The Great "Squishy went to a Festival" Post
I wrote a thing for some friends but they said to put it online, so here comes:
a little guide to the bands I watched at this years PartySan, written for people that don't know anything about metal, because more people should listen to metal :3
This is a list of all of the bands I watched, with a quick blurb about what they sound like, how the concert was, and a link to a song for checking them out!
Rope Sect
BIG recommend, very chill groovy dark goth-y rock with nice gritty dirty production, I love their first EP to bits! The concert was wonderful and the guys are lovely. Give them a listen, even if you're not into metal at all!
Track recommendation: Tarantist
https://open.spotify.com/track/6lxekwquW2tnlvBNeIwGg0?si=c455db23e99a48ac
Mephorash
very cool black metal (meaning there is screams n shid) - epic, kind of unconventional, makes you feel like there's some satanic fuckery afoot :D The concert was in the same vein, very ritualistic and mystical - good stuff
Track recommendation: Sanguinem
https://open.spotify.com/track/2JQQhdTBOhRV8knLclnF83?si=377bf940b41a441f
Left to Die
they're a coverband, so I'll just talk about Death, the band that they're playing, cuz they nailed the sound (granted they do, I think, have some of the original members). Death were a huuuuugely influential band for the genre of, you guessed it, death metal
absolute killer riffs - fast, catchy, groovy, technically and musically interesting and progressive, keeps you on your toes
the concert had me honestly wondering what we've been doing these past like 40 years that we still can't top them
Track recommendation: Left to Die
https://open.spotify.com/track/0BO5g7FXNhZgQuC8xIORDm?si=5cf7cd9dea2e4da9
Ritual Death
More "advanced", probably harder to get into if you don't already like black metal - they're still pretty new, but the black metal scene is keeping a close eye on them cuz they're interesting and weird. Musically very cool, more on the experimental side, but not too crazy. Just giving their own take on things. The concert was great, the frontman (guitar & vocals) was wearing this cool, tall mask/hood thing that hid his face completely, which made for an interesting experience in watching him sing - no visible mic, no visible face, only gestures and motions, very eery in a way that's hard to describe
Track recommendation: Ancient Devil Worship
https://open.spotify.com/track/0iVLWVXyoc1WABbtwpVfVh?si=b8984ed8165147a1
Darkend Nocturn Slaughtercult
just really fuckin solid black metal - fast, evil, great riffs, lofi production, screeching vocals, blastbeats galore. Bonus: Female vocalist, always cool to see in this sausage fest of a scene (on te bands' side, the audience was fairly mixed)
I sadly didn't enjoy their concert all that much cuz the sound was shite - the drums were drowning out the guitars completely. They do have an awesome stage presence though! Gonna try to catch them again somewhere else
Track recommendation: A Sweven Most Devout
https://open.spotify.com/track/4pkA0avPTHSA5QZz7dI3Op?si=50ab46fa9ffb412a
Schammasch
I'd say it's post-black metal, so focussing on atmosphere and deeper lyrics rather than violence and just plain evil satan business - I really recommend checking out this song cuz it has exclusively clean vocals, might be a cool way to check out the other elements of black metal if you're usually put off by the screaming lol
The concert was meditative, atmospheric and very moving - I nearly cried during one song :D
Track recommendation: Metanoia
https://open.spotify.com/track/3bj4gLDzAT8gTC8YdpOMRs?si=5eaeff94f32f4c96
Afsky
really good example of a different common variant of black metal that isn't evil aggression: atmospheric melancholy. Wonderfully touching sad songs that use the harsh elements to bring voice to the darker parts of life, I love this kind of stuff
The band impressively made these songs work under the 2pm sun, quite the feat
Track recommendation: Altid Veltilfreds
https://open.spotify.com/track/3dKyLNbYun1timBlPx3Wlp?si=dcce815edb2f456f
Batushka
Do you have catholic trauma? This is the band to work it out to. It's black metal from Russia with orthodox male choir elements - epic, dark, mighty, really cool unique shit. Their theatrical, church-y performance was perfect to bring this sound to a live setting
Track recommendation: Песнь 1
https://open.spotify.com/track/34FWlbZHTtjslQ9u07ghTY?si=643bec22ba684bbf
Non Est Deus
again, just absolutely solid black metal. Good production, kinda lacking in creativity with the lyrics (church bad hurr durr), the guy's other project is much more impressive (they're called Kanonenfieber and they write about WW1) - still really good (epic, fast, dark), just not all that unique imo cuz I think they're too close to Mgła, who are just the best at this particular style of black metal. Bangin show though, you can tell these guys have been on a stage before :D
Track recommendation: Thousand Years of Sand
https://open.spotify.com/track/7CXCoEqwKrYnHnzAkpmt2Y?si=fb8029a4bd8e4122
Solstafir
Kind of chill, kind of psychedelic, progressive blend of influences from within and without the spectrum of metal music - no two songs are really alike, so I'll just recommend a chill one that's easy on the metal bits and should be quite enjoyable for everyone. I used their concert for a bit of a sit-down to relax my back, have a beer and just float around in their soundscapes, so I can't say too much about the front and center before the stage experience. Sound was fantastic tho
Track recommendation: Ótta
