Day 3

Stage 1

The last day started with an excellent show from BONDED BY  BLOOD. This revival thrash metal band from California (USA), has great stage presence. In spite of not having a big audience, the performance was fast, straight to the point and exciting. The crowd went wild and there was mosh everywhere. Their setlist was mainly composed by songs from their most recent record, “The Aftermath”.
Next it was WORMED’s turn to come upon stage. This brutal death metal band from Spain presented us their latest record, “Exodromos”, which came out last year. They played a show that fitted the expectations, but was hardly unforgettable.
IN SOLITUDE was probably one of the most intense shows of the day. The Swedish group is very energetic on stage, with a very charismatic frontman. However, most people weren’t really convinced by them, probably because their music style was a bit different from most the bands that played in the fest. There were also a few problems with the sound, but it doesn’t matter much, because that didn’t quite affect the band’s performance who gave all they had. Their setlist was mostly composed by songs from “Sister”, their latest record, but there was also time to play some of their most well known songs from previous records, like “To Her Darkness” and “Witches Sabbath”.
After having canceled their gig in this fest two years ago, HIRAX finally made it to SWR, and let me tell you, it was well worth the wait. It was probably the best concert of the entire fest! They truly are stage animals! The crowd went completely insane during the entire show. Some of their classic songs like “Blind Faith”, “Destroy” or “Hate, Fear and Power”, were not forgotten as well as their freshly released album “Immortal Legacy”. But the most intense moment of the show was when the vocalist hold on to a Portuguese flag and dedicated the song “El Diablo Negro” to the crowd and to his own Portuguese heritage.
ANAAL NATHRAKH’s show was, for many, one of the most awaited moments of the night, and hopefully it was everything you might have expected. It was loud, fast and violent. Extremely violent. As well as confusing, specially due to some sound issues which really affected the sound. From beginning to end there was stage diving, moshpits and even a wall of death. The band invited the crowd to join them on stage, and it was amazing and chaotic at the same time, while performing songs such as “Forging Towards The Sunset”, “Between Shit and Piss we are born” and “Of Fire, and Fucking Pigs”.
The night’s end on the main stage was the responsibility of DISCHARGE. This hardcore punk band from the UK was once one of the pioneers of the punk movement. Their show was within expectation, but it wasn’t quite that memorable. However, the crowd enjoyed it a lot. There was chaos everywhere, and there was always someone on stage that wasn’t part of the band jumping into the crowd.

Stage 2

The last day started with the METHEDRAS , a thrash band from Italy. It was a great start to a great day. They were very energetic and competent on stage, with a rather interesting sound. Definitely a band to pay attention to in the future! However, because with was the first show of the day, there weren’t many people watching, but the ones who were, received some free merchandise that the band gave away during the show.
Next up was DOLENTIA. This Portuguese black metal project sure knows how to set the mood for a show. With a very dark and intense ambiance, the group introduced us to their only long play, “Sob a Égide das Sombras”. Overall, it was a very fast show, although there were a few problems with the sound.
Afterwards it was the turn of yet another Portuguese black metal band. MARTELO NEGRO, it was a good show. It was very obvious that the band knows it’s ways around the stage. They played mostly songs from their record “Sortilégio dos Mortos”, and they also played a song from their upcoming album “Equinócio Espectral”. There was also time for a special guest: Rick Thor, known for his work in Filii Nigrantium Infernalium and Ironsword, joined to sing in one song.
NUCLEAR was the act that followed on the secondary stage. This thrash metal band from Chile, is very powerfull on stage. It was a very energetic and brutal show for a full audience, where there was mosh pits and stage diving during the entire gig. Very communicative band which received a lot of support from the people who were there. One of the most awaited underground bands were BÖLZER. 2 people who create a very unique atmosphere, managed to create a haunting aura around everyone. Although there are only two elements in this band, their sound is very rich and complex. It was a mesmerizing and intense gig, whereas they took us on a journey to the darkest depths of our souls with their music. With only one demo and one EP under their name, this act was one of the best things that appeared in the scene the last couple of years. They’re definitely a band to pay attention to.
The act that followed was GRAVE MIASMA, a Brittish black/death band has released their first record the past year, so most of their gig was around it. They set the mood for a devastating sound, in an almost ritualistic way. The quality of the gig was within expectations, but didn’t manage to captivate everyone. Finally, the closing of the festival was brought to us by DISPLAY OF POWER, a Pantera covers band from Spain. This group was the perfect ending for yet another amazing edition of the SWR Barroselas Metalfest. They played most of the classic songs like “Walk”, “Cowboys From Hell”, “Domination” and “I’m Broken”, as the crowed released what was left of their energy on headbang and stage diving.

This year’s edition of the SWR Barroselas Metalfest was more than just two stages. There was a third stage outside, where some bands like SERRABULHO, TRINTA&UM, FOR THE GLORY, GWYDION, and others played. The overall mood and atmosphere of the festival was great, as always, because it isn’t just the music that makes this festival special, the spirit of friendship, brotherhood and familiarity are always present among most of the people that go there every year. Let’s hope that the organization of the festival keeps up with the good work for many more years to come.

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