Sitka

Stratosphere

Charnia

Eleanora

Ashtoreth

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
Serge