Festival report: Ieperfest 2012, day two

I've been slacking recently, but hey I guess it's not my fault that life is being annoying at the moment. I do however, have to mention one thing. This summer on "Cry Me A River" festival I met one of my readers, to whom I wasn't even introduced properly, who really admired the blog, but who also said to me that I shouldn't be feeling sorry for sporadic posts and that the blog is more interesting and unique that way. I keep remembering that advice/compliment, so dude if you are reading this now thank you so much for your words! It's really nice hearing things like that and they definitely keep the machine going.

Behold the timetable for the second day of "Ieperfest" 2012, trust me when I say that it was purely awesome:
- No Second Thought (T)
- Truth And Its Burden (M)
- Vaccine (T)
- StillxStrong (M)
- Whatever It Takes (T)
- Cornered (M)
- Pianos Become The Teeth (T)
- TRC (M)
- Hellbastard (T)
- Reign Supreme (M)
- MxPx Allstars (T)
- Your Demise (M)
- Grand Magus (T)
- Trapped Under Ice (M)
- Scraps (T)
- Unearth (M)
- Nasum (T)
- The Black Dahlia Murder (M)
- Eyehategod (T)
- Ignite (M)
- Pig Destroyer (T)
- Sick Of It All (M)

"Truth And Its Burden" was the band to open the main stage of the second festival day and it was a pleasant surprise. A metalcore quartet hailing from South Africa provided with a solid half an hour of intriguing tunes and some really nice speeches toward the audience. I'm not really that much into that particular genre of music, but this band definitely proved to be entertaining live. Nicely flowing melodies, great vocals and a really positive flow of energy. As I mentioned, the band took its time to talk to the crowd and I am usually bored when bands have too many monologues during festival performances since they are eating time, but on this occasion I enjoyed it. It was interesting to hear how the band is experiencing their visit to Europe and the things they bring from their home town, especially since they are from a place where not many projects are born and the underground scene seems to be nonexistent. Listening to that makes you appreciate the situation you have back at home a little bit more or at least it gets your drive for involvement run faster. Later during the day there was an interview with "Truth And Its Burden" in the "More Than Music" tent and I managed to grab some notes, so further down in this review I will try to transcribe my gibbering writing. All in all, interesting band and I definitely wish them all the luck for the future.

Next up was the very well remembered straight edge powerviolence band seen previously on "Fluff Fest", "Vaccine". Still angry and vigorous, the band took the stage and started beating the crowd into a pulp, not stopping until it was time to just walk away. No pauses, no talking, no breathers, just a lack of anger management and violence, no pun intended. There is really no better way at explaining their tunes other than saying that they are unbelievably pissed off and aggressive, yet being superb at what they do. Creating so much chaos and then taming it properly is really impressive, so I have to give praises to this band in all aspects. Me and the lovely woman got a chance to talk to Will and Matt from "Vaccine" later during the day and they are really awesome dudes. Lesson of the day, if this band is playing anywhere near you, or well even far away since I'm obviously neither from the Czech Republic nor Belgium, go and grab their show, this is something you don't want to miss out on. And if you don't like them...well, you should be taken to their show for punishment.

After "Vaccine" we spent some time in the "MTM" tent watching a documentary about a corporation named "Veracel" and their exploitation of South American forests. Soon enough, however, some really appealing tunes started blasting from the main stage and I was just tempted to go out and check out what was going on. In the end I stuck around for the entire performance of "StillxStrong" and the only thing I wrote in my booklet as a reminder was "FuckingxAwesome". With no remorse, this xvx hardcore punk quintet from Brazil came to show their views and attitude to the audience and they did so without stuttering for a single second. Extremely fast and turbulent hardcore, interesting melodies and violent outbursts of sound, all backed by incredible vocals I fell for instantly and of course an important message to spread around, this band has it all. In the whirlwind of sound they absolutely don't shy away at being viciously direct, for example having a simple yet effective song like "Why Can't You Be Vegan?". They aren't alien to topics concerning human rights too, addressing matters of homophobia in Brazil during one of their speeches. I didn't see the entire set of this band so I'll keep this short, but this is definitely a project worth the note. Absolutely check them out and give support, spread the word!

We were wandering around the festival and then ended up in the "MTM" tent yet again. This time a presentation about "Ethical Veganism" was about to be held, hosted by a friendly dude named Tim, or Timxvx if you please. I won't be talking about the said presentation now, but instead I have decided to ask Tim if he was willing to do an interview for "Natures With No Plagues". He agreed and I'm really excited to actually do an interview that is not related to music, so hopefully in the near future you will be able to read about our correspondence on the topic of (ethical) veganism.

