"It's a different kind of event than I'm used to – no other metal festival even remotely compares to Roadburn."

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by Thiago Martins

Roadburn, Part 1: An unparalleled festival in heavy music

Roadburn is far from your typical summer heavy metal festival. It starts in April, at the beginning of spring, which hasn't even fully begun yet, so the high temperatures are still more of a wishful thinking displayed on shop windows than a reality to be felt. Therefore, it's no surprise that Roadburn takes place indoors.

The traditional 013 concert hall in Tilburg is the main venue for the event, housing three of the stages used – in addition to the main stage, the Green Room and Stage 01. The main stage at 013 is the concert hall that São Paulo is missing. Of medium size, it holds just over two thousand people, with a structure reminiscent of the defunct Via Funchal in São Paulo and the Citibank Hall in Rio de Janeiro, with its steps on the floor and a spacious mezzanine.

In contrast, the Green Room and Stage 01 are hot and cramped, with very limited capacity (350 and 150 people, respectively) and difficult access. In other words, when it came to highly anticipated shows, just getting in was a struggle; a good view of the stage, then, required arriving well in advance.

In addition to these three stages, there is Het Patronaat, an improvised stage in the upper hall of the old church annex located on the same street as O13, which became the Roadburn's secondary stage. Holding 600 people, lacking adequate ventilation and surrounded by religious stained glass, it also required considerable effort and anticipation to catch the crowded performances held there.

Ahead of the 013 venue is V039, the venue used by Roadburn for film screenings and seminars organized by the British magazine Iron Fist, located in the basement. Merchandise was also sold in the upstairs room, as well as the record store "Exile from Mainstream," a haven for vinyl collectors. Finally, a few shows took place at Cul de Sac, a small bar located on the bustling street in the city's vibrant atmosphere that provides access to the 013 venue.

This integration between the city and the festival is one of the coolest aspects of Roadburn. Since the street between the O13 and Het Patronaat is located between the entrance to a large parking lot in the central area of ​​Tilburg, a busy bar area, and its commercial and historical center, it was common for festival-goers and ordinary people, tourists or not, to encounter each other without any conflicts.

One of the main things to highlight about Roadburn is that it's not a purely music festival. As noted earlier, V039 hosted a cinema in its basement showing psychedelic films, concerts, and documentaries. All stages had screens with video projection equipment behind them during the performances. On the main stage, there was the premiere of the animated short film "Outside the Great Circle" by Romanian artist Costin Chioreanu, which was also shown at Het Patronaat.

Besides the huge number of different festival posters plastered on the walls of every house, there was also an art exhibition by Arma van Rijsbergen in the lower lobby of Het Patronaat and another, larger one, focused on the work of John Baizley of Baroness, who illustrated album covers for various artists and is on display at an art academy in Tilburg until June.

The food and drink on offer at the festival was good, at a fair price. A small glass of beer cost €2.50 (€5 for a pint), with bars in various locations, while food prices ranged from €2.50 to €5. Everything was paid for in the festival's currency, which could be purchased from various machines in the O13 corridors. Except occasionally at the food tent in front of O13, there were no queues.

In the lower hall of Het Patronaat, in addition to the art exhibition, there was a beautiful restaurant, Dudok, with a more elaborate menu, not the typical festival snacks. Obviously, since access to and from the venues was granted via a wristband (without any confusion or wasted time, as there wasn't even a minimal search of backpacks and bags), nothing prevented a quick trip to the street with the bars next door.

That is to say, nothing except time. Because, while all these elements are important additions to transforming Roadburn into an unforgettable experience, the main one remains its vast and specific musical offering. Focused on the most avant-garde and challenging heavy metal bands, its lineup is far from the average of other metal festivals. Many groups perform exclusive shows on European stages, reunions, or even debuts.

In other words, if the entire structure of Roadburn makes it a unique event in heavy music worldwide, its musical selection is no less impressive. But we'll talk about that in the next part.

Roadburn, Part 2: New and old generations set the tone for the first day of the festival

Literally, the Roadburn Festival runs from Thursday to Saturday. But, as the saying goes, when the drinking is good there's always a last round, so Afterburner was created, a fourth day with fewer acts, a kind of gradual transition back to reality.
And, on Wednesday night, there's also the Hard Rock Hideout, a sort of "warm-up" at Cul de Sac, a typical bar/music venue on Tilburg's main bar street.

