Hellfest 2022 Review

 A hell of an experience. 

After 2 years of intermittent lockdown and virus spreading, it was time for the bands to hit the stage and for their fans to headbang in front of them and what a better place for that than Clisson, France, the small town of Hellfest, the biggest metal festival in France and one of the biggest in Europe. 

Even if the tickets are sold out in a few hours after their online offering, I had the chance to purchase a ticket through the official app 'Tickets Swap' months later and as I'm living 30 minutes away from Clisson, I couldn't miss the chance to go see many of the bands I love. 

I will mention in the following, some of the bands I've watched: 

• The Great Old Ones:  A Post Black Metal band from Bordeaux - France. Recommended. 
• Opeth: the great progressive metal Swedish band. Although, I'm not a big fan but I found their live show much better than album recordings. I thought that their music was more calm, but I was surprised by the growling of Mikael Akerfeldt.
• Rotting Christ: The Greek legends with their black metal infused with oriental melodies. Essential.
• Primordial: The best show for the first day was with the Irish black/folk (Celtic) legends, with their specific lyrical style, the hegemonic presence of Alan "Nemtheanga" and Irish flags in the crowd.

• Five Finger Death Punch: I like their groovy/alternative metal style, but I found their live show an imitation of Slipknot style. I didn't like their lead vocalist Ivan Moody and his wardrobe's changing constantly, but their guitarists are astonishing. 
• Deftones: I'm a big fan of this nu metal band, but I didn't find the live show as per my expectations. Chino has always his own performer style. 
• Heaven Shall Burn: The best show for me in the second day. In the afternoon with 40 Celsius degrees,  firefighters were spraying the fans who were in front of the stage. Circle pits, Walls of death and heavy riffs accompany the left-wing lyrics of this German metalcore / deathcore group. 

• Megadeth: One of the Thrash big 4 with their legendary lead vocalist Dave Mustaine's sound and his guitar playing.  To satisfy those  who couldn't watch Metallica in the 2nd weekend. 
• Sepultura: A great mistake by the organizers was to program the Brazilians on the Altar stage. This show deserves to be on a mainstage, as a respect to the history and the big crowd, as well as to the performance of Derick Green and his bandmates.
• Ghost: Not a big fan of the Swedish rockers and their pope/s, but their melodies and their eccentric on-stage presence is worth-watching. 
• Lacuna Coil: the Italian Gothic leaders with the beautiful Cristina Scabbia offered a good start of the 3rd day and up to the expectations. 

• Regarde les hommes tomber:  An emerging post black metal band from Nantes-France. Also recommended for those who don't know them yet. 
• Counterparts: While the Ukrainians Jinjer were playing the mainstage, my first trip to the Warzone was to watch this Canadian hardcore band and it seems I'm gonna be listening to their music more frequently. A fine discovery along with the Americans Knocked Loose. 
• Dying Fetus & Misery Index: Known for their technical death metal/ Grindcore and their left-wing lyrics, their shows were energetic with a continuous crowd surfing in the Dying Fetus show and an continuous Circle pit in the Misery Index show. 
• Korn:  As its my 2nd time, seeing them, I watched only some songs of the Korn show who was heavily crowded as expected and its always a great opportunity to see Jonathan Davis performance. 
• Walls of Jericho: In parallel to the French post-black metal band Alcest, I had to choose the Walls of Jericho breathtaking show. The metalcore band with their female led vocalist Candace Kucsulain ruled the warzone. Also, a fine discovery of the festival.  
• Gojira :  The final act of the first weekend was with the French most known metal band in history Gojira with their visuals show and their eco-friendly lyrics. 

Apart from that I couldn't watch  completely the Judas Priest and Deep Purple for older fans. But in the end, due to logistical reasons, unfortunately I missed final concert by the black metal legends Watain.

As a conclusion, Hellfest a pilgrimage that every metal fan should do. 

Sepultura - The Age Of The Atheist

What do you see depends of what you are looking for and what are you looking for, needs to be believed.
It needs to exist in your head, you need to believe to disbelief.
What do you believe depends on the idea planted in your mind, what type of seeds have been planted?
What do you believe depends on what you see!

Diversions are blocking our vision from the truth, the clear reality
Diversions turn our world to shit - must stop- DENY!
No Gods, no leaders, no prophets telling my future!
No heaven, no hell, not a messiah!

The needle of our medicine injecting poison vaccines
Our veins no longer carry blood – robotized- I DENY!
No news, no adds, no anchor telling us lies
No secrets, no war, there’s no savior!

It’s the age of the atheist!
It’s the age of the atheist!
It’s the age of the atheist!
It’s the age!

All your senses – Eyes wide open
All your senses – Eyes wide open
All your senses – Eyes wide open
All your senses – Eyes wide open

It’s the age of the atheist!

