WRITTEN BY: TIM EDWARDS WITH PHOTOS BY AGA HAIRESIS AND FRANK BOTMAN

Tim Edwards attended Belgium's premier hardcore festival last month. Here are his highlights over the three days. Click highlighted band names or band photos for their websites.

SWEET JESUS. Photo by: Frank Botman

Friday, August 14th

Featuring Have Heart's Patrick Flynn, New England's SWEET JESUS prompted the first crowd participation of the day.  Culling a few tracks from their fine album “You Destroy Yourself”. Sweet Jesus draw comparisons with The Hope Consipracy and early The Bronx.

Arguably my highlight of the entire weekend was INSANITY ALERT. With a hilarious use of props - crab hands, (“The Claw”), a reefer (“Blunt In, Blunt Out”) and a 'MOSH!' sign... the Austrian four-piece were incredibly tight and spewed forth precision thrash metal like they'd been part of the Big Four scene of the 1980’s. They closed a triumphant set with “Run To The Pit”, their tongue-in-cheek take on Iron Maiden's classic where the hills are the destination.

LIONHEART. Photo by: Aga Hairesis 

All thrashed out I opted to watch LIONHEART from the comfort of the bar. They delivered what they do best - solid metalcore, beards and muscles. Tough guy indeed.

DISxEASE FROM SAO PAULO, BRAZIL. Photo by: Aga Hairesis

CANADA'S OBEY THE BRAVE ON DAY 1 OF IEPERFEST. Photo by: Aga Hairesis

NY'S MAXIMUM PENALTY. Photo by: Aga Hairesis 

BRINGING IT DOWN WITH JUDGE TO CLOSE OUT DAY 1. Photo by: Aga Hairesis 

Saturday, August 15th

UK vegan straight edge mob XREPENTANCEX attracted a healthy-sided crowd despite a pre-midday slot in the Marquee and they immediately showed why comparisons have been made with the trailblazing metallic hardcore bands of the 90’s. Singer John Olley admitted onstage that the band had ripped off every legendary riff from that sub-genre. The result was a pummeling onslaught carrying messages held dear to their core values and beliefs. Their debut full length, “The Sickness Of Eden” can sit proudly in your record collection alongside Arkangel's “Prayers Upon Deaf Ears”. The irony played out around their set was the sheer number of cannabis smokers in the tent.

Put simply, Belgium quartet CHEAP DRUGS were fucking amazing. Fronted by a guy who looked like a young Goose from Top Gun they were a breath of fresh air in the Trench Tent, which was a feat in itself (it was a sweatbox in there). Circle pits, pile-ons, mic-grabbing, CD set it all off with their Negative Approach-esque ferocity. Intense, upbeat and powerful a friend said they reminded him of Refused in their infancy. Not a bad comparison at all.

BY THE GRACE OF GOD came across like an elder version of Ignite - hook-laden songs sung from the heart whilst UK d-beat legends DOOM steamrolled their way through their set with the sort of energy only matched by their more youthful contemporaries.

ALL OUT WAR TEARING IT UP... DAY 2. Photo by: Aga Hairesis

After a much-vaunted reunion of the classic line-up that laid down their best albums ALL OUT WAR did not disappoint. Regarded as one of the finest thrash-metallic hardcore bands of all time the five-piece juggernaut remain as relevant as ever, their relentless sound often imitated but never matched. I was that much in awe of their musicianship that I can't remember all of their set but new tracks off the “Dying Gods” EP fitted seamlessly alongside their genre-defining tracks of the past.

ENTOMBED A.D. Photo by: Aga Hairesis 

I didn't really know what to expect from ENTOMBED AD. A rebranded band risen from the ashes of seminal Swedish death metallers Entombed featuring the sole original member LG Petrov. Surely the magic had been replaced by cynicism? Think again. Entombed AD were in blistering form and THAT patented buzz-saw guitar tone resulted in the band enjoying the best sound mix on the main stage across the entire weekend. Black Breath and Nails have taken it to new extremes whilst Converge did justice to “Wolverine Blues”. “Left Hand Path” and “Out Of Hand” were sung full tilt by those hugging the stage whilst new stuff like set opener “Pandemic Rage” is worthy of your attention.

