Mystic Festival 2023

Mystic Festival 2023

June 7 – 10, 2023 @ Gdansk, Poland

I was thrilled when I found out that I would have the opportunity to attend another edition of the Mystic Festival, which is growing in strength after being located in a great venue, the area of the Gdańsk Shipyard. Not only is the Trojmiasto (Tri-City: Gdansk, Gdynia, Sopot) a very attractive tourist destination, but it also allows easy access to the festival for heavy music fans from outside Poland, especially from Scandinavia. And it showed – a large portion of the attendees were from abroad.

The venue where the festival takes place is incredibly atmospheric – raw industrial areas crisscrossed by water channels, with towering shipyard cranes overlooking them. Adding to that the constant refreshing sea breeze, we can imagine the overall picture of the surrounding landscape. I must admit, I was amazed by the scale of this festival – I knew it wasn’t a small event, but I didn’t expect it to be comparable in size and appeal to something like Brutal Assault. I even had the impression that some ideas were borrowed from that festival, although Mystic Festival seems to be even more diverse in some respects.

The festival grounds were arranged in a great, logical way. There were two main areas with catering facilities, beer gardens, many drink stands, a merchandise distribution area, and of course stages for the artists – there were five in total – two indoor and three outdoor. There were also specific artistic installations adding to the atmosphere of the event, as well as fire pits lit in the evenings.

I traveled to the Tri-City with my wife, who, being in an advanced stage of pregnancy, could not accompany me to the festival. But as I mentioned, the location of the Mystic Festival is so attractive that it allowed us to combine my festival trip with sightseeing in the Tri-City and by the Baltic Sea. This way, in the morning and afternoon hours, we could enjoy the charms of the region, exploring the city or visiting the beaches of seaside towns, and in the afternoon, I was going to the festival.

I arrived at the festival only on Thursday, as on Wednesday we were still on the road, staying overnight somewhere in Warmia. Unfortunately, this meant I missed several performances I was interested in – especially Deströyer 666, Ne Obliviscaris, and Witchmaster.

Upon arriving at the festival grounds, it turned out that there were some lineup changes. Namely, the band Lord of the Lost, unknown to me before, had dropped out. They were supposedly representing Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest, and apparently a significant portion of festival attendees came for this performance. The disappointed organizers even offered a refund of ticket prices to those who wanted to leave the festival. Another issue was the lack of one of the stages. It turned out it had not been assembled correctly in time and posed a safety hazard, so the staff spent the whole Thursday dismantling and reassembling the Park Stage. This also contributed to some organizational chaos, leading to schedule rearrangements, as all the bands had to be accommodated on the four available stages. I must admit that I wasn’t too bothered by this, as I was still exploring the festival grounds, enjoying its charms and rich offerings, so the lack of one stage wasn’t a problem for me. Furthermore, the festival app worked properly, and all changes in the schedule could be tracked in real-time through it. A big plus to the organizers for taking care of this aspect, which proved crucial in case of the mentioned problems. Without the updated app, it would have been extremely difficult to inform participants about schedule changes. Another great feature of the app was the ability to set notifications for specific concerts of interest. In a timely manner before the start of a performance, a notification would arrive, indicating that the band would soon begin their concert and directing attendees to the stage. This was very useful in the midst of all the festival chaos, where it’s easy to lose track of time and potentially miss something.

