Nepherex Fest 2 w/ Cruachan - Dendermonde, Belgium
Review by Erwin van Dijk - Date of Event: 30.04.2008 / 01.05.2008
For some reason Cruachan doesn’t give much gigs. Cruachan did a few in Holland (with Thyrfing in 2002, in 2005 with Black Majesty and last year at Arnhem Metal Meeting) and now in Flanders (Vlaamderen), the Dutch speaking part of Belgium. It’s better not to confuse them with the Belgiums from the French speaking part of the country. That’s the same as calling someone from Scotland 'Englishman' (bad idea).
Dendermonde is a small city between Antwerp, Gent and Brussels and Wieze, home of the Metal Female Voices Fest is only a few miles away. The region is still recovering from the Pagen Fest assault on Antwerp (with Ensiferum, Eluveitie, Moonsorrow, Korpiklaani and Tyr) Dendermonde is a nice old city and was destroyed by the Germans during the first world war but most of the mediaeval buildings have been rebuilded since then. But I’m not for the architecture here today.
The Nepherex Fest is a combination of Black and Folk Metal bands, mostly from Flanders. Except for Cruachan and Waylander. The mix between folk and black is a fine tradition that originates way back from 1988 with the Bathory masterpiece 'Hammerheart.'
The Zenith is a youth centre close to the Dendermonde railway station. Usually I’m prepared for the worst with these places (bad sound, bad light, stupid security etc.) but the Zenith turned out to be a rather good place for a festival. And they’ve got Maes beer, you know, the stuff that gives you a hangover at Graspop Metal Meeting.
Klauwaert (you can hear the word 'claw' in it) is the youngest and least experienced band today. The band started less than a year ago and they haven’t done a lot of gigs. The lyrics are in ancient Dutch and I’m not going to translate them. Since it is early in the evening the venue is not really crowded. (It is a schoolday after all and the combination of folk and pagan seems to attract the schoolgoing youth for some reason) The members of the band seems to be a bit unsure what to do onstage and the music lacks the party mood most pagan bands have (think of Korpiklaani or Eluveitie and you know what I mean).
By the way, the singer could use some physical workout or he will end up with a beerbelly like Gerre, the singer of Tankard. But he knows how to use his accordeon (Korpiklaani again) and flute. Anything else to say? Halfway the set there's a flag malfunction. The yellow flag with black lion that Klauwaert uses as backdrop seems to heavy for the ducktape. (I prefer a yellow flag with red lion anyway: the symbol of Earldom Holland and Scotland for some reason.)
The second band, Vinternatt, is a lot more experienced. They also brought their own fans with them. They play a lot faster than Klauwaert (more like Battlelore or Elexorien) but without a fair elvenmaiden as singer. Like Klauwaert Vinternatt is also from Flanders and the lyrics are also in Dutch (or, the Flemish version of it). Kerstin Vermote uses her violin like Meri Tadic from Eluveitie. With other words, she is a full time member of the band and not like Stephanie from Heidevolk or Marcela from Stream of Passion only for a few songs onstage. Vinternatt's drummer Jelle gives the music a solid base and singer Bert knows how play the audience. To me Vinternatt is among the hightlights today.
The music stays at a high level with the black metallers from Huldrefolk. And with black metal I do not refer to a Cradle of Filth. Huldrefolk is the real work. Like Dark Fortress of Waitain to name a few. The band is a bit late onstage (the boys need some time for their make up / corpse paint after all). Shredded clothes are also a must in Huldrefolk (there must be some fearful creatures in Flanders to do that to your outfit). The stage is bathing in bright green light. Black Metal usually prefers red stagelights (hello Enslaved) or no light at all so this is new for me. But is works. Unless you are a veteran from the Vietnam war because this is literally a 'Green Hell.'
The music is good, the musicians looks like the Orcs from Minas Morgul (The Return of the King). The singer goes topless but without Klauwaerts love handles and that’s good news for the girls in the Zenith.
Basically, Huldrefolks music consists of a massive wall of sound and the singer spitts his lyrics in your face (wait a minute, that was beer) Maybe they should have skipped one song from the setlist but besides that it was a good show.
Brothers in evil Wapenspraak & Drinkgelag are a bit of a disappointment for me. It starts with the most fearful thing you can have at a festival like this: the band has to replace the drumkit. There goes the time schedule!
W & S buy their clothes at the same shop as Huldrefolk and singer Grimgäert must have loaned his shirt from Thyrfing’s singer T Väänänen (soaked in blood ‘n’ gore but thank satan without Waitains rotting blood smell). They are quite famous in the undergroundscene and the crowd is very enthousiastic. There is also a brutal moshpit (started by some hellboys who appeared out of nowhere and vanished without sight after the Wapenspraak & Dinkgelag gig).
But to me the songs seemed to go on and on forever and there is not much varity between the songs (hello, this ain't prog rock!) and a Bathory cover. Time to grab a hamburger. Next please.
