- Isn't it funny how the Body Machine burns? -
feat. ALORA CRUCIBLE, EX-EASTER ISLAND HEAD, FIRE!, MANTRA MACHINE, OTAY:ONII and THE BODY & DIS FIG
Rejoice! I didn't find time or energy for any tourist activities in the morning during most Roadburn days this year - which means I don't have too much unrelated stuff to bother you with and hopefully will come to the meat and bones rather quickly.
I just wish I had "hunted" more cats, since there were so many in so many different colours at my bead and breakfast. But I have stayed at this place in a very comfortable driving distance to Tilburg a couple of times before, so who knows, maybe I'll return and make up for it another time in the future.
I just wish I had "hunted" more cats, since there were so many in so many different colours at my bead and breakfast. But I have stayed at this place in a very comfortable driving distance to Tilburg a couple of times before, so who knows, maybe I'll return and make up for it another time in the future.
As always having arrived on Wednesday I was among the first, but of course not the only Roadburner at the place. In fact I saved some money - and a poor soul from sleeping in his car like in previous years, haha - by sharing the room and the daily ride to Tilburg with a Roadburn and Prophecy Fest pal. Quite a new experience not to talk all with myself enthusiastically in the car in the middle of the night after a long Roadburn day.
We arrived in the city early enough for me not only to visit the merch section for the first time, but even purchase one of those festival hoodies, which would all sell out later. Took me almost until it was my turn to even decide on my item. Just too many very nice designs and options to choose from!
The merch was in a tent similar to the Hall of Fame in 2022, the reason again being construction work in the Koepelhal venue. That meant the stages The Terminal and The Engine Room had to be entered directly from outside this year. Other than that the festival's setup luckily was pretty much the same as in 2024. There had only been a couple of fluctuations of the venues participating in the inoffical, freely accessibly Offroad programme. All else felt familiar, the cozy loud mid-April home away from home.
We arrived in the city early enough for me not only to visit the merch section for the first time, but even purchase one of those festival hoodies, which would all sell out later. Took me almost until it was my turn to even decide on my item. Just too many very nice designs and options to choose from!
The merch was in a tent similar to the Hall of Fame in 2022, the reason again being construction work in the Koepelhal venue. That meant the stages The Terminal and The Engine Room had to be entered directly from outside this year. Other than that the festival's setup luckily was pretty much the same as in 2024. There had only been a couple of fluctuations of the venues participating in the inoffical, freely accessibly Offroad programme. All else felt familiar, the cozy loud mid-April home away from home.
CLASHBURN:
I skipped the opening show in The Terminal, not for lack of interest in Xiu Xiu (there were indeed almost no artists anywhere on the running order for all days, which I was not interested in), but because I would have had to cut it short anyway, since I wanted a good spot inside the 013. That spot was not reserved for Oranssi Pazuzu on the Main Stage, who fell prey to the clash with the singer who had performed my favorite show of Roadburn 2023. So there was no way in hell I'd miss the first part of the festival's first triennium residency - which means an artist playing different shows in three consecutive years.
A grand piano was put up on the Next Stage and I was still talking to a fellow Burner, when suddenly Elizabeth Colour Wheel singer Lane Shi was right behind me, entering the stage through the audience. The Chinese-American artist wore the same elegantly ragged dress as during her "Ming Ming" performance, yet adorned with flowers and glittery hair extensions. Even her alien mask was in her hand, but she lay it atop the piano performing as a token of the overcome past while indulding in a new chapter.
Performing her spellbinding latest solo album "True Faith Ain't Blind" in full, Otay:onii only needed the keys and her beautifully pained, sussurrant, roaring, screeching, brittle voice to completely transfix the audience in an experience maybe closest to Diamanda Galas' Main Stage show in 2016.
Emotionally this pouring of an artist's soul would remain unmatched at least until a display of completely different feelings on Sunday by some grumpy old man yelling at clouds - and only very few other singers would rise to her stunning display of vocal acrobatics.
It was a very different show than her last appearance, but also deeply moving, earning her huge admiration and applause. I already cannot wait to see what she will present at Roadburn 2026!
Performing her spellbinding latest solo album "True Faith Ain't Blind" in full, Otay:onii only needed the keys and her beautifully pained, sussurrant, roaring, screeching, brittle voice to completely transfix the audience in an experience maybe closest to Diamanda Galas' Main Stage show in 2016.
Emotionally this pouring of an artist's soul would remain unmatched at least until a display of completely different feelings on Sunday by some grumpy old man yelling at clouds - and only very few other singers would rise to her stunning display of vocal acrobatics.
It was a very different show than her last appearance, but also deeply moving, earning her huge admiration and applause. I already cannot wait to see what she will present at Roadburn 2026!
Meanwhile Oranssi Pazuzu had started their Main Stage show. I still had the chance of watching them play the second half of their latest spiraling, dissonant Psychedelic glitchy Harsh Noise Black Metal masterpiece "Muuntautuja". Yet maybe it was the overwhelming pure raw emotion I had just experienced or this material simply just doesn't work nearly as good live as the stuff from the utterly brilliant shows of the finnish band I had seen in the past. Sadly I just couldn't connect to them at all this time, so I got back in front of the Next Stage rather quickly to wait for the upcoming group there...
How dreamy can you start into a festival? The answer of Toby Driver's mainly instrumental group Alora Crucible, where he tries his hands on the hammered dulcimer (which we heard him play first as a guest on Nick Hudson's "Kanda Teenage Honey"), was a simple yes.
New Age Ambient is one of those specific niché genres you don't stumble upon by accident too often, and after this experience I kind of feel like that's a shame. Because right there, right then, to calm down and ease myself into four days of musical exploration I found this meditative peaceful performance to be an utterly wonderful continuation of the path Otay:onii had set me on before. This part of the journey really fit the ethereal vibe of the back print on the festival hoodie I had just bought.
The trio (plus guest on guitar and percussions) really tapped into something special here. So early into Roadburn and it already became apparant that ranking my favorite shows would probably become an imposissible task.
New Age Ambient is one of those specific niché genres you don't stumble upon by accident too often, and after this experience I kind of feel like that's a shame. Because right there, right then, to calm down and ease myself into four days of musical exploration I found this meditative peaceful performance to be an utterly wonderful continuation of the path Otay:onii had set me on before. This part of the journey really fit the ethereal vibe of the back print on the festival hoodie I had just bought.
The trio (plus guest on guitar and percussions) really tapped into something special here. So early into Roadburn and it already became apparant that ranking my favorite shows would probably become an imposissible task.
I had a hunch that - what did the hype text call it? - LustSickPuppy's mashup of digital hardcore, rap, acid electronica and noise would be intriguing and a joyfully bold alarm clock to the senses, but also that Tomasyn Hayes' project probably would come in the wrong time for me.
And that's exactly how it went: I entered The Engine Room, took in a couple of beats and bars, surely appreciated it somehow, but still under the influence of Alora Crucible's halcyon haze ultimately decided very quickly that this just wouldn't work right now and returning to a good spot in front of the Next Stage once again would be the better way to continue my transcendent flight.
Oh boy, how right I was! The late announcement of Ex-Easter island Head and listening to one of their instrumentals had caused me to revise my Thursday running order for the third (or fourth?) time, but I actually had no clue how unique this quartet's performance would actually be. The setup with horizontally installed guitars, different drums and percussion for each member and a couple of other more or (for the most part) less conventional details was already something else.
The show started very atmospheric and Ambient, really almost like a direct continiation of the previous show here, but then it evolved into many other directions, which included Drone, Post Rock, weird long experimental build-ups, but also danceable beats. It could be minimalist and sprawling, deeply moving, but also had moments of great musical humour like the piece "Magnetic Language" which started with the musicians singing harmonies into their phones and then "playing" the phones with their recordings over their guitar pick-ups and volume knobs. Both fun and astounding stuff!
I had planned the compromise of leaving the show maybe one or two songs before the end to secure a better place for the next item on the agenda, but given how anything could happen here I really didn't want to miss anything and stayed until the end. This show was perfectly conceived and ticked all possible boxes in a stand-out unique manner. Another highlight. Should I just stay in this room forever?
The show started very atmospheric and Ambient, really almost like a direct continiation of the previous show here, but then it evolved into many other directions, which included Drone, Post Rock, weird long experimental build-ups, but also danceable beats. It could be minimalist and sprawling, deeply moving, but also had moments of great musical humour like the piece "Magnetic Language" which started with the musicians singing harmonies into their phones and then "playing" the phones with their recordings over their guitar pick-ups and volume knobs. Both fun and astounding stuff!
I had planned the compromise of leaving the show maybe one or two songs before the end to secure a better place for the next item on the agenda, but given how anything could happen here I really didn't want to miss anything and stayed until the end. This show was perfectly conceived and ticked all possible boxes in a stand-out unique manner. Another highlight. Should I just stay in this room forever?
Well, at least one show on the great Main Stage per day is mandatory, right? I don't know their two collaborative albums, but I have enjoyed their Audiotree recording, so I think The Body & Dis Fig was a good choice to fill that quota.
Harsh Electronic drones and noises, which made the ground shake and nostrils vibrate, slow power drumming and an expressive haunting vocal performance by Felicia Chen. What else do you need? This was a good rumbling mind cleanser.
Harsh Electronic drones and noises, which made the ground shake and nostrils vibrate, slow power drumming and an expressive haunting vocal performance by Felicia Chen. What else do you need? This was a good rumbling mind cleanser.
How time flies when you're entertained! It was already evening, when I went back to Tilburg's Spoorzone for my first show in the Hall of Fame. On the way I made a - supposedly - short stop at the merch area, where for the first time you could now already buy your Roadburn ticket for next year.
First you paid and got a symbolic big card or little poster (whatever you want to call it), but then had to create an account and purchase the actual ticket online with help from the staff providing you with a free code. I aready felt a little bit in a hurry, and when it was my turn of course the laptop's screen went black, because the internet connection was down. So I left my name and email there and continued to see Fire!
To close this sidequest chapter: After the show the ticket guy wasn't there any more. Damn. That caused a bit of anxiety for a while. But ultimately I would get my ticket - not in digital form, but as a printed hard ticket - the next day. But was the band worth this stress? Yup.
To close this sidequest chapter: After the show the ticket guy wasn't there any more. Damn. That caused a bit of anxiety for a while. But ultimately I would get my ticket - not in digital form, but as a printed hard ticket - the next day. But was the band worth this stress? Yup.
Some Roadburn rules are quite simple. Like: If Mats Gustafsson is involved, better go see that shit! This time the sax player (also on flute and harmonica) was present with his trio Fire!, which combined his heavy playing including lots of screams and side noises with a great Heavy Jazzrock section, mostly characterized by short and stable repetitive bass lines and wild drumming freakouts.
An immensly cool and intense show, which could easily have continued for another twenty minutes if you ask me. However I would also very much welcome Gustaffson returning with a more smooth and mellow project to demonstrate Roadburn another side of his wide range.
An immensly cool and intense show, which could easily have continued for another twenty minutes if you ask me. However I would also very much welcome Gustaffson returning with a more smooth and mellow project to demonstrate Roadburn another side of his wide range.
CLASHBURN:
So far I was actually sticking to my plan very closely, despite missing for example Buñuel or Morvigor, who had been in earlier drafts.
From now I had three different paths in mind, which I had left myself open until this moment: the brutal Extreme Metal obliberation route of Black Curse in the Hall of Fame and Concrete Winds afterwards fell apart as soon as I saw the endless line outside. I wouldn't wait in this one to get inside again!
The next option was going Electronic and ultra-heavy in the 013 with Dame Area and then The Bug.
My choice however went to the Little Devil, since tonight really marked the only realistic option of seeing an Offroad show there. Since the bar is relatively far away from the other venues, I've never been there during Roadburn before and was happy to cross this from my bucket list now.
From now I had three different paths in mind, which I had left myself open until this moment: the brutal Extreme Metal obliberation route of Black Curse in the Hall of Fame and Concrete Winds afterwards fell apart as soon as I saw the endless line outside. I wouldn't wait in this one to get inside again!
The next option was going Electronic and ultra-heavy in the 013 with Dame Area and then The Bug.
My choice however went to the Little Devil, since tonight really marked the only realistic option of seeing an Offroad show there. Since the bar is relatively far away from the other venues, I've never been there during Roadburn before and was happy to cross this from my bucket list now.
Well, I even got more than I wanted! My schedule included a couple of Offroad locations, but I had missed to check official resources for the accurancy of the times on there, which apparantly the creator of the Clashfinder had just estimated or not updated before me printing the thing.
Which means that I unexpectedly still caught several songs of the only band I had not marked at least as interesting this day. And what can I say? Even though Duskhead's Stoner Hardrock didn't reinvent the wheel or any device... it was not bad. No, I liked it. Not everything has to push sonic and creative boundaries all the time. And other than during the official part of the festival, here you even got an encore.
And my last show of the night would be a good old Heavy Psych freak-out which mixed Kraut, Fuzz, Desert Doom and other ajacent ingredients to a whole, which often reminded me of Causa Sui, a less improvised Electric Moon or even Motorpsycho.
The Dutch trio Mantra Machine, who filled the small stage floor with effects and bass pedals and had one member often playing a guitar/bass double neck, put us on a colourful trip. And not only because it was musically satisfying on its own (I bought a three-CD bundle directly from the band after the show), but also because I still miss the intimate music bar vibes every now and then during Roadburn, I was very glad to bathe my mind in the hypnotic waves of their great performance.
And that was it for Thursday. Six mind- and ear-bending shows plus some bonus on top and the always overwhelming prospect of three more full days of Redefining Heaviness. I certainly was ready!
Still could use some sleep and rest before that though.
The Dutch trio Mantra Machine, who filled the small stage floor with effects and bass pedals and had one member often playing a guitar/bass double neck, put us on a colourful trip. And not only because it was musically satisfying on its own (I bought a three-CD bundle directly from the band after the show), but also because I still miss the intimate music bar vibes every now and then during Roadburn, I was very glad to bathe my mind in the hypnotic waves of their great performance.
And that was it for Thursday. Six mind- and ear-bending shows plus some bonus on top and the always overwhelming prospect of three more full days of Redefining Heaviness. I certainly was ready!
Still could use some sleep and rest before that though.
reviews of the other festival days:
ROADBURN FESTIVAL 2025 • THE SPARK: Wednesday, April 16th
- Rodents in thy Holy Place -
ROADBURN FESTIVAL 2025 • DAY TWO: Friday, April 18th
- Please stay close to me nowWeave the orb, Spin the dress
Don't you ever leave
me undead undead anymore -
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