Op zaterdag 8 juli waren de deuren van De Groote Weiver in Wormerveer geopend voor de debut editie van The Metal Jam Presents. De organisatie achter The Metal Jam is al een tijdje bezig om mooie events te organiseren. Dit keer is daar het debuut voor een dikke bandjes avond. Met vier bands speelt er voor elk wat wils. En met een naam als Infantry trekt de organisatie zeker veel mensen binnen.
Flamekeeper
Flamekeeper is een metalcore band. Ik kende de band voor dit optreden nog niet, maar het was absoluut een waardige opener voor deze avond. De diepe grunts en de snerpende gitaren vullen elkaar mooi aan en aan stagepresence geen gebrek van deze frontman. Helaas had de band de pech dat de airco van de Groote Weiver het niet (goed?) deed. Met 30 graden buiten was het minstens zo warm binnen in deze kleine ruimte. Het optreden heeft mij in ieder geval warm gemaakt voor deze band en ik hoop dat er snel wat van hun muziek online te vinden is, want buiten de facebook en instagram pagina om is het nog erg stil rondom deze band.
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Loyalty Ends Here
2023 is het jaar van Loyalty Ends Here met hun winst in de Metal Battle en een hoop mooie optredens in het verschiet. Het gebrek aan airco werd door deze band provisorisch opgelost door de stage ventilatoren richting het publiek te draaien, zodat er ook meteen een reden was om voor bij het podium te komen staan. Niet dat het publiek een reden nodig had. Het was duidelijk dat een groot deel van de bezoekers deze band al kende; er werd goed meegeschreeuwd en gepit.
Om nog even extra toe te voegen aan de party vibes gooide de band halverwege hun set een opblaashaai in de pit. Top entertainment voor het publiek, wat minder leuk voor de zaal aangezien het dingen natuurlijk ook een aantal keer tegen de lampen aangegooid werd ;-). Rock&Roll let’s trash the place zullen we maar zeggen. We hebben met Loyalty Ends Here ook een interview gedaan, dat is hier terug te lezen of te zien.
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Infantry
Infantry is duidelijk de band waar de meeste bezoekers voor komen deze avond. Gelukkig is de airco inmiddels soort van gemaakt. Vanaf de eerste noten van deze band is de moshpit in volle gang. En ondanks dat het nog steeds veel te warm is, stopt die niet meer tot ik naar huis moet. Voor mensen die deze band nog niet kennen, Infantry speelt death/thrash met invloeden uit de meer extreme genres. Ik moet eerlijk toegeven dat ik niet onpartijdig ben want ik ben zelf ook fan van deze band sinds het luisteren van hun album ‘Terminal Society’. Gelukkig voor mij (en de bezoekers) spelen ze daar de meeste tracks van. Fijn aan deze band, naast de goeie muziek, is ook de boodschap die de band uitdraagt. Dat wordt onder andere duidelijk in de track Destination: Wonderland, waar de frontman ook even aandacht besteed aan het idee achter de track.
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Terradown
Helaas voor Terradown is er een nadeel aan de late starttijd van het event. Als je nog met het openbaar vervoer naar huis moet dan is de kans groot dat je niet tot het einde kan blijven. Helaas moest ik halverwege Infantry alweer afzwaaien dit keer. Volgende keer beter Terradown! Voor wie wil weten wat Terradown live doet, hier bij gebrek aan beter een clipje van een optreden op Wacken Open Air van deze band.
English Version
Saturday the 8th of July the doors to the Groote Weiver in Wormerveer were open for the debut edition of The Metal Jam Presents. The organization from the Metal Jam has been organizing metal events for a while now. This edition was the first band night under this name. With four bands on stage, there was enough variety for everyone. With a name like Infantry on stage, the organization was sure to get a good crowd in.
Flamekeeper
Flamekeeper is a metalcore band. I didn’t know this band before this Liveshow, but it was undoubtedly a worthy opener for this night. The deep grunts and the wailing guitars complement each other nicely, and the frontman has a great stage presence. Sadly this band had the bad luck of the airco inside not working (properly). With 30 degrees outside it was as hot (if not hotter) inside. After this gig, I’m looking forward to hearing more from this band. Besides a Facebook and Instagram page, not much is known about this band at this point.