The baton was passed back to Blighty as DISCHARGE took to the Marquee stage. The band inspired many of today's metal monoliths with the likes of Anthrax, Machine Head and Soulfly paying homage to them on record. So it was no surprise that their live performance matched their legend - pure punk chaos and unmatched sonic intensity. 

BIOHAZARD CLOSES OUT DAY 2. Photo by: Aga Hairesis

Five years ago I watched BIOHAZARD, then recently reunited with guitarist Bobby Hambel lay waste to the main stage at Hellfest in France. Not long after that they parted company with bassist, chief vocalist and focal point Evan Seinfeld. Biohazard, I thought, were finished. Spud Monsters axeman Scott Roberts was jettisoned in for a couple of UK dates in the wake of Seinfeld's departure. He didn't impose himself and he came across as an Evan-lite. Four years on and Roberts is no longer on a pedestal. He is very much his own man, matching Hambel in the guitar-spinning stakes and adds a bit more grit vocally than Seinfeld managed to achieve on anything after “State Of The World Address”. He is a great foil for Billy Graziadei who has stepped up to the plate admirably as the main man for the Brooklyn bruisers. No longer confined to stage left or stage right Billy is right at home as the heartbeat of this timeless band. At Ieperfest the triple opening whammy of “Wrong Sides Of The Track”, “Urban Discipline” and “Shades Of Grey” set the headliners on their way to a glorious set which also featured “Resist”, “Love Denied”, “Howard Beach” and “We're Only Gonna Die”, the Bad Religion song they've made their own. After half the crowd stormed onstage to sing and mosh along to “Punishment” Biohazard closed Saturday night with a crushing rendition of “Hold My Own”. 

Photo by: Aga Hairesis

Sunday, August 16th

After avoiding a hangover I headed along to the festival site early to catch VENOM PRISON, a new death metal band from the UK featuring former Wolf Down singer Larissa. In my opinion she is the best heavy female vocalist I've heard for years and managed to steal the thunder of the ladies in Walls Of Jericho and All For Nothing, who both played Ieperfest. Their new 7" “The Primal Chaos” is about to drop on Soaked In Torment Records. Definitely worth checking out if you like Deformity, Congress and Suffocation.

ALL FOR NOTHING FROM THE NETHERLANDS ON DAY 3. Photo by: Frank Botman

STICK TO YOUR GUNS FROM CALIFORNIA ON DAY 3. Photo by: Aga Hairesis 

PENNSYLVANIA'S STEEL NATION DAY 3. Photo by: Frank Botman

It was back to the poor sound again that plagued many of the bands over this weekend as Pennsylvania's STEEL NATION succumbed to it, which was a shame as Neil and Steve excel in sharing vocal duties which provide a shot in the arm to a scene with more shouters than singers.

NO TURNING BACK. DAY 3. Photo by: Aga Hairesis

NO TURNING BACK whipped the crowd into a stage-diving frenzy with a typically abrasive set full of fast, catchy hardcore songs that has cemented the band's place as one of the best Europe has produced. As one friend said to me, NTB are Europe's version of Terror, which is not bad company to be in.

NASTY ON DAY 3. Photo by: Aga Hairesis

It was then the turn of beatdown terrorists NASTY to decimate the main stage. Love them or hate them Nasty are entertaining to watch with vocalist Matthi working the stage magnificently.  They are the aural equivalent of getting your faced stoved in with a meat tenderizer - there is no let up and definitely no fucks given for the haters wondering what all the fuss is about.