"If the entire structure of Roadburn makes it a unique event in heavy music worldwide, its musical selection is no less impressive."

In 2013, the German band Attic showcased their power metal, heavily influenced by Mercyful Fate – starting with the vocals blatantly copied from King Diamond – while the Belgian band Bliksem mixed, albeit in a somewhat inorganic way, various experimental elements of Prog with a more aggressive sound rooted in Thrash Metal.

No essential performances, although enjoyable, but more than watching the bands on the tiny Cul de Sac stage, people seemed interested in having that real beer, meeting their virtual friends in person, and celebrating the benefits provided by Dutch liberal politics, a constant theme in the following days.

On Thursday, however, the marathon began. On the main stage, the starting gun was fired off with the screening of the animation “Outside the Black Circle”, by the multifaceted Romanian artist Costin Chioreanu, with musical involvement from people of the caliber of Attila Csihar, a member of Gravetemple, as well as vocalist of Mayhem on the classic De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, and Mirai Kavashima, from Sigh, both of whom would perform at the festival.

Immediately afterwards, the Americans from Pallbearer started the show on the main stage of 013. The leading exponent of the new wave of Doom Metal, however, didn't seem so comfortable in a large venue and wasn't one of the most energetic bands of the day, in a somewhat cold and tense performance, despite an almost perfect execution of the songs from their phenomenal debut album Sorrow and Extinction, except for Brett Campbell's vocals not reaching the higher notes of the album with as much force.

A quick trip to Het Patronaat allowed me to catch, albeit squeezed in, the first fifteen minutes of the beautiful show by the Chicago group, The Atlas Moth. Their psychedelic Blackened-Doom, or whatever style they play, was captivating and horrifying in just the right measure. But, as Penance was about to perform on the main stage, I left after two songs.

Hailing from the old guard of American Doom, Penance, with the classic lineup from their 1994 album Parallel Corners, performed in Europe for the first time in twenty years, with Lee Smith on vocals. Playing a sound heavily influenced by Black Sabbath and Pentagram, at a crossroads between proto-Metal and Doom, the Americans delivered a memorable performance, highlighted by the extremely heavy track "Misgivings".

In a rush, I returned to Het Patronaat to check out another band from the new wave of American music, Royal Thunder. Led by the exceptional vocalist and bassist Mlny Parsonz, whose vocal power is enviable, the trio's sound lies in that transition between Doom Metal and occult Rock, with a somewhat slow tempo, full of seventies elements, striking riffs in abundance, solos, and instrumentals bordering on psychedelia, perfectly executed for a packed and hyper-heated crowd. Highlights include the eloquent "Blue" and "Black Water Vision," reproduced with all their grandeur on stage in one of the best shows of the first day.

Continuing the rush from one stage to another, I was denied entry to the Green Room and watched from outside the last song of an apparently hectic show by Pilgrim, another of the new wave of American Doom Metal bands, with a traditional sound heavily influenced by Candlemass and Solitude Aeturnus.
I then went to see the final fifteen minutes on the main stage of the sonic journey produced by Gravetemple, a kind of side project to Sunn O))), with Attila Csihar and Stephen O'Malley, full of noise and bizarre vocals, creating a gloomy and tense atmosphere.

Next up was one of the first day's headliners, High on Fire, who, a little late, performed their magnificent debut album, The Art of Self Defense, in its entirety. When the legendary guitarist Matt Pike (also from Sleep) took to the stage, displaying his voluminous belly in the chilly Dutch spring, it wasn't even necessary to finish "Baghdad," the show's opening song, to know it was going to be a very hot performance.

In that silly rush to see everything, imagining the end of a vibrant show with the final reverberations of "Master of Fists," I rushed to Het Patronaat to see Nate Hall, Katie Jones, and John Baizley in order to give my ears a bit of sonic refreshment. Because of that, I ended up missing the bonus tracks from the re-release of High on Fire's first album, notably the fabulous cover of Celtic Frost's "The Usurper." I can't even say it'll have to wait until next time…

At Het Patronaat, however, a more relaxed atmosphere prevailed at the show, with beautiful semi-acoustic performances of several songs by Townes Van Zandt. But the highlight was when Baizley took center stage to perform moving versions of Baroness's "Steel that Sleeps the Eye," "Cocainium," and "Eula," for the first time on a European stage since the accident that nearly killed the band last August.

