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.
Sitka
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.
Stratosphere
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.
Charnia
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.
Eleanora
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.
Ashtoreth
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.
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.
The verdict
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
Serge