NY'S ENRAGE ON DAY 3. Photo by: Aga Hairesis

ENRAGE were recommended to me by a friend. After their show I felt ashamed that I had never heard of them before. The Staten Islander’s were fantastic - old school hardcore with massive grooves and shades of Sheer Terror's venom. The back catalogue has been downloaded to my playlist! 

TOUCHE AMORE FROM CALIFORNIA ON DAY 3. Photo by: Aga Hairesis

SEATTLE'S TRIAL ON DAY 3. Photo by: Aga Hairesis

SLAPSHOT, DAY 3. Photo by: Frank Botman 

SLAPSHOT, led by the self-deprecating Jack Kelly blasted through their set but I dare say they would have gone down better under canvas. Sweaty, cramped venues are the best places to see the band and witness their ferocity up close and personal. “Chip On My Shoulder”, “Back On The Map”, “Olde Tyme Hardcore” are belted out with purpose whilst newer songs “Go Hard” and “Told You So” are sang along just as passionately.  Jack is a thoroughly watchable frontman and unpredictable - at one stage he was literally wiping the floor with one annoying fella who got too big for his boots, hence being playfully dragged around the stage by his feet.

The same cannot be said for metal “supergroup” BRUJERIA. Despite featuring extreme metal luminaries Jeff Walker (Carcass) and Shane Embury (Napalm Death) in their ever-changing line-up the masked banditos have somehow managed to make a joke of the joke, except it was really unfunny. A wall of noise was met by many startled looks and shakes of the head. Make it stop already.

SICK OF IT ALL CLOSES IT OUT ON DAY 3. Photo by: Frank Botman 

Festival closers SICK OF IT ALL played a 23-song set yet I have to confess I was not there on this occasion. Other circumstances dictated I didn't see the NYHC flag bearers for the umpteenth time but friends I spoke to later that night all said it was a typically brilliant set from Lou and the boys. I can't say I can ever recall a poor SOIA show. Everyone has their favorite albums and the band played tunes from most of their back catalogue to satisfy everyone. From oldies (“Injustice System”) to newbies (“Road Less Travelled”) and anthems (“Sanctuary”, “Step Down”) galore, what else is there to say about SOIA that has not already been said? That they are rubbish live? Nobody is ever going to get the chance to say that anytime soon.

Photo by: Aga Hairesis

Verdict:

The DIY spirit remains very much alive in this sacred part of Belgium. Yes bands pulled out at the last minute leaving the organizers aghast and probably questioning whether they should carry on but Ieperfest is so much more than the music. In addition to meeting up with friends the length and breadth of the UK I reacquainted myself with like-minded people from Belgium and met some new friends from Denmark.

Photo by: Aga Hairesis

Every year our circle of friends grows bigger and that is all due to Ieperfest. It's a small but perfectly formed site encircled by crop fields that wave from side to side in the breeze like fans moving along to Queen's “We Will Rock You”.  There are no queues for the toilets - sawdust and not chemical -, nor do you have to wait an eternity to gain entry or change your Euros for food and drink tokens.

Photo by: Aga Hairesis

It's a 25 minute straight-line walk from the quaint West Flanders town of Ypres. Once you’re in you can get from one side of the site to the other in around 90 seconds. Flanking the main stage is the Marquee, which holds sound beautifully, whilst the Trench is exactly that - a sweatbox not for claustrophobics.  As part of the festival's green policy you'll find no meat products on offer - it is a vegan's dream. As my friends and I are carnivores we survived on a combination of home-made sandwiches and barbecued sausages sold by the clever staff at the “Mosh Pub”, or to give it its real name Cafe St Christophe, which is a five minute walk from the festival site en route back to Ypres.  The town itself, with its imposing 13th century Cloth Hall and sombre Menin Gate war memorial, is lovely.  There are plenty of restaurants dotted around the main square whilst the Old Bill Pub is a favorite of ours, usually at the start of our weekend… Roll on August 2016...

SEE MORE OF FRANK BOTMAN'S & AGA HAIRESIS' PHOTOS BY CLICKING THEIR LOGOS BELOW