Skyclad - Art Nazi

Twist the truth - then twist your arm,
It's the Emperor Caligula School of Charm,
Don't take his word 'cause it's not worth having it
(he's an Art-Nazi)
He's a tinpot Hitler gone berserk,
A self-made man from another man's work,
More tongue in cheek than a french kiss from Judas Iscariot.

I've been to a prison - one of my own making,
I sent myself there when I signed on the line.
A pact with the Devil so legally binding -
Now he owns my soul 'til the end of time.

He owns all we eat - all we breathe,
All we take and all we leave,
All we are and all we ever will be.

Think of all the time and the energy we've wasted.
Learning how the sole of a Jack-boot tasted,
Anyone would think that he was doing us a favour -
(he's an Art-Nazi)
His name goes hand in hand with notoriety -
Bigot of the highly illegitimate variety.
I'm sick of eating shit - can I try another flavour.

What you give with one hand you take with the other,
We are your puppets and you pull the strings.
Don't make the fatal mistake of forgetting -
It's never really over 'til the fat lady sings.

He knows all we think - all we do,
Head he wins - and tails we lose.
He's our Fuhrer - he's our Lord and Master.

Twist the truth - then twist your arm,
It's the Emperor Caligula School of Charm,
Don't take his word 'cause it's not worth having it -
(He's an Art-Nazi)
He's a tinpot Hitler gone berserk,
A self-made man from another man's work,
More tongue in cheek than a french kiss from Judas Iscariot.
His name goes hand in hand with notoriety -
Bigot of the highly illegitimate variety.
I'm sick of eating shit - can I try another flavour.

Guillotine - Insane Oppression

Right wing assassins controlling our lives
Make us live in misery and hell

Conservative illusions make it all "democracy"
To main and slay for everything that sells
Trading embargoes, corruption and greed
Protectionism is the modern way
Demoralize your citizen's, control society
Kill the fuckers who won't get in line, today!

Now it's time
It's to say good-bye to Mother Earth

Insane oppression
Makes for aggression
Insane oppression
The end has just begun

Look at the "freedom", controlling our news
Politics and empty barricades
Disinform your people and then write them off as fools
They'll swallow eveything you have to say
Choke on your money, you blood soaked bill
Trading arms with our "enemies"!
Make a buck on terror, while you're sleeping with the beast
You decide the headlines for the news, machine!

Now it's time
It's to say hello to tragedy

Insane oppression
Makes for aggression
Insani oppression
The end has just begun

Carnivore - Race War

Black against white
Yellow versus red
The fighting won't stop
Until we're all dead

Burning riots destroy the masses
Nightfall brings death,
City reduced to ashes

Don't call me your brother
We fell from different cunts
And your akins an ugly color

Race war
We're going to a Race war
Hate war
We're going to a Hate war

Heyndicial homicide
Bloodshed, rampage torture is not subsiding
Chaos, bedlam, violent ethnic uprising

MuslIms against Christians
And the Arabs versus Jews
The Catholics and protestants
No one wins we all loose

Race war
We're going to a Race war
Hate war
We're going to a Hate war

Everybody's gonna die!

Xenophobic tendencies
Instilled in us at birth
Are mislodled racism
Hostilities getting worse
Accept the fact my distant cousm
Insocateel environments
May just be the key

Human beings suspicious
Soon fear grees to hate
We'll have each other by the throat
When forced to integrate
Mothers watch their children die
And each other hand
Cain and Abel set the course
Ethnocentric command

Race war!
Hate war!

Revocation - Dismantle The Dictator

The corpse master presides
Over congregation zombified,
Indoctrinating the populace.
A military nation.
Upon the eve of war.
Inflicts retaliation.
On enemies in distant shores.

Gripped by an iron hand.
Military industrial.
Exterminating the dissident voice.
A military nation.
Upon the eve of war.
Inflicts retaliation.
On enemies in distant shores.

The fog of propaganda. Instilled across generations.
Inhibits thought, Sapping vital motivations.
Proliferation instead of disarmament.
Destined to fail, meltdown is imminent.

Overlord overthrown.
(Overlord overthrown.)
A challenge to rise from the rhetoric,
(Overlord overthrown.)
Dismantle dictators and rancorous politics.

Kreator - Progressive Proletarians

Evidence, freedom total fake
Media projection to enslave
Subject of this system you became
Object of derision total pain
Constantly deny your misery
Can't critizise a fact you cannot see
Interference mindwar affairs
Guaranteed existance of despair

Defiant generation
Total violent generation

Servant modern day dictatorship
Disabled too confused to get a grip
Limited perception slavery
Genius built to crush integrity
Infertility of soulless lifes
Defenceless to the visions of the mind
Ghost of strategy alienation
Exterminating powers of lifes passion

Children of the future
Get own path to go
Some will choose to follow
Some refuse control
Keep the faith in powers
Of integrity
Progressive proletarians
Capitalist strongest enemy

Nailbomb - World of Shit

Violence is what you breed

Racism is what you breed

Hate is what you breed

What do you expect me to be ?

