14-11-2015 Brainstorm Festival

[schema type=”event” evtype=”MusicEvent” name=”Brainstorm Festival” sdate=”2015-11-14″ street=”Gigant” city=”Apeldoorn” country=”NL” ]

Another day for Brainstorm festival and we start early with the Dutch formation Desolate Fields. The guys have a Progressive approach but maintain also with different styles. They came together in 2013 and have not really released anything substantial. A couple of demo’s are made and we assume they are working on something new as well.

The guys have a bit of a doomy backing in each of their songs if you are looking for a common factor. Insomnium, Swallow The Sun, that kind of style, but furthermore the songs are standing quite on their own. Also, their show is rather static and could be a bit more energetic especially as they are an opener and need to grab people’s attention. However, the guys are not far off with what they do. A good basic is there, if they have time to build and develop I am looking forward to see them play again in future.

In the theater we will see some more intimate performances today. Árstíðir to start with. The band is from Iceland and makes calm, yet intense and emotional songs. With a grand piano on the stage the band can give their impressive songs an extra touch in this theater but also strings are part of this extraordinary experience today. It’s breathtakingly quiet when the guys are playing, people watch their show with a lot of attention and focus. The essence of the band is to be found in the details so it makes sense that their audience gives them some dedication.

Earlier this year the band released their third full length album called: “Hvel” which the band is currently promoting. After the show they seem to attract many people to the merch-stand but if you hear the words around, they seem to have fans following them the whole tour in NL (and maybe even further). A surprising act that is beautiful to observe.

Despicable Heroes played the festival before so the regular visitors know what to expect. The guys are Dutch, so brought some fans of their own to the festival. The guys combine Hardcore and Metalcore to create their own sound and we must say that from the bands in these genres on this festival, we are most enthusiastic about them. Enough of their own in there, a bunch of strong compositions that are much ‘in your face’. Direct and powerful. You are looking at some organized chaos and the guys are in control. That combined with an energetic performance makes that the guys stand out. Good job!

Up In the theater it is time for a performance of Sleeping Romance. They would also play a show on the mainstage later on, but now are up for a short live interview with a couple of acoustic songs. The interview part was not the strongest, it seems the language is a bit of breaker here, but the acoustic songs are nice to listen to. If we really need to put some comments on it, we suggest they do not put their hands in the pockets there (during performance and also interview), it looks a bit disinterested while they seem eager enough to be there.

Then it is Nightland which stands out to us today. They make Symphonic Death Metal since 2010 and they released their album “Obsession” this year. The band does not let any time go to waste and builder of you with their music. Strong bass, pounding drums, the band is having a solid sound here.

For the show the vocals could have come in a bit more, but during the show it seems to come together well. The Italians are not only leading in their show, but have also thought about their appearance and this makes that the whole comes alive even more. Their second last song makes the most impression, but its name is yet unknown to us. It comes with a certain catchiness that you may not expect in a band like theirs, but certainly hits ground. Nightland was one of the surprises of the day.

Bloodwork is a Melodic Death Metal formation from United Kingdom. They formed in 2007 and toured quite a bit. Today they seem to have an unfortunate start. Not all comes out smoothly and their sounds seems a bit messy. The vocals are not really at their strongest and it seems they need some time to grow into their show. We had to leave their set for a bit, but when returning at the end of the set, they seem to be more impressive with their intensity and show that they have enough substance to entertain the audience today.

At 20.00 o’clock we kept a minute of silence for the victims of the Paris tragedy. A nice moment in which we remember that this could have happened to anyone of us. Watching a concert. But above all, to pay respect to the people who had to die.

Right after this moment it is the French band The Algorithm that hits the stage. The band is surely not what all the metalheads expected. And not all will appreciate the amount of electro in their music, but we at Tempelores adore that. From a matinee with The Physicists earlier this autumn it is again the beta principle that conquers us. It is a Jarre gone wild. It is your Nintendo going crazy but above all it is The Algorithm that plays their insanity tonight. You could dance to it, you could headbang to it, simply watch in awe or let yourself go. The options are endless. We were amazed with the endless energy that comes from these guys, definitely THE show of the evening!

Another theater session was planned and this time it was the Dutch band La-Ventura that was playing a set. They made it an acoustic one and is all about the band’s brand new EP that got released shortly before the festival. This acoustic setting seem to suit the band quite well although vocalist Carla tells that she sometimes still feels the need to give a bit more power than needed. A nice break right after the French guys energized everyone.

Sleeping Romance was now ready for their full set. They seem a lot more comfortable on this stage playing the music as it is. Powerful and energetic but also balanced. The voice of vocalist Federica are giving a lot strength and with the songs they play it is clear that they won the heart of many.

At last it is another Italian act that closes the festival. They are called Ancient Bards and formed in 2006. Since that year they released three full length albums of which the latest dates back to 2014. What the band radiates is that they are a tight team, often looking for each other’s company on stage and simply have a good time being here tonight.

While you could easily mistake the band for having an enormous focus on the vocals, they are actually having the spot on all of them and perhaps it are more the guitarists who lead the show. Altogether, Ancient Bards giving us a spectacular end of the evening. The festival is over now, but a new edition has already been announced. No names yet, but we are looking forward to follow the news.