Summer Dying Loud is an event that thanks Thanks to the undying passion and titanic work of Tomasz Barszcz and his team, as well as the support of the city, from a small local event it has grown into one of the most important metal festivals in Poland. Not only the top Polish extreme bands play in Aleksandrów Łódzki, but also foreign giants awaited by crowds of metal fans. Not to pay lip service – this year Dismember appeared on the big stage. This is the last band from the “big four of Swedish death metal”, apart from Grave, Unleashed, Entombed AD, which has not played in Aleksandrów yet. Its history also says a lot about the project. In 2013, seven local bands played at the then one-day event, ten years later, summer “died loudly” for three days from September 7 to 9, and 50 respected bands from all over the world appeared on two stages. The festival was even noticed by Catholic circles, which devoted considerable time and energy to canceling the event. Fortunately, their protests gave the event greater publicity instead of its imminent collapse.
Summer Dying Loud 2023. Report from the festival in Aleksandrów Łódzki
And one of the bands that the protesters didn’t like the most was the grindcore band Hostia. It was with this band’s performance that I started this year’s Summer Dying Loud. Let the crowd in front of the stage be the best proof of that magnetism and charisma coming from this band. The Host in its iconoclastic image tempts with distance and sense of humor. This is a band that is a great metal valve for anyone who is turned off by excessive pathos. The group has important things to say, but they use slightly different means to say it than one might expect from the flames in the background and the nun’s head in the singer’s hands, which so outrages certain circles. Well, I can only recommend reading Justyna Kopińska’s reportages, which exhaust the topic of Sister Bernadetta.
After Hostia, the mesmerizing Entropia appeared on the main stage, which always delights me with its openness to beautiful, yet unconventional metal experiments. I ran to the Vault on the first day only to see the band Trup perform. How great it sounded. I’m buying this one stinking chaos with all his baggage. The sounds of Grave Pleasures with the brilliant vocalist Mat McNerney drew me to the large stage. I can listen to Joy Division like this more often. I listened to Elslaved with great pleasure, it surprised me great sound of metalheads. As you can see, digital hardware solutions may not be “three” enough for everyone, but they get the job done. Coroner is a well-oiled machine. Technically they played a perfect performance with perfect arrangements and an impressive display of guitar skills. I would add some chemistry and youthful energy to them and it would be perfect.
Death, metal, destruction
The most anticipated band on the second day of the festival was probably Furia, whose fans had not been able to see them on stage for several years. Anyone who expected a spectacular entrance with a kick along with the door made a mistake. This is not a band that wants something and has to prove something. The band served the long-awaited numbers at its own pace, and when we all had to follow the moth into the smoke, it was already clear that no one would have to play after the Nihil band, it was all over. But she left. She left atmospheric Catatonia, which convinced me with its new studio face, but only slightly tired of the concert version. The vocals were disappointing and further exposed the hole left by the missing guitar. However, the situation was quickly brought under control by Dismember. Death, metal, destruction. Death metal is not my favorite extreme genre, but after two concerts of the rockers Dismember this year, it’s much harder for me to get through it. An absolute stage certainty.
In the Krypt, I managed to listen for a moment to the magical group Datura, which surprised me with the balanced female vocals of Maja Rutkowska, who perfectly he knows when to soothe the weary hearts of his listeners and when to trample them. Atmospheric post-metal, interestingly arranged, with a beautiful romantic atmosphere – there may be more talk about them. It wasn’t the first time we saw each other at Kaelan Mikla’s gothic party. Unfortunately, I left it prematurely once again. The reception was not made easier by technical glitches, which also happen to the band not for the first time. Maybe I’m wrong, or maybe it’s just not music for me. The audience definitely supported the ladies – and that’s good.
Tears of emotion and new discoveries
ROME probably needs no introduction to neofolk fans. However, during Summer Dying Loud, vocalist Jerome Reuter appeared on stage without the support of other musicians. And it was a thoroughly moving experience. Famous songs such as “Uropia O Morte”, “Who Only Europe Know” or “One Lion’s Roar” paradoxically They have never sounded so clear and powerful before. On “Yellow and Blue” the lump in the throat turned into tears of emotion, and when the last note of “One Fire” sounded I felt dissatisfied for the first time at this year’s festival. And all it took was a humble guy with a guitar.
The biggest discovery of the event for me was the Fange group. The band appeared in the line-up at the last minute and what they demetallized on stage was cosmic. With each subsequent piece played by the French, my jaw dropped lower and my head was buzzing their absolutely uncompromising music, which is probably best described as sludge metal. They ran over everyone and put them on their knees, and they did it without the sound of drums. Because there is no drummer in the lineup, which is rare at metal concerts. In a word: AMAZING. It’s a must to check it in a club setting.
I waited for the third day of SDL like a child waited for Christmas. I ran to the big stage when the excellent Gorycz was starting the set. This is where black metal meets poetry, theater happens, magic happens. Severely gloomy lyrics and difficult music The band’s frontman, Tomek Kukliński, stands out with his personality. The vocalist merges with everything we hear from the stage, reacts to sounds with his whole body, falls into a trance that is shared with the audience. The world of Bitterness is as sad as it is beautiful. Power.
I was born in Łódź, I lived in the “Polish Manchester” for 25 years and I have great sentiment for this city. Perhaps that is why I also have great sentiment for Wieże Fabryk, which is a perfect musical extension of my hometown, and on the last day they visited the stuffy Vault. The Reymont name, the sound as cold as the interiors of tenement houses and the texts, like slogans on the walls – this is just the beginning of the list of common points. The musicians stick to their own atmosphere and are not afraid of accusations of repetition