Started as a spin-off from the Roadburn.com website, the Roadburn festival has become (at least) Europe’s leading festival for underground music that pushes the boundaries of music further and further. This festival gives bands from psychedelic, avant-garde, stoner, doom and any other related genre a stage to excel. The festival has become bigger and bigger through the years thanks to a devoted team with Walter Hoeijmakers as Mr. Roadburn himself. This year they celebrate their 20^th anniversary and just as at previous editions, Metalrage will be present with Maurice van der Heijden (MvdH), Lennart Verhoeff (LV) and Gerard Gilles (GG) to review this unique event. Choosing your own path through this weekend always seems like a hell of a job, so we will give you some recommendations in advance.

Contrary to what many people think the festival isn't completely sold out yet. The 4-day pass and a single ticket for the Afterburner are, but a 3-day pass (thursday till saturday) and single tickets for thursday, friday or saturday are still available.(link)

The time schedule can be found here: (link)
 

Sólstafir – Thursday April 9^th, Main stage 15:00-16:50
Sólstafir – Friday April 10^th, Main stage 16:45-18:00
In order to give something special, and maybe also to ease the pressure from the running order a bit, a couple of bands will do two (different) sets at this year’s edition. Think Fields Of The Nephilim, Mortals and Eyehategod. Atmospheric Icelandic metal band Sólstafir is also one of the few to play twice. Their first show will be the opening of the festival and will be a special performance of the completely instrumental film score of the classic Vinking movie Hrafninn Flýgur (When The Raven Flies). This will be the first time to play this score in real time, while screening the movie. Second show will be a regular one, but when you’ve seen them before you’ll know this will be just as epic as a so called special performance. (GG)

 

Floor, Thursday April 9^th, Main stage 17:20-18:20
The inventors of the “Bombstring” are back on track with their latest album Oblation. Heavy crushing riffs are packed in a poppy sound with melodic vocals. A longtime ago nobody gave a fuck about Floor so these guys from Florida quit. They reunited, wrote a new album and now everyone wants to see them play live. For the first time on a European tour they surely impress on 013’s main stage. (MvdH)

 

Russian Circles – Thursday April 9^th, Main stage 18:50-19:50
One of the best instrumental bands to date is the Chicago trio Russian Circles. With the outstanding album Empros they caught my attention back in 2011 and with Memorial in 2013 they showcased they’ve developed even further. Crushingly heavy at one time, beautifully subtle at another. Prior to the festival this already promises to be one of my personal highlights. (GG)

 

Thou, Thursday April 9^th, Het Patronaat 19:30-20:30
Four young little guys make a bald combination of Sludge, Hardcore, Doom Metal and hints to Post Rock while the singer has the sickest vocals you can imagine. With a slab of uncountable releases they are back in Europe and for the first time at the Roadburn festival. The Patronaat is the perfect venue to be drenched in the murky sound of Thou. Normally they hit squats and small venues so I am curious how they perform at a big stage with a great sound installation. (MvdH)

 

Ken Mode, Thursday April 9^th, Green Room 22:00-22:50
They weren’t able to come last edition so here’s hoping they’ll be extra pissed this year round. Reminding me of Harkonen (see Helms Alee), Keelhaul, Botch and even a bit of (dare I say) Every Time I Die it’s an explosive melting pot of all things energetic guaranteed to get things going on the first day. (LV)

 

Helms Alee – Thursday April 9^th, Stage 01 22:40-23:30
 Once there was a band called Harkonen which next to their obviously cool name made a brilliant record called Shake Harder Boy, which to date is still one of my favourites in the ‘sludgy core & roll’ genre. The band sadly disbanded after one record, an EP and a split with the equally brilliant These Arms Are Snakes but Ben Verellen resurfaced with Helms Alee, which, while not quite the same and even harder to qualify, is something you don’t want to miss. (LV)

 

Bongripper, Thursday April 9^th, Main stage 23:50-01:00
Bongripper, Sunday April 12^th, Main stage 16:30-17:30
At their triumphant gigs in 2012 Bongripper smashed the complete crowd at the main stage and the Patronaat. The instrumental Doom band returns this year with two gigs. On Thursday they play their last album Miserable in total. Prepare to be crushed in the three long songs and your drunken ass will be whipped by the heavy riffs. At the afterburner they play another set with the Bongripper old-time favorites. Don’t miss it and buy their merch fast because in 2012 they sold out everything. (MvdH)

 

Kayo Dot – Saturday April 11^th, Het Patronaat 20:30-21:40
While I missed out on Maudlin Of The Well first time round, I’ve been following Kayo Dot since their debut Choirs Of The Eye which also still is one of my favorite albums. Toby Driver and his group of revolving door musicians has since then been quite prolific exploring all kinds of styles in the avant-garde metal/rock spectrum and I for one can’t wait to hear what they’ll be doing at Roadburn. It’ll probably be a trip. (LV)

 

Anathema – Sunday April 12^th, Main stage 20:30-22:40
Started as one of the influential doom bands, anathema has moved through the years, via a more gothic orientated period, towards progressive rock. Roadburn will be the start of a celebration of their quarter century career. Starting with music from their latest progressive rock albums Weather Systems and We’re Here Because We’re Here they will play their music in reverse chronological order all the way to their debut Serenades. The performance of their early songs will future old band members bassist and songwriter Duncan Patterson and original singer Darren White. A historical reunion and a unique headlining act on this last Roadburn day. Be there! (GG)