Brutal Assault 2016

The festival started off a bit unlucky for me, as I had to skip the first day due to a job interview. Consequently, in order to get to Jaromer as quickly as possible afterwards, I had to figure out a night journey. It lasted a whopping 18 hours and cost me a lot of health. First, I headed to Warsaw, where I caught a Polski Bus to Wroclaw. From the capital of Lower Silesia, I hitchhiked towards the border in the early morning hours. It wasn’t possible to reach Kudowa in one go, so my journey gradually lengthened. When I finally arrived at the border between Poland and the Czech Republic, I had to wait another 2 hours to travel the last 30 km to my destination. I won’t lie, my patience was severely tested, and the number of curses I uttered far exceeded any norm. It was even more frustrating when a truck driver picked me up, only to turn back after driving 300 meters, kicking me out back at the border. This happened because road construction was taking place at the beginning of the Czech Republic and heavy vehicles couldn’t pass through. As a result, they were directed to other border crossings in Poland.

After those 18 hours of travel, including hitchhiking trips with Gypsies, construction workers, and families with children, I finally managed to once again reach the location of one of the largest European metal festivals. It was my seventh edition, so you could say this place is very familiar to me. After finding my friends, with whom I was originally supposed to travel, it turned out that they had locked their keys in the car the day before and had to break the window to get in. Besides that, conversations repeatedly revolved around cursing the weather from the day before. Despite everything, I regretted missing the previous day because I was looking forward to the concerts of Dying Fetus, Gruesome, Neurosis, and Mastodon. But I hope there will be many more opportunities to see these bands. After a quick repack and a walk up the river and a cold bath to the progressive sounds of Plini’s performance coming from the concert area, we decided to find the Marshall tent. There we relaxed while waiting for his return from Animals as Leaders, listening to the concert from a hill. Interestingly, the spot where the tent was set up often had better sound than the main stage. Although it’s hard to say we were at the mentioned concert, the sounds that reached us were impressive, and the very clean performances of songs like „Ka$cade,” „The Woven Web,” and „CAFO” confirmed the instrumental class of this band.

The first band we saw that day was the Belgian Aborted. A known and loved band, their concerts always turn out very well. This time was no different – although there were some sound issues at times (Marshall claimed it was because of occasional gusts of wind), the audience was treated to a solid dose of brutal modern death metal. The attention of the vocalist, prancing around the stage, engaging the audience and, of course, not sparing his throat vacuum, was always eye-catching. Their drummer’s style was also interesting, as he performed his extreme and masterfully precise rhythms in a pose that made it look like the most normal thing in the world. The set was dominated by tracks from newer albums, but I was most pleased with the few numbers played from „Goremageddon,” such as „Meticulous Invagination,” „Parasitic Flesh Resection,” and „Sanguine Verses (…Of Extirpation).”

Next, we moved to the neighboring stage, where the New York band H2O started their performance. While I like this band and remember with a lot of sentiment their concert a few years ago as part of Show No Mercy, in the Brutal Assault conditions, this style didn’t fully speak to me. The absence of emotionally reacting crowds, energetic stage diving, singalongs, and the overall chaos atmosphere characteristic of crowded clubs made this music less energetic. Especially when compared to their concerts in closed venues. Therefore, after listening to a few songs (including „1995,” „Family Tree,” „One Life, One Chance,” and „Nothing to Prove”), we went back to the tent to soon return to one of the best concerts of the day.

The Black Dahlia Murder. This is a band whose style I’ve always liked, but in the period directly before the festival, my fascination with their music increased significantly, partly due to its great energy potential when doing sports. This kind of composition suits me very well. I had seen this band three times before and was sure they wouldn’t disappoint this time either. And that was exactly the case – 11 numbers of awesome melodic death metal played in a great way, with masterful precision and a substantial dose of catchiness. The band is interesting in that there isn’t much difference between the repertoire of old releases and new ones because they consistently explore the same stylistic areas. Years ago, I wasn’t fully convinced by the dominant color in The Black Dahlia Murder’s music, and I definitely preferred their occasional growls. However, this kind of vocal expression, at times giving the impression of being grotesque and exaggerated, significantly adds to the peculiarity of the band’s style. Moreover, it seems even more convincing when considering that the band members do not pose as dark metalheads making threatening faces and often show that they are playing with a wink. What caught my attention at The Black Dahlia Murder’s concerts in particular is how vocalist Trevor Strnad treats his interactions with the audience, frequently making eye contact with specific individuals in the crowd. The setlist for the Brutal Assault 2016 concert was quite diverse, with missing tracks from the debut album, „Unhallowed,” which I love, and the most number of songs from „Ritual” („Malenchantments of the Necrosphere,” „Moonlight Equilibrium,” „On Stirring Seas of Salted Blood”), „Nocturnal” („What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse,” „Everything Went Black,” „Deathmask Divine”), and the newest, „Abysmal” („Vlad, Son Of Dragon,” „Malenchantments of the Necrosphere,” and the title track). Songs from the second album, „Miasma,” were also performed. Personally, the concert seemed too short to me, and I would gladly add a few more great tracks to the setlist, but as they say – better to be left wanting more than to be overloaded. This concert only reaffirmed my belief that they are still one of my favorite bands.

