(see all pictures (and more) fullsize below)
At 11 o’clock, we were standing neatly in front of the gate waiting to be let in, along with, to be fair, not many other metalheads. Understandable, since the first band wouldn’t start until 12 o’clock.
However, we were invited to join RockPopRadio to talk about MetalFromNL and some Dutch bands, so we had to be somewhat on time. Fortunately, the gates to Jera finally opened at 11:15. After the radio show, it was finally time for the main event of this festival: the bands.
The first band of the day was Holding Absence. I wasn’t familiar with the band, but there wasn’t another band I was particularly interested in seeing. Plenty of people were already awake, as the tent was quite full. The guitarist made some mistakes in his enthusiasm to headbang, but nobody cared.
It was already packed for Thrown long before it started. Thrown is just awesome. All the guitars are tuned super low, and the bass tones resonate through your chest. It’s hard and intense, with headbanging all the way. The crowd loved it, and it was a party from the start.
Unfortunately, I had to leave Thrown early to be on time for Nephylim’s performance. During the soundcheck, the deep grunts of vocalist Tijn were already audible as more people streamed in. It’s a bit puzzling why this melodic death metal band was on this stage, but the Hawk stage had the most unique programming of the weekend, so in that sense, they fit right in.
There were also enough metalheads who could appreciate more than just metalcore and hardcore, as the room was quite full once the band started. This was one of the most enjoyable performances to watch, mainly because the guys had so much fun on stage. The constant smiles on their faces made for some not-so-flattering photos, but the atmosphere was great.
They played their probably best-known track, “Withered.” In the core scene, songs often last around 3-4 minutes, so Nephylim’s tracks felt extra long in this setting. They filled that time with interesting guitar riffs, and especially a lot of headbanging. They even managed to organize a small circle pit in this small tent. That pit mostly consisted of people known from the Dutch metal scene, so it’s clear Nephylim had many fans on the grounds.
Bleed From Within (say that again in your head, but with a Scottish accent) we had also seen at Graspop. But since this band is regularly on repeat, we couldn’t pass up the chance to see Bleed From Within again. The setlist was almost the same, maybe even entirely, but I listen to too much music to remember. “The End of All We Know,” “Levitate,” and “I Am Damnation” are naturally great sing-alongs, and the audience eagerly joined in. Where there was a small pit at Graspop, it quickly expanded here.
I only knew Brutus by name, and although it sounds Dutch, this band is actually from Belgium. They get bonus points for not only having a woman in the band but also a woman who can both sing very well and play drums. For me, Brutus was a bit of a festival surprise. Powerful, emotional vocals, and a sound comparable to the Dutch band Dool. Progressive, dark, and at times a bit doom-inspired. It’s a dreamy sound with dreamy vocals… until you are abruptly woken up. This contrast makes Brutus a very interesting interlude.
Ice Nine Kills isn’t entirely my thing. I’ve avoided them a bit so far, mainly because of the considerable hype around them. But, to be fair, it’s quite cool. If you like singer/songwriter music but with metal, then it’s great. Each song is a whole story, and everything is meticulously crafted. Even if the music doesn’t appeal to you as much, the whole show around it makes it definitely worth seeing live at least once.
Of Mice & Men were also at Graspop, but they are high on my list of most-played songs in the past year. As you probably know by now, I’m a sucker for good vocalists. And Of Mice & Men fit that description. They played all the expected hits again; “Obsolete,” “Would You Still Be There,” “Castaway” … all great sing-alongs. And the audience loved it.
Sum 41 is one of those bands you can’t avoid at a festival like this. As a teenager, I liked them but wasn’t a huge fan. And that feeling still prevails. These kinds of bands naturally appeal a lot to nostalgia. Sum 41 does this by playing their hits. They also play a lot of music I’m not directly familiar with, but because it’s all very cheerful sing-along music, it doesn’t matter. It’s a big party during Sum 41. It’s easy to score points by playing “We Will Rock You,” but it works.
There was also a surprise band on the schedule today. The hope was for a cool Dutch hardcore band, but instead, Lionheart played an extra set. Lionheart is scheduled for their own set tomorrow, but today they prepared a special set of covers. Mostly Limp Bizkit, but also Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine, and KORN. Speaking of nostalgia.
Thrasher We ended the evening in the party tent with Thrasher, partying until we couldn’t walk anymore. How we will survive tomorrow is still a bit unclear, but luckily the first band doesn’t start until 12 o’clock 