Loyalty Ends Here
2023 is Loyalty Ends Here year with them winning the Metal Battle and having some great gigs lined up. The lack of Airco is solved by turning the stage fans towards the crowd, which means people also have more reason to stand in front of the stage. Not that the crowd needed a reason. It’s clear that a lot of the crowd knows this band and they are singing and mosh pitting along nicely. To add to the party vibes, the band threw a blow-up shark in the pit. Great entertainment for the crowd, a little less fun for the organization as of course this shark was thrown across the room and landed on a few lights. Rock&Roll let’s thrash the place, so to speak.
Infantry
Infantry was clearly the band most people came for. Luckily the Airco is kinda working at this point. From the first notes, the moshpit is going. Even with the burning heat it doesn’t stop until I have to leave. For people who don’t know this band, Infantry plays death/thrash with some influences from other genres. I have to say I’m not impartial to this band, because I’m a fan since I heard their latest album ‘Terminal Society’. Luckily for me (and the rest of the crowd) they play a lot of tracks from that album. Besides the great music, this band also has a message to share. That message shines through in the track Destination: Wonderland clearly as the frontman explains his reasons for writing this track.
Terradown
Sadly for Terradown, there is a downside to the late start of this event. If you have to get home by public transport it almost always means you have to leave early. Sadly I had to leave halfway through Infantry this time. Better luck next time TerraDown! For those who want to see what Terradown does live, here is a clip from their gig at Wacken Open Air in 2019.
Kryn Durr is a dutch producer who makes music that ranges mostly between progressive metal and video game music.
Kryn Durr is also guitarist and vocalist in the prog metal band Ohrima.
In the year 2023 there hasn’t been a friday without a release so far.
Winner of the Dutch Metal Battle 2023 – Loyalty Ends Here – is a formidable 5-piece metal band that thrives on its captivating music and thought provoking lyrics. Their unrelenting and melodic style is a unique blend of influences from renowned metal acts such as Trivium, As I Lay Dying and Lamb Of God.
The band’s name, Loyalty Ends Here, carries a profound meaning that resonates throughout their music and lyrical themes. Their lyrics delve deep into the complexities of human connections, exploring the dichotomy between loyalty and betrayal. Through their music, they paint a vivid picture of the fragility of relationships, especially in the face of adversity. The band’s emotionally charged compositions and impassioned performances serve as a cathartic outlet, allowing listeners to navigate the intricate tapestry of human trust and deceit.
Since their formation they have been fervently committed to their craft; honing their skills and captivating audiences with their electrifying live performances. Their dedication to authenticity and their ability to connect with their fans on a profound level has solidified their position as one of the rising stars of the Dutch metal scene, awarding them appearances on renowned festivals such as Zeeltje Rock, Baroeg Open Air and Eindhoven Metal Meeting.
With their evocative music and powerful message, Loyalty Ends Here is more than just a band – they are a force to be reckoned with.
Pledge your soul and unlock the secrets of the dark arcane. NINTH GATE is a Demonic Deaththrash band infusing occult themes into a hellscape of soaring riffs, solo’s and deafening drums. The band has heard its calling from beyond and managed to unleash a deadly set of killer songs in a very short time. Consisting of a powerhouse of members: Lex van der Zwaal (Headskinner) on guitar Guido Cavalini (Headskinner) on drums Kas Kol on bass & Zeno de Jong (Release the River) on vocals. NINTH GATE brings the fire, energy and commitment to the cause of the riff. Hell shall be unleashed and music from NINTH GATE shall be its soundtrack!
Axis Mundi is a symphonic death metal band from the city of Groningen, NL. The band recently finished recording their first full length studio album ‘The Sickening Symphony’. This album, mixed and mastered by Mendel bij de Leij, was released on the 29th of april 2022.
After starting in September 2016 the band’s line-up was changed in 2019. Female vocals, which dominated the early sound of the band, were left out, making the band’s sound darker and heavier.
In September 2018 the band released its first self-titled EP ‘Axis Mundi’, presented at their release concert in Simplon (Groningen, NL) on the 20th of September.
The band recorded a new single, ‘Castle Under Siege’ during the spring of 2020. It was released on digital platforms in august 2020. The single featured the band’s new sound and was mixed and mastered by Mendel bij de Leij. The song received many enthusiastic reviews and was played on several online rock/metal radiostations in The Netherlands.
During the following years the band recorded their first full length studio album ‘The Sickening Symphony’. Some songs were released as singles and received positieve reviews. The album itself was released on the 29th of april. This release was celebrated during a release show in VERA (Groningen), also on the 29th of april.