Time to return to the main stage for Primordial's show. Here, it's worth digressing a bit about the Roadburn audience. The Irish group's sound is a mix of Black Metal with a certain epic touch and various elements of Irish culture. But, their placement as headliners of the festival, let's say, didn't go down very well with its usual attendees.

So, when I arrived at the main stage, I noticed that, unlike High on Fire, where I believed there was no room for another soul (I discovered I was wrong the next day), both the mezzanine and the floor were far from full. Alan “Nemtheanga” Averill, vocalist of Primordial, is one of those frontmen who ignites the crowd, but the audience, except for the band's fans, seemed oblivious to the whole thing.

Not that the Roadburn audience qualifies as being among the most enthusiastic. As a rule, their responses don't go much beyond headbanging and throwing fists in the air. At most, air-guitar or keeping up with the drum fills. Moving other parts of the body is almost impossible, and singing along with the vocalist is only possible in daydreams – at least, that South American hell of humming every single guitar melody seems possible only in another life.

In short, Averill did everything he could to distract the Roadburn audience from his psychedelic frenzy and failed, which somewhat dampened the excitement of his performance – I can only imagine the chaos he would have caused on a South American stage (just a suggestion). He then tried to charm the crowd, or apologize, I don't know, through speeches, explaining that a more specific set was made for the festival, based on more obscure tracks. Even so, the energetic "Coffin Ships" and "Empire Falls" brought a very enjoyable show to a close, worthy of a major headliner.

When the legendary guitarist Matt Pike took the stage, it wasn't even necessary to finish the first song of the show to know it was going to be a very hot performance

I went straight to the Green Room to catch the rest of Mournful Congregation's set, who, from the outside, looked like they were putting on one of the most exciting shows at Roadburn, but getting inside the room was mission impossible. So, I positioned myself on the main stage for a very special performance: Alan Davey, with his Psychedelic Warlords, was about to perform Hawkwind's grandiose Space Ritual in its entirety.

And it was surreal, just as the album demands. Clouds of smoke filled the stage and the dance floor, delirious dancing in the audience, recitations between songs, bizarre costumes, a saxophonist sitting on the floor, and a perfect execution of all the tracks transformed the show into one of the most fun and exhilarating experiences at Roadburn, putting a beautiful end to the hectic first day of the festival.

Roadburn, Part 3: Electric Wizard hosts his orgy on a grueling second day

The second day of Roadburn had some distinctive features. Dubbed "The Electric Acid Orgy," all the bands on the 013 stage were chosen by Jus Oborn, frontman of Electric Wizard, a Doom Metal institution that would headline the night.

Another unique feature of the day was the transformation of Stage 01 into "The Electric Grindhouse Cinema," projecting bizarre films (on VHS, of course) handpicked by Oborn onto the screen. To make the experience even more surreal, some of these tapes would have soundtracks by other artists, instead of the original audio.

I had the opportunity to see the Spanish film Hunchback of the Morgue (El jorobado de la Morgue, the original title is much more bizarre), with Japanese subtitles(!) and live ambient sound performed by Void ov Voices, the "stage name" of Attila Csihar. Need I say it was unforgettable?

Musically, the day was going to be very busy. With one less stage, the tendency was for overcrowded attractions. This time, not being fully recovered from the previous day, I decided to watch more shows until the end instead of running desperately between stages to see a little of everything. Because of this, I couldn't see the performances of Dream Death, Sabbath Assembly, and Hexvessel (with a special appearance by the beautiful Rosie Cunningham, from the English band Purson). Typical frustrations of a high-level festival.

So, upon arriving at Roadburn, I went straight to Het Patronaat to catch Dread Sovereign's first show outside of Dublin. Dread Sovereign is a traditional Doom Metal project by Primordial vocalist Alan “Nemtheanga” Averill.
Having listened to and greatly enjoyed the tracks from the trio's debut 7” single, the performance did not disappoint. The new songs maintained the high level of the already known tracks, with a touch more Rock'n'roll than the usual Doom show, something always welcome. This time, Averill, also on bass, behaved more in line with the festival's standards, without being as talkative.

