In my late teens and early twenties, I was a metalhead, nothing more, nothing less. Everything else was bullshit. Well, almost everything else. Throughout the years, a number of songs popped up which either combined several genres or were simply too good to be ignored.These songs caused me to dig deeper into other genres, which in its turn caused my friends to make fun of me.Today, as I look back on all the songs I've been listening to, I realize that some of these have been quite important for my musical background. For this edition of Songs With Stories, I'll replay five of these songs.

If you like, you can comment yours below.

The long haired, patched jeans wearing me was studying in Antwerp. I didn't live here yet, that happened fifteen years later. In the building where I rented a room, I started meeting a number of different people, from hippies to techno freaks to boybands lovers. Since I forgot most of my CDs at home, I didn't really have something to listen to. One of my peers gave me the FM-wavelength for a local radio station. He said I'd like it. To my surprise it was a techno-station, a genre I despised after the whole new beat thing went to shreds. However, the second song they played was this one and to this day I absolutely love this thing. Back then, techno and house were the natural enemy of metal so I kept quiet about it but secretly, i've been dancing a lot to this one.

This wasn't the first Cure song I've heard in my life but it had been the one that pulled me over indefinitely. The first one was probably 'Love Cats' and my all-time favorite is 'Pictures Of You'. Yet, before this one was released, I never gave Robert Smith a lot of attention. I had better things to do, metal, you know. When 'Lullaby' appeared on MTV, I was fascinated by the grim and angsty atmosphere of the whole thing. I anxiously waited for MTV to play the video again, so I could record it on a video tape. Soon after, I would expand my collection of videos, including the claustrophobic masterpiece 'Close To You' and eventually I became a huge Cure fan.

This track appeared on a compilation named 'Mind The Gap'. It came with a Gonzo Circus magazine which I bought because I had absolutely nothing to do but read about music. I didn't really know about ambient music. To me all those songs were intros for metal albums. However, I did collect all those intros on a tape, which included tracks by Amorphis, My Dying Bride and several others. It was a great tape to play late at night, before going to sleep. 'Sunchemical' quickly earned its place on that tape and opened a completely new world from me. After hearing that, I devoured as much ambient as I could, eventually leading to me founding my own project.

My infernal wanderings through the worlds of ambient and metal lead me to become a fan of doom metal, and all things slow and atmospheric. I discovered this gem in a record store while I was looking for some more of that awesome funeral doom. I knew nothing about this act before I asked the shopkeeper if I could have a listen. Mere seconds later, I felt the goosebumbs and the cold chills. I felt like I was being dragged into the soundtrack of Twin Peaks and it's horrifying, eerie atmosphere. This was brilliant, and it still is one of my favorite albums ever. Eventually, this one lured me into the world of jazz, something I had been actually trying for decades. Now, more and more jazz acts are appearing in my playlists, not only dark jazz, obviously. It's all jazz!!!

They say that the music you like when you're sixteen, is the music you will love forever. Well, I beg to differ. When I was sixteen, I was a headstrong metalhead who despised everything without guitars, drums and a bloke screaming his lungs out. That year, a musical teacher played this classical piece and I, as true, grim and frostbitten as I was, tore it down completely. It was dull, boring, with a pretty nice passage, and another one, interesting, inspiring, beautiful, a masterpiece. One way or another, 'Die Moldau' started growing on me. Even to this day it brings tears to my eyes. Years later, after hearing it again, I - finally - decided to give up on being a genre-freak and just started enjoying music in all its forms and facets, as it should...

Some other notable songs in that aspect:

-Pink Floyd - Mother
-Kong - New
-Levellers - 15 Years
-Absolom - Baby Boomers
​-Gorki - Engel, Red Mij

Around this time next week, I'll be submerged in fuzz, riffs, drums and probably one or a few of those delicious Johnny Cash burgers. It'll be the third incarnation of the travelling stoner circus, and it will be the third time Merchants Of Air covers the whole thing, not bad since we're only two years old. Over forty bands will battle for a place in our top-10-of-2016 (although they don't know that yet). And in this Songs With Stories spin-off, I'll try to predict the 15 best gigs, five for each day. Of course, we'll compare this list with the eventual result next week.

