20-06-2014 Dokk’em Open Air

Location: Dokkum (Netherlands)
By: Sabine van Gameren

A new year for Dokk’em Open Air and with much better weather forecasts than last year and a great line up announced we were looking forward to travel up north to experience the whole again.

Day 1:

As a opener of the festival you must come with something special to draw the attention of the audience and make them remember you and the Belgian band Murderset Pieces found a way with that in its vocalist which comes on with a mask at first. A bit remarkable it is and we had some thoughts they would bring it into an old Mortiis way, but their music is not really in that direction. Think Thrash and Heavy Metal. The combination of these two been brought with some passion, but since it is still a bit early and the doors have just opened there is not really a lot of audience yet to make the whole a two way conversation, but the music is have the potential for that. What was the deal with the mask we did not really find out but at least it got people looking at them.

Right across the tent on the other stage it was the French band Existance that was playing first. The youngsters at first gave us the idea that they may not come across in the tent so much, which seem definitely the case in the first few songs, but the enthusiasm of the band keeps people watching a bit longer. Then these Heavy Metal guys start to make sense. In each song the play it becomes more comfortable to watch and at the end of their set it seems like they won the hearts of their crowds as some headbangers arrived and show some appreciation. The band surprised us most with their enthusiasm to be out there and that seems contagious to the audience. That in combination with their well thought songs gives you a performance to remember.

Exorcism makes Doom/Heavy metal. Started in 2006 it took some time for the band to come with a release, this year they came with a debut called “I Am God”. How many ‘gods’ we have met already in over a decade of Tempelores existence is unknown, but for sure it were many. What we get to see today is basically the bands whole album in a different order and that order they choose is something they may need to reconsider a bit. The band is active, some charisma is with them also and the songs are not too bad either, yet halfway their set it starts to become a bit plain. Boring even. And why, we don’t get it at first.
The band has Joe Stump on board which they advertise themselves with and he brings on some great guitarsolo’s, but it’s like they can’t keep us with them as their songs are a bit too much alike. The variation that would be needed does not really kick in with the set as it is now and perhaps when the band shifts a bit in the order they could have gotten our attention a bit longer. It seems like the band did not really have a lot of shows on the counter so there is some space to grow for them. A pity that they did not meet all expectations today though.

Black Metal formation Enthroned has a long history by now. Ten released albums and a reputation further they are now here at Dokk’em Open Air to show it off. And the band know what to do make an impressive statement. It’s in the movements, it is in the mimics of vocalist Nornagest and with the immense sound that’s bouldering over you. You can feel it within, at that level we are. The music stands. More solid than a rock, that is clear, but some little details came to notice. Nornagest seem to have some trouble finishing his sentences. Even when speaking in between the songs everything ends with an unclear mumbling. The audience seem to not quite get that either as it does not respond to any of that at all. When the whole gets repeated some cheering follows but it appears a bit sloppy. But in the end, who comes to hear those blabla words in between anyway? It’s the music we want to hear and with Enthroned you get an overwhelming musical experience, that is for sure.

Carach Angren is the next Black Metal experience of the day and that band is truly one that impresses. The trio from Netherlands is creating a sound that has symphonic elements and those are simply embracing everything the band does. And with the music they make you get easily dragged into the dark side. It has something dreamy and it is the type of Black Metal you could listen to in a very intense way. Headphones on and get placed into it. Live, people are feeling the atmosphere right away as well and that makes this show one of the most attractive ones of the day. Although it does not result in wild crowds right away it is clear that the guys captivate people. When the guys come to end of the set the whole gets to an outburst and people start a little pit to let it all come out. Seems like a great way to end this little victory for these Dutch guys. Truly a great show.

The Norwegian band Leprous was up next and as it is a regular Tempelores-featured band we were looking forward to the show a lot. The band recently has a new drummer as Tobias was too busy with his various other projects (Shining, for example!) so plenty of reasons to wonder if this show would come off as much as we are used to from these guys. No need to worry so much about that. The guys start it really small and calm. The band shows some amazing skills by a polyphony piece which impresses many. Everyone in the tent is holding their breathe to listen carefully and this silence in the crowd is amazing, a huge and well deserved applause follows when the song is done. Simply amazing and shows exactly why these guys have gotten here.

The set gets more and more intense with each song the band plays and towards the end they are all over the stage. To get back to the band’s new drummer Baard Kolstad, we can only make a compliment. Tobias was one that put his stamp on there, but Baard has no problem making himself shine here too. They found a great replacement in him.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Maybe a UFO?! No, nope, nooo. It is: The Dillinger Escape Plan. Have you been able to see them, you must consider yourself a lucky (wo)man as the guys prefer to move faster than the light. And the light was there a lot as well. A remarkable show of these guys that simply don’t stand still for one second. Sometimes you wonder if all that flying around is influencing the quality of the songs a little, but the guys have been doing this for a while so are quite skilled in multitasking.

While climbing higher than any other band does, they make sure that they are followed. One of them throws a guitar down from height and breaks it, not really something new as it seems as one of their crew is standing in pole position with a replacement guitar in his hands waiting for the first to break and runs in to the rescue with this new guitar to arrive there even earlier than the actual guitarist who still had to make his way down.

If today was your first experience with this band you probably have been heavily distracted by the show and did not catch the whole sound too well, which is perhaps for the better as it took some time for the whole to be optimized. If it wasn’t your first experience, you were probably one of those in the massive pit that came alive during the show. With these guys you get a show that people talk about long after and today was not any different from that.

Vicious Rumours is band that had quite some drama into them. Several line-up changes have passed by but it never broke them down. Nowadays the band has a Dutch vocalist which would certainly be interesting this show as it would be his first Dutch performance. For today the band plays a Digital Dictator show, referring the album carrying that name. The audience seemed all up for a show around this release which got out in 1988. Although Nick Holleman, the band’s new vocalist, had not even been born by the release of this album, he certainly knows how to give shape to it and he does make it look like it comes without too much effort. It seems so easy like that.

As a little touch he talks a bit in Dutch to the audience to hype the whole up even more which gives it all a bit personal touch. The audience is eating out of his hands, Vicious Rumours is a band that has a great connection with their fans as it seems and that makes the whole show come out extra entertaining.

Thrash metallers Annihilator were closing it of this evening. With thirteen full lengths on their name the band has plenty material to bring tonight and the guys play a long set so enough time to do so. They choose to come up with a diversity of songs from their releases and not stick with their latest albums only which serves the long-time fans quite well. Songs like “Ultraparanoia” and “Brain Dance” make the largest impression here today.

The atmosphere is all up for it, the audience can’t stand still and some crowd surfers are spotted. Although the band does not really have to put in a lot of extra effort to entertain their fans, they never cease to do so. With that it makes them a great closer of the evening and when they leave the stage it is over for this first day. Tomorrow another thirteen days are on the schedule but the party goes still on at the camping.

Photo’s by sabinevangameren.com

The review of day 2 can be found here
Links:
Dokkem Open Air Website