After a sunny and festive first day, Plane’R Fest continued under heavy skies, like a promise of an impending apocalypse. Just the thing to make BÅKÜ‘s Post Metal even heavier. With three guitarists dedicated to producing the heaviest sounds possible, Baku is above all an atmosphere to savour and a journey to abysmal depths.
Energy Rush
To open the main stage on this second day, it was time to call on Animalize and their classic Heavy Metal sung in part in French, which is a refreshing change. With a fiery energy and outfits worthy of the best (or worst) moments of the ’80s. Animalize pays tribute to the pioneers of heavy metal while forging their own legend. You could say it’s kitsch, but it’s just too good! Animalize is the future of classic Heavy Metal, and all they have to do now is conquer the world. The only thing you’d wish is that they’d refrained from making jokes about the rain…because if they were lucky, it wasn’t the case for all the bands.
For the rest of the day, back on the small stage, the program once again focused on promoting an up-and-coming alternative scene, as with the band Ashen. While remaining melodic and energetic, the band draws inspiration from the neo-metal of the 2000s, infusing it with their darkest thoughts to create a catharsis that is nonetheless upbeat.
It’s not about fashion
The stars of the day were the Japanese band Hanabie, who had to make do with the weather. A downpour hit the venue right from the start of their set, but as proof of the public’s enthusiasm, the crowd did not run away and hordes of crowd surfers kept flooding over the crash barrier. Following in the footsteps of BabyMetal, but with more seriousness and fewer gimmicks, Hanabie is all the more interesting in that the singer is capable of switching from pop-like clean vocals to powerful growls, which means that in the end, their aesthetic isn’t the most compelling thing about their show. Proof that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.
The rain only got worse for French band Smash Hit Combo‘s set, and only the hardiest fans (and those who’d given up trying to stay dry) crowded to the front of the stage. The band thanked these fans with jokes about other events being cancelled due to the weather in France. Perched on the fence or balancing on the subwoofers, it’s literally face-to-face that Smash Hit Combo give their all. Rap metal may not always be everyone’s taste, but the way Smash Hit Combo plays is certainly something to be admired.
Surprises
Before the day’s two big headliners, the duo Ko Ko Mo took to the big stage. A singer-guitarist and a drummer who also provides backing vocals: It couldn’t be more minimalist. Their set got off to a slightly sluggish start, but it was throughout the set that the musicians’ qualities were revealed, with their songs gaining in intensity and engaging atmosphere. Little by little, we discover in this singer a worthy heir to Robert Plant who reaches stratospheric heights. In turns soaring and groovy, Ko Ko Mo is ultimately the best surprise of the day. In the end, the crowd gave a very positive reception to their Heavy Rock N’ Roll cover of “Personal Jesus” before ending their set with their latest single “Zebra”.
Originality remains at the heart of the programme with the following group: Villagers of Ioannina City from Greece. They play an abrasive blend of stoner with traditional musical influences. Deep vocals and heavy riffs mingle with folk instruments such as the bagpipes or the kaval. The band also have a progressive dimension, as on the track “Age Of Aquarius”. Finally, this choice of line-up complements KoKoMo well. And the public is not mistaken, the fanbase is there for the occasion.
Rise and Fall
All this folk ambience sets the scene for Folk Metal titans Eluveitie. The band seem to have been touring incessantly since the previous year, playing all the major European festivals. And that’s perhaps the reason for the slight disappointment of this show. The setlist has changed very little since the previous concerts in France, and there’s a rather mechanical feel to it. Perhaps also because the band no longer has a hurdy-gurdy player, the traditional instruments used (apart from the violin) are not very audible. When Fabienne Erni remains at the back of the stage with her harp, it’s impossible to hear what she’s playing. Despite the group’s thanks to the audience, the energy was nothing like that of other groups who had played the day before. Maybe it’s time for Eluveitie to put on a new show.
The Lyon-based band Celeste plays to a faithful audience, still in their distinctive dark ambience. There’s very little lighting on stage, the band plays with headlamps and that’s about it, and no, it’s not a technical problem. While this can be disconcerting, it allows them to create their own atmosphere that perfectly suits their hybrid black metal.
The explosion we’ve been waiting for comes from the new darlings of the French metal scene, Rise Of The Northstar, with ambitions to equal Gojira (at least). The band take to the stage in their white tracksuits and manga masks, decked out in an elaborate Japanese garden décor complete with banners and a cherry blossom tree. The idyllic setting clashes with their modern metal (somewhere between groove and hardcore). If the audience is already hot on the opening track with “Showdown”, it loses its mind completely on their classic “Here Comes The Boom”.
They didn’t slow down one iota throughout their set, offering a truly epic conclusion to the festival. After all, Plane’R Fest’s programming has always revolved around an alternative scene close to hardcore, and it was about time that Rise Of The Northstar topped the bill. Even the rain stopped for them.
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