On Ascension Day, HAL 25 in Alkmaar is once again transformed into a gateway for those who prefer to walk the other path—the one paved with sulfur, leading to the underworld. Organizer Mike Blommestein, of the now-renowned Herrie Festival, has scheduled two days for this year’s Hemelvaartse Herrie, featuring no fewer than 21 bands who are sure to mercilessly assault your ears with a barrage of roaring decibels. Photographer Mell, armed with a camera, and JohannesV, with pen and paper, enthusiastically and confidently embark on this noise marathon.
Day one of the festival consists of a long list of no fewer than fifteen bands spread across two stages. In my opinion, this is an improvement over the previous edition, which featured three stages and made it difficult to catch all the bands. That problem has now been solved, as have the previous technical sound issues. Good improvements! A second day was added as an opportunity arose to invite more bands due to the unfortunate cancellation of Graveland. As a result, Cryptosis, Wormrot and Hellripper managed to find a gig.
The first band to kick things off is the Dutch Damnation. This group of young hounds plays death metal with some old-school hints. In a fairly packed hall, the young men perform with bravado and apparent confidence. Singer/guitarist Manu carries out his duties as frontman excellently, showing no signs of his youth—nor does the rest of the band. Damnation delivers a fine set. Once again, it’s clear that the Dutch breeding ground for up-and-coming metal talent is incredibly fertile. Bands like this help stave off the graying of death metal. Great that Herrie gives them a worthy platform. What a strong start!
Next up on the other stage is Moral Fever from Germany. Due to the regular vocalist being unavailable, the band brought in a female singer from fellow German hardcore band Haywire. Manon, in her bright green Adidas long sleeve, shows she’s got serious vocal chops that pair well with Moral Fever‘s crushing hardcore. I even dare say I hear strong death metal influences. Since I’m not well-versed in the hardcore scene, I’m unfamiliar with the typical flailing-limb moshers in the pit. It takes some getting used to, I can imagine more than a broken nose or busted lip is common in such pits. Luckily, you can watch from the sidelines while others do their thing. All in all, a solid performance, enriched by melodic lines amidst the heavy metal.
Deeproot is up next, bringing their mighty deathcore assault. This Dutch four-piece leaves no doubt that they’re vying for the title of the heaviest deathcore band in the country. Their dark, bleak guitar tones overwhelm the crowd, only to be broken up by nihilistic breakdowns, bordering on funeral doom in their sluggishness. It’s the kind of heaviness that makes you feel like misery is consuming you from within. The spacey samples and cheerful synth tones try valiantly, though in vain, to add some levity. A tough one to digest.
Then it’s on to WOAT from Germany, delivering vegan hardcore. Yes, I didn’t know that was a genre either. But these guys are musical butchers, blending hardcore with thrash and death metal influences to great effect. Based on their latest album Holocene Extinction, I suspect their sound has shifted more towards metal recently. The crowd is back to windmilling again, so I step back to protect my teeth. I’m loving this, though. I even picked up a CD after their set. Aggressive, riff-laden metal, excellent discovery.
Next, it’s time for Dutch death metal veterans Abrupt Demise. These guys serve up an old-school-style death metal feast. They perform confidently, clearly seasoned from years of experience. The metal is solid, and there’s a good sense of humor between songs. This band belongs at any party—they bring great vibes.
With the comedic foundation laid, it’s time for Bluewaffle Sauerkraut. Humor is subjective, but I can’t help but laugh. Dressed in banana costumes, the band makes their fifth appearance at Herrie. Their goregrind is well-received, with song titles like Patricia Paay Plasplezier cracking plenty of jokes. The lyrics are mostly lost under the gnarly gutturals, but the vibe is spot on for this lighthearted festival.
Now it’s time for Scordatura from Scotland. They’ve been grinding for nearly 20 years and maybe aren’t as well-known as they deserve. Still, they deliver a blistering set of pumped-up death metal. I’ve known about them for a while and hope shows like this, along with their deal with Everlasting Spew Records, boost their profile. They’re true enthusiasts which is vident later when they go nuts in the pit during Severe Torture’s set.
