Our second day in hell started slowly as we got up from our tents from a somewhat good night’s rest, provided in a nicely manner by our Alpine Pro earplugs. After an almost-lunch breakfast was had, we returned to the Temple stage for the live debut of glacial black metal outfit Imperial Crystalline Entombment. Initially formed back in 2004, the same year they released their killer debut record, Apocalyptic End in White, Imperial Crystalline Entombment quickly disappeared back into the frozen wastes from whence they came. Last year, the band resurged with their sophomore record, Ancient Glacial Resurgence, and announced that their first ever live performance would be at Hellfest. Naturally, we were incredibly excited to see what the band had in store for us, but there was also the fear that it could go terribly wrong. Fortunately, Imperial Crystalline Entombment did not disappoint at all. Clad in white cloaks and masks, and with vocalist IceSickKill wielding an ivory staff, Imperial Crystalline Entombment devastated the audience with their bleak and blizzard-infused sound dedicated to the lord of frost, Råvaskeith. A really nice and chilly way to start the day, something we surely needed as the heat was getting stronger by the minute. Afterwards, we moved our bodies to the second Main Stage to catch the pumping insanity of Wargasm, and then returned to the Valley stage to catch a quick sniff of the psychedelic stoner metal of Black Rainbows. Then came Speed, an absolute unit of a band and a force to be reckoned with. With their debut record, Only One Mode, coming out the following month, the expectations were really high for this one. And Speed did not disappoint in the slightest, delivering a fast-as-all-hell performance, firing hardcore riffage in all directions, with frontman Jem Siow demonstrating his tremendous stage presence at all times, and even playing the flute in the crushing “The First Test”. The heaviness continued on the Main Stage with industrial metal innovators Fear Factory. If you think that the absence of Burton C. Bell would deteriorate the band’s performance in any way, shape or form, you are dead wrong. The band was as impeccable and caustic as ever, and their new frontman Milo Silvestro demonstrated that he is much more than a replacement, he represents the band’s future. We returned to the Warzone stage to see the total annihilation that Harm’s Way provides every time they play live, with an onslaught of chunky riffs and the gigantic bellows of James Pligge – goddamn, he is massive!
Satyricon were up next at the Temple stage, a band we have been waiting to see for a very long time. Armed with their latest release, Deep Calleth Upon Deep, from which they played the title-track, as well as “To Your Breathren in the Dark”, Satyricon delivered an amazing performance that culminated in the epic “Mother North”, which saw the audience sing its melody to perfection, and the absolute black metal anthem, “K.I.N.G.”. Returning to the Valley stage, we got to see one of our favourite doom metal bands, Acid King. Presenting their latest record, Beyond Vision, Lori Steinberg and co. delivered a powerful performance that we wished we got to see until the very end. The reason we couldn’t stay for long was because the Norwegian symphonic black metal legends Emperor were playing next, and we wanted to be there since the very beginning. And oh boy, was it an amazing display of blistering and majestic black metal! It still amazes us to this very day how a band that split up after their fourth record, at least in a studio sense, are still one of the best acts in the whole genre. Starting things off with the absolute banger known as “Into The Infinity of Thoughts”, Emperor were truly flawless in during their entire performance. With classics such as “In The Wordless Chamber”, “Thus Spake the Nightspirit”, “With Strength I Burn” and “Inno A Satana” making an appearance, this was an unquestionably perfect performance. From Ihsahn howls, his and Samoth’s incredibly sounding riffs, Secthdamon’s monstrous bass sound, Trym Torson’s rapid-fire drumming, and Jørgen Munkeby’s amazing synth playing and clean vocals, we were left completely mesmerized, with our souls leaving our bodies in astral communion.
We settled back at the Valley stage to receive the heavy grooves and fuzzy riffs of Fu Manchu. The Californian legends of stoner rock served up a masterclass in laid-back but hard-hitting desert riffage, playing mighty songs such as “Evil Eye”, “California Crossing”, “Hell on Wheels” and “Weird Beard”, energizing the crowd with their grooviness. A final visit to the Temple stage marked the end of our second day at Hellfest, as we marched on to witness what could be the end of Anaal Nathrakh. Abrasive and chaotic as ever, the Dave Hunt-led band delivered a total sonic onslaught that sent us flying against the proverbial wall. Songs such as “Unleash”, “The Age of Starlight Ends”, “Obscene as Cancer” and “Forging Towards the Sunset” ground our bones to dust and mangled our bodies into tiny piece, and if it weren’t for a few sound problems throughout their set, this would have been the perfect sendoff for the experimental black/grind band. Nevertheless, we felt the weight of darkness that Anaal Nathrakh always brings with them on a live setting – or in the studio, even -, and as such, we dragged ourselves back to bed for a night’s sleep before day three.
Words by Filipe Silva
Photos by Alexandra Ramos
