by Arta Gailuma
— Photojournalist —
October 5-7, 2018 in Essigfabrik Cologne, Germany —
Taking place since 2008 Euroblast Festival is an annual showcase for the best in Progressive, Experimental, Djent & Tech Metal and a launching platform for new aspiring artists. Many bands like Uneven Structure, Destiny Potato, The Algorithm have taken their first steps on this festival’s stages and previous festival editions have also hosted many influential names like Meshuggah, Textures, Animals As Leaders, Devin Townsend Project, Tessaract, Sikth… just a few to mention.
Euroblast’s 14th edition took place from 5th to 7th October 2018 in Essigfabrik Cologne, Germany.
Festivals preparty took place at the Ignite Night Club Volta which was hosting four bands: Stereo Mountain, Empatea, Second Horizon and In Vivo.
On my arrival at the venue on the first day of the festival, there was an already a long queue patiently waiting for the gates to open. The conversations were mainly the excitement to see one or another. And who can blame them the line up was too exciting not to!
The German metallers Unprocessed were making sure the first day of the festival is on a great start. The moshpit was open pretty soon and hair flying in the air. And the Parisians The Dali Thundering Concept did not have any trouble to continue that routine.
A band which has managed to gain huge popularity in a very short time Conjurer did prove it is for a reason. With its debut album released only earlier this year, these Brits have already made a name for themselves in Kerrang! and Metal Hammer.
Frenchmen Kadinja playing on Euroblast’s main stage for the second year in a row knew what the public expects and got a full hall of headbangers.
Danes Vola appearing on the Euroblast stage looked like they felt at home and was very well received from the crowd. Even though their new album’s ‘Applause Of A Distant Crowd’ official release date was few days after the festival ends, it was already on sale at Euroblast’s merch stand.
Just before Australian Caligula’s Horse taking the stage with the first performance of their Europen tour, Euroblast’s organizer John made an appearance to thank everyone for supporting his, so to speak, hobby project, which has slightly gotten out of hand and over the years has grown into this amazing festival.
Main stage headliners and Euroblast veterans Monuments have just released their new single “A.W.O.L.” from their upcoming album Phronesis, out on October 5th, which means bands Euroblast performance was also albums release show. And it’s pure, raw energy was through the roof! Bands frontman Chris Barretto was having a good time with the audience whom he was winding around his fingers. Jumping, screaming, moshing the crowd and crowd surfers moved to the front as if being pulled forward on a conveyor belt. What an ending to day one!
Even though Londoners, Temples On Mars, did a great job on opening the small stage followed by The Five Hundred, local Cologne five-piece Masuria did turn the place upside down. The small, gritty underground venue with poky feel to it, was perfect for this band. They were raw and very loud. The lead singer screaming with the head in the front rows, the crowd headbanging and screaming along and some crazy fan even tried to crowd surf with, him, literally, touching the low ceiling.
Sümer’s set was annoyingly troubled by sound issues, nothing to do with the band. The Brighton’s took this not too seriously and quite light-hearted managed to pull some jokes about it. In the end, it did not spoil the atmosphere and fans enjoyed their set as it was.
With sound issues fixed by now, Australians I built the Sky was having a blast playing first time in Europe followed by fellow countrymen Circles.
I did not survive to stay for after party with Oslo duet Aiming For Enrike but hearing from others, they had some bad luck with their gear not arriving at the airport. The organizers stepped in to help out with some replacements, but that did impact their performance.
Despite the early hours of the day the large room was quite full when German experimental death metallers Ayahuasca did hit the stage with their tribal-inspired melodies. The percussion work of this eight! people band is amazing and their sound reminded me of the earlier days of Sepultura pulling more direction death metal. The Dutch band Hibakusha, as I heard from some, did not have a very good time at the festival couple of years ago. They obviously have grown and delivered a pretty tight show. Plenty of nodding heads and appreciation from the crowd. Brits Rolo Tomassi is no strangers to tech public and in the niche they are great.
