The future of metal festivals at the idyllic location at the confluence of the Alpine rivers Soca and Tolminka didn't look bright for a while - until concert promoters Dirty Skunks (the creators of the program of the second stage of the infamous MetalDays festival whose story, as you probably already know, ended ingloriously), decided to continue with metal in this exceptional environment. Probably all metal enthusiasts know that metal festivals have been taking place here since 2004 when the organizers of the then Metal Camp festival brought the big names of metal music to this place and thus attracted crowds of fans of this type of sound from all over the world. Most everyone praised the offer and the location, which is unique in Europe, if not the world.
The Tolminator festival served its second edition this year, and it seems the festival caught on, as there was significantly more interest than the year before. The organizers and designers of the program decided that Tolminator's offer would be mainly extreme metal, i.e. death metal, thrash metal, grindcore, metalcore, black metal, stoner doom and related. What else to expect when the festival's slogans are already saying "metal as fuck", "all I wanted was a circle pit", and the like. So, for fans of darker and more atmospheric metal music, there is less choice, though still something. Jerneja and I decided to visit Tolminator also this year - not only because of the attractive location and proximity but also because of performers such as Primordial, Behemoth and Harakiri For The Sky. I could also mention Dark Tranquility and Gaerea, but we had to skip the first day for some reason; besides, we saw them live quite recently.
We arrived in Tolmin on Thursday early afternoon, after less than an hour of driving. After completing the registration formalities at the VIP/press point, we pitched the tent and headed to the venue. It was immediately apparent that there were many more visitors than at the first Tolminator's edition, especially more foreigners, who probably came to terms with the fact that MetalDays was no more. First, we had a beer while exchanging a few words with familiar faces. It was soon time for Austrian post-DSBM black metal champions Harakiri For The Sky. The sound was solid, and the setlist was good, but the daylight hurt them a little, so the performance, which lasted approximately 45 minutes, wasn't anything special. Not bad, but if you've seen them perform before, it's always pretty similar. They mainly played some songs from the albums Mære, Arson, Aokigahara and ended with a great cover of Placebo's hit, "Song To Say Goodbye". Guitarist MS was, as usual, deeply engrossed in his guitar playing as if nothing else existed. On the other side, the vocalist, JJ, raised the bar with screaming vocals and slightly clumsy pacing up and down the stage, often with his back to the audience. The other "live" members fulfilled their tasks perfectly. It was a solid performance, but Harakiri For The Sky shines more when playing in a club than at a festival in daylight. MS and the two of us were supposed to meet for an interview after the concert, yet we didn't.
We had to wait more than three hours for Behemoth's performance, so we walked around a bit. Meanwhile, black/speed metallers Destrojer 666 played on the main stage, but I was neither interested nor attracted. Jerneja then encountered, as the year before, a relative selling products at a stand, and he invited us for a drink in their tent behind the stand. Soon, it was time for Behemoth, but before that, we stopped for the French crossover/hip-hop metallers Rise Of The Northstar's performance. The band somehow brought some dynamics with its difference, but still, not for my taste, so the stop was about five minutes short.
It was then time for the stars of the festival. Although, apart from some songs, Behemoth has never been particularly close to me, I was interested in its performance. The band executed an interesting (and scary) introduction to the gig with a white curtain coming down over the stage and obscure sounds and shadows appearing behind the curtain. Then boom, Nergal & co. took us with all their might into the depths of blasphemy and darkness as only they know how. It was a great show with amazing lighting effects, fog, wind, fire and good sound. Behemoth presented us with a repertoire that included, I think, all albums, with an emphasis on 2014's The Satanist.
After the Behemoth concert, we took a short walk to the confluence, where everything was already quiet and closed, and then joined the After Party, where they played pop and disco hits from the 80s and 90s. It looks like a complete hit, as the metallers had fun like crazy. And so did we, chatting with people from different countries. It was a fine end to the day.
The only performance I wanted to see on Friday was Primordial's, but since it had the slot as the last one, a little before midnight, we had to fill the time somehow. A walk to town, to a shop and then for a coffee. Then we headed to the confluence, where there was a second stage, on which, from the early afternoon onwards, there were performances by various death, thrash, grindcore and metalcore groups, but nothing that interested me. Back to the main stage, where there was a more colourful crowd this time, but stoner doom with bands like Dopelord, Stoned Jesus and Electric Wizard took the lead. Of these, we paid some attention only to the latter. Electric Wizard delivered a "trippy" performance, but to fully enjoy this kind of music, you probably have to be high. Earlier, Gutalax, who I always avoid by a wide margin, and the American death metal legends Suffocation performed. Even though I listened to them a lot when they released their first EP and debut album (over thirty years ago), this kind of brutality no longer appeals to me. Before that, Jerneja and I did a fun interview (to be published soon) and had a couple of drinks with Alan from Primordial.
Midnight was approaching, and so was the performance of Irish pagan metal champions Primordial. Even though I have already seen them quite a few times, each of their performances is a new experience, and the performance is always full of special energy. This time, the band started with "As Rome Burns" and continued with a mix of old hits and some songs from the new album. Of course, the evergreen melancholic treat "The Coffin Ships" was not missing, unfortunately accompanied by technical issues. First, the guitar went silent, then the bass and finally, the problems with the microphone. Too bad. The matter got settled for the next song; the sound was OK again, Alan was in good shape, and his "are you with me?" echoed around the venue. The title piece from the last album, How It Ends, turned out surprisingly well, as well as "Victory Has 1000 Fathers, Defeat Is An Orphan". The band closed the performance with most likely its biggest hit, "Empire Falls". It was a fine performance but not one of the best of the Primordial's shows I've attended.
Then another short visit to the after party and sleep. On Sunday, we just walked around the venue, and since there was nothing on the program that interested us, we decided to go to the nearby Nadiža River to freshen up. All in all, the Tolminator Fest succeeded, which makes me happy. It is probably understandable why the organizers decided on such a festival's format, primarily intended for those who like extreme metal, as they can accommodate a maximum of 5000 people. You must visit the Tolminator festival at least once in your life, and believe me, if nothing else, you will fall in love with this beautiful nature and keep coming back. Tolminator is definitely a must-see for fans of more extreme genres of metal.
Until next year, then. Some bands have already been announced, and I'm looking forward to seeing Ministry playing at the festival. For more, check Tolminator's official page.
Report by Tomaz
Photos by Tomaz
Edited by Jerneja
Links: Behemoth, Harakiri For The Sky, Primordial