The rest of the day passed in a more relaxed atmosphere, not focusing too much on specific concerts, casually wandering around, and exploring undiscovered areas of the festival (chilling out in a more secluded part of the camping area with a fantastic view of fields and mountains).

After The Black Dahlia Murder, we caught Immolation, who were coping well as a trio with a single guitar played by Rob Vigna, as Bill Taylor’s girlfriend was dealing with health issues. Although I have great respect for this band, I missed that second guitar, and despite hits like „Dawn Of Possession,” „Father, You’re Not A Father,” and „A Glorious Epoch,” it didn’t have the full force, especially during the solos.

Next, we moved to the neighboring stage, where the band H2O has begun their performance. I wanted to see this band because some of their songs resonate with me, but in the Brutal Assault conditions, this type of music didn’t fully connect with me, especially without the emotionally reacting crowd, energetic stage diving, singalongs, and the overall chaotic atmosphere of crowded clubs. Musically, I didn’t have much to complain about because this band is at least worthy of attention in their style, but the festival atmosphere didn’t really suit this type of sound, and I would prefer to experience it in more intimate club settings. I wasn’t disappointed by their performance, but it wasn’t the ideal time and place for their sound. I’m absolutely sure that there would have been much greater chances of capturing the essence of British music in a different setting. I believe that the atmosphere and feeling of the band’s music would have been much better appreciated at a later hour. Despite this, the well-loved songs like „Concealing Fate, Part 2: Deception,” „Survival,” and „Of Matter – Retrospect” somewhat eluded me during their performance. Although I wasn’t disappointed with what I saw and heard at Brutal Assault, it just wasn’t the right place and time.

Later, we attended Gojira, who took over one of the stages at dusk. This performance stayed in my memory as very good, but around that time, fatigue started to overwhelm me, likely due to the previously mentioned 18-hour journey and practically sleepless night. Therefore, my resources were depleted, and I couldn’t muster much enthusiasm to fully appreciate this concert.

After Gojira, we watched Dark Tranquility, which delivered a climatic performance, with prominently featured keyboard parts. Stylistically, it was difficult to place in the death metal category, at times feeling too melancholic for me, but fans of this style of music must have enjoyed it. Additionally, the Swedes achieved quite decent sound quality. Personally, I was waiting for them to play „Final Resistance,” but that song usually finishes their concerts, and we had to leave early due to a collision with Parkway Drive, who were starting on the main stage.

I won’t hide that Parkway Drive were one of my favorite bands until recently, mainly because of the album „Horizons,” to which I have a strong attachment. Despite their decline in recent years, I faithfully attended their concerts not only in my country but also beyond. This year’s performance at Brutal Assault effectively cured me of my fascination with this band. Unfortunately, the shallow material from their latest album dominated the setlist, and the performance only reaffirmed my belief that Parkway Drive is turning into a bland, commercial product devoid of expression. While the fireworks and pyrotechnics were meant to impress, the overall show felt cheap and mainstream, especially when compared to Unearth, a band that could be considered from the same metalcore shelf, but sounded banal and simply weak. Even compared to Unearth, a band that could be labeled as metalcore, the sound was banal and simply weak. The situation wasn’t helped by the inclusion of a few older tracks like „Idols and Anchors,” „Karma,” and „Carrion.” This was no longer the same band I loved a few years ago.

Unenthusiastically, we headed back to our tent for the performance by Perturbator, a project by James Kent, unfamiliar to us until then. Despite his previous involvement in black metal, he now creates synth music with a very intriguing, often dark, yet light-toned atmosphere. This was a complete departure from the loud sounds we had been hearing all day, and in my opinion, this concert made a positive impact on my memory. Even though we listened from under the tent, I must give credit to the organizers for being open to such sounds.

Early on Friday, we were awakened by the positive sounds generated by the previously unknown band Fox Territory, who were playing very well acoustically, as we heard everything perfectly from our location. Their post-hardcore/math rock/djent music brought a lot of catchiness and positive vibes, making it a perfect pick-me-up for the heavy morning hours. I don’t remember the next bands too well – we left for the city, and until around 3 pm, we were detached from what was happening on the stages.