Playing earlier this year at Techfest Brits Heart Of a Coward got some criticism on their new singer Kaan. They obviously took that seriously and delivered a tight set at Euroblast.
British Crippled Black Phoenix did mention, that they do feel like the odd ones at the festival. And their stoner doomy progressive rock sound is very different from any other band here and not for everyone.
Soen with their charismatic suit dressed frontman Joel Ekelöf sounded amazing. Delivering their mesmerizingly beautiful compositions he was conducting the crowd to sing along and, oh, they did!
And then there was time for Saturday’s headliners Vildhjarta. One of the most anticipated bands of the weekend, they did not leave fans unsatisfied. Essigfabrik was vibrating from the brutal, deep sounds and its main stage was sinking in smoke. At the end of the set, the crowd continued screaming for more for some five minutes. They did not get more, however, Vildhjarta’s frontman did come out in the pit for a chat and some selfies with fans.
It has been a lot of hard work for German quartet Time, The Valuator recently with their debut out this summer and, especially, lead singer leaving a week before Euroblast. But, have to say, thumbs up for the short notice replacement Rafael, he did make it work.
With the interesting intro and slow riffs, Swedes Letters From the Colony were holding the tension. But not for long, they did win the crowd over and quickly opened the first mosh pit of the day.
The eye-catcher of Italian band Adimiron was obviously their female bass player Cecilia Nappo. Dressed in a very short skirt and a crop top, with hair flowing in fan wind, she was getting all the attention.
From the moment Serbian Organized Chaos hit the stage, there was no doubt, they would handle the big room with ease. Powerful sound and a performance a blast to watch.
Humanity’s Last Breath must have the same lighting man as Vildhjarta. Same deep color beams, stage hanging in smoke. And its brutal sound- oh my, it was a recipe for a chaos with moshpit turning wild and headbanging like there is no tomorrow.
A band whose previous name Destiny Potato did make as little sense as its new one Sordid Pink, saying though it fits better its sound. But never mind the name, all the Heavy Metal fans were fleeing the room by now as it was filling with very high pop content. Not my thing either, but the remaining public was enjoying it and singing along.
And an instrumental riff-oriented show with German post-rockers Long Distance Calling was a perfect finale to Euroblast 2018 with a great sound and beautiful stage lighting.
Have visited and photographed a large number of festivals, it still amazes me how well Euroblast timetable has been put together- no band clashes at all!! Being able to see every band on both stages without having to choose is a real treat.
Alongside Spanish Be Prog! My Friend, UK’s Techfest, the Netherland’s Complexity Fest and few others, no doubt, this is one of the best prog metal gatherings in Europe and the huge amount of international visitors is a proof of that.
Line up:
Day 1
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Mainstage
Unprocessed
The Dali Thundering Concept
Conjurer
Kadinja
Vola
Caligula’s Horse
Monuments
Side stage
Temples On Mars
The Five Hundred
Masuria
Sümer
I Built The Sky
Circles
Aiming For Enrike
Day 2
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Main stage
Ayahuasca
Hibakusha
Rolo Tomassi
Heart Of a Coward
Crippled Black Phoenix
Soen
Vilhjarta
Side stage
Kill Wolfhead
Syndemic
Cabal
Valis Ablaze
Terminal Function
Schiermann
Copia
Day 3
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Main stage
Time, The Valuator
Letters From The Colony
Adimiron
Organized Chaos
Humanity’s Last Breath
Destiny Potato/Sordid Pink
Long Distance Calling
Side stage
Dhark
Eden Circus
Lake Cisco
Theia
Heptaedium
White Walls
Afterparty
Bob
Remi Gallego
The next year’s festival dates have just been announced:
Euroblast’s 15th edition will be taking place on September 27th-29th at Essigfabrik, Cologne. Prog metal fans, see you there!