I deliberately left out some of the bands that everybody wants to go see at Desertfest. I mean, there will already be a ton of people in front of Pentagram, Goat, Elder Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats and Belgian noise rock heroes La Muerte. And I'm sure each and every one of them will deliver a massive performance. But if you only come for these bands, you could be a bit more loyal to a hard working scene and come early. There's so much to discover, and I think these fifteen bands will stun, awe and surprise you.

To some people, Alkerdeel will forever be known as 'the band with the farting demon on the album cover', but for me, this just might become a 'finally'. Somehow, I've never gotten the opportunity to see them live. I heard their album, 'Lede' (read our review) but that's about it. Their concerts have always slipped through my fingers for some reason At Desertfest, I'll finally get the chance to undergo their filthy mix of black metal and doom. Chances are big that I'm going to return home with a farting-demon-t-shirt. I mean, just check out their appearance at Roadburn in the video below and try to tell me that this is not going to be a blast.

Of course, Yob is going to be the absolute highlight on Friday. For starters, they have been here before and second, I can't remember any Yob gig that hasn't completely mesmerized me. Since I saw them at Incubate a few years ago, this trio has been my ultimate standard for today's doom metal scene, much like My Dying Bride was the standard in the nineties. I know, both bands have little in common musically, but they have both been on top  of their scene in their respective decade or so. Without Yob, no Desertfest, no Roadburn. Well, that might be a bit exaggerated but still, they're one of the most important band in this scene.

Here comes another band that returns to the Trix-desert ànd one that definitely has a home-advantage. They can come to the festival on foot, or by bicycle, roll over the stage like a freight train and quickly return to their safe havens in the city of Antwerp. Your Highness has a reputation for being a wild live act and they have been proving that quite a few times already. Raunchy bluesy stoner metal at high volume and enough energy to light up the entire venue, what else could you possibly want on this edition of Desertfest. I see a lot of familiar faces and bandshirts in the awesome video below and I'm sure I'll be seeing a lot of familiar faces on front of the stage as well.

Not long ago, after a lot of deliberation, I decided to check out Subrosa's new album (read review). The album had been waiting in my inbox for a while. In fact, there was a chance that is was going to be left behind in the massive puddle of releases I still had to go through and which might simply not make it. However, very soon, the unique sound of Subrosa completely overwhelmed me. The bewitching vocals, the deep, hypnotic riffs and the epic sound of the violins, the whole thing easily became an intense experience instead of just another listening session. Now I noticed that Subrosa is coming to Desertfest, I can't wait to see them. 

If my memory is correct, I missed Joy at Incubate a few years ago because I wanted to go see No Joy. So I'll get another chance on this year's edition of the mighty Desertfest. Their psychedelic rock reminds me a bit of some of the things I used to listen to when I was just a kid, way back in the late seventies. With my ears firmly focused on the radio I absorbed the sounds of Hendrix and co. I hope they bring the same kaleidoscopic projection to the festival as well. We might be in for some psychedelic magic...

Ever since I've seen these Swiss psychedelic rockers in an unspecified bar in Antwerp, I've been a big fan of their music. With their new album, they keep on exploring the outer limits of their sound and evolving as a band and I can't wait to experience what that's gonna give on stage. Their latest appearance at Desertfest was one of my personal highlights on that year and I'm quite positive that this Saturday will be pretty much the same. Nothing can go wrong with a Monkey 3 gig, I assure you... Well, actually, a lot can go wrong, but none of it will be their fault.

This mysterious band suddenly popped up on the Desertfest line-up, making me wonder who they were exactly. So I clicked the play button on the video you can find below and all of a sudden found myself making facial gestures like the Magikarp boy. Their blend of atmospheric black metal and krautrock is so damn infectious that I have to see Wolvennest perform. I suggest you do the same and buy me a beer afterwards. This just might become one of this year's revelations.

A late surprise addition from the friendly people at Desertfest and a damn interesting one. Austrian psychedelic rockers Mother's Cake describe their music as a mix of The Mars Volta and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. I like to call it infectious groovy rock with brilliant psychedelic keyboard and a heap of raw energy. I don't know the band yet, as I only heard the song in the video below, but I'm damn sure that will chance very, very, very soon.