The first day started for me with a performance by the Canadian band Spiritbox, which I had never seen live before, but I really like their music. I was especially interested in them when I found out that the vocalist was Courtney LaPlante, known for her performances in the band Iwrestledabearonce. At Mystic Festival, Spiritbox gave an amazing concert – the standout was their excellent, selective sound, which made familiar songs like „Secret Garden”, „Circle With Me”, and „Holy Roller” sound even more powerful. The mentioned vocalist not only perfectly navigates the scales of her voice, transitioning from clean, really well-executed vocals to aggressive screams, but also presents herself wonderfully on stage and engages with the audience. Spiritbox proved to be a band that only gets better live, and those who stumbled upon this concert by accident could only be positively surprised by the level of performance, even if not everyone may enjoy music in the metalcore/djent realm. At the same time, Testament was performing on the main stage, so after Spiritbox’s concert, I headed to the main stage to check out the current form of the Americans. I caught the second half of the performance, during which I was able to listen to songs like „Practice What You Preach”, „D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)”, „3 Days in Darkness”, and „Over the Wall”. It was a decent performance, aimed more at the die-hard fans of old school thrash metal. It was nice to reminisce about the band, watch Chuck Billy exuding youthful enthusiasm, and listen to parts of the brilliant „The Gathering”, but to be honest, I’m not particularly interested in this band anymore. However, Testament couldn’t complain about the lack of Polish fans – there was quite a large turnout, although the peak attendance for the day was still ahead of us. Later in my schedule, I took a break for a beer and a meetup with old friends. Time passed pleasantly, but I couldn’t miss the performance of the local band Dom Zły, one of the most interesting representatives of the post-black metal/crust genre currently. Their performance on the Desert Stage was very well done, with a moody, heavy and melancholic melody, specific catchiness, and great female vocals. The band attracted a large crowd in front of the stage, which is no surprise given the level of this band. At the same time, Behemoth began their performance on the main stage, so out of journalistic duty, I had to see how the band would perform in their hometown, especially since the performance was surrounded by controversy – it was protested by Catholic organizations, who organized protests outside the Mystic Festival gates. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen the most famous Polish metal band in concert, so I couldn’t be surprised by what I saw. The show was on a good level, with decent sound, pyrotechnic effects, a blasphemous banner in the background, and… the excitable Nergal as the host. I’m not a huge fan of Behemoth, although I know their music quite well and have a certain sentiment for certain stages of the band’s activity. However, Behemoth’s performances have felt like form outweighing content for me for a long time. Their latest albums also don’t resonate with me as a whole, more in fragments, and I didn’t remember a single song from their newest album. That’s why it was good that I caught the second part of the performance, during which the band mainly played well-known compositions like „Ov Fire and the Void”, „Bartzabel”, „No Sympathy for Fools”, „Chant for Eschaton 2000”, and „O Father O Satan O Sun!”. There were also references to the political situation in the country between the songs. With Behemoth behind me, it was time to prepare for the main star of Thursday evening – the Swedish band Ghost. Their performance gathered the largest crowd of the day. It was very difficult to get closer to the stage, so after checking out a few of the first songs from a distance, I got quite tired in the crowd and decided to leave and watch the rest of the performance from afar. The band’s presence was impressive, with a show that resembled a form of theater. Musically, there was nothing to criticize, although Ghost is not a band I would go all out for. As I mentioned earlier, after the struggles of the whole day, I felt overwhelmed by the crowd during the first songs, but as I moved to a more spacious area under the main stage, I heard the song „Cirice”, which is my favorite Ghost hit, and finally I was able to fully appreciate the performance, getting lost in the brilliant riffs, solos, and beautifully led vocal parts. Later, the band played songs like „Hunter’s Moon”, „Ritual”, and „Watcher in the Sky„, sealing a truly successful performance. I had planned to catch a glimpse of Moonspell later that day, but unfortunately, fatigue won out, and I decided to spend that time recharging with friends. However, during this time, an unpleasant thing happened to me – my backpack was lost, which I had left at a bench while talking to a friend. I tried to find it in various places, asking security guards and the lost and found office, but to no avail. After an hour of wandering, I made my way back to my accommodation with a broken spirit and went to rest.