Next up, still on the same stage, was one of the most anticipated shows of the entire festival: Kadavar. The German band released their very well-received debut album last year, and in 2013 they launched its acclaimed successor, Abra Kadavar, both completely rooted in Black Sabbath and 70s bands of that style, which is reflected in the band's visual style and costumes.

And the performance, mixing tracks from both albums, was breathtaking. The German trio put the drums at the front of the stage, and it was impressive to see Tiger mercilessly pounding his kit. Wolf Lindemann sang perfectly and played guitar like a lunatic for an hour, in what was probably the closest experience to a Black Sabbath show in the 70s that anyone could have today.

Still at Het Patronaat, the next show was by Witch Mountain, another gem of the new wave of American Doom Metal. Led by the excellent guitarist Rob Wrong and with the sensational singer Uta Plotkin delivering spine-tingling vocals (a little low in the mix), the set immediately featured two highlights from their album released last year, Cauldron of the Wild, and maintained the high level for almost an hour.

After three consecutive performances at Het Patronaat, there was time to run and grab a good spot to see another of the most anticipated performances of the entire festival, the English band Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, in one of the most crowded shows on the main stage at Roadburn (only Electric Wizard, later on, would have more people over the four days of the event).

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats is one of the new acts signed to Rise Above, the same label that introduced Ghost to the world. After a debut album that received little attention (and is now extremely rare to find), the seminal Blood Lust sold out its first pressing and was re-released last year by Lee Dorrian's label. The new album, Mind Control, was one of the most anticipated of the year and is already receiving positive reviews.

However, the group had never performed live until March of this year, when two sold-out shows in London marked their stage debut. Roadburn would be their first real test outside of England. And the result not only did not disappoint, but it was the best performance of the entire festival.

Like Ghost, the band also doesn't reveal their identity, although they don't hide behind masks, only their hair falling over their faces. On stage, there are no special lighting effects, just the four members playing under dim lights and, in the background, sensational videos projected on the screen, in a mix of psychedelic images with subliminal counter-cultural messages.

From the opening track “I'll Cut You Down” to the finale with “Vampire Circus” from Volume One, the band's performance was cathartic, perfectly delivering their 70s sound down to the bone, with sometimes exaggerated hints of Black Sabbath, a pop sensibility à la Beatles and other more psychedelic bands, without ever letting the adrenaline drop. A historic show, with a highlight being the excellent new track, “Valley of the Dolls”.

"The Goat show is, by far, one of the most bizarre performances I've ever witnessed."

Next up, Pretty Things gave a highly acclaimed performance, despite the small audience on the main stage, which meant it was extremely difficult to see Moss and Cough in the Green Room. It was then that I decided to try out the Stage 01 experience with the films projected onto the stage, during a break before the day's spectacular finale.
Managing to fill the main stage even more than during Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats' show, unlike the previous night, Electric Wizard proved to be one of the most quintessential Roadburn headliners in all its editions. The now-traditional projections of bizarre films during their performances seem commonplace at the festival, just as their slow, hypnotic music, as well as the psychedelic celebration, practically define the Dutch festival.

And when Jus Oborn took the stage and immediately announced “Return Trip” from Come My Fanatics… to open the show, the smoke began to billow, darkness descended, and a completely subversive ritual began at 013. On drums, Mark Greening's return was yet another element that made the show even more special.

Still, it took courage to leave the main stage – missing two classics like “Funeralopolis” and “Dopethrone,” which closed the show – and head back to Het Patronaat, where the day had begun, to see Goat, which was already quite full and, packed at the end of Electric Wizard, a kilometer-long line of people had formed on the street waiting to get in and see the band.

It was definitely worth it. The Goat show is, by far, one of the most bizarre performances I've ever witnessed. The sound was already almost indescribable, a mix of krautrock, African rhythms, and noisy riffs, among countless other diverse musical elements, all in a mesmerizing and catchy symbiosis. The show embraces and expands on this definition. Starting with the fact that they are yet another band that hides their identity (press releases claim they are illegal immigrants from an uncertain location in the world, refugees in some lost village in Sweden). Between songs, complete darkness ensues, with only the image of the satanic goat shining in the church.