That would be Theudho. Their gig starts way too late. No corpse paint or long haired warriors from some barbaric country. (Belgium is a lot but not barbaric.) In fact, the boys from Theudho are (and this is from ZZ Top) sharp dressed men. The musicians do not move alot. Almost static. Only singer / guitarist Jurgen stays all the time in the spotlights (and those are very bright at the Zenith but no one complaints about that). Theudho’s music is the ideal chill out music after the satanic panzerdivisions of Huldrefolk and Wapenspraak & Drinkgelag. Not bad but a little bit more enthusiasm on stage won’t kill you.
Waylander. It’s almost 2 minutes to midnight when they appear onstage. The band needed more than a hour for the soundcheck (the other band had less time for their show). People are getting tired, some asshole thinks he’s cool to harass a young photographer girl and a lot of people have left already. Remenber, Cruachan was supposed to play right now. Waylander’s music can be best described as a third rate Eluveitie clone. They have the looks. Like the blue Celtic warpaint although Keira Knightly looked better with it in the movie 'King Arthur.' Hey, even Mel Gibson looked better with that in Braveheart, but not the music. In the language of the country this was for me: 'Geen zak aan' (translation 'This sucks big time').
It is already Labor Day (the first of May) when Cruachan finally hits the stage. Singer Karen Gilligan is not a sweet girl like Carmen Elise from Midnattsol but seems to be on stage more than capable to kick the Ballrogs out of Gondolin all by herself.
Cruachan doesn’t do many gigs and they were clearly looking forward to this one. So is the audience. Last time I saw Cruachan (at the now closed venue called Goudvishal) there was a moshpit from the stage to the toilets but no one seems to have the energy to start one at the Zenith. With other worlds: you can enjoy the music without having to worry that some bull from Cooly or Dendermonde is going to bulldozer over you. I can appriciate that.
Cruachan plays a mixture of old and new songs (most of them from the Pagan and The Morrigan’s Call album) and 'The fall of Gondolin' is always good to hear. No 'The Gael' this time (one of my favorites). Cruachan is good and makes me almost forget the Waylander disaster. 'Some Say The Devil Is Dead' is indeed a brawly drinking song and that is what the whole Folk 'n' Pagan Metal is all about. Beer and fun. No more, no less.
Conclusion: Nepherex Fest was a good festival but it is impossible to keep a tight time schedule when you have to work with volunteers. No headliner should start their show after midnight.
Nepherex Fest
Cruachan
Line-Up:
- Karen Gilligan – Vocals
- Keith Fay – Guitars
- John O’Fathaig – Whistles & Flutes
- John Ryan Will – Violin, Banjo, Keyboard, Bouzouki
- John Clohessy – Bass
- Colin Purcell – Drums & Percussion
FemmeFactor: Listen to ‘The Gael’ from the album ‘Pagan’. Karen has a great voice that fits perfect to Cruachans Celtic Folk Metal.
Setlist:
- Intro
- The horned god
- The brown bull of Cooley
- Ossians return
- The great hunger
- Bloody Sunday
- Ard ri
- Pagan
- Michael Collins
- Ride on
- Some say the devil is dead
- The fall of Gondolin
- Cuchullain
Waylander
Line-Up:
- Chieftain O’Hagan – vocals
- Saul McMichael – Guitars
- Michael Proctor – Bass
- Den Derran – Drums
- Dave Briggs – Folk Instruments
FemmeFactor: Zero
Setlist:
- King of the fairies
- Walk with honour
- Beyond the ninth wave
- As the deities clash
- A heroes lament
- To dine in the underworld
- Born to the fight
Theudho
Line-Up:
- Frederik – bass
- Jurgen – Guitars & Vocals
- Joachim – Drums & Percussion
- Bastiaan – Lead Guitars
FemmeFactor: Zero
Wapenspraak & Drinkgelag
FemmeFactor: Zero
Setlist:
- Wan under wolcnum
- Fosforvuur
- Carnyx
- Wederopstanding
- Sodom
- (instrumentaal nummer)
- Saksenwoede
- Perchtengang
- Nidstang
- PHK
- And a Bathory cover
Huldrevolk
FemmeFactor: Zero
Setlist:
- Gemene gronden
- Builen
- Galgenlied
- Beschimpt
- Gareel der volksellende
- Honger Snood
- Als hormonen gieren
- Werewolf
- Rattenkermis
- Bosbrand
Vinternatt
Line-Up: Jelle Kenis – Drums Jeff Verhoeven – Bass Kerstin Vermote – Violin Philip Boermans – Guitars Koen Torremans – Guitars Bert Baeyens – Vocals FemmeFactor: Kerstin, who plays the violin. Setlist: Klauwaert FemmeFactor: Zero
Setlist:
- Slavland
- Onooverwinneluick ende trotsh
- Duustere saaghe
- Vazallen der pest
- Holthem’s landjuweel
- Houtskool in den dauw
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