Alright boys and girls, time to get downright pissed and dirty with good ol' trusty crust. Rising from the grim UK scenery of 1985, these lads are one of the legendary names of punk fused old school crust and they are as angry and energetic as ever. Yes, I'm talking about "Hellbastard". The guys just picked up their instruments, started beating and rending them, absolutely not giving any fucks whatsoever. They were energetic, pissed off, perfectly deploying that type of sound and atmosphere they are known for. Despite having a couple of issues with equipment, they provided a wild show which featured everything from crazy slashing at the gear, not caring about slight mistakes, many curses toward the system and even burning some money on stage. Although seemingly aggressive and bitter, the band vibrated with positive energy and it was cool to see that they arrived to simply have a good time and just have fun. Overall it was a great show and I'm glad I have them written down in my book. Old crusties make me happy and I want to be just like them when I grow up.

If I recall well, after "Hellbastard" finished their set, now was the time when the interview with "Truth And Its Burden" was scheduled in the "MTM" tent. As I mentioned above, I took some notes, good three pages of scribbles which I will now try to decipher and form a story or at least a fluent part of text. I have to say that I'm a really bad journalist, or well my note-grabbing skills are untrained enough.
The birth of the band occurred five years ago in Johannesburg, South Africa, starting out as a metalcore project highly inspired by acts such as "August Burns Red", "Parkway Drive", "I Killed The Prom Queen" and "Misery Signals", to name a few. Over time, as band members explored other genres, the project itself started taking influences from "Shai Hulud", "Incubus", "Sepultura", "Death" and even "La Dispute", grabbing all their positive aspects and messages, so the culmination of all those styles is what drives these four people.
Thus far the band shared its music on several South African tours and sharing stages at home with bands like "Have Heart" and "Shipwreck A.D.". 2010 saw a real breakthrough for the band, when they managed to step over to Europe and tour. Near the ending of the year they invited "The Ghost Inside" to come over and tour South Africa, a relationship which will open them a way toward signing for "Mediaskare Records". This year saw their second big European tour, recently playing on "Brutal Assault" festival in the Czech Republic.
DIY ethics have always been integrated into the band. With not a lot of following going around, the band took matters into its own hands regarding promotion, fliers, posters and everything else for that matter. "It becomes like a night job haha." "Be as much as DIY as you can. When there is limited support, you are on your own. Keep the spirit alive and don't have someone else rape you off of your efforts. It's a sense of pride." The vocalist especially addressed younger bands back home, who seem to only put effort into plainly releasing a record by themselves, saying that it is important to always go out and learn more, delegating tasks and improving.
"Hardcore is a message, despite the style." There is a lot of negative energy in South Africa, so the band decided to cling to all those positive ideals they could find. "We want people leaving our shows uplifted and not feeling down. It's like beating cancer. You can either stay positive and live off of that energy or you can dig a negative hole which will kill you."
So in the end, before I left at least, how did these four people decide to be a part of a small hardcore band in an even smaller scene? And the answer was simple and to the point. "It's all about feelings  and  a sense that we actually do something. Jobs feed your stomach, not your soul."

After a lunch break and some sleeping in the car, since we were completely exhausted for some reason, came an insane streak of bands which was absolutely stunning. "Unearth" was the first to set off the chain reaction and they did so with a blast. The metalcore five-piece from Massachusetts exploded on stage and managed to be thrilling from start to finish. I listened to this band ever since they hit the scene and, although I haven't been following their recent development, they stuck on my list to this very day. What always managed to make them differ from other bands of the genre is just a non-generic sound, lacking annoying breakdowns, all too common melodies and instead being constantly furious, direct and unstoppable. Live their sound was truly devastating while remaining really clean and discernible.  I remember "Eyes Of Black" and "This Lying World" being played, the latter one really bringing back some awesome memories. The band delivered a huge amount of energy and was extremely charismatic during their set, yet the majority of the crowd was being stiff and unmoved again, which is a real bummer since the entire band tried to inflame the atmosphere. All in all, excellent and perfect, just as I imagined!

