12-08-2016 Into The Grave

This year the expectations for Into The Grave were higher than ever before as with the line up they have, Slayer and Kreator headlining, they would need all to be tight and going smoothly.

Gruesome was the first to play. An American formation that has is ready to spread some Death Metal over the city of Leeuwarden. Last year the band had a full length album out and this year they return with an EP so they have plenty to draw from. They are relatively young as a band, being formed in 2014 only. For a start the band has some steady songs ready, but here and there they lack a bit of enthusiasm and passion into that music. Also the performance is rather tame. It is not easy to play on a day that people mainly remember for the headliner Slayer which has been all what has been talked about, but surely we hoped a little more power into it could have lifted the guys up. The show is rather dull this way. A pity, they could have gotten more out of this.

Vektor has a bit more recognition today. The band was the surprise act for the preparty so there were some people who had been enjoying this band before. Gives a whole different dimension to the whole performance of the band. Surely they are still not the most active but they manage to captivate more of the audience. And quite some have been around already, gathering early on the Friday. The album “Terminal Redux” has been released early May and it seems that they have reached a bunch of people with it already. The longer the guys play, the more people are getting hooked. They certainly gained some fans here today.

The Swedish Scar Symmetry is bringing a more Melodic sound to the festival, which is surely helpful for the act Amaranthe, playing after that, but apart from that they bring some more change into the festival. They are energetic, play a bit with the audience and have that interaction going on that was lacking earlier on the day. It’s been a while since these guys have released anything new, but with six full lengths on the market already the band has plenty to draw from. They make use of the whole stage, and although the two vocalists are drawing the most attention today, it is not to miss out that the guys have some good riffs going on as well. Melodic bands aren’t for all but these guys were generally received well today!

Amaranthe is a whole new level of being catchy. It is what they are created for and although it is often seen as ‘Disco Metal’ the band does grow rapidly lately. The female fronted formation is the most insane contrast with Slayer that one could possibly have and so it is not that strange to see the audience responding only mildly to them especially since the band plays a bit later on the day, and most people have entered the festival now or are doing so during their set. They enjoy their jumping, catchy choruses and with some clothes that leave a bit less for imagination they cater mainly to the younger audience today. The radio ready hits are played and when the band plays “Drop Dead Cynical” it becomes painfully clear that they are not the most liked band of the day as only a few people politely and unenthusiastic put some horns up when they leave the stage. Not one that works well on this festival as it seems.

Australian band Airbourne has a bit more to receive from the visitors when it comes to that. But this also because the band simply demands a little more. With a natural charisma they don’t need any trickery but is their music already a big deal in having people on their side. Then of course they also have an energetic show going on in which vocalist Joel does not feel the need to keep it to the stage only. Jumping off and getting some help to get up higher so the audience could enjoying it he makes the distance between band and audience a little closer. The band has been rocking for many years and with the show of tonight they show that they can built a good party. In a few weeks the guys are releasing a new album called “Breakin’ Outta Hell” which is their fourth and will bring them on the road again soon.

The mighty Slayer as headliner, that was a real surprise when it got announced although many had hoped to see the band play there as they often show up high in the lists when people being asked what band they want to see at the festival. That Slayer is present is something that no one in the area has missed, the sound was loud! But what are they complaining about, living some streets away and getting some free Slayer experience in the comfort of their own livingroom?! Of course the experience for those on the field was a bit heavier. The band is thundering over any band by playing their songs as they are expected to do so and look almighty over the festivalarea to seek even the ones in the back to see if they enjoy. Good the guys are not the wildest anymore, but “Raining Blood”, “Angel of Death” the band puts out some crowd-pleasers as if it is nothing. The stage looks impressive by the backdrop, which even extends to the sides and with some standard show effects the whole is complete.

How does one top Slayer? Well, there are plenty more bands with a great reputation and although it will not really surprise in the same way, we are confident that with this being a new standard the festival will expand further with more to come.