On stage, garish colors alternated, all the musicians were masked, two girls, also without showing their faces, ran from side to side and danced frenetically and strangely, in addition to chanting ritualistic songs, something akin to voodoo, generating one of the biggest audience responses, much more relaxed in the last performance of the day, embracing all the demonic chaos provided by Goat. Obviously, the hype surrounding Goat only increases (they just signed with the legendary Sub Pop label), the degree of mysticism keeps the curiosity high, and I'm not sure if this is good or just another marketing ploy. At the end of the show, at that hour of the frigid night, none of that mattered, and only exhaustion was real.

Roadburn, Part 4: A busy Saturday despite the hangover face

In conversations on Saturday's 013 radio, it was clear that the previous day had been very exhausting – and sensational, of course – so nobody expected the same frenetic pace on Saturday. The acts, in turn, were also less appealing to me.
Thus, Saturday's pace was already a preview of what characterizes Afterburner. The early afternoon took place at Cul de Sac, for a beautiful performance by the hard rock group Gold, featuring former The Devil's Blood guitarist Thomas Sciarone.

Led by Milena Eva's stage performance, a kind of lascivious female version of Mick Jagger, the Dutch group delivered an energetic and exciting forty-five-minute set, whether covering Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon" or performing their excellent original compositions. A more relaxed start led into the second half of The Ocean's post-metal set on the main stage, playing tracks from the grandiose Heliocentric to close the show, a performance best enjoyed at a more leisurely pace, allowing oneself to be carried away by the atmosphere of the music.

Exactly what Frenchman Neige, Roadburn's resident artist in 2013, promised when he performed Alcest's brilliant Les Voyages de L'Âme in its entirety on the main stage. Having performed on the previous two days with Lantlôs and Les Discrets, it was now his main project's turn to take over 013. And the performance was beautiful, bringing to life an already captivating album, from the introduction of "Autre Temps" to the sublime ending of "Summer's Glory," passing through the apotheotic "Faiseurs du Munde," Neige delivered a cathartic experience, through a true journey with a sense of beginning, middle, and end, worthy of the great albums.

Perhaps that's why, when Alcest played two more songs to close their show, including the beautiful "Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde," the title track from their debut album, the impact wasn't the same, as it felt like the journey had already ended with the final chords of "Summer's Glory.".

And, I confess, it took me a while to come back to reality after the sensational Alcest show. Without much desire to face Het Patronaat, I watched Camera's performance for about ten minutes, but all the pleasant rhythmic improvisation of the group didn't elicit any reaction from me. I then tried to see the psychedelic doom of the American band Wo Fat, but it was impossible to get into Stage 01. I listened to the sound from outside for a few minutes; it seemed very good, but I thought it best to position myself to check out a bit of Cult of Luna before going to secure a spot in the Green Room and see the show of guitarist Victor Griffin's new project, In-Graved.

Cult of Luna delivered one of the best stage productions at Roadburn. The Swedish group's lighting was impressive, but little to nothing could be seen except silhouettes of the band performing. The mechanical sound of Vertikal set the tone for the beginning of their set, immediately followed by the excellent "Ghost Trail," and that's when I decided to secure my spot in the Green Room.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Victor Griffin's In-Graved show. The band, which features former Trouble drummer Jeff Olson on keyboards, delivered more of a spirited Rock'n'roll performance than a Doom one, as the guitarist's resume, which includes Pentagram and Place of Skulls, might suggest. The setlist was based on In-Graved's self-titled debut album, and, given its quality, we hope it's a lasting lineup. Of course, it included some surprises, such as the excellent "The Fall," one of the three Place of Skulls songs performed, right at the beginning of the show.

I then went to the main stage to check out some of High on Fire's second show at Roadburn, this time dedicated to the rest of their career. The band's energetic performance remains intact, as does Matt Pike's protruding belly. Time to check out the great "Rumors of War" and wish myself luck in catching a full show from the band in the future.

Back at the Green Room, I wanted to secure my spot to see the set of the band responsible for one of my favorite albums of 2012, the grand debut of the Finnish band Jess and the Ancient Ones. The group, with members from Demilich and Deathchain, coordinated by vocalist Jess, promotes a true cult of the devil in their shows, but without ever leaving Rock'n'roll aside.

