ROCK ALTITUDE FESTIVAL 7 – AGNOSTIC FRONT, NAPALM DEATH, LOFOFORA,KARMA TO BURN, THE SECRET

After two years, Me and my wife visited Rock Altitude Festival – 7 edition. This festival takes place in the Swiss town – Le Locle – annually… This time, we earlier requested for accreditation and after the exchange several e-mails (with Lucie Courvoisier) we got the entry for one day of three-days festival.

The great stars from the different musical species were invited to every day of festival. However we didn't abuse the hospitalities and we decided that we will be spectators of the second day. Though the choice was simple because AGNOSTIC FRONT and NAPALM DEATH were players at Friday as the headliners. But I seem the performance of MOGWAI (which I recently very like) in Saturday also was nice. However the sounds of Hardcore-Metal overweighed. In this year, the various colour of Hardcore reigned at the second day, although this was not the rule because Stoner Metal also thundered from the scenes. Moreover I know the works of AGNOSTIC FRONT and NAPALM DEATH from over 20 years. I have huge fondness for NAPALM DEATH particularly. I remember like I have bought their albums on the tapes (in times of the primary school)… And the another days were mainly in styles of Rock with influences of Trip Hop and Folk (as it resulted from the description)…

We had the experience from the 5 edition of festival, so we went to the show almost punctually to would not overlook any band… The short and nice French-English conversation near entry… And we got our identifiers and the brochure (with detailed programme of festival, with map of terrain, the organizational information, the information about teams and the sponsors)… Then the short and nice conversation with security… and we were on the terrain of festival… There were a few maniacs of sharp playing yet, so we could freely remind ourselves the topography of terrain. The place of festival was full by the mini-bars with fast-food and drinks (alcoholic also, like beer and absinthe of course)… The considerable square with tables also was there. So the fans could consume bought merchandise. There also were the stalls with typical gadgets for fans of Rock (the clothes, the cds and the vinyls as well as the various additions and souvenirs)…

Obviously there were two scenes – the small and the main. The both scenes were under roof, with the nearby mini-bars. And therefore the every listener could freely revel by music with drink in hand or smokes a cigarette without fear (the security didn't damage of the evening for anybody). The organization was very professionally solved there…

The fans arrived more and more. The extent of the age was huge (from the juvenile youth till the mature veterans of Rock music). I noticed that Switzerland is friendly country for many nations. The people with the curious clothes in wide comprehended Rock style mainly overweighed, although this was not a rule…

The first sounds announced to us that Swiss SIX MONTHS OF SUN installed themselves on the small scene. The team presented several instrumental works in Stoner Rock-Metal style. However it was the beginning of concert, so under the scene was almost emptily. The music was pleasant (in Rock sense) and in typical style. After several photos, we went for golden drink and we had fun in hunters of heads – that is, the making photos of coming fans.

After short pause, the American MONGOLOIDS appeared on the main scene. Their repertoire was classic Hardcore in style of BIO-HAZARD. It was sharply, vigorously and specific melodious… But there was continually emptily under the scene…

The fans still arrived, and TAKE OFFENCE was the next band. The musicians also came from The United States and they played Punk Hardcore with the very impulsive vocalist. which jumped on the scene like mad. This made the difficulty to the catching him in frames of camera. They diversified their aggressive music by the sharp solos and the complex parties of bass guitar, and this focused my attention considerably…

When the Swiss COILGUNS appeared then many guests concentrated themselves under the scene. Probably this was not without a reason. Like the fans would know that it will be some nice show. COILGUNS is atypical trio (the vocalist, the guitarist and the drummer). The musicians define their music as Hard Power Violence. But for me it was something in style of the Sludge Metalcore – the sharp, aggressive playings with the considerable dose of hysteria as well as with the hypnotic relaxations. The vocalist jumped on the scene like a mountain goat. In some moment he jumped to the crowd with the long line of microphone… But without fear… He returned and installed himself (for some time) on the huge loudspeaker (several metres above the scene) and he elicited the aggressive screams from there… Then he went down to the scene and he tapped trans rhythms with the drummer together… And so the adventure with COILGUNS was finished. I confess, that in total this was pretty original and I will return to this band on MySpace probably…

