Those who check out our website regularly might have noticed that we are the driving force behind the Lapses project by Belgian writer Tamara E. Williams (click here). While our writer Paul takes care of the paintings, my mission was to find ambient and drone artists to accompany the story. Coincidentally, four of the selected artists played at this nice mini festival in Mol (Sitka, Stratosphere, Ashtoreth and Monnik, who fronts Charnia. Misantronics and Hellstorm Of Flaming Nothingness were in the audience, enjoying this splendid evening). So in a way, Rituals Of Frost was a reunion avant-la-lettre. But you'd probably want to know how the gigs went, right? Oh, by the way, I forgot my camera so I had to make photos with my phone.

Armed with his guitar and the usual bunch of effects, Sitka nervously opened the evening with a nice set of drones and ambient. Sitka is a young, fresh force within the drone genre and certainly one to keep an eye on. I'm not sure if this was his very first live performance or not, but the feeling was right, the sound was excellent and the drones coming out of the speakers were interesting. Given time and effort, this project might indeed be able to compete with the big ones in this scene. Today, he was an excellent opener for what would become an incredible evening of music.

I know that some people think that drone ambient is a stale and unimaginative genre where nothing really happens. Well, these people should have been at the Stratosphere gig yesterday. While Sitka came up with the well-known and somewhat typical version of the genre, Stratosphere took things further, meticulously blasting out layers of riffs, soundscapes and plucks and eventually coming out with two huge tracks. I heard references from new wave, indie rock and shoegaze. My mind started imagining drum patterns over these layers, something I would like to do live one day. Anyway, Stratosphere is the perfectionist in this the Belgian drone scene and his performance came extremely close to perfection.

Then it was time for the heavier side of things, something I'm not always looking forward to. Sludge and post-metal have never been my favorite genres and I don't think they ever will. However, that doesn't mean that post-metal gigs bore me, on the very contrary. Charnia is a unique entity, one that doesn't just focus on trying to be as loud and aggressive as possible. This quartet came up with an intense, varied and atmospheric version of the genre, nudging towards doom metal, something I do like. Unfortunately, some sound issues made the gig less pleasurable for the band than for the audience but nonetheless, Charnia put up a very decent performance. These guys should be bigger, that's for sure.

Second heavy act on the bill was Eleanora who delivered a massive slab of in-your-face post-metal and sludge, complete with the usual bombast, the screams and the steamroller sound. For a while I watched them do their thing, quite convincingly I might add. Fans of this genre will know why Eleanora are one of the must-see acts. Their technical abilities reach perfection, their performance is a slab of hardcore energy and their music pounds on your head like there is no tomorrow. Although I'm not a fan of their music, I can only respect them and be proud of these guys. After two songs, I went outside for a smoke and witnessed their pulverising sound roll over the city of Mol. This surely is a destructive force, one every sludge fan will adore.

It is always disappointing to see that most of the audience members leave after the last heavy band. Personally, I think it's a lack of respect but then again, it was already midnight. When Ashtoreth finally climbed on stage, not even half of the audience was still present. But, those who left surely missed something.
Where Stratosphere is the perfectionist, Ashtoreth is the improviser, the generalist. I've seen him before but it's always different. This time, the ambient tag didn't really apply. Ashtoreth first showed a nice psychedelic piece, turning the venue into a searing hot desert. The second part of his set was dedicated to sheer noise and drones, harsh, intense, relentless and so bloody awesome.
Later I would hear that Ashtoreth was somewhat frustrated with his performance and therefore turned it into that wall-of-noise, but as far as I'm concerned, he can be frustrated all the time if it leads to a stunning performance like this. Like I said to Björn afterwards, 'out-harshing two sludge metal bands on your own is quite an achievement'. This was a stunning gig, one that can be repeated anytime.