Another day started for my wife and me with a trip to the sea, to Władysławowo, where we relaxed for a bit. Not for long, as we had to be back in Tricity by 3 PM, because I was particularly interested in two events at the festival that day, namely the performance of In Twilight`s Embrace and a debate of a few music journalists on the role of the cassette tape format in the development of the underground metal scene. But first, I focused on finding my lost backpack. And what a joy it was when, after 15 minutes of circling and exchanging information with security guards, it turned out that my backpack was in the back of the club, where one of the stages was located. The cleaning staff had mistaken my backpack for abandoned and moved it to their office. So not only was I not a victim of theft (which I suspected), but I also managed to recover my backpack with all its contents. This pleasant surprise greatly improved my mood, and I was able to attend the events with a clear mind. The lecture was quite interesting and gathered dozens of people, and the part of the In Twilight`s Embrace concert that I saw was also quite successful. I only managed to see the end with the songs „Pełen czerni” and „Te Deum”. The musicians from Poznań showed that they are one of the more interesting propositions in the field of black metal in a modern twist, which our country has to offer. Good sound quality, confident stage presence, and no complexes. In the meantime, I also caught a glimpse of the black/death metal band Kanonenfieber, focusing on the theme of World War I. Later, I took a brief trip to the city to explore Gdańsk with my wife and discovered that the festival sounds were quite audible in various parts of the city. Soon, I had to return to the festival grounds because the beloved Swedes from Dismember had set up on the Park Stage. They attracted a large crowd of Swedish death metal fans and put on a really nice show. Their performance was full of hits such as „Override of the Overture,” „Pieces,” „Of Fire,” „Collection by Blood,” „Skinfather,” „Casket Garden,” „Dreaming in Red,” and „Skin Her Alive.” The band members from Dismember, aged by time but still smiling, had a great time playing these iconic songs, and the Polish audience, which had been waiting a long time for this band’s performance in their country, reciprocated with enthusiastic applause. Sound-wise, there was not much to complain about; it was a great journey through the history of metal, although I must say that when I saw them for the first time at the Czech Obscene Extreme the year before, they made a bigger impression on me. Probably because I already knew what to expect from them at the Mystic Festival, and also because they played their concert in Poland in broad daylight. Around the time of Dismember’s concert, I tried to get to Sunnata’s performance, but the smallest stage was so crowded that I could only hear the muffled sounds breaking through, without the possibility of seeing anything beyond the backs of the crowd. I finally headed to the main stage, where The Hellacopters rocked out with their awesome rock’n’roll. It was a very good, energetic, and enjoyable concert, although it attracted fewer people than I expected. At least I could watch this performance without being pushed around. I caught the second part of the show, during which I heard songs like „Soulseller,” „By the Grace of God,” „Reap a Hurricane,” and „I’m in the Band.” After The Hellacopters, there was a longer break on the main stage, during which I wandered around all the other stages first checking out Grave, who, enveloped in great sound, delighted the ears of all Swedish death metal enthusiasts who were still hungry for more after Dismember’s concert. On the Park Stage, I also noticed a very cool, hypnotic performance by the English band Electric Wizard, enhanced with interesting visuals, aimed at all fans of doom metal. Carpathian Forest then delivered a bizarre concert that evoked mixed feelings in many people. Despite the absurd atmosphere, I liked it because it was quite funny. I had imagined the vocalist Nattefrost somewhat differently, but in live performance, he turned out to be a chubby guy disarming with his awkward antics on stage. Musically, their Norwegian black metal with rock’n’roll influences may not have been too powerful, but the pathologically master of ceremonies with his screeches, squeals, humming, and harmonica parts made me smile from ear to ear. The perfect culmination and summary of the absurdity of their performance was the cover of Turbonegro’s „All My Friends Are Dead.” Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall, the anti-human sludge band Primitive Man played, creating an incredible wall of sound, followed by the modern hardcore band Birds In Row. I also consider the latter performance successful; it had a good energy and served as a break from the darkness emanating from the other side of the wall. Lucifer with Nicke Andersson on drums impressed on the Desert Stage, delivering very efficient, energetically performed heavy metal with fierce female vocals. Then it was time to move to the main stage, where the highly anticipated Glenn Danzig started his show, playing a long set of his rock’n’roll hits. The crowd gathered in front of the stage had the opportunity to listen to songs like „Soul on Fire,” „Possession,” „Do You Wear the Mark,” „Her Black Wings,” „I Am Demon,” and of course, „Mother.” Danzig’s form was debatable; although he presented himself energetically as a bodybuilder from afar, it was evident that he was aging and vocally struggling. Musically, there was not much to criticize, and sentimentally, it was nice to see this performance, although I didn’t feel like enduring the entire show. Especially since I’m not a die-hard fan of Glenn. Fans of Satanic black metal had the opportunity to dance to the great, rather slow, gloomy sounds offered by the Norwegian Misotheist, who performed well as a warm-up before the Swedish band Watain closed the festival for the day. I saw Watain for the second time, about 10 years after the previous occasion, and in terms of presentation, not much had changed – we were still witnessing a true black mass with carefully crafted stage elements and such treats as pouring black fluid of unknown origin on the faces of crazy worshippers under the stage or some incomprehensible rituals. Musically, it was everything that Watain had accustomed us to – excellent, raw black metal, with no shying away from monumental slowdowns or melodies. I’m glad I finally got to hear „Waters Of Ain” live for the first time, as it is, in my opinion, one of the best black metal songs ever created on this planet. As you can see, another day of the Mystic Festival was spent very actively, and I managed to see a whole bunch of performances. The last day of the festival was still ahead of me, but after Friday, I was already feeling the challenges of this event, as I only managed to return to my accommodation around 4 AM.

