Festival: Brutal Assault 2024
Place: Jaroměř, Czech Republic
Date: 7-10 August, 2024
Live Correspondent: Vasiliki Kalogera

Prologue

Brutal Assault is undoubtedly one of the most powerful and highly anticipated festivals of the summer for every fan of the Extreme Metal music. This year’s event, from 7th to 10th of August 2024 in Jaroměř, Czech Republic, was no exception. It was an experience I will never forget. The historic fortress of General Josefov once again hosted this celebration of extreme music, with the line-up of bands covering a wide range of Thrash, Death, Black and Doom Metal sounds, as well as Hardcore and other genres of the Metal sound.

Brutal Assault 2024: Day 1 (Wednesday, August 7th, 2024)

On Wednesday morning we set off at Prague’s main train station, heading to Hradec Králové where our hotel is located, to accommodate us for the next four days. Hradec Králové is a quiet little town, twenty minutes away from the festival, where Brutal Assault shuttle buses would serve as our transportation to the festival. On arrival at the hotel, we were greeted by the kind festival staff, giving us our wristband entry ticket to the event, along with lots of helpful instructions. We dropped off our stuff and, along with other black hordes of Metalheads, we headed straight for the buses.

Our arrival at the imposing fortress was around 1 pm, crossing the main road of the free camping area, through lush vegetation and tall trees, while hundreds of tents with Metal campers from all over the world had conquered the place.

The first day of the festival started (for me) with SEVERE TORTURE on the Sea Shepherd stage (one of the two main stages). The Dutch band delivered lessons of brutal Death Metal in a 45-minute set, setting the tone for what was to follow. Then the English band SYLOSIS, gave lessons in Prog Thrash/Death Metal rhythms. on the other main stage (Marshall).

This was followed by a reconnaissance walk along the main street and the big square of the festival, places where you can find plenty of food and beer shops (with culinary varieties covering every taste, even those of vegetarians), many record shops with new and old releases, clothing stalls and all kinds of Metal gadgets. Also, very important is the existence of many spots with tents and shade, tables and makeshift seating where you can relax throughout the whole festival.

Somewhere in there, I was drawn to an incredible Deathcore sound with Balkan traditional choirs. It was coming from the Obscure stage and it was the Swedish HUMANITY’S LAST BREATH, playing the song “Instill”. I was enchanted! Angry riffs and breakdowns from the Swedes kept me there until the end of their set.

Returning to the main stages, I saw a part of the American Death Metal/Grindcore giants TERRORIZER, with a mild rain shower making its appearance at noon, for about an hour. Although this found us completely unprepared, we were not deterred. The festival has dozens of places to shelter from the rain and drink your beer.

At the main stages, it was the turn of the Swedish GRAND MAGUS followed by the American THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, who honored all their discography, playing songs also from their fresh-remarkable album “Servitude“. The crowd is slowly starting to increase. Back to Obscure stage, ready to enjoy the Finnish FINNTROLL, with their exceptional Folk Metal sound. The trolls are always top notch at their performances!

After a short break, it was the turn for the Canadian SPIRITBOX’s show, always in more modern Metalcore rhythms. Very good show, perfect choice for the fans of this Metal genre. Fresh Metalcore air and a very good performance from the singer of the band, Courtney, who seemed to live her best life…

Back to a more “athletic” music experience with the Americans HATEBREED, and their devastating Hardcore style bringing the absolute panic! The adrenaline was pumping and the crowd was heavily involved, with multiple mosh pits. The icing on the cake was the huge inflatable black ball they threw to the crowd, as the show was ending!

Death Metal legends DEICIDE appeared on the Sea Shepherd stage for the second consecutive year at this festival, this time on a European tour as part of their highly acclaimed new album “Banished By Sin“. Soon we will enjoy them in Greece too, in a closed venue! (HERE you can read what the band’s drummer Steve Asheim told us in the interview he gave to our online magazine). The Americans honored their discography by playing several songs from their great first two albums, and nothing was left standing! Glen Benton was surprisingly in some good mood (yes, he said a couple of words!) and generally the band was in solid form! “Dead by Dawn”, “Satan Spawn, the Caco-Daemon”, “Once Upon the Cross” and “Sacrificial Suicide”….you can’t imagine…!