When the sound died on the main stage, madness and chaos were heard from the tent, signalling that "Nasum" has begun. We were sadly late to grab a good spot and it was so full that we ended up being almost outside of the tent and looking from a really bad angle, which resulted in us viewing only two songs of the entire set before crawling away elsewhere. Needless to say the band killed it completely, ripping the air with an insane grindcore massacre. What little I saw of the stage signaled a score of movement and an excellent atmosphere inside, which somewhat made me sad that I didn't view it entirely. But I fear not, I will grab them on another occasion properly.

Well hello there, sir. The long awaited moment is here! I've been trying to grab this wretched band for a very long time and some of you might even remember my failed attempt to catch them in Croatia some time last year. "The Black Dahlia Murder" is just one of those bands which is completely out of the common boundaries of genres which I usually listen to, but I adore the project insanely. There is a special place which they hold in my book, with all their maddening riffs, evil settings and silly attitude, being a truly unique and fun band all the way. Even before they actually started to play they instantly managed to put a huge smile on my face, screaming stuff like "Your forefathers were thieves!" and "Oh my God!" into the microphones during the sound check. And then, in the moment when the sound from the tent ceased to exist and a flood of people spilled outside to the field, the five-piece possessed by outer-worldly entities began their ritual. Sing or yell or shriek the lyrics, put a smile on your face and swing your body in a trance, it's time to ride. Seriously, this band manages to inject such a great dose of madness and adrenaline into you, while being incredibly entertaining to listen and behold. Not to mention, on a personal note, that they played two of my favorite songs, those being "Moonlight Equilibrium" and "What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse", exactly one after the other and I was mind blown and completely slain at that point. The band was everywhere on stage, constantly moving and executing all sorts of maneuvers with the singer taking the role of conductor to the unholy masses in front of him. Of course, the sea of limbs and hair was not moved as much as the kapellmeister desired, thus he was not afraid of fingering everyone outright, for which I give utter praises. Luckily the band stayed pleased, exchanging glances with the few of us who were either dancing or screaming the lyrics.  Due to my thrill of reliving this show, I, of course, forgot to mention the fact that the sound was simply perfect and their entire set flawless, music-wise. All that is left to say here is that you should go to their show, whenever possible. And a message to the band, there is a distant and forsaken land called Serbia where legions of horrors crave your flesh! Come over on your next tour!

We were watching the band from a strategic point, so once they finished their act we were quick to move to the tent and, with a couple of maneuvers, able to grab a nice spot for the upcoming spectacle.  The dark swamps of Louisiana gave birth to an abomination in 1988, a misanthropic, nihilistic and thoroughly grim child named "Eyehategod". After 26 long years of tours and records, the legends of sludge crawled to "Ieperfest" to vomit forth their wicked tunes. The only thing that my shaky hands left  as remembrance in my notebook was "too good to be real". I seriously cannot express with words how remarkable this band is on stage. Shoved and piled up on the small tent stage, they exploded with a vile wave of sound, setting up the most unbelievable atmosphere with the very first chord and keeping it tense until the very end. The sound was so perfect, oozing with that dragging sludge groove and extreme heaviness, thoroughly depressive and tormenting. A wall of crackles, rending, pounding and distortion was uplifted, being excellently melded with the vocalist who aided the sound with coarse wailing, forming that amazing sound the band is known for. "Available soon in Vietnam", along with eerie distortion, were the words that kicked off the show in full gear, "Eyehategod" setting such a wonderful mood which seemed intimate, as if they were playing in either someone's living room or a run-down highway diner. "Jack Ass In The Will Of God", "Dixie Whiskey" and "$30 Bag" were just some of the songs that were played that evening, rippling through the cigarette smoke of the guitarist. For 45 minutes they held the audience in trance, those minutes seeming much shorter afterwards, which is quite strange for a sludge show. All in all, astounding performance and I feel truly honored that I have witnessed the legends from New Orleans.

Eh, what to say now? I have to say that I was fairly disappointed with "Ignite" on the festival, so I will keep this short and spare my time and blog space. Ages ago I used to love the band and even now they tend to spin in my music player from time to time. It was always enjoyable listening to their exceedingly melodic hardcore punk tunes backed with amazing clear vocals. What managed to make their set fail my expectations is the fact that the singing was nowhere as awesome as on the recordings. It was quite weak and not impacting at all, which made me walk away to the distro/merch tent in hopes of soothing my sadness, so to speak. And this is pretty much all that I'm going to say on the matter.

