Hellfest Festival 2024. Saturday. Mammoth WVH are a hard act to follow, and the huge wall of Marshall cabs on one side of the stage announces that Swedish six-stringer Yngwie Malmsteen is due to hit the stage.
Yngwie Malmsteen
Never one to do anything by half, the mutton-chopped guitarist never plays one note when several dozen is an option, and his neoclassical fretwork is akin to bargain Catherine wheels in that it’s impressive initially, but the fascination soon wears off with repetition.
Kvelertak
Much more stimulating are Kvelertak, the Norwegian band’s ability to mix Metal and punk into one gargantuan whole something that sucks you in and then smashes you in the face.
With barely a square inch spare, the packed crowd are hit by waves and waves of sound that practically lift them off their feet, and whilst the big-name bands are on the mainstages, it’s the Valley and Warzone stages that offer the best of the alternative artists today.
Later during the day Chelsea Wolfe, Mr Bungle, The Interrupters and legends Suicidal Tendencies would make the area of the site the key place to be but other delights were available as Newcastle folk/Metal veterans Skyclad brought some frantic jigging to Temple.
Extreme
After the excess of Malmsteen, the dazzling Extreme were a welcome tonic and displayed the form that everyone had seen on their recent UK tour and guest spot with Scorpions.
Gary Cherone still shakes his ass and has the moves of a dancer from Fame, his vocals in equally fine form as the band tear through a career-spanning greatest hits set.
No one brings the funk rock edge harder than the Boston Boys and Decadent Dance, Kid Ego and the wiry Play With Me, complete with its snatch of Queen’s Fat Bottomed Girls, make it impossible not to dance.
It’s not all massive grooves, though, as the acoustic More Than Words is a stripped-back delight before BANSHEE kicks things up a notch again.
Frustrated at times with guitar issues and with his leg still in a brace after last year’s freak accident, Nuno Bettencourt still manages to display exactly why he is feted as one of the very best there is.
His playing on Flight Of The Wounded Bumble Bee and the jaw-dropping Get The Funk Out set him above all that had come before him.
Extreme are magnificent.
HELLFEST 2024
Prepare to be consumed by the relentless energy of the most influential bands in Heavy Metal as they ignite the Hellfest stages with blistering performances. The immersive atmosphere of Clisson will immerse you in a dark, captivating experience like no other.
With its unparalleled lineup and unwavering commitment to the spirit of metal, Hellfest 2024 promises an unforgettable journey into the depths of sonic mayhem. Read all the Heavy Metal News at MetalTalk.
MetalTalk Hellfest 2024 coverage can be found at https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2024.
This year’s MetalTalk team is:
Photography:
For Hellfest 2023, visit https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2023.
For Hellfest 2022, visit https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2022.
