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Incubate 2011: The review

posted by: maurice on 29 September 2011

Asice.net visited the weekend of the Incubate festival. With a lot of things to see and also some other duties not everything could be seen. Still several highlights were captured in Maurice's brain. These were Yob, Lustmord, Terzij de Horde, Lightbearer, Planks and Gallops.

Friday

With a lot of things to do this time of the year my first Incubate day is Friday. Or should I say Friday Night since I arrived after twelve. Just in time to see 15 minutes of The Secret's blackened crust in the Little Devil; their third time in Tilburg within a year and their best show judging on the sound quality.



Everyone's moving fast by car, bicycle or on their feet to 013 to visit Dark Castle. The duo is creating some vile mix of Doom, Sludge, Stoner and some bits of crustcore. On guitar/vocals a girl with dreads that could have been the crusty version of a member of Kittie. Her voice is as sick and creepy as her appearance. The repetitive music is getting better and better towards the end but it isn't really convincing.



The drummer of Dark Castle is playing another set with the Doom giants of Yob. They crushed Roadburn a year ago and they do it again. You have to hear the repeating heavy riffs in combination with the crushing bass & drum parts. Six songs in an hour of total devastation until you even can't stand on your feet at 3 o'clock in the night is what the crowd receives from Yob. I am curious if more bands kill in the same manner on the festival this year.

Saturday
Early on the day Daggers from Brussel wakes you up with a weird mix of Cursed, Rise & Fall and some rockin' hardcore tunes. More bands are taking this path but Daggers just play it a bit different. Intense as fuck as well!



Straight on to watch Monachus that's cloning Neurosis in terms of music, vocal approach and visuals. Less convincing of course and after a while pretty boring. Next up Lightbearer is showing a full Batcave how to play postmetal to the max. The English men deliver us a balanced set of heavy, dark and beautiful tones wrapped in astounding songs.

More aggressive and vile is the trio Planks in the Little Devil that mixes the atmosphere of Isis with the riffs of Mastodon with some crusty vibe also. For a three-piece they've managed to bring a heavy sound. Their set is short but convincing.

Once again back to the Batcave for Terzij de Horde. Normally I mostly skip the Dutch bands on Incubate but with a vinyl release on a US label and a singer living mostly in the UK I make an exception. Vocalist Joost is hipster approved since he's drinking wine on stage. Between the gulps of wine his stage act is demanding and his vocals also. Supported by a tight band the mix of Screamo and Black Metal cuts your ears in half. I didn't expect it but Terzij de Horde can cope with bands such as Liturgy or Celeste.

Then the Incubate Saturday is over me because I had to play a show. People told me Celeste's show, Trail's performance and Wooden Shjips' jam where legendary.

Sunday
Hurrying up with a headache to visit record store Sounds for the yearly Oettinger Beer and this year's first band True Champions Ride On Speed. Since I missed Battles yesterday they are a decent substitute. The Belgians play instrumental mathrock with postrock hints not unlike Russian Circles. Especially the last song is marvelous.

While the tiredness continued it’s wise to visit the Pauluskerk for nineties ambient act Main. Nowadays with two people they make a dreamy ride in the church; perfect acoustics also in this building. Within five minutes chaotic screamo tunes are available in the Little Devil. From the UK Pariso and Kerouac might be promising new bands but can’t live up to the expectations. The energy is ok, the song-writing could be better.



Gallops is also releasing records on Holy Roar Records and makes an enervating and danceable mix of 65daysofstatic, Zombi (the krautrock influences) and Battles. Instrumental also; a lot is happing so a vocalist isn’t necessary. Walking to the 013 to watch the first Dutch show of Lustmord is the wisest option at that moment. Sitting on a chair streams of dark ambient are entering the main room while cosmic visuals are moving on the music rhythm. Lustmord’s horrific ride has a devastating impact on most listeners although some rather escape from the man’s music.

Lustmord quit earlier and Suffering Quota is fashionably late so the mix of oldschool grindcore and fast hardcore is seen by those who stayed or came in coincidently. In twenty minutes a lot of anger and fast beats are thrown into the V39. Although the drums are the weakest link the dude behind the kit comes up with some amazing rolls. A razor-sharp throat from the vocalist also!

The last two bands of the festival play the 013. The indie hipster band EMA plays for a packed “Kleine Zaal” and I only understand it partly. The music is boring as hell and the girl on vocals is way tastier than the tunes she and her band are playing. The Fall is closing off the festival with moody post-punk rhythms. The drummer seems to have the time of his life but main man Mark Edward Smith is singing like a rude football supporter that doesn’t fit the music. After three songs I am done and gone.

The Fall isn’t the closing act Incubate 2011 deserved. The organisation deserved better because they booked a lot of highlights. I saw some and wished I was part of others. I hope Incubate's higher level this year will have a follow-up in 2012.


Review by Maurice.
Daggers photo by Rene Sebastian.
Other photos by Niels Vinck.

Views: 3029

Comments

Author	Message
xdrankx EBC	Posted on 30.09.2011 (11:49) goto top
	The Fall is exactly the closing act we deserved. Mark E Smith did what needed to be done... Thanx for the review!
jbassist	Posted on 01.10.2011 (11:50) goto top
	Their best show judging on the sound quality?! het klonk echt verschrikkelijk!!!
maurice	Posted on 02.10.2011 (15:38) goto top
	vond je? ik vond het geluid een stuk beter dan op roadburn en laatst in 013...wel is het zo dat ik later binnen kwam dus kan zijn dat het geluid in het begin een stuk slechter klonk.

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