The closing act of the day was quite legendary, although my expectations weren't completely met. "Pig Destroyer", need I say more? The Virginia grindcore has been ripping out guts and throats for the last 15 years and there was no point at which they would turn back. I always loved this project and their ability of taking gore and aggression onto a whole new different level, thus the abnormal excitement about seeing them live. Although their playing was on par and exceeding the beast on recordings, playing technical and fast, the sound was horrible. It seemed either too loud or too muffled and unrecognizable. The only "song" which I was instantly able to recognize was "Jennifer", a deciphering which is obvious for those of you who know about this piece. Keep in mind that I do not blame the band for this mischief, but much rather the stage they were playing on. Additionally what made this set horrid were the lights. Dear mother nature, even if you weren't suffering from photosensitive epilepsy, this was enough to give you a full blown seizure. Not only when flashing on and off, but also it was simply too bright to look at the stage, so the majority of the time I would either hide behind a taller person which actually wasn't that hard or stare at my girlfriend and kiss her which of course I don't complain about. Despite the fact that one could really grasp the talent of the band, I feel as if it was severely crippled and not entirely enjoyable. Next time, hopefully.

Festival report: Fluff Fest 2012, day two

Ever since the schedule for the second day surfaced on the festival's website, I knew that I would be killed by it. The list of bands was insane and it was definite that I'll have to sacrifice some bands in order to see others. Lots of tough decisions and maneuvering, but in the end it resulted in a fantastic day. Only thing that did suck was the stubborn heavy rain which greeted us from the early morning hours.  

Schedule for day two of the festival is as follows:

Main Stage:

1:25 PM: Beton

2:05 PM: Bokanovsky

2:45 PM: True Nature

3:30 PM: Run With The Hunted

4:15 PM: Titan

5:05 PM: Wolf Down

6:00 PM: Masakari

7:00 PM: Suis La Lune

8:00 PM: No Turning Back

9:00 PM: Anchor

Tent Stage:

12:30 PM: Controlled Existence

1:15 PM: Vendetta

1:55 PM: Ralph Macchio

2:35 PM: Kung-Fu Girlz

3:20 PM: Child Meadow

4:05 PM: Osawatomie

4:55 PM: Planks

5:45 PM: Boredom

6:45 PM: Aussitot Mort

7:45 PM: Vaccine

8:50 PM: Light Bearer

10:00 PM: Alpinist

While the rain was pouring down like there was no tomorrow and everyone was covering at the merch desk, "Beton" marked the beginning of the day on the main stage. A quintet from Slovakia playing some superb crust, the band unleashed a series of devastatingly fast d-beat tunes across the soaked festival field. Prior to the festival I found myself craving some more bands of this genre in my book and this act came with all the ingredients that I love, nonstop beating to the senses with speedy playing and that good old dirty crust sound. Sadly I was too far away from the stage and at one point I had to run to my tent to grab a hoodie, so I didn't enjoy the band to the fullest, but I definitely praise the very discovery of their work. Will keep an eye out on this project, attention is most deserved.

Moments later it was time to crawl from under the covers and step into the rain to see "Bokanovsky" from a closer point. Right away I have to say that this band definitely jumps up to be in my personal top five performances of this year's "Fluff Fest", no doubts about it. I know about these guys for several years now, though I kinda neglected listening to them in recent periods of time. After this performance, there is no way to ever forget about them again. The band was so powerful and emotionally impacting that they immediately resurrected the passionate love I had for them back in the day. Seeing that unbelievably well-crafted combination of beauty and serenity wrapped in heavy and unpredictable sounds oozing with emotions and passion was magnificent. This is, without any second thoughts, the first band on this festival that managed to thoroughly impress me and shake me to the core. My readers probably know how much I adore screamo hailing from France and this band is a perfect example of why I feel so much infatuation for their music scene. But wait, there is one more band from this country leaving its mark on this review, just coming up next.

Right after "Bokanovsky" finished their set, two of their string players went on into the tent to form "Child Meadow", only this time one of them was on drums and the other remained on the guitar. This band has to be the most pleasant surprise of the festival, without a doubt. These two guys managed to fill the entire tent and the audience with so much positive energy with their smiles, jokes, insanely catchy melodies and extremely pleasant attitude. There was interaction with the crowd, silly playing mistakes which created even more smiles on peoples faces and just make everyone feel like they are attending a house show. Aside of their own songs, the band did a cover of "Remek" which was actually assisted by the singer of the said band. The same happened with a "Paper Plane Crash" cover song. When you put everything together, you get a really thrilling show and a true bomb made out of positive emotions. I seriously don't recall a gig when a band managed to make me smile during the entire set. France, you should be proud.