The highlight of the first day was EXODUS, who smashed everybody, with their devastating Thrash Metal, including several selections from their debut album “Bonded by Blood” and their latest album “Persona Non Grata” (2021). Wall of death, moshpit and merciless headbanging, left everyone exhausted but fully satisfied. The Americans closed the first day triumphantly but also prematurely for me, as a local storm, beyond all prognosis, didn’t allow me to stay any longer in the open tents, resulting in an early exit!

I managed to catch a small part of ABBATH’s performance playing IMMORTAL, but the rain only got heavier and this seemed to affect even their performance. The Norwegian was not in a good mood and the sound was not very good. Unfortunately, in this bad weather, I missed my much-loved DARK TRANQUILLITY, who played a few hours later…

Brutal Assault 2024: Day 2 (Thursday, August 8th, 2024)

The second day didn’t start so well for the German OBSCURA. They appeared on stage at 1 o’clock in the afternoon and, as a matter of fact, they played two songs in total at their program, since technical problems didn’t allow them to have the presence they would have liked to have. It’s a shame, because Steffen Kummerer’s armada is really quite remarkable in everything they do!

We had a long break, beers and chats with friends afterwards, as well as a tour to all sorts of Metal shops in the festival! You literally get lost, with so many cool things around you!

Then, on Marshall main stage, we saw the unrepentant American Death-Metallers INCANTATION, who created an underwhelming atmosphere of old-fashioned -yet rotten- and raw sound! Excellent band, solid in what they do.

The -also- Americans WHITECHAPEL followed, combining Deathcore with more modern Metalcore elements. A great and very strong performance, which contributed to “breaking bodies” in the moshpit!

With my neck already aching, the Irish GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT provided a good relaxing break, creating a peaceful atmosphere. For those who don’t know this band, it produces high quality Post-Rock, without vocals, just music.

Next was my beloved BEWITCHED, in the festival’s smallest stage called Octagon (around 200 people can fit over there). Despite losing their equipment during their trip to the Czech Republic, the Swedes managed to show up on time with borrowed instruments! They honored the history of their name, playing anthems like “Hellcult”, “Triumph of Evil” and “Hard as Steel (Hot as Hell)” of course!

After the crushing performance of the Swedes, I caught almost half of the program of the American Thrash Metal legends FORBIDDEN. They played 10 songs in total, all from their first two albums, “Forbidden Evil” and “Twisted into Form” from 1988 and 1990, respectively…their performance was beyond description!

After that, a break was needed! I went to the Natural Stand, where one can see both main stages from above. The Australian THE AMITY AFFLICTION with their Post/Hardcore was really what I needed.

Then, one of the most dynamic acts of the festival appeared! English CARCASS proved why they are considered the fathers of Grindcore/ Death Metal, delivering lessons of how a band that has been around since 1986, can rip everything with its live performance! With the airy Jeff Walker and Bill Steer being the only founding members in the band, in a very serious and solid performance, CARCASS created pandemonium, for yet another year at Brutal Assault! They didn’t let a single second go to waste, and in their 65-minutes set, they honored their most beloved songs from the albums “Heartwork”, “Swansong”, “Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious” and “Reek of Putrefaction”. All the energy flowed from the speakers and everything that took place in the crowd, cannot be described into words…!

The pounding continues with TESTAMENT appearing on the other main stage. Chuck Billy, Alex Skolnick and of course Steve DiGiorgio participate in the lineup! Unstoppable Thrash Metal for 70 minutes, and may the stronger one survive! The band played seven songs from its 1987 debut album “The Legacy” and six songs from 1988’s “The New Order”. No need to say anything else…

The Norwegian band TULUS, who were playing at the same time on the Octagon stage, definitely deserved a visit. So, I left TESTAMENT a bit earlier to catch the Norwegians, since they’ve never come to Greece (nor is it certain they ever will). An atmospheric and powerful Black Metal performance, with their signature cold-sharp sound accompanying Blodstrup’s haunting vocals. The band delivered a set that included their top tracks, such as “Draug” and “Flukt.” Their stage presence was minimal yet commanding. TULUS honored their long-standing history, remaining true to the roots of Norwegian Black Metal since 1991 up until today. 

The night was topped off with SATYRICON, who returned to the Josefov fortress after 8 years! Their performance was professional, eerie and captivating, in an imposing set consisting of songs from their entire discography. Highlights included “Now, Diabolical”, “Mother North” and “Hvite Kristsdød” played as an encore. A presence on a very high level, proved why SATYRICON are on the throne of the Norwegian Black Metal and Satyr with Frost, the loyal Masters of the scene!