Well, as I mentioned in my recent review: Well, it's about time I start preparing for the upcoming edition of Desertfest, and what better way to do that than with a decent blast of stoner rock. Greek stoner rockers 1000Mods will be playing this year's edition in support of their third album 'Repeated Exposure To...' and, judging from the songs on this full-length, their gig will be a party you shouldn't miss. In short: this is 1000Mods most mature and attuned album, showing a band that has been growing and evolving in the past eleven years.
You don't wanna miss out on this one.

It's been awhile since I heard from this German doom band. They were recommended to me by a friend a few years ago and I immediately liked their music, but gradually Ahab slipped out of my attention span. That is until they suddenly appeared in the line-up for Desertfest. Now, again, I can't wait to see them live, purchase some merchandise and start writing about how awesome their performance at this festival really was.

"Hey, it's that guy from the Rodeofest poster".  Yes, that's true. His name is ​Sam De Roeck and he fronts Antwerp's own Black Swarm. Their appearance on this year's Desertfest will be a smasher. After all, they have the home-advantage and their music is as energetic as nuclear powered dildo up your ass. How that feels? Well, you come tell me after their gig. Oh man, this Desertfest is going to be so much fun...

A few years ago, German duo Tau impressed me at that year's edition of Incubate. Their exotic psychedelic music is certainly worthy of a decent meditation session and I can't wait to see them again. According to the biography, the collective project by Shaun Mulrooney (Dead Skeletons) and the Venezuelan multi instrumentalist Gerald Pasqualin was inspired by Shaun's shamanic experiences in the magical desert of Real De Catorce. I'm sure this will be a hypnotic and ritual experience as well.

While writing my review for their 'Fears Of The Dead' album, American doomers Duel provided me with an awesome trip back in time. And if you doubt my predictions, check this one: I hope that Duel will come over to Europe and play a few festivals here, namely the Up In Smoke and Desertfest events. They would be a solid addition to the line-up and possibly one of the most convincing acts on stage.  So, my fellow ancient rockers, get this album now.  You know you want it...

I don't know a lot about these guys from the Belgian city of Leuven, but my expectations for their gig at Desertfest are pretty high. They play a blend of psychedelic rock, doom and noise and recently recorded a split with Bethmoora which I will be reviewing shortly after Desertfest. Yet, it was the video below that aroused my interest. As far as doom metal is concerned, I feel like these guys can make a serious impression in the Trix venue. Perhaps that'll be another t-shirt I take home with me...

Another act I only know from the one video provided on the Desertfest website is Josefin Öhrn and The Liberation. With their blend of sixties pop and krautrock, I feel they pretty much guarantee an immersive experience and a lot of dancing people. Chances are big that I myself try a little dance but I guess nobody wants to see that. But hey, for me, this music is a journey back into my childhood and the discovery of that little thing we call 'music'. So every opportunity I get to check out some delicious vintage songwriting with psychedelic touches, I'll damn well be there.

During my decades of digging through numerous musical styles, I've encountered a lot of bands that didn't really get the attention and popularity they deserved. Somehow they fell victim to the success of bands that weren't even that good. So for today's "Songs With Stories", I decided to plunge into the vast history of the musical universe to dig up gems that should have been massive hits. 
The dig for these five songs also provided me with a trip through memory lane. A trip to the festivals I visited, to the countless of hours I spent in record stores, going through every alternative thing they had. This was fun article to write...