Before we transferred to the small scene to listen KEHLVIN then we made pause for a beer. Anyway, the sound was so strong that with success we could listen the band from beyond of the tent… So we sat near the tables and we listened of Swiss quartet. They came from the nearby town – Le Chaux- de-Fonds. The fellows played Progressive Hardcore with the influences of Sludge and Emo music. I acquainted myself with their music in MySpace earlier but the concert's edition of the team was something much better. They made huge impression for me by their playing – the full of explosive emotions, enriched by the melancholy and the progressive insertions on guitars…

… The time has come for the first star – LOFOFORA! French Metalcore! Under the main scene was crowd already. The moat near the scene was ideal place for journalists and reporters – without crowd and with full looseness… And LOFOFORA warmed up the public by the dark and aggressive music. The public knew the lyrics of songs perfectly (and they chanted with vocalist together). When they have played work “Utopiste” then I also have felt ecstasy with the public together. LOFOFORA created total climate underlined by the excellent playing of lights and obviously by the French lyrics…

THE SECRET was the next. The Italian trio installed themselves on the small scene and they began their dark compositions, oscillating around of Sludge Metal and Gridncore but with gloomy climate of Black Metal… The bright red flooded the scene… the mystical climate… the obsession… the hysteria…

… At last we waited for the one of headliner – NAPALM DEATH!… Before the main scene was really crowded. Before their playing there was the delivering of competitive prize (the electric guitar). I do not know what were the rules of competition. I only saw like the organizer reads the winner and he gives him the new guitar. The bass guitar was to the winning next day of festival. Ugh… When will be such attractions in Poland?… At last NAPALM DEATH appeared on the scene. I nervously observed the musicians, I tried them to recognize – Mark “Barney” Greenway – he is, Mitch Harris – he is, Danny Herrera – he is. But who is the young, bald bass player? He probably is not Shane Embury? I do not know him. Moreover later (in the time of their show) some different bass player appeared for a while yet. I was silly totally. But this is not important, maybe I overlooked some information… Despite all, NAPALM DEATH sharply squashed and ripped for shreds by them furious music. This was really sharp massacre, and the fans went mad in amok. In some moment, the string of Harrisa tore off, so this was the short time for resting but after a moment the veterans of Grindcore again have hit with their brutal music. Barney was mad on the scene like possessed, he did rachitic twists. The Englishmen played over one hour and though the newer tracks did not such impression already for me, but these old ones like “Siege of Power” waked up the remembrances and gave me the ecstatic shivers…

… The American “stoners” from KARMA TO BURN appeared after the ultra quick din. From the small scene blew the specific, typical, heavy and melodious climate (but unfortunately only instrumental). I noticed, that guitarists have used choreography, because they did the specific poses. Particularly I have associated the guitarist William Mecum with Lemmy from MOTORHEAD…

… About 2 a.m. we had the over eight hours of total clamour. The fatigue accompanied with us, so we refreshed by the cold beer and we waited for the last star… AGNOSTIC FRONT proudly entered on the scene. And the exchange of fans happened under the scene. The long-haired men culturally stood down the place for fans of classic Hardcore. So, it started! Totally impulsive, heavy and specific melodious and very catchy playing. For that reason the doing of photos was difficult. I never was fanatic fan of AGNOSTIC FRONT, but their music (alive) throwed down me. The energetic spontaneity! The vocalist – Roger Miret often had the interactions with the public and he encouraged them to the common madness… The works “Form My Family”, “Us Against The World”, “Crucified”, “Gotta Go” and “Riot, Riot Upstart” were excellent… Vinnie Stigma (the guitarist and the oldest member of AGNOSTIC FRONT) saw my presence in the moat. We exchanged with the understanding look and I had moment of stillness to would make the photos calmly. I think AGNOSTIC FRONT was the number one at this day. The gods of Hardcore are really immortal!

… It was very late… Maybe it was very early morning. We came back to home about 3.00 a.m.. We even would not think to stay to the end for the after-party with the music of one-man project from Germany – T.RAUMSCHMIERE (the music of Electro)… During the return we remembered the impressions from the show – the ideal organization, the friendly atmosphere. We wondered – Were any Poles except us among the listeners? We saw some guy (with t-short of Polish BEHEMOTH). But at the end of concert he comfortably put himself on a grass (probably he was tired by concert), hahaha. Was he Pole? We didn't dare to interrupt his blissful sleep, hahaha…

… And the next day morning (and concretely already for several hours) – we had the prearranged visit in distillery of legendary liquor – Absinthe (with the tasting), so we hurried up to house for short sleep…

You can see the photos from the concert – of the individual bands as well as of fans in our section “Gallery”.