A full Metal day ends here…

Brutal Assault 2024: Day 3 (Friday, August 9th, 2024)

The third day started with the Finns KALMAH, amidst sunshine. 40 minutes of Melodic Death/Power Metal. A proper starter for the day.

Followed by the New York masked troupe IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT, who brought their futuristic and Avant-Garde Black Metal aesthetic at the Obscure stage.

ABORTED, with their relentless Brutal Death Metal, was one of the strongest acts of the day. The Belgians raised the tones, playing many songs from their new album “Vault of Horrors” and got us all worked up for good in a ruthless circle pit. The big surprise of their performance was when their producer, Dave Otero, brought his girlfriend on stage and proposed her, in front of the crowd! The woman accepted, followed by crazy cheers from the crowd and best wishes from the band! The band closed its program to the sounds of Eurotrance music (!!!), with the frontman Sven de Caluwe reminding us “how short life is” and that we should “live every moment”, while dancing with us! Remarkable times!

It’s time for some “Greek air” in the Czech countryside, and this was done by VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY. With their special mix, from Stoner Rock and Greek traditional elements to Metal guitar riffs and Doom influences, they offered something really unique. The frontman, Alex Karametis, on vocals and guitar, together with the great musician and specialist in traditional brass instruments, Kostantis Pistiolis, and the rest of the band, led the audience on a journey of psychedelia and tradition. The banner of THE GALLERY was there, as well as the Greek flags!

Having enjoyed the whole 45-minute set of VIC, I managed to see ten-minutes of the “trampy” Thrash of TOXIC HOLOCAUST in the main stages! Great vibes!

JINJER provided a nice excuse for a rest, as I’ve seen them several times at festivals around the world and I was kind of tired. Professional in their performance, with a lot of people gathered in front of their stage.  Tatiana Shmaylukya dazzling once again.

After I took the necessary breaths, I got ready for the Death Metal smackdown that was to follow from the Americans LEFT TO DIE. For those who don’t know, this band is a tribute to DEATH, with members from the first albums of the band being in the line-up. More specifically, Terry Butler (OBITUARY, ex-DEATH) and Rick Rozz (ex-DEATH) are the driving force behind the band, where they join Matt Harvey (EXHUMED, GRUESOME) and Gus Rios (GRUESOME) in honoring the memory of DEATH’s Chuck Schuldiner. We hit with all our strength to the sounds of the anthems like “Leprosy”, “Born Dead”, “Primitive Ways”, “Zombie Ritual”, “Pull the Plug” and furious, we renewed our appointment with them for August 31st in Thessaloniki, Greece (HERE you can read what Rick Rozz and Terry Butler told us in the interview they gave to our online magazine).

The next show I really enjoyed was that of Swedish Doom Metallers CANDLEMASS. For 60 minutes, they gave us a massive-Doom Metal experience and proved that Doom is still alive and captivating, even today! Most of the songs were from their first two albums, “Epicus Doomicus Metallicus” and “Nightfall”, released in 1986 and 1987 respectively.

Next was the long-awaited festive appearance of the Czech Black Metallers CULT OF FIRE, which I believe, for the locals, was the most important performance of the festival, as they were going to accompany the BOHEMIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRAGUE in a great show of classical and Metal music, a tribute to the works of Czech composer Bedřich Smetana. On the packed Marshall stage, the big veil falls to reveal the entire orchestra taking up the entire stage space, while the members of CULT OF FIRE on the edges of the stage, started pounding away. A very nice combination of those two, and the footage of historical places in the Czech Republic projected in the background, completed the symphonic Metal experience. A fly in the ointment was the loud drums that often overlapped the rest of the orchestra’s instruments.

Just before the end of CULT OF FIRE’s performance, a rest was necessary… The best spot was the “underground” hangout place in the fortress warehouses. I’m talking, of course, about the Horror/Splatter Cinema of the festival. I diligently dragged the heavy door of the Cinema and “sank” into the seats of the big dark room for the next hour. Many viewers, total darkness and an abstract Horror film in the screen…

Across the cinema, was the Kal Stage, another choice for underground and different music tastes… Darkness, humidity, neon lights, a small crowd of people and Experimental, Drone, Noise, EBM, Synthwave music from DJ… It was fun!