After some hanging out around distros it was time for "Wolf Down". For various reasons I saw the band perform only briefly, but the tiny spectacle was amazing. If I remember well, I came just in time to hear "Rot" and it blew me away at how perfect it sounded. Also, I was kinda far away from the stage so I had a really nice view on what is going on there and the band really managed to move the crowd with its insane amount of energy. Jumping on stage, crowd surfing, rampage on the ground, the band itself being wild and constantly moving, just total mayhem everywhere. The sound they succeeded in creating was far more aggressive and brutal than that on the recordings, so it was quite a sight seeing them live. Definitely a band worth the note. I also did an interview with them some time ago, found here, so you should also check that out if you already haven't.

Next up, "Boredom". Maybe it is quite cheezy to say, but they instantly annihilated any possible presence of actual boredom in the tent. Precisely as on their recordings, the amusing clash between raspy, thrashy crust and almost rock and roll type melodies managed to impress me beyond measure, changing my mood from calm to nigh hyperactive. Ever since I first heard their split with "Rivers Run Dry", courtesy of good friend Botond from "Itai Itai Records", I've found their sound so unique and intriguing, thus this being an absolute honor to attend their show. Similarly to when I listened to them at home for the first time, they just swept me off my feet when they started playing on stage and my mind blown state was present until their sound died. "Lap Dance of Rats" and "The Poverty Lawyer" punched me in the gut so hard that I really don't know how I restrained myself from killing someone in the dancing area in front of the stage. What this band can do to you with their music is insane, that's for sure. They have less than 500 listeners on last.fm and that is something that is not tolerable at all. Seriously people, what's wrong with you? Check this band out, I promise you won't regret it!

It is sad to say that this is the point where the schedule became extremely tight and squeezed for me, with too many good bands entwined with one another. I really wish that "Fluff Fest" starts doing what "Ieperfest" does with its schedule, although this will have to wait until I write the review of my stay in Belgium. Until then I'll stick to what happened in Rokycany. "Masakari" was next and due to seeing "Boredom" I couldn't attend to their whole set. Although I only witnessed a part of the gig it was definitely enough to stomp me entirely. Approaching the show I realized how enormous their sound is, not only because of the fact that they were on the main stage, but also because it was, plainly put, the sound of "Masakari". There was just so much anger and energy hurling from the stage, so much that I felt completely battered, in a positive way of course, despite the fact that I was rather far from the source of sound. If I recall well, I arrived just in time to hear "X. Pain Conceived As A Tool", the song which is featured on the benefit split with "Tempest", and the band just killed everything with the sheer massiveness of their music. I've always been in love with "Masakari", but I never imagined them being that good in concert, just stunning. I feel insanely sorry that I didn't see their whole act, so I hope they come back to Europe one day to wreck havoc on everything. 

One more occasion to see "Aussitot Mort" and yet again I wasn't able to view their entire set, because I needed to catch another band. Sigh. "Fluff" you are killing me. Anyway, if I remember well the band once again opened their act with "La Ride Du Lion" which is just a superb opener and mood-setter. The band simply excels at lashing out their amazing atmospheric sound in a single swipe and it definitely doesn't leave you unshaken. I only saw that first song being played and I already had to run to the main stage, but it was absolutely worth it. I still hate myself due to the fact I missed their show with "Heaven In Her Arms", especially now since I have a chance to see them properly but always fail to see the entire set. The band hates me probably, that's why. I due love them, however. 

Rushing to the main stage earlier I managed to secure a first row place for the next act. "Suis La Lune",  legendary screamo band from Sweden and a long time favorite band of yours truly, was getting ready and just about to start. I was quite anxious about this performance due to the fact that, prior to the festival, I heard that they weren't really entertaining live and I honestly had some level of fear about what was going to happen. Additionally, for various reasons, they kind of drifted away from my liking and this show was definitely a sort of a test for the band in my eyes. Saying it right away, the band swept me off my feet entirely. And they would sweep me even easier if I wasn't stupid enough to neglect listening to their newest album called "Riala". The majority of the performed songs were from that album and, although I watched with awe and utter pleasure, it just isn't the same when you actually know the songs, if you know what I mean. Needless to say, "Cornea", "Remorse", "All That Meant Something" and all other new pieces managed to resurrect the old love I had for the band. Mixed with those were "With Wings Of Feathers And Glue" and "September Gave Us...", while the ending came in a beautiful combination of "Utter Silence Is Fragile" and "A Letter A Void". In all the years that I followed this band fervently, I always imagined that they would be so blissful and wonderfully gentle and there they were, proving and justifying all my previous thoughts. I have always dreaded about writing things concerning my favorite bands, among which is definitely this one, and this amount of text is enough to make me shudder, thus I will stop here. Astonishing performance, worth the wait all these years. 

