalist from the first band known as Cimeries started the night off. Their fast paced beats and energetic performance gave the crowd the opportunity to warm their necks up to be broken to one of the best performances seen by Warthane.

One of the bands, who definitely deserve a mention for playing at the album launch is The Hammer of Redemption (THOR). Not only were they a fantastic choice to play before the highlight of the evening, but also they performed a song which drew the crowd from the bar to the stage. Their cover of Korn’s “Blind” showed the transformation they have made from a beginner boy band to a heavy metal “have-to-see” group.

When the dance floor is packed with patrons itching to break their necks and pushing to get closer to the stage while the band is setting up, you know the band behind that curtain is Warthane. Seeing vocalist Sean Gouws draw his energy from the psyched up crowd is a sight that gets your adrenaline pumping even if you’re dead!

After being at numerous gigs, festivals and concerts I thought there was nothing left that could happen at an event that would surprise me, at least that was until the end of their set. When looking above the crowd all there was to see were little flames held high from adoring fans in honour of fallen musician, Nazar Berezovsky. With a large picture of Naz mounted in the front of the stage and all band members standing back, the transformation in the club felt almost instant. The crowd and band went from a headbanging, moshing frenzy to standing and paying tribute in respect and admiration.

If you were lucky enough to make it to the gig you will agree that it was definitely one of the best. The bands, the crowd and the club was all put together just right to create a legendary moment that people will be talking about for a while.

Photography by: Samantha Williams

A colourful array of alternative music enthusiasts filled up the spacious venue, eager for the night’s entertainment to begin… Milano’s was the perfect playground for an event of this nature and well worth the drive. It was fantastic to see how many people made the trip from all corners of Gauteng to share in the purest form of ecstasy – music. More specifically, the undiluted melodies of metal.

Maximum Carnage has always been a personal favorite and listening to them feels like a systematic release of angst. Their talented performance was full of raw energy and I could feel their passion for music radiating through each instrument. Their vocalist brings a new dynamic to their stage performance, charming the crowd with his relentless and deep guttural growls while Kyle is most certainly one of SA’s most promising bassists and the wooden floors shook as the bass flowed rhythmically from the stage.

Next on the menu was the up-and-coming sextet, Of One Design. Do not be deceived by age – these boys manage to pull off the deathcore formula with precision, authenticity and a great deal of enthusiasm. They prepared the crowd for the next group to take to the stage, one of the pioneers of black metal in South Africa – Warthane. As always, this well established band wore their genre on their sleeve and the visual experience worked well in creating the perfect ambience for their music. There was so much power and feeling in their performance and the mysterious female vocal talent they carefully integrated into their music had impact, adding much depth and emotion to their set.

The evening ended on a perfect note with Specral Realm on the main stage. Despite their ability to create multifaceted and technical yet beautifully melodic metal, this band is modest, having almost snuck up on the scene without needing to make a fuss. Their set was soulful and touches on a very hypnotic and transcendental quality that I find unique within the local metal scene. This band simply does not conform to any stereotype and I find them refreshing in their overall sound and ability to be classical, dark and heavy simultaneously.

Emalyth put together an unforgettable event and the organizer is an extremely valuable asset to our alternative community. Having been to International festivals such as Download in the UK, I can say with confidence that South African metal is of an extremely high standard and we are bursting at the seams with talent and potential.

Photography by: Lionel Lodewick

Beeldenstorm: a word taken more directly from the Dutch language, which is apt in the naming of a South African band given that our nation has a rich portion of history owing to Dutch settlement – even to the point that our Afrikaans language is rooted firmly in Dutch. The band front themselves as an Afrikaans band, speaking Afrikaans, singing Afrikaans, and making Afrikaans metal for South African metalheads. I already liked them just out of principal alone. As the band started their set, I could tell that there was some nervousness on stage, as is always the case when a band is still stretching their legs in the live arena. Unfortunately, the audience was also a little cautious from the start, offering only a slight reaction to the bands music. Ah, the bands music! Contrary to a general lackluster energy level which seemed to sap everybody in the place, I trust that Beeldenstorm will soon rise to become a popular headbanging favourite. What struck me immediately was the sense of raw simplicity in the songs. So many metallers come blazing into the scene with layers and layers of complexity that makes sense to it’s creators, yet flies totally over the head of the listener. This often results in a good band being regarded as bad.

All in all a great evening, but my personal highlight as being Beeldenstorm, because I think that they have something fresh to offer the scene in 2012. No ill-gotten feelings for the other bands though – they were absolutely fantastic – but I’m ever eager for a fresh sound to my ear.