I barely caught the last ten minutes of ARCHITECTS, a band that does not belong to my musical tastes. Nevertheless, I have to admit their highly glorious set-up, combined with the very impressive effects of the videowall!

Closing the night with a ten-minute performance of the Slovenian LAIBACH, who moved in Industrial Avant/Garde soundscapes. But that’s it for today!

On the bus back home, I was upset with the organizers who had scheduled the performance of my favorite AKHLYS at 02:15… Never mind, another time… Good night!

Brutal Assault 2024: Day 4 (Saturday, August 10th, 2024)

The last day of the festival starts off strong with the Dutch SINISTER. Brutal Death Metal on the Marshall stage, woke us up for good. The band was in excellent form, performed brilliant, preparing us properly for the next bands…

A special appearance was that of PERSEFONE from the small state of Andorra. A band that is distinguished for their quality Melodic Death Metal, truly reminiscent of different, more romantic times. They appeared on the Obscure stage and it was really worth seeing them live, as such small bands are hard to be seen in Greece…

Follow up with the Dutch Death Metal battleship of PESTILENCE! The pioneers of technical Death Metal, appeared in amazing form, having an excellent sound but also virtuosity in their playing. This created the right conditions for multiple circle pits in front of the stage! There are really no words to describe what was going on in the pit throughout the set. A band for the brave only…

A few breaths were needed after what we experienced at PESTILENCE’s show, so I took the opportunity for a Meet’n’Greet with IMPALED NAZARENE. The whole band was relaxed, welcoming us with beers in hand, smiles and the promise of crazy-Mika Luttinen to perform in Greece…soon!

Afterwards, SADUS left no one disappointed with their technical Death/Thrash on the main stage, Marshall. Jon Allen and Darren Travis brought their old-school blackness straight from California. Sun, warm atmosphere and the circle pits are going on!

The Finnish Black Metallers IMPALED NAZARENE appeared right afterwards, on the adjacent stage of Sea Shepherd. It was a pretty good show, with several problems in the sound though, where, in combination with the chaotic aura that characterizes them and the eerie vocals of Mika, made the whole sound quite unbearable…

The day would continue dreamily, as there would be plenty of Black Metal music from some legendary bands. It was the turn of PRIMORDIAL. Emotionally charged performance of the shocking and very touching frontman, Alan Averill, he enchanted us with his melodic voice and the messages he had to tell us about life, during the breaks of their songs.

The darkness was slowly falling… It was time for one of the greatest performances of this year’s Brutal Assault! The emperors of Black Metal scene EMPEROR, emerged on the Marshall main stage, with their atmospheric and imposing Black sound blasting out of the speakers. Old members Ihsahn, Samoth, Trym but also the newest ones including (the whirlwind of headbanging) Secthdamon on bass as well as the enthusiastic Jørgen Munkeby on keyboards (also known from SHINING band), delivered a seminar of masterfully played Black Metal, conquering every pair of ears in front of the stage. Flawless performance and musical excellence, without unnecessary effects and excesses. In the 70 minutes of their set, we heard songs like “The Loss and Curse of Reverence”, “Curse You All Men!”, “I Am the Black Wizards” and “Inno a Satana”, among others…

Norway’s, DØDHEIMSGARD, continued the magical night, with Obscure’s stage, inspired by a crazy cosmic dream. The eccentric Vicotnik (you can read the interview Vicotnik gave to THE GALLERY Web Magazine HERE) welcomes us, wearing a starry veil and «Et smelter’ plays from their latest-very successful record, «Black Medium Current“. Crazy things started happening on stage! Throughout their performance, he wouldn’t leave the other members of the band in peace, throwing sparkling magic dust out of his pockets at them, teasing them, climbing onto some big speakers, sometimes singing the lines, sometimes not, disappearing, coming back, climbing the iron pillars of the stage and things like that (which made us a little nervous, it’s true…). Apart from that, the bottom line was that we experienced Avant-garde Black Metal in its entirety. A highlight of their performance was when Vicotnik called up on stage, a fan and friend of the band from Chile, to sing that song “Oneiroscope”! He sang it perfectly, it’s the truth!