The performance began in a somewhat ritualistic way, focusing on rather somber tracks from her first album and her new EP, Astral Sabbath, interspersed with the vocalist's somewhat awkward dancing. However, the grandiose "Sulfur Giants" transformed the Green Room into a huge hypnotic cult, even more frenetic in "Prayer for Death and Fire". After the short jazz interlude in "Devil (in G minor)", the set ended epically with the apotheotic "Come Crimson Death", while Jess screamed for Lucifer's arrival and everyone, breathless, was sure that the heat was a sign of the devil's presence in that packed room during one of the best shows of the entire festival.

I then went to check out the hardcore legend Die Kreuzen on the empty main stage. The show was quite lively, as I expected, but I also wanted to see Ash Borer in the Green Room and, once again, I was met with a closed door, from where the violence and hatred emanating from the American Black Metal group could be felt. So, I positioned myself to see the show of the legendary Godflesh, performing the revolutionary album Pure in its entirety. Honestly, I would have preferred to have seen the entire Streetcleaner performance years ago at the same festival. But, let's leave the complaints aside, it was a historic event.
Pure is a somewhat industrial, in a way somewhat danceable album that addresses frustration in a completely furious and experimental way. On stage, only BC Green playing bass on one side and Justin Broadrick controlling the electronic drums, singing and playing guitar on the other, with the additional participation of Robert Hampson (from Loop) from a certain point in the show.

It's a top-notch show, the songs are very good, the album is influential, but after a while, the experience became a bit dull. As the album played, more and more people left, until it was my turn to go to Het Patronaat for the first time that day, and the last time at the festival. I arrived in time to catch Satan's Satyrs throwing a real party on stage with Blue Cheer songs. A very fun show, a completely different atmosphere from that of Godflesh on the main stage, serving as a celebration at the end of the festival.

The ultimate attraction, for me, was Asphyx. After so much Doom, occult Rock and bizarre stuff, nothing like death Metal to lift your spirits, right? Not quite, since, to match the Roadburn atmosphere, the band of Dutch legend Martin Van Drunen had promised a set dedicated to the most drawn-out songs in their repertoire.

And it was a success. Het Patronaat was packed at the start of the show, with the new “Der Landser” and the classic “MS Bismarck” right off the bat. But as time passed and fatigue set in, people left, and little more than half the track was still holding on tight enough to dust off their joints and do some wheelies on “Deathhammer,” as well as on the encore, with “Asphyx (Forgotten War),” closing out Roadburn. “Closing out,” in that sense. There was still Afterburner the next day.

Roadburn, Part 5: The Afterburner hangover cure and the return to reality

Afterburner is a day apart. Tickets are sold separately, as many of the people who travel to the festival return home on Sunday. It really feels like a different kind of event. First, because there are only two stages, both inside the 013 building. The Het Patronaat stage is gone, and the V039 area for cinema is also gone. Stage 01 becomes a merchandising stand; the remaining shirts and posters are sold at promotional prices. Live shows are only on the main stage and in the Green Room.

The audience ends up being diverse. That integration so common in the first three days seems dead; you hear much more Dutch than in the previous days, when English is the dominant language. There's a much weaker sense of community; the tired faces of Saturday give way to a renewed audience on Sunday. For those who endured the marathon of the previous three days, Afterburner is a kind of return from the parallel world of Roadburn to reality. And nobody makes transitions like Progressive Rock bands, as Astra proved right away, playing a very relaxed set based on their latest album, The Black Chord.

Since the English band Diagonal had to cancel their appearance at Roadburn due to one of their members being ill, Pallbearer had the chance to perform again, this time at the Green Room. And the change of venue changed everything.

"The vocalist and saxophonist Dr. Mikannibbal, covered in blood, helped to revive the exhausted part of the audience."

Playing a different set from their first performance three days earlier, the group, much more at ease and in sync in a tighter venue, dared to present previously unreleased material, in addition to their beautiful Doom rendition of "Gloomy Sunday," immortalized in the voice of Billie Holiday, perhaps the best summary of the sensations of this Afterburner.

The Japanese band Sigh, however, took to the main stage at Roadburn to put an end to this story of rest, or the Lord's Day. Burning the Bible, vocalist and saxophonist Dr. Mikannibbal covered in blood, completed the satanic ritual promoted by the group – I don't know if Black Metal accurately describes their sound, which is much more complex, leaning towards Prog and traditional Metal rather than the usual atmospheric style found in its offshoots – and helped to revive the exhausted part of the audience.

