Two weeks ago, all roads led to the beautiful and green village of Souto, located in Telões, up in the Northern regions of Portugal. Inspired by the myth of Maronesa, a traditional breed of mountain cattle known for its strength and resilience, Souto Metal Fest appeared out of the blue with a powerful promise; showcasing the best there is in the Portuguese underground metal scene. From upcoming bands to more established ones, this single-day celebration of heavy riffage and local cultural tradition fulfilled its promise in a great way.
The festival started with Fora D’oras after an hour-long delay. A relatively new band, had a slow but steady beginning, setting the mood for the rest of the festival with a competent performance that included covers of Crazy Train and Sweet Dreams, originally from Ozzy Osbourne and Eurythmics, respectively. Ruina came next with their atmospheric doom metal, which was filled with pensive guitar riffs, lingering drum beats and the cathartic vocals of Daniel Dantas. The crowd then woke up for a little bit, as Sarronco climbed the stage to unleash pure and unadultered violence with their Proletarian death metal, causing the first circle pits and moshing of the festival After a short rest came In We Fall. Playing a compelling form of alternative metal, reminiscent of Alter Bridge and Sevendust, the quartet gave a more reflective performance than the rest of the bands, engaging the audience with their rich yet sophisticated sound. Music In Low Frequencies came afterwards, showcasing their sorrowful sludge metal with visceral intensity and gloom. Chaosaddiction elevated the energy to gut-wrenching energy with their crushingly groovy riffs, which provoked the audience into restarting the circle pits at maximum velocity.
As the night seem to prolong itself to late hours, the grindcore maestros known as Besta took the stage by storm, immediately bursting into a thousand flames, commanding the audience to continue the circle pits with even greater force. Nothing really compares to Besta, and frontman Paulo Rui and co. were relentless and ruthless in grinding the skulls of the audience to dust with their chaotic sound. After them, there was only one band left, the mighty Gnosis. Imposing and with an eerie aura surrounding them, the black metal quintet presented a hypnotic ritual unlike any other we’ve seen. With a piercing and devastating sound, Gnosis brought everything they had for a truly special performance, including a two-pointed torch that was burning as brightly as the sun. A truly impressive performance that left the audience in complete awe, and a perfect end of night for the first edition of a promising new festival. It is incredibly important that more festivals like this are created, as the interior of the country is oftentimes left behind when it comes to live events. A strong start to a festival that will surely become very important in the scene.
