CVLT Nation Covers
Heavy Days in Doomtown
Days Three and Four

Text and photos: Astrid Tonella

DAY THREE
The third day was probably one of the heaviest of the fest. The place is packed, it’s Saturday, and something heavy’s cooking!

COUGH
So here I start my super sonic marathon with Cough. It was probably one of the performances that many people were most excited to see after their cancellation last year. I had the chance to see them in Copenhagen a couple of years ago, shortly after they released the brilliant Ritual Abuse. That show was rad, so my expectations were high. The set mostly included tracks from their recent split with Windhand, Reflection of the Negative, which I hadn’t time to give a spin yet so I felt a bit blindfolded, but it was cool to discover their new songs live. Kind of disappointed they didn’t leave more room for some of their bigger “hits” like “Crooked Spine” or “Killing Fields,” but the atmosphere they conveyed was definitely as obscure and suffocating as I remembered…

METH DRINKER
Meth Drinker is one of those bands that came a long way to play the fest. The trio from Wellington, NZ has made an impression on the international underground scene since 2011, with the release of their self-titled debut album, arousing the curiosity of several bloggers and magazine Terrorizer.

The show is about to start in 15 min, and already many people rush toward Dødsmaskinen, where the band is about to play. Meanwhile, the three lads are waiting peacefully by the stage, enjoying a beer, and no one has any idea what’s about to hit them. The first song starts, and immediately the air thickens and the atmosphere becomes oppressive. These guys are pulling a show of rare intensity and the crowd responds immediately. As I’m watching them, no word other than “raw” comes to my mind to describe what I hear and see. Their sound is so primitive (yet not simple) and so thick! James and Tony’s unique voices are terrifying and plunge you into a state of horror and claustrophobia. As they are playing you can see their facial expressions distort. You see pain and insanity as they become the epitome of their own sound… Damn, that’s was some dirty filthy sludge, I feel like I’ve been rolled over.

MOURNFUL CONGREGATION
Change of atmosphere – it’s time for some first class funeral doom with the charismatic Mournful Congregation. What to say about this performance… More than a simple show, it was an astounding inspiring experience that pushed me to completely abandon myself to the overwhelming flow of melancholy that the band was unfolding on the audience. Mournful Congregation is one of those few bands that manage to drain you emotionally by their virtuosity and their fascinating, infinite creativity…

GRAVES AT SEA
I don’t know a single person that wasn’t pumped to see Graves At Sea perform their first European show that night. The band started their set with one off their newest material, “Pariah,” and already the crowd was breaking their necks to the rhythm of this seismic track. By the time the quartet started playing the legendary “Red Monarch,” the audience went wild, amongst which you could see the drummers from Bell Witch and Samothrace definitely enjoying themselves! The madness peaks when they play “Praise the Witch”! At that point, beers and people were flying from all parts of the venue, sending front man Nathan out for a little walkabout. It was late, but the audience, restless, asked for an encore that the band, physically drained, couldn’t execute, but we’ll forgive them! This gig was probably one of the craziest shows of the weekend, the kind of gig that people will talk about for a long, long time…

SHADOW OF THE TORTURER
Due to some last minute change in the program, Shadow of the Torturer was set to play last at Dødsmaskinen. Unfortunately, after Graves At Sea, most festivalgoers left and the trio from Seattle didn’t get the crowd they should have had. But some people were still in the mood for some ugly misanthropic doom and decided to stay. To sum up the band, Shadow Of The Torturer is definitely not for your dear auntie. Their distortions are enough to turn your guts upside down and their rumbling drumming just crushes you at a mind-blowing slow pace. Definitely a good reason to stay and a perfect way to end the night…

DAY FOUR
This is the last day of the festival and it shows! After yesterday’s madness, tiredness can be read on people’s face and the venue is much less crowded. In the air floats a certain atmosphere of return to the state of calm…

DARK BUDDHA RISING
The general peaceful state of mind was perfect to welcome the gloomy and mystique Dark Buddha Rising. I was very impressed by their act last year at Roadburn, and was really excited to renew the experience. The band takes the stage and delivers a long introduction before making space for the singer. As with last year, I’m still fascinated by their ability to create that distinctive cold and ritualistic atmosphere. Like an offering, the singer, stripped to waist, is drinking from a chalice and pouring blood on himself, cramping, throwing out some of the darkest and unearthliest howls I’ve ever heard, making the audience uncomfortable. Behind that very theatrical performance, four very talented dudes are building an impressive soundscape, punctuated by long passages of black psychedelia and drone. Sunday, gloomy Sunday…

MOSS
“Heavy Days, Horrible Night”. This could be the next motto of HDDT, and not the least when it comes from Moss’s frontman, referring to their latest opus Horrible Night as the band is about to begin the closing show of the festival. As I imagined, the Southampton band delivered a solid show, which was mainly was based on their newest materials and largely acclaimed by the audience. A closing with style for an event that many now consider to be the best European festival – Heavy Days in Doomtown.

Special thanks to: Karin and Natalia for the great opportunity, as well as all the other volunteers who worked their asses off to provide the best experience possible during this killer weekend!