This was the very first Rituals Of Frost festival. Sitka has been working on it for quite some time, resulting in sleepless nights, unexpected misfortunes and probably a lack of appetite. Yet, it was all worth it. This was a great evening with excellent gigs and a nice atmosphere. If he organises another edition, I'd recommend a bill with four acts instead of five. I think everything is just going to be a little easier. You can always add a dj after the gigs or just make each act play a bit longer. Nonetheless, I applaud these initiatives, certainly in a country where Sabam and the government are always on the lookout for a bit of the money you make (or they think you make). So good work and hopefully until next time.


​Serge

What a weird day it is today, and what a contradiction to yesterday it is too. My country, or at least the capital, Brussels, is under terrorist attack. After explosions in the metro and at the airport our whole country is in lockdown. Anger, fear and confusion take over and we mourn the victims of this cowardly act. Even here in Antwerp I can hear the impact. There are more sirens than on any other day, once in awhile suddenly interrupted by an ice-cream truck whose music now sounds bleak and desolate, like a music box in a dystopian area.

I've been silent all day, not knowing how to write about the exact opposite feeling I experienced yesterday. Yesterday was a day of excellent spaghetti, tasty Geuze-beer, the music of Philip Glass and chianti, completed by three great performances and a free ride home thanks to my Merchants Of Air colleague Björn. It was a day of many familiar faces and very few 'hellos'. I guess I just wasn't feeling very social yesterday. As a matter of fact, I rarely am.

So for awhile I've been thinking about absolute silence on Merchants Of Air today, even though I still have a lot of stuff to check out. However, at some point, I decided to get this review done anyway. Perhaps I wanted to start spreading some positive words from inside this 'warzone', realizing that the people in attendance at Het Bos yesterday might appreciate that. Besides, all three gigs were too good to not write about them. Once again, sorry about the lousy quality of our photos. Let's just say it's not our speciality...

It was quite a strange line-up, if I can be honest. A Shoegaze/post-punk band, a drone act and a psychedelic black metal band on one evening, could that work? Damn well it did, once you saw the general pattern: an immersive atmosphere.

This is actually the third time I review a gig by The Mary Hart Attack. The first one seemed a bit hesitant, the second one was awesomeness in absolute darkness and this last one was tight as hell. These guys have been growing as a band, that's for sure. In Het Bos, they delivered a massive wall of sound, guided by that intense, rolling bass and energetic drums. At the moment, I wonder what's keeping The Mary Hart Attack from completely breaking through. They are becoming one of the most interesting things in the shoegaze and post-punk scene. A new album seems to be on its way and judging from what I heard yesterday, it's going to be a blast.

Up next was Antwerp's own Ashtoreth and his gloomy drone folk set. Armed with a guitar, his voice and a rack of pedals, this one-man act captivated the audience, some lying or sitting on the floor, some standing up. I was standing in the back, with my eyes closed, sometimes imagining some deep percussion over the layers of drones coming from the speakers.

This too was as excellent gig, very atmospheric and somewhat trippy. Ashtoreth formed a perfect bridge between the intense walls-of-sound this evening. It also was too short for me but I guess that's nobody's fault. I just love to be engulfed in drones and soundscapes for long periods of time. 

After the gigs, I heard Oranssi Pazuzu had to cancel some shows due to a wave of sickness in the band. In Het Bos, none of that was noticeable. The Fins blasted their psychedelic and massively immersive blackened metal over a stunned audience. That audience was simply ecstatic and loved every single second of this intense gig.

Helped by a minimal but on-point light show, the songs from Oranssi Pazuzu blended the complexity of psychedelic rock with the intensity of extreme metal, sometimes grinding, sometimes noisy but always enthralling. These guys proved that the evilest of genres isn't dead yet and that original and fresh acts can pop-up anytime.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who enjoyed this show, and something very Belgian happened right after it. In front of the merchandise table, a nice line of people formed, each one gently waiting to be served. Björn and I took our place in line and went home wearing a brand new t-shirt and carrying what is possibly one of the most interesting albums in 2016. 

I will probably soon visit Het Bos again to see Conan & Hemelbestormer and Zion Train. Many other concerts will obviously follow in this great venue but, like most people in attendance, I will always miss Scheld'Apen. It felt good to see the Scheld'Apen facia hanging in the hall as a sign that some scenes will never die...


​Serge