So, with my soul duly consigned to the devil, I decided to check out Nihill – the debut show of this celebrated Belgian Black Metal band – but seeing was the hardest thing in the Green Room. The venue was completely packed, and the smoke was so thick that it was almost impossible to see anything or move while the band unleashed a massacre on stage.

Honestly, I wasn't in the mood that day. So, I went to see Michael Rother's show, accompanied by the musicians from Camera, which served as a beautiful backdrop to relax, enjoying the lovely rhythms and melodies of Neu! and Harmonia's music. I thought about checking out Golden Void, but facing the packed Green Room again was a distant and unwelcome reality.

And then, the main stage would belong to Spiritual Beggars, the rock'n'roll project of legendary guitarist Michael Amott. Now with Firewind vocalist Apollo Papathanasio as frontman and the help of former Opeth keyboardist Per Wiberg, promoting his new work Earth Blues, the vibe changed completely to enjoy an electrifying show.

Unlike what happened with Primordial on the first day of Roadburn, Papathanasio was more successful in rousing the 013 audience from their slumber. Applause, people singing and dancing along—all reactions unimaginable in the previous days—occurred in abundance throughout the set, which even exceeded its 75-minute regulation time.
But, ultimately, it wasn't that a show with powerful songs like "Young Man, Old Soul," "Mantra," and the final "Euphoria" wasn't captivating; it was difficult to maintain the attention and willpower to follow a performance of that caliber as it deserved, and a good portion of the 013 audience echoed this feeling.

Having seen some moments of Die Kreuzen on the main stage the previous day, I could even imagine the degree of devastation they would unleash in the more intimate Green Room at that moment, but, comfortably seated in the mezzanine of the main stage, I opted to wait to see the Norwegian master Ihsahn. The musicians of the Norwegian Prog band Leprous not only accompanied the former Emperor musician, but, to my surprise, also had half an hour to impress everyone with frenetic music and a sick stage performance, but few actually paid him any attention.

After all, we were all there to see Ihsahn. And, after a short break, the Norwegian musicians returned to the stage, now complete. Despite a slightly less rushed stage performance, the show was intense, opening with the long and slow “On the Shores” and closing the set with the drawn-out, yet macabre and overwhelming “The Grave.” Any remaining energy vanished there.

Therefore, despite even considering catching some of Zodiac's show on the main stage, but being hungry and tired (my hotel was a kilometer and a half from the 013 and the walk in the cold became more arduous as the night progressed), I decided to end the Afterburner event after a top-notch performance by an extraordinary musician like Ihsahn.

***

Overall, Roadburn was fantastic. Despite the inevitable fatigue after four days of non-stop shows, the experience was extraordinary. It's a different kind of event than I was used to – no other metal festival even remotely compares to it.

The lineup features performances by many new bands, whose albums we've barely had time to fully digest, and the more classic groups don't create that party atmosphere typical of other festivals, where they do everything possible to captivate the segment of the audience that doesn't know them or is already tired of them. Definitely, Roadburn isn't the place for a typical frontman, nor for fans to just hang out.

The feeling is more like participating in a ritual. Direct communication between the artists and the audience during the shows is quite scarce; the very nature of most bands is, as a rule, more introspective. Thus, it's up to you to be open to enjoying the music and the sensations it provides.

This creates a different kind of strain, less physical and more psychological, but equally exhausting. The results, however, are also immensely satisfying. But, unfortunately, not many people are willing to participate in events like this.

The organizers of Roadburn thankfully know this and maintain the perfect size and format to accommodate their loyal audience. This knowledge of the number of people interested and what they actually like helps to enhance the experience – and to make the festival viable.

Therefore, it's very difficult to get tickets, which usually sell out hours after going on sale. Getting a hotel in Tilburg for the festival is practically impossible (and very expensive!), and people usually stay in neighboring towns and still have to take a train after the shows.
Even with all these obstacles, a large part of the audience – and I – are already doing the math and trying to book hotels to return to Tilburg between April 10th and 13th, 2014.

*This text was written by a Wikimate and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the site's authors.