I started the last day of the festival traditionally with a trip – this time we headed to the nearby Puck Bay, to Mechelinki, and then to Gdynia and Sopot. I arrived at the festival in the afternoon, just in time for the performance of the Finnish band Wolfheart, who entertained the Park Stage audience quite well with their melodic death metal. The performance was quite successful and received recognition from the crowd. Next, I jumped over to the Shrine Stage for the performance of the Norwegian band Djevel, which was as boring as it gets, and although black metal performances at this year’s edition were generally good, this one couldn’t be counted as one of them. Especially since at the same time, the Swedish band Bombus put on a fantastic show at the Desert Stage, their heavy metal simply mesmerizing the gathered audience. I stumbled upon this performance by accident, but I always appreciate such festival surprises. The next band I checked out was the metalcore band Bury Tomorrow – very technically proficient playing with a polished, modern sound, but I’m not enough of a fan to consider it a fantastic concert that changed my life. It was good music, and that’s about it. Alcest then took the stage at Park Stage, and it was quite pleasant to listen to their romantic French sounds, although I’m not a big fan. Dark Angel played a very decent concert on the main stage, which captivated the hearts of all fans of old-school thrash metal. The guitarist made a sensation, rocking out on stage and not only smoothly handling the guitar but also energizing the audience with her dynamic performance. Likewise, the vocalist didn’t fall behind either, establishing a very friendly connection with the audience, coming down to the front rows, high-fiving, and so on. In my humble opinion, the best performance on the third day was the one by the Swedes from Meshuggah. It was total destruction. Sound-wise, it was really hard for me to imagine anything sounding more powerful. Tracks like „Pravus,” „The Hurt That Finds You First,” „Ligature Marks,” „Born in Dissonance,” and „Demiurge” crushed the listeners to bits, and the performance itself was in a class of its own. This concert should not be considered just a performance by a specific artist, but rather a separate phenomenon, as no other band at this year’s Mystic Festival achieved such intensity. After Meshuggah, I went to see Sleep Token, and despite their specific image and interesting music, their concert wasn’t as spectacular, but I still enjoyed seeing them live. The band performed many of their known tracks such as „Vore,” „Mine,” „Hypnosis,” „The Love You Want,” and „Alkaline.” The costumes providing anonymity to the musicians caught my attention, as well as the large amount of clean vocals, quite faithfully and cleanly reproduced compared to their albums. Musically, everything fits into the modern metal/djent genre. After Sleep Token, I briefly caught Mad Sin – a completely different atmosphere of old punk psychobilly – where the hefty, smiling guys with mohawks in Agnostic Front shirts and the upright bass sections also captivated the audience hungry for that kind of sound. Right after that, I had to head over to the main stage, where Gojira was giving an incredible display of modern, perfectly executed metal that defies categorization. The French band’s performance was spectacular not only musically but also visually stunning. There were visualizations, powerful lights, pyrotechnic effects synchronized with the music, and even confetti during one of the climaxes. A great concert, as even those who don’t listen to the band regularly had to admit. Gojira played songs from several of their albums, including „Another World,” „L’enfant sauvage,” „Toxic Garbage Island,” „The Chant,” and „Amazonia.” I listened to Perturbator’s performance from the merchandising stands, where I was engaged in conversation with friends, and the dark synth provided by this gentleman worked great as background music for our discussions. However, I didn’t feel motivated to go see him up close. It was the last day of the festival, and the exhaustion of those three days was starting to show. The final concert I caught was by the Swedish band Unleashed, who ended this year’s Mystic Festival with a solid performance. Swedish death metal at a good level, maybe not as high as Dismember or Grave, but it was very enjoyable to see these veterans enjoying playing their classics like „Into Glory Ride” or „Before the Creation of Time,” with which they closed their set.

Mystic Festival has come to an end, leaving only great memories in my mind. I’m very happy that Poland finally has a festival that meets European standards or even stands out from other events. The location in one of the most beautiful cities in Poland, close to the sea, the unique industrial festival grounds, the variety of offerings, friendly atmosphere, and brilliant organization make me certain that this festival will continue to grow in strength year by year, attracting even larger crowds of heavy music enthusiasts.