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Incubate 2011: Legends of Hardcore, (Post)Punk, Doom and Dark Ambient

posted by: maurice on 12 September 2011

Another year has passed, which means another Incubate is coming up. At the start of the new club season Incubate showcases a lot of music, art, film, dance and debate. We are concentrating on the heavy music side of the festival. New talent plays together with the giants of Lustmord, Yob, The Fall and Trial. Both have found their place at Incubate 2011. AsIce.net gives you a brief introduction on which metal/hardcore/punk acts can't be missed.

As always Incubate lasts one week, although the majority of the program takes place in the weekend.

Friday
Fasten your seatbelts for the energetic screamo set of Laatste Halte, be on time because they will be done before the end of your first beer. Afterwards, across the street in 013 the shoegaze/drone masters of Nadja will create a wall of sound that symbolizes the end of the world.

Then walk to the Little Devil for a dose of dark hardcore/crust from German Alpinist and the new stabbing sensation Herder that delivers a heavy mix of catchy stoner and doom. To close off the Friday, better go back to the 013 building for the heaviest Doom tour of this year with Kongh, Dark Castle and Yob (see photo below). The trio performed one of the best shows at the 2010 edition of Roadburn and is back with a crushing new album entitled “Atma”. Nobody will stop them in this overwhelming night ride.

Saturday
The day starts early with a bunch of hardcore shows in the Hall of Fame. First there is Daggers from Brussels that brings energetic doomy hardcore in the vein of Converge and Cursed. During the rest of the day No Turning Back (no introduction is needed I guess), Oathbreaker, New Morality, This Routine is Hell and the legendary nineties hardcore band Trial (see photo below) will play. Once again, the last one does a reunion; let’s see if the crowd reaction is as big as during their shows in 2009.

Meanwhile on the festival the atmospheric post metal of Monachus, Light Bearer and the crusty metal of Planks will please the fans of metal and hardcore’s dark path. I forgot to mention Terzij de Horde en Celeste that both make an excellent mix of screamo and black metal.

In the ‘Natuurtheater’ there is room for Battles, a band that breaks down the wall between rock, electronics and danceable rhythms. Mostly they are seen in new venues, let’s see how their sound will be in nature circumstances. Those who still don’t have enough after these bands can visit the grinding violence of Maruta and Wormrot in the Little Devil late at night.

Sunday
After a lot of beers on Saturday it’s good to start the Sunday with some intimate music, so the Belgium answer to Woven Hand, Flying Horsemen, will be a good starting point. After that straight on to the Little Devil to watch the last part of the venomous hardcore of Pariso who share a split with Kerouac that’s also chaotic and intense in their own way.

Mathcore, experiments and post rock are the keywords of Gallops and people who can’t stand this artyfarty shit must come back for the mix of stoner and hardcore of Danava. They are on tour with Lechorous Gaze, who connect punkrock with melodic hardrock. Never heard of? That’s possible, but people who loved Annihilation Time must check it out since this is the same band except for the vocalist.

In the meantime the master of Dark Ambient, Lustmord is making 013 even darker as it is. You might haven’t heard albums of him but the man himself also has produced some scary music for horror and thriller soundtracks you’ll recognize his style. On the other side of 013, in the V39, the new grindcore band Suffering Quota will show how to kick ass in the oldschool way.

Even more old school is the legendary Post-punk band The Fall (see photo below) that will close off the festival in style. These oldies always challenged their crowd with experiment without losing their face. As legendary John Peel said: “"Always different, always the same".

Let’s see how different Incubate this year will be and which aspects will stay the same...

Oh yeah, before I forget: if you are tired of the music you can visit the spoken words of Steve Ignorant during the weekend. Crass’ front man is one of the main starters of the DIY culture and he will give you some interesting insights for sure.