The festival ended really strong for me with BEHEMOTH! A band I couldn’t wait to see. Scenery taken from a pagan ceremony site, goat skulls and a blasphemous, scandalous backdrop of the Nazarene with a sex toy in his mouth were the first things we saw, once the scene was revealed. Nergal and his company appear as “Post-God Nirvana” plays. This is followed violently by «Once Upon a Pale Horse’ which sets the audience on fire. Their sound quality was amazing, the rich light effects, added intensity to the show, while often the stage was embraced by large fires, thus completing the explosive stage presence of the Poles.

From the first notes of “Ov Fire and the Void” the situation became inseparable in front of the stage, with non-stop headbanging for everyone! There was plenty of screaming from the fans, as the band then took us back to their 92 demo with “Cursed Angel Of Doom”. The pandemonium continued with Nergal calling the Christians to their…lions, with the song “Christians to the Lions”. The night closed with a bang with “O Father, O Satan, O Sun!”. BEHEMOTH gave an absolutely spectacular show, becoming the highlight of the last night of the festival, leaving everyone with a sense of awe and satisfaction.

Brutal Assault 2024 was a real feast for the fans of Extreme Metal music. With an excellent variety of bands, each day offered something unique, creating memories that will be unforgettable for all. I was lucky enough to watch live some of the most emblematic bands of the Metal scene, in four days full of adrenaline, tension and unforgettable moments. We renew our appointment in 2025!

P.S. Bands I wanted to see (but didn’t), were DARK TRANQUILITY due to the rain, 1914 due to a coincidence with CARCASS and STONED JESUS due to a coincidence with DODHEIMSGARD. next time!

Live Correspondent: Vasiliki Kalogera
Translation/Rendering in English language: Vasiliki Kalogera
Cover Artwork: Brutal Assault Festival
Design, Editing & Text Correction: Alexandros Soultatos
Photos: Brutal Assault Festival
Videos: Alexandros Soultatos
External Links: Brutal Assault Festival – Official Page
Copyright © 2024 THEGALLERY.GR

Note from the address:

Another four-day Extreme Metal holocaust has been written in the book of our Metal experiences! For the fourth consecutive year, THE GALLERY”s Team made its presence felt at this great Czech festival, aptly named BRUTAL ASSAULT.

This year, the crowd turnout was not as expected (especially during the first two days), and this may have been influenced by the fact that ROCKSTADT FESTIVAL took place in Romania a few days earlier, with many people preferring it this year due to its strong and celebratory line-up (you can read THE GALLERY’s coverage of ROCKSTADT FESTIVAL here).

As every year, BRUTAL ASSAULT had many positives and very few negatives.

Positives: A “compact” organization in terms of crowd size (which is actually a good thing!), with easy roaming between stages, excellent sound and lighting, all set in a unique location next to a fortress and forest, on terrain that was manageable even in rain. There was convenient parking fairly close to the festival grounds, and very affordable prices for beer (2.7 € for 500 ml!) as well as good prizes for food! Dozens of rest areas, various different events, all sorts of Metal shops, friendly staff, and numerous toilets with minimal wait times. Free participation in signing sessions. These were just SOME of the positives. In order to experience the rest, you have to visit the festival!

This year’s line-up was also incredibly strong (especially for the Thrash/Death and Black Metal fans). Highlights included performances from DEICIDE, EXODUS, BEWITCHED, ABORTED, LEFT TO DIE, DØDHEIMSGARD, BEHEMOTH, EMPEROR, CARCASS και SATYRICON, with the last three bands approaching perfection!

Negatives: A major downside (and something the organizers MUST address next year) was the simultaneous pumping of sewage from chemical toilets by trucks, while bands were performing, only 15-20 meters away from the audience. As a result, the – not so pleasant – smells were being carried to the crowd and even to the bands themselves during live performances. A prime example was during the SPIRITBOX concert, where the singer was seen holding her nose and expressing her discomfort about the unpleasant odors that filled the air while the band was playing live, with a sewage truck operating nearby…Another significant issue that needs improvement is the limited number (only 2 or 3) of drinkable water stations within the festival grounds. This resulted in long queues, with people trying to fill their cups (from a very slow water flow), missing out the bands performing live on stage at the same time!

Overall, this festival ranks among the top in Europe, and Extreme Metal fans MUST visit it, at least once in their lifetime! It will definitely remain etched in our memories. Greetings to the entire THE GALLERY crew who joined us at this festival!

A.S.