After soothing melodies and emotions, it was time for pissed off straight edge powerviolence. That sounds gnarly, wouldn't you say? "Vaccine", a band hailing from Massachusetts and featuring members of acts such as "Orchid", "Ampere", "Glue", "Failures" and "Think I Care", just got on stage and basically kicked everyone in the face, over and over again. This came as an enormous shock to the senses after the previous band, but damn, it was worth it. Their entire set was just a violent ball of rending, heavy guitar riffs, choking drums, harsh bass and angry to the core vocals to top it off. I was simply flabbergasted at how awesome this band is, especially since I never heard about them before. I did, however, get a second chance at seeing them on "Ieperfest" where I managed to pay more attention to what is going on amid the chaos they created. Seeing this band twice shows that I'm really lucky that I didn't get a heart-attack. This day just didn't fail to continuously impress.

Once the truly maddening set was over, I had just enough time to go to my tent and put on my "Vestiges" shirt for the next band, just for fun. By the time I got back, the tent stage was overcrowded and bursting with expectations for "Light Bearer". I managed somehow to squeeze inside, despite my initial wishes to be in the very front row. The band opened with their newest song, that from the split with "Northless", called "Celestium Apocrypha: Book Of Watchers", which I have to say surprised me a bit. Although it is a truly astounding piece, I think it is a really bad choice for a short festival performance due to its length and slowness. Needless to say, the band somehow pulled it off and mesmerized the crowd with their great sound and ambiance. After a sluggish start came "Prelapsus", which literally exploded inside the tent, the mass of people erupting into a conjoined choir of screams at the cataclysmic ending of the song. From then on it was continual stage diving and dancing on the part of the audience, while the band continued with "Lapsus" and, if memory serves well, "Primum Movens". The strength of the sounds radiating from the small stage kept being increased to unbelievable levels, completely justifying the epic concept the band is enveloped in. I had my doubts about how the performance will come out in the tent stage, but so much energy and power packed in such a tight spot proved to be magnificent. My only complaint would be the pick of the opening song, since I presume that "Armoury Choir" would be a far better decision, but this stays in the boundaries of personal choice. Additionally, for a score of reasons, I really didn't approve of words spoken by the band during breaks, some of them addressing the whole situation with "Defeater". I just find it a lot better when people mind their own business and think about what they are saying before they actually say it. Otherwise, a great performance.

"Alpinist" gets one word as an opener. Wow. I wasn't pleased at all with their performance on "Cry Me A River" and I came to this gig to give them a second chance. Wow, again. The very first millisecond the band started playing, the crowd erupted like an eons old volcano. Instant stage diving, jumping, crowd surfing, screaming, pushing, everyone became so squeezed together from the sheer amount of people which hurled into the tent to participate in the sea of limbs and sore throats. The band seemed to play in such a violent fashion, when compared to the last time I saw them, and it doesn't come as a surprise that the audience replied in such a fashion. Their sound became exceedingly heavy, pounding and fast, so much that even though you were trying to stay alive in the whirlwind of bodies your mind was well aware of the sounds rushing towards the ears. There was minimal time for pauses or speeches, although they were present, and it was just nonstop insanity until the end of their set. The band just didn't stop beating their instruments until the crowd started feeling fatigue approaching. The only downside to the entire thing was that a girl got seriously injured, if the information is correct she got a fractured skull, during the set. Although it was really fun and adrenaline rushing, people should be a little bit more careful with really hurting someone, especially since at the beginning of the show a lot of tinier people were in front. I got separated from my girlfriend during the course of a couple of songs and I can't say that I wasn't worried for her. Also a similarly lame thing happened to me on "Light Bearer" while I was crowd surfing and was dropped to the ground at one point, without people actually trying to get me up but going along with their business. Just a little bit more concert etiquette is needed I presume. But aside of that, this is by far the wildest and most intense concert I've attended in a long, long while. "Alpinist", I applaud you, this was a show to remember.