Peace brother, fuck you bastard

I don't need your false friendship

Freedom is a bunch of shit

This is world of shit

Misery is what we see

Murder is what we see

Ignorance is what we see

What do you expect me to be ?

Terrorizer - Corporation Pull-In

Big money business

take what they can

always for a profit

never for the consumer

using all tricks

using a trap

taking all the money

for their personal gain

Corporation Pull-in

Corporation Pull-in

The rich get rich

the poor stay poor

working hard

all for nothing

life of dreams

shatter faith

down and grim

there's no answer

Corporation Pull-in

Corporation Pull-in

Always in it for money

government bastards are to blame

no one cares any more

about society and economy

millions die

loss of values

corporation takes control

no way out this misery

always backing big business shit

The economy of this nation

is slowly drifting away

self-righteous bastards

never caring about society

Who - suffers - pays the price

People - prisoners - to the system

The wealth and greed

the power to gain

fucking over others

just to stay ahead

Can't they see - they must help

Stop - the pain of mankind

Racial power keeps minorities down

who died and made them God

If they want an apartheid state

then take your shit and fuck off

Nuclear Assault - Eroded Liberty

Welcome to the age of an American empire

Not a day will pass when bombs don't seem to fly

Scream about the rights of victims and their pain

But your actions are where the causes lay

Don't like what we have done - we're not the only ones

before you raise you rage - look closely at your past

Algeria and Viet Nam - Africe the Middle East

English ships and the slave trade - now tell me who's the beast

European leaders wringing their own hands

Set aside as powers in the holy land

To Europe we are lacking in sophistication

Are we another shitty little country

Don't like we have done - we're not the only ones

Before you raise your rage - look closely at your past

South East Asia and India

Aztec Mayan and Incan worlds

Chinese hooked an opium

Sacrificed for the old world ways

Belief in their empire covers them in cloth

Forget their powers and morals for the part

History shows us this has always been our harm

When we put up with this and the UN in charge

Don't like we have done - we're not the only ones

Before you raise your rage - look closely at your past

America your enemy

To heal your leaders tell

But for your own demands

You need our power as wel

Agony - Ku Klux Klan

Slayes

of their own prejudice, just full of

Hate

and always judging, remaking

Truth

poor fallen angels, behind the

Cross

you fuckin loosers, stay away from me

Achild in the dark damnation

Kingdom of terror damnation

Pleasure to kill damnation

Pray for your sins damnation

Open up your eyes

Open up your ears

Take a look around

Cause the time is near

Skin is all they see

Nationality

In the name of God

Sacrifice your race.

Violence is all what you see

Decadence is all you will feel

End of time, the end of belief

Agony and pain to be free.

Who the hell you think you are

everlasting master of humanity

I'm not guilty for your problems

for your fear and for your life

Don't have reason for your sickness

your the one who knows damns well

Now bad feeling are aproaching

gettin' worse can't you tell.

D.R.I. - Capitalist Suck

Capitalist Suck

Capitalist Suck

Capitalist Suck

You can't tell your wants from needs

You buy America and do a good deed

Create a job, don't bite the hand that feeds

Capitalist Suck

Capitalist Suck

Capitalist Suck

All of your goals are the fucking same

As every other jerk in this stupid game

Your brains have been washed and hung out to dry

You don't doubt it and you don't know why

Revolted Masses - Revolted Masses

Tremendous growth for the rich
exploiting the poor

Repression and religion make
alien-nations

Arrogant pigs prepare, this Babylon
will fall

Revolted masses will bring our
revelation

It's time for the starving child to have revenge

It will eat your head and wipe his mouth with
your money

It's time for working class heroes to prevail

Run you little green pigs, we are hungry


Come on slaves break your rusty chains
take your lives in your own hands
Come on blinds see the red light
and we will raise the red flag

(From Internationale)
"Arise workers from your slumbers
Arise prisoners of want
For reason in revolt now thunders
And at last ends the age of cant

Away with all your superstitions
Servile masses arise, arise
We'll change henceforth the old tradition
And spurn the dust to win the prize"

Arise
For reason

Soulfly - Born Again Anarchist

Born Again Anarchist

Born again anarchist

Downstroy the system within

Born again anarchist

Downstroy your bullshit

Born again anarchist

Fuck with me so I must resist

Born again anarchist

You fuel the fire that in me exists

Born again anarchist

Screaming bloody pigs

Born again anarchist

Screaming bloody pigs

Born again anarchist

Downstroy mediocrity

Born again anarchist

Coming at ya, iron fist

Born again anarchist - Born again

Born again anarchist - Born again

Born again anarchist - Born again

Born again anarchist - Born again