The next slab of deathcore comes from Vermicular Incubation (France/international).
They’ve only released one album (in 2019), and I wasn’t previously familiar with them. I’m definitely going to revisit them. Their slams were so impossibly heavy that I nearly had a reverse peristaltic episode and barely held onto my spicy sandwich. Still, the crowd was all in, and the band delivered a tight set.
Time for some girl power; Emasculator hits the stage! This new band is fronted by the formidable Malika Sundaramurthy, known from Abnormality, Unfathomable Ruination and other projects. The rest of the band are seasoned players too. Named after a tool for castrating livestock, Emasculator is touring with Stabbing and Immortal Suffering. They open the triple bill with flair, delivering razor-sharp brutal death. Malika’s gutturals are incredible. Fast, tight, brutal. Just brilliant. Sadly, the CD was already sold out, so I settled for a tour shirt. Better keep the girls on a friendly note; I value my manhood.
Modder, from Belgium, brings doom and sludge to the mix. These aren’t usually my favorite genres, but I wanted to catch every act today. And thank goodness I did! Modder turned out to be a revelation. Fully instrumental, but with dynamic contrasts, heavy doom and sludge blended with sudden blastbeats and bursts of aggression. The added synth gives it an ominous vibe. Especially memorable was the bearded bassist going wild onstage. I’ll be listening to them more often from now on.
Next up is Immortal Suffering from the US. Their brutal, gore-infused death metal has been around since 1994. They’ve only released two full-lengths and an EP, but they sound excellent both on record and live. Bassist Taylor Schranck riles up the crowd, even jumping into the pit with his bass. A fantastic show—I’m glad I got to see their first Dutch appearance.
Then comes Kanine from France. I used to call them “Keenein” until photographer Mell corrected me, it’s pronounced the French way: “Kanien.” Got it. Their deathcore is energetic, occasionally melodic, and it really gets the crowd bouncing in place. This must be very exhausting, but great fun. Everyone’s clearly having a blast, and that’s what matters.
And now, one of the highlights: Stabbing. This band, formed around guitarist Marvin Ruiz from Devourment, hasn’t been around long but already boasts an EP and full-length. Century Media has picked them up, and their next record is ready to press. I’m keeping an eye out—this is a top-tier brutal death band. Vocalist Bridget Lynch somehow goes even harder than Malika. Her gutturals are insane. Stabbing is technically impressive, and the entire band plays at an elite level. Incredible show, I was already a fan, but now I’m an even bigger one.
The party continues with Serrabulho from Portugal. Known for wild shows with Bluewaffle Sauerkraut, they came to bring the fun. I usually enjoy their grind, and I’m ready for it. Dressed like a resurrected Jesus or a stoner hippie, the frontman leads the band in a confetti-and-pillow-throwing party. The crowd joins in enthusiastically. Sadly, I couldn’t stay for the whole set—the mix was awful, with an overpowering, distorted bass. I stepped outside for a snack, where I spotted the singer leading a conga line. Says it all, really.
Finally, the mighty Severe Torture takes the stage. What more can I say? It’s an honor to witness this death metal institution. They meet all expectations, mixing songs from their new album with classics. The band is flawless. Maybe they dropped a note here or there, but I was in such a trance, I didn’t notice. Many musicians from earlier bands were seen moshing in admiration. Severe Torture is a legend, and tonight they proved why.
And so ends day one of Hemelvaartse Herrie. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to day two, twelve hours of relentless noise was too much for this old man. A shame, because day two promises another stellar lineup. Hopefully, I’ll be fit for the November edition, which looks to be another two-day event. Photographer Mell stayed the course, and the day two report will consist of her awesome photos.
Big congratulations to Mike Blommestein for another successful and diverse event.
I had a blast, discovered new bands, and deeply respect the risk of adding a hobby horse obstacle course to the mix. There was even enough interest for people to gallop around the course with hobby horses between their legs! As far as I could see there were no negatives—everyone surely went home happy.
Day 2, Photo’s:
Date and location
29 mei 2025, HAL 25, Alkmaar
Photos:
Link: