This Saturday was the second edition of Headbanging Enschede, taking place in the new Atak. Which had a number interesting bands on the bill, so I drove to my Alma Mater, Enschede. I skipped the first few bands as I wasn’t interested in them at all. There weren’t even all that much people, I guess about 500 whereas the venue can hold some 800. But then there wasn’t any band that attracts big crowds.

The first band I saw albeit only 3 songs was INRI a more or less local band playing death metal. Not bad, but rather generic. They seemed to have a lot of fun though on stage.

In the small hall Prostitute Disfigurement was already playing. Not really my band as they play brutal death metal filled with blast beats.

Back in the large hall, the first band I was curious to see was the German Desaster although I didn’t really know them. They play thrash metal with some black metal influences – simple but effective. The sound is a bit thin some times with a distorted bass guitar and only one guitar. But actually a pretty good gig. I’d have to check this band out on album.

Izegrim was already playing in the small hall, but they are a rather dull band, so no big deal. I saw a couple of songs then moved back to the large venue.

Master was about to start there. I don’t really follow this band any more but their first 3 albums are solid early death metal. Especially On the Seventh Day God Created Master is a good album. After the introduction “We are Master” they kicked off with their self-titled song off the debut album. One thing I noticed is that Paul’s singing has changed a bit, much less enunciated as before, but a more barking style. I don’t know if it is intentional or that he can’t do his previous style anymore. He isn’t getting any younger. And they took long pauses between songs too. Anyway, they mixed their set with some new songs like Slaves of Society and a bunch of old songs, including Judgement of Will, Submerged In Sin, Funeral Bitch and ending it all with Pay to Die. A solid gig as I’m used to with Master, but not really special. It was the first time that I actually saw the stoical guitarist actually smile.

In the small hall it was Disabuse. A old, shitty hardcore thrash band. Completely boring, with a couple of paupers in the audiences that started to thrash around wildly trying to pull every one into a pit.

Asphyx was another local band who got an hour to fill and poured lots of classics into the hall as well as some songs off their latest offering Death the brutal Way and a new song too. Martin was chattering a lot, especially about going out drinking later. Certainly not an entirely flawless gig. Alwin didn’t remember his parts in the new song and some breaks in The Rack didn’t go to well. But nevertheless a fun gig with a good set including MS Bismarck, Wasteland of Terror, Death the Brutal Way, Scorbutics, Eisenbahnmörser, The Rack and ending it with The Last One on Earth.

Then things had changed a bit in the schedule. The band I wanted to see – Sodom – turned out to be sick and there was no replacement. So Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult was playing in the small hall. I wasn’t familiar with this German black metal band. Musically not really my thing, fast with lots of blasts and tremelo picking and high screechy vocals but fun to see live for once. And rather unorthodox has a female lead singer and guitarist. And I thought that spewing blood was a thing from the nineties but this band did it a lot – smelt like real blood too.

The last band was the Belgian Enthroned, another black metal band who I thought was completely boring so I left after a song or four. Not really a worthwhile headliner anyway.

So quite a disappointment that Sodom wasn’t there, as it has been 17 years ago I saw them play live. Hopefully Tom gets better soon maybe I can see them in February in Eindhoven.