The final countdown to GMM 2015: part 10

In five days the gates to Graspop Metal Meeting will once again swing wide for what promises to be a legendary 20th anniversary edition! Let’s take a closer look at those bands.

Amorphis

If the Finnish metal scene is hailed as one of the most prolific in the world, Amorphis certainly made a key contribution to this status. Their epic 1994 album ‘Tales from the Thousand Lakes’ blended the band’s death metal roots with doom metal, folk and psychedelic elements, with the melodious accents creating a magical atmosphere. Never looking back, they continued to push the boundaries and surprise fans and critics alike, but ‘Tales from the Thousand Lakes’ has always had a special place in the fans’ hearts. In celebration of the twentieth anniversary of their breakthrough record they will be playing it in its entirety this summer. (Text: Morbid Geert)

Sunday 21 June – Marquee - 19:20 to 20:20

 

Terror

Founded in 2002, Terror has released five albums to date. Their latest CD is called ‘Live by the Code’ and just as on their previous offerings, they remain true to their hardcore roots despite the occasional nod to punk and thrash. Frontman Scott Vogel is not only a very inspired singer/performer, his on-stage banter is nothing short of legendary. Pronouncements such as ‘Sound guy, can I get more stagedives in the monitor please?’ are no exception. More than anything else, Terror are a live band and the intensity of their live performances is well-documented. From the first minute till the very last note, Terror rages like a sledgehammer run amuck. This band doesn’t take prisoners so consider yourselves warned. (Text: Steven Verhoeven)

Sunday 21 June - Jupiler Stage - 20:15 to 21:05

 

Children of Bodom

Finnish extreme metallers Children of Bodom are one of those bands we’ve welcomed on a number of occasions. Their GMM debut in 1999 made it clear this band was a diamond in the rough and since then they have delivered on that promise, as have so many other Scandinavian metal bands. The release of ‘Follow the Reaper’ (2000) signalled their big breakthrough and all subsequent releases have emulated that success. ‘Halo of Blood’ (2012) resurrected the fearsome fast, riff-ruled approach of their earlier work – much to the satisfaction of long-time fans who weren’t so happy with the change in musical direction on a few of the previous albums. Their GMM2015 set will undoubtedly appease the fans as the wait for the next album continues. (Text: Nick Tronckoe)

Sunday 21 June – Marquee - 21:00 to 22:00

Within Temptation

Within Temptation debuted in Dessel way back in 1998 and this summer marks their seventh appearance here. Fronted by Sharon den Adel, one of the leading ladies in metal, this symphonic metal band is known for its theatrical stage shows. Their tremendous 15th anniversary show in the Antwerp Sports Palace in November 2012 illustrated just how popular the Dutch band is in these parts. Released early 2014, their new album ‘Hydra’ continues where the previous albums left off: solid metal, operatic vocals, churning riffs and catchy choruses. Within Temptation has also helped pave the way to a larger audience for other melodic metal bands by appearing at mainstream festivals all over Europe. (Text: Steven Verhoeven)

Sunday 21 June - Mainstage 2 - 21:10 to 22:25

 

Dragonforce

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s DragonForce! DragonForce are playing Graspop Metal Meeting for the fourth time this summer. Their brand of power metal is all about going full throttle so expect another riffing masterclass. What started out as a promising young UK band some 15 years ago developed into a power metal giant with 6 full-length CDs to their credit. Their latest effort, ‘Maximum Overload’, is another signature DragonForce album with ultraprecise and lightning-fast riffing as the main ingredients. Their live shows are no less energetic than their studio work and they also like to goof around on stage. So who needs energy drinks and other pick-me-ups when a Dragonforce gig will give you all the boost you need? (Text: Niels Desmedt)

Sunday 21 June - Metal Dome - 21:15 to 22:15

 

Scorpions

With Scorpions, we have another legendary band on the GMM bill . Any band able to thrill millions of fans for half a century deserves a special place in heavy metal history. Founded in 1965, success was initially hard to come by until 1970, when singer Klaus Meine and Rudolf’s younger brother Michael Schenker joined the band. ‘Virgin Killer’ made headlines across the globe, partly because of the then controversial album cover, but the music also struck a chord. The singles ‘Rock You Like a Hurricane’ and especially ‘Still Loving You’ became instant classics. The subsequent records took the US by storm and Scorpions became the first Western rock band to perform in the former Soviet Union. 1990’s ‘Crazy World’ also sold millions of copies thanks to the worldwide hit ‘Wind of Change’. In the years that followed, repeated personnel changes were one of the reasons the band faded from the spotlight. Their 2011 farewell tour turned out to be less final than expected and these seasoned warriors are ready for yet another stadium rock masterclass. (Text: Wim Vander Haegen)

Sunday 21 June - Mainstage 1 - 22:35 to 00:05

 

Cradle Of Filth

Cradle of Filth is the kind of band that you either love or hate. There’s no in between but at least they leave no one untouched. This vampire coven from Suffolk in the UK formed in 1991 and in spite of the many personnel changes – leaving singer Dani Filth as the only remaining founding member – Cradle of Filth’s music has always had an inimitable signature. Their unique brand of black metal is drenched in a gothic horror atmosphere and is characterised by classic heavy metal guitar leads, an NWOBHM inheritance that this British band is obviously proud of but that is not universally appreciated in black metal circles. Not that Dani & Co care one way or the other as they’ve never shied away from a bit of controversy... The release of their new horror disc is scheduled for early 2015 so there’s new material to look forward to as well. (Text: Morbid Geert)

 

Faith No More

Although they’re not a metal band in the purest sense of the word, many a GMM fan still has a soft spot for Faith No More. It’s easy to see why: Mike Patton & Co never fit into a specific category. Way ahead of their time, they liked to row upstream whenever possible. Catchy pop songs alternated with screaming guitars and blood-curdling screams and death grunts. Faith No More had their big breakthrough with the 1989 release of ‘The Real Thing’, the first CD featuring new vocalist Mike Patton. All of a sudden, they were filling major concert venues in no time and they frequently featured at festivals across the globe. Following the release of ‘Album of the Year’ in 1997 and the subsequent tour, FNM decided to call it quits. All remained quiet on the FNM front until they embarked on a reunion tour in early 2009. The fans ate it up and before long the reunion was dubbed ‘Comeback of the Year’ by analogy with their last CD. Over the next few years, the band played a select number of festival shows while claiming new material was out of the question. Until now, that is. They’re in the studio at this very moment and the new CD is scheduled for a spring 2015 release, 18 years after their previous album. They’ll be more than happy to showcase the new material at GMM together with all the classics. If it’s a party you’re looking for then FNM is the icing on the cake. (Text: Stef Maes)

Sunday 21 June - Mainstage 2 - 00:15 to 01:30