The third day of Graspop Metal Meeting moved steadily along, and it was time to head back into the Marquee, which was already packed to the brim. Unfortunately, that also meant the tent was noticeably hotter and stuffier than the blazing afternoon sun outside. The reason for the crowd was the Mongolian band The Hu, who spice up their metal with traditional Mongolian influences.
The day of contrasts continued. From the dark atmosphere of Primordial, it was back out into the sunshine at the Jupiler Stage, where it was time for more hard rock, this time from the Australian‑American band The Dead Daisies. The only remaining founding member is guitarist David Lowy, who surrounds himself with a rotating cast of genre heavyweights.
It was still very warm, so after Sylosis I stayed in the shady Marquee tent. With Primordial, things shifted stylistically into even harsher territory. They are one of the pioneers of Celtic Metal, blending black and pagan metal with folk influences, and have been spreading their message since 1987. What’s remarkable is that despite nearly 40 years of history, the lineup has barely changed.
Back in the large Marquee tent, things got heavier again. Sylosis from the United Kingdom were ready to show what they could do with their blend of thrash and melodic death influences. From the original lineup, only guitarist and vocalist Josh Middleton remains — but with his massive growls, he absolutely tore the stage apart.
From the pop‑infused sounds of Self Deception, it was time to head back out to the Jupiler Stage, where some good old classic hard rock awaited. Dirty Honey from the USA were on the bill, kicking off an entertaining journey through the ’70s and ’80s that brought to mind bands like AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, or Aerosmith.
Today would once again take place mostly at the small stage and in the small tent. The sun was already high in the sky, and inside the Metal Dome it was unusually cozy for such an early hour. I had rarely seen it this full at midday. But the four guys from Self Deception from Sweden were about to deliver quite a show.
After the dark and gloomy atmosphere inside the tent, it was time to head back out into the sunshine for Last Train from France. It still wasn’t particularly crowded in front of the stage, but their lively, rock‑driven sound immediately invited everyone to join in.
Outside, the sun was already shining again, but inside the Metal Dome things were about to get dark. Vowws is a dark‑industrial‑pop project by the two Australians Arezo “Rizz” Khanjani and Matthew “Matt” James Campbell, who are based in Los Angeles. In front of the stage it was extremely empty. Something I’ve rarely experienced before. The musical blend the two were about to present over the next 40 minutes was, however, quite unusual for a festival like this.
After the reverent sounds in the Marquee tent, the day’s finale took me back outside to the North Stage. This was where Poland’s biggest export in the realm of black and death metal was about to hold their mass. Just like Opeth, they are true regulars at Graspop, as this would be their incredible ninth appearance on the Belgian field. And the parallels didn’t end there: they were also founded back in 1991 and have released 13 albums to date.
After Jinjer, I made my way back toward the Main Stages in a relaxed fashion. But not to see Slipknot for the third time (even though they had just started their show as part of their 25th anniversary tour). Instead, I headed once again into the large Marquee tent. This was where the greatest champions of progressive metal, second only to Dream Theater, were about to take the stage: Opeth from Sweden had arrived.