Sunday, the last day of Hellfest 2023. A day that promises to be as epic as it is rainy. The good thing about this 2023 edition of the festival is that we’ve experienced the site in almost every weather condition. And in the end, it’s in the mud that we’ll finish the festival.
If it’s time to take stock of this year’s festival, it’s fair to say that this year’s Hellfest 2023 was a real eye-opener. 4 days at a festival is bound to be grueling, and with very long days to boot.
Blod
The final day kicks off under the temple, with black metal-influenced doom duo Blod. For the occasion, the band has added a drummer and a bassist, so as to take to the stage with greater sonic density.
With only 30 minutes to spare, the challenge is to truly convince an audience that isn’t there for you at first sight.
And let’s face it, there really is something to Blod. Between the heavy atmosphere that’s set right from the start, Anna’s voice and bewitching body language, there’s something that really works from start to finish.
We look forward to seeing you soon for an interview with the duo during the festival.
Skynd
It was on advice that we then went to mainstage 2 to discover Skynd. An Australian band who, at first glance, looked like a metal version of Die Antwoord. With songs about murder, they clearly stand out from the rest of the line-up.
And let’s face it, with Skynd’s make-up, expressions and gestures, there’s something here that works from A to Z. And with a track like Tyler Hadley, it’s sure to be a hit for years to come.
Florence Black
Before the rain and thunderstorm descended on Hellfest, we moved on to Florence Black‘s set. The Welshmen were on hand to present their ultra-efficient heavy rock to an audience that was quickly won over.
Inevitably, with a 30-minute set, this doesn’t give the band much of a chance to convince. With the rain coming down, it wasn’t easy, but the trio kept up their energetic performance from start to finish.
Mutoid Man
After battling the rain and regaining our strength, we arrived at the Valley to see Mutoid Man, a power trio we’d been looking forward to discovering.
And this power trio, born from the convergence of several bands (converge, cave in, high on fire), the mix of burnt-out rock’n’roll with psychedelic and stoner sounds gave us a concert that made the sun shine again, all with crazy energy and talent. A great concert to remember.
Crisix
As we made our way to the mainstage to see Incubus, the news broke that the band were cancelling their performance, to be replaced by Spanish trash metal outfit Crisix. Of course, the idea behind moving to the mainstage was to be sure of being able to shoot Tenacious D. But in the end, the band really delivered for 1 hour with their old-school trash metal, once again convincing an audience that was literally not there to see the band.
C’est quelque chose que l’on remarque de façon globale avec plaisir au Hellfest, une bonne partie du public est véritablement présent pour être surpris par la programmation, pour découvrir de nouveaux groupes, pour élargir son horizon musical.
Tenacious D
It’s an understatement to say that Tenacious D were eagerly awaited at Hellfest. Already little-known in France, Jack Black and Kyle Gass’s band arrived to a packed Mainstage 1.
And for over an hour, we were delighted to see the band perform one track after another with efficiency, humor and the theatricality we’ve come to expect from them. Obviously, compared to their last concert in 2020 at the Zenith de Paris, the tour has changed quite a lot, and we had the impression of seeing the band in a period of transition between several projects.
Pantera
As soon as our zygomatic muscles had recovered, it was time to warm up our necks, because the infernal closing duo of Hellfest was on its way. First up was mainstage 2, with Phil Anselmo’s touring project Pantera. Replacing Dimebag Barrell and Vinnie Paul, Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante are the stewards for this exceptional tour.
And the least we can say is how effective the whole thing was! The band works superbly well, Anselmo was in great vocal form, and to have the chance to hear Walk, Becoming (what a version) or I’m Broken live is a real treat for the teenager still slumbering inside us.
Slipknot
And when it comes to teenage, if there’s one band that symbolizes and synthesizes the entire metal scene of the 2000s, it’s Slipknot. Of the Slipknot we grew up with, only half remains, and the band has also evolved enormously musically over the years. For our part, we’ve always been very supportive of the band’s new projects.
And of course, seeing the band on stage for the first time is a real event. From the immense scenography and staging, to the inevitable use of this space by the band members. Clown was missing, so there was a strange feeling of a lack of people on the right-hand corner of the stage, but that’s a detail compared to the intensity and pleasure we took in during the concert.
Not least because the setlist featured not only the first album, but also Vol. 3. So it was inevitably a succession of hits, punctuated by Corey Taylor in fine vocal form, and with his interventions in beautiful French. It was a fitting end to this Hellfest, and makes us look forward to seeing you next year.
And that’s all for our Hellfest 2023 report. We hope you’ve enjoyed all our day-by-day reports, and we look forward to seeing you in the future!
