It’s been 30 years since the first-ever Stonehenge music festival was held in Steenwijk, celebrating extreme music with a barrage of bands playing as loudly as possible for metal-hungry audiences who keep coming back each year. This year, there were 25 bands and 14 hours of non-stop metal played between two stages, with God-tier time management and organization, as bands from all over the world united their voices and metal horns for what has been one of the best metal outings I’ve personally experienced.
Every band is given their time on stage to one of the most welcoming audiences possible, as the scent of beer fills the air and as screams, headbanging and mosh pits adorn the mass of people moving from one stage to another. There’s also plenty of merch, food and drink options to be had. A sight to behold and appreciate for anyone who loves metal and is not used to such meticulous organization (which happens to be my case).
Now to the music itself, but before starting with my personal highlights, I want to throw recognition to every act that played for the festival. It was a delight to witness so many bands giving it all and playing like there was no tomorrow, to such a passionate audience. Now without further ado, here are my top acts from the festival;
Invictus
As a metal fan from the so-called west side of the hemisphere, there aren’t many chances to witness extreme metal acts from Asia, so Invictus (founded in 2015 in Japan) was already something of a peculiarity. Showcasing great musicianship and spirit, they engaged with the audience immediately and provided some tight death metal with no fat to trim.
If you are into that classic death metal old school sound a la Grave or Entombed (which I am), then this is the band for you. Great musicianship all around, with catchy riffs and slow-burning vocals.
Just a class act all around (and one of THE classic Death Metal acts). A total delight to see that time has been kind to Master with Paul Speckmann killing it as always in the lead.
I still remember the first time I saw a Massacre “From Beyond” patch on a friend’s denim vest, and thought: ‘The fuck is that? It looks fucking awesome”. It’s been 15 years since, and I they sound just as awesome as I remember.
From the moment I saw the “Sinister Slaughter” cover art, I knew I was in for something special back in my teenage years. With nursery rhymes and catchy choruses, Macabre is as unique as they come for the genre, and they delivered in spades. Same line-up from the last 40 years, still delivering on some serial killer goodness with an incredibly fun set.
Having gone through many line-up changes, and the loss of Brett Hoffman, Malevolent Creation still delivers on some of the best Death Metal out there, with a killer live performance and great vocal work from Jesse Jolly.
Pioneers in the Grindcore scene along with Carcass (both with Bill Steer in the lead guitar at some point), Napalm Death is an institution as of today, having gone with the mainstream without compromises, and still having a brutal sound with political commentary. With unmatched energy from Barney, Napalm Death delivered on what was my favorite set of the night.
Nile has been bringing extreme technical playing, and Egyptian and Lovecraftian themes together for decades now, showing amazing musicianship and delivering a wall of sound that had every audience member going berserk.
One of those classic acts that I personally thought I wouldn’t be able to see at any point back in the day. Glad I was fucking wrong. Great sound, and a great sense of humor from front man and drummer Chris Reifert.
Final Thoughts
After plenty a beer and with barely any energy left, Stonehenge delivered on some of the best extreme metal in a single location, on a single day with barely any hiccups. Props to the musicians and organization on a very successful festival, and to another 30 years of festivals to come!
Festival highlights by Michael Blanco for abyssalvoid.nl