https://open.spotify.com/track/2LJZE1yXy9SdglruufEDHG?si=f239271b14df4838
Konvent
This is the heavy shit. The genre is called "doom metal" for a reason. Slow, hard-hitting, dark and unrelenting. A beatdown of a listening experience, but in the best way possible - these ladies don't fuck around. Probably the concert that I had the most physical experience with, I felt like I got run over by a steamroller (affectionate)
Track recommendation: Puritan Masochism
https://open.spotify.com/track/770HRSwohWkdbOOk6ByEeT?si=6e13a384cb8c451d
Regarde Les Hommes Tomber
"watch humanity fall", fantastic french black metal - more on the dark and atmospheric than the enraged and evil side of things, but they keep it interesting, it's never formulaic - howling lamenting vocals, fast and straightforward but effective drums, nicely layered guitar harmonies that drive the mood of the tracks, is gud shit
Very energetic live show, they really went all out
Track recommendation: A New Order
https://open.spotify.com/track/6eL3uPBHe6H23O9AcbhKJB?si=b9a4f709dc274b83
Unto Others
Continuation of the 80s with modern technology. It's more rock than metal, but you can hear the influences. Absolute gods of the v i b e Catchy, groovy, but also melancholic and introspective at times, biiig recommend, again something that should be wayyy easier to get into than all that screaming insanity lol
Track Recommendation: It doesn't really matter (that is both the song name and also just actual advice, all their stuff slaps lol)
https://open.spotify.com/track/5uMml4h2o7eGfkqmXo2n7a?si=0310fa3faa924963
Sulphur Aeon
My beloved, the band I was looking forward to the most - cosmic horrors made audible. Sometimes chaotic and fast, sometimes epic and majestic, sometimes slow and brooding, they're definitely conjuring something. Mostly harsh vocals with the occasional clean part. All-around highly competent musicians and songwriters
They played a good selection of tracks and I had a blast! Shoutout to the guy from Bogota I stood next to who knew all the lyrics, you made an already awesome concert even better brother!
Track recommendation: Usurper of the Earth and Sea
https://open.spotify.com/track/0ZOCudJOOzIfV5P5JF0Cns?si=10c258aa203e4d00
Hellripper
We're drunk, let's party! This is a crossover between black- and thrash metal, a very successful combination. Fast, virtuous, heavy, just a blast to listen to and to watch live - they bring the heat! It's the dirty sound of black metal without the depression, and the speed and ferocity of thrash without the shitty vocals lol (he scream tho). This is peak moshpit music and the concert was, accordingly, just pure insanity
Track recommendation: All Hail the Goat
https://open.spotify.com/track/79PE0a8VfZKSxhLVeUq3rd?si=f89cb77d2a8848be
Anaal Nathrak
Death metal of the more modern variety. Very hard, very fast, but it's not just mindless brutality - they actually have very clever and effective songwriting - try to make it through the first minute so you can get to the chorus of this one, it's worth it!
I didn't see much of the concert, it was another exhausted sit-down one, but they audibly enjoyed themselves and the vocalist was pretty funny in his between-song quips and stories about his own time at this festival as a fan some years back
Track recommendation: Endarkenment
https://open.spotify.com/track/2IUO6hWyrG7FYDkJZrFpQP?si=1240e071f87840bd
Paradise Lost
this band has a huuuge discography, covering a plethora of metal subgenres, but they're probably most famous for their more gothic-leaning work. "Sway in the wind at a graveyard" type music - dark, melancholic, epic, atmospheric, clean but hard vocals. Excellent song- and lyrics writing, a bit more refined you could say. Not too out there tho, I find their music very approachable so it's another recommend to definitely check out if you wanna ease into the genre. The concert was phenomenal, you could tell the years and years of experience and mastery from everyone involved, including sound and light. Fun fact: you know the meme about how you can find the people with depression at a party by how loud they sing "I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all" when Bohemian Rhapsody plays? I found the goth version of this at this concert, when this song played and we screamed "VANQUISH THE PAIN" in unison :D
Track recommendation: Faith Devides Us - Death Unites Us https://open.spotify.com/track/5gOjvocmJZQ05QBSE9xIkR?si=9800cb39b7364b37
Sodom
absolute titans of the genre, they practically invented German thrash metal. Simple, fast, hard, there's a reason that they're still so successful even though they're getting old. One of the most solid live bands you can see, they know how to light a fire in the crowd
Track recommendation: Agent Orange https://open.spotify.com/track/3Ks3K2RmCxSUcXS6cOvd43?si=91c3c9df2afb43ee
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Got tagged by @skyrim-forever and @alma-amentet :D Thank youuu~
🎶✨when you get this, put 5 songs you actually listen to, publish. then, if you're comfortable, send this ask/tag 10 of your followers (positivity is cool) 🎶✨
Here are the top five songs for this week:
1. Oiseaux de Proie by Alcest
2. Hierophant by Septicflesh
3. Cold As Perfection by Fleshgod Apocalypse
4. Il Lupo Di Gubbio by Angelo Branduardi
5. Paradigm of Beauty by Schammasch
Tagging: @elavoria @littlegalerion @nostalgic-breton-girl @fenriael
@miraakulous-cloud-district @friend-of-giants @the-sunlit-earth and anyone feeling like sharing some music :D
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