Returning to our base when Voivod was performing. I was never a fan, so I won’t dwell too much on this band. I heard the concert very well from the tent, but it didn’t grab my attention. I regret missing the Swedish band Grave, whose sound was reportedly completely messed up. However, we didn’t miss Textures, who played a decent concert. Although some parts felt too mellow for me, and some of the choruses didn’t quite click with me, the sound quality, technical performance, and the band’s playing style left no room for complaints. Instrumentally, the band was amazing, but vocally, there were too many effeminate parts that I have an aversion to if I have to deal with them too often. While there are bands where I can tolerate this style, Textures is not among them.

Next, we moved to Septic Flesh. I’m not a fan of their albums, but the live performance was quite good. Despite some sound issues, tracks like „Dawn Of Possession,” „Father, You’re Not A Father,” and „A Glorious Epoch,” among others, didn’t have the full power, especially during the solos.

The next concert we attended was by the band Tesseract, known for their atmospheric djent music. I wanted to see this band because I enjoy some of their tracks, but the festival atmosphere didn’t quite complement this sound, and I would prefer to experience it in more intimate club settings. Musically, I had no major complaints about their performance because this band is noteworthy in their style, but their placement in the daytime didn’t fully do them justice. I’m absolutely sure that a later set-time would have given a much better chance to capture the essence of the British band’s music. I recall being a bit detached listening to some of their beloved hits, like „Concealing Fate, Part 2: Deception,” „Survival,” and „Of Matter – Retrospect”—these tracks seemed to flow by me. While I wasn’t disappointed with what I saw and heard at Brutal Assault, it just wasn’t the right place and time for this genre of music.

We later watched Gojira, who took over one of the stages as dusk fell. Despite my increasing fatigue, their performance left a lasting impression, but I must admit that around that time, fatigue began to overwhelm me, possibly as a result of the 18-hour journey and practically sleepless night. Therefore, my resources were depleted, and I couldn’t muster much enthusiasm for fully appreciating this concert.

Following Gojira, we caught Dark Tranquility, who gave a climatic performance with prominently featured keyboard parts. In terms of death metal, the performance didn’t fully hit the mark for me—sometimes feeling a bit too melancholic. Yet, fans of this style clearly enjoyed it, especially considering the decent sound quality achieved by the Swedes. Personally, I had been looking forward to hearing „Final Resistance,” but this track usually concludes their concerts, and we had to leave early due to a clash with Parkway Drive starting on the main stage.

Although Parkway Drive were to be one of the main events, they were the last band I wanted to see due to the decline in the quality of their recent material, in my opinion. The performance felt forced and mainstream, without the force and energy needed to captivate the audience effectively. Even some well-known tracks couldn’t save the performance from feeling bland and uninspiring. Unfortunately, despite some appearances of older hits like „Ravenous,” „Dead Bury Their Dead,” and „Carrion,” the show left much to be desired compared to other bands of similar genres.

After Parkway Drive, we happened upon the performance by Perturbator, an artist previously unfamiliar to us, who produced captivating and atmospheric synthesizer music with a dark yet light ambiance. While we listened from the comfort of our tent, the unique sounds captured our attention and made a positive impact with their departure from the heavy sounds of the day.

In the early hours of Sunday, we gathered with Marshall for the concert by Hypno5e, a band we hadn’t encountered before. Their unconventional and atmospheric style, drawing influences from modern metal, left a strong impression, despite the early hour. Their post-hardcore/math rock/djent music was a breath of fresh air and provided a perfect start to the day.

Next, the British band Knuckledust delivered an energetic and powerful hardcore performance, winning over fans of Terror, First Blood, Pay No Respect, and Death Before Dishonor. Their sound was energetic and well-received, adding a great vibe to the festival.

I was excited to see the Dutch band Disavowed, as their aggressive death metal style had been a favorite of mine in the past. Their brutal performance at Jaromer impressed me with its intense and technical delivery, showcasing their mastery of the genre.

After finishing the morning bands, we headed to the pool and food area, returning to the festival grounds around 4-5 pm to catch the performances that interested us. The Swedish band Birdflesh was a lighthearted treat, with their humor-filled grindcore providing an entertaining performance. The humorous costumes and energetic sound were a delightful change of pace.

As the festival drew to a close, the renowned band Mgła took the stage, presenting a gripping and hypnotic performance that resonated with the audience. Their monumental sound, marked by hypnotic melodies and compelling rhythms, captured the essence of their music and left an unforgettable impact.

Overall, the 21st edition of Brutal Assault was a memorable experience, with a wide range of bands and performances that left a lasting impression. While there were some minor issues, the overwhelming positive experiences and fantastic music more than made up for any shortcomings. As we packed up on Sunday and began our journey back home, we reflected on the great memories and hoped for many more adventures at Jaromer in the future. I thank my excellent friends for their company and look forward to hopefully returning next year in the same great company, and perhaps with an expanded crew.