When I first heard this song, back when MTV was still a music themed television company, I immediately thought these guys would become the next big thing. It was 2001, nu-metal was making its way to the top. Bands like Linkin Park & Limp Bizkit appeared on the biggest stages with hits like 'Rollin', 'My Way', 'Papercut' and 'In The End'. For me, 'I'm Not Trading' by Sunna was way better than any of the previously mentioned songs. The anger, the despair, the industrial elements, everything was stronger than any other nu-metal band could produce. The balance between guitars, drums and electronics was perfect and the vocalist was one of the best in the genre. 
Sunna, hailing from Bristol, UK, also appeared on the 'Hollow Man' soundtrack with another brilliant song, named 'Power Struggle'. They released three albums, toured with A Perfect Circle and Smashing Pumpkins but somehow Sunna got forgotten in time, hopelessly falling behind the Korns, Slipknots, System Of A Downs and so on. Now, even the world's greatest nu-metal tribute band, Bizkit Park, doesn't even play this song. Today, after listening to the song again, I would no longer place this in the nu-metal scene but directly into the industrial one, in good company of bands like Nine Inch Nails.

When I first heard Croatian rockers Stonebride, they blew me away. At that time, I was co-owner of a metal bar and these guys rocked our little stage. Although they never used the term "stoner rock", they became a reference in that particular scene. Their groove, there fuz-out sound and their immersive atmosphere was everything I was searching for at that moment and, along with Monkey 3, Stonebride became a genre-favorite.

They spent a few days at our house before and after their show, drinking loads and loads of coffee and watching South Park and Family Guy on our television-set. It was great fun having them around but after they left, things got quiet around Stonebride until they returned with the album 'Heavy Envelope' in 2014 (read our review). I hope that these guys can finally find the way to the Desertfests and Roadburns. They truly deserve it. 

This one might have something to do with the fact that Sweater was a local band who never got to break through because Belgium had some other acts to push first. Acts like dEUS, who released their smasher 'Worst Case Scenario' in the same year, or Noordkaap and Channel Zero. Internationally, 1994 was a big year for rock music with the release of songs like 'Zombie' by Cranberries, 'Basket Case' by Green Day and 'Come Out And Play' by The Offspring.
Sweater finished third on that year's Humo's Rock Rally, overtaken by Evil Superstars who would grow on to become one of the biggest acts from Limburg ever. For Sweater, the third place was followed by a few singles, including this uplifting rocker and the minor hit 'Love Birds'. However, due to musical difference within the band, front man Jo Smeets decided to pull the plug in 1999. The band made a t-shirt for this song as well, which was one of the first band shirts I ever bought.

If someone asked me, "what is your all-time top-10 of rock ballads"? This one would undoubtedly be in there. In fact, for me, the whole 'Songs For Insects' album is one of the best pieces of progressive metal ever recorded. This song has been with me since I heard it first in 1992 or 1993 and it has been a reference for rock ballads ever since. The heavy songs are brilliantly written pieces of metal, often dissonant but always adventurous. 

Thought Industry recorded five albums but eventually fell victim to musical differences and other issues within the band. They're on my 'too bad I never got too see them live' list, along with The Doors, The Ramones and few other acts.
​
Odd fact, the drummer for Thought Industry went on to form another underrated project, namely I Am Spoonbender. I didn't know that before I started my research for this article but now I like I Am Spoonbender even more :-)

This is one of the bands that I will always keep pushing, simply because it's my all-time favorite and a personal reference to adventurous music. Although this Dutch instrumental industrial rock act has enjoyed some success in the nineties, they completely vanished from the stages in the new century. In 2009, they hesitantly returned with the album 'What You See Is What You Get', followed by 'Merchants Of Air' (no, that's not a coincidence...)  in 2012 and the amazing 'Stern' in 2014. Yet, gigs are scarce, which is too bad.

Kong has a lot to teach to young instrumental rock bands today. For decades they have been able to tell elaborate stories without uttering a single word. They know perfectly how to make a ten minute anthem interesting and continuously changing. In my opinion, Kong is what the post-rock scene needs today, more variation, more tempo, more strange electronics and more immersive sounds.

In fact, I want these guys on Dunk! Festival more than any other band, and I want them in their four-stages, quadraphonic set-up. I can almost guarantee that they would play a gig that the youngsters will remember for a long time, if not forever (like pretty much every Kong gig I've seen so far). From rock over electronic dance music to jazz and ambient, Kong can do it all.

Their debut 'Mute Poet Vocalizer' was released in 1990 and a remastered edition just last year. Both albums will give you a decent impression what Kong are capable of but I suggest you just go to bandcamp and get everything they've ever released.

Serge