The audience retreated to the various food and merch stalls
to recover from the toll that the performances had taken
on them. The fans could also catch up with the members
of their favorite bands at the meet-and-greet stalls. Just
as the evening began to cool off a bit, smoke began to
rise from the different corners of the venue, the crowd
was ready for Alcest. The french post-metal band that
was conceived back in 2000 as a solo black metal project
has evolved into something that can be best described as
other-worldly or ethereal. By the time they hit the stage,
the weather, the overall vibe of the venue, everything
had somehow mellowed to compliment the sound that
they were bringing. The soaring vocals, the ambient
soundscapes and delay-drenched tones had put the audience
into a trance-state. The band brought their set to a close
with a beautiful rendition of “Delivrance” that served as
an epic and grand outro to an amazing performance.
Personally, I loved the idea of placing Immolation right
after Alcest in the line-up. The mellow ambience that
had been created by Alcest was obliterated the absolute
brutality of Immolation. The chuggy riffs with the piercing
pinches, pummeling drum grooves and guttural vocals
warranted some huge mosh pits. The stage presence of the
band was kickass as well, especially their guitarist, Robert
Vigna, who seemed like he was conjuring spells as he was
pounding away on his strings. Arguably, the heaviest
band on this lineup, the American death metallers put on
a crushing display, leaving the crowd quite exhausted.
Closing up the night, was the main headlining act,
American thrash metal outfit, Overkill. A lot of old-school
thrash fans had gathered at the venue just to witness
one of the most influential bands that has been around
for more than three decades. The band lives up to every
bit of its hype, with Bobby Ellsworth’s gritty vocals
resonating over the fast and heavy instrumentation.
Overkill brought the night down to a grand close as the
festival-goers went home with a smile on their faces.
The seventh edition of Bangalore Open Air was a massive
success with people coming from all over the country
to witness their favorite acts. There is always a sense
of belonging and community at these shows, people
from various backgrounds and walks of life coming
together to celebrate their love for heavy music.
Picture Credits- Mohit Sharma:
Mohit Music Photography
The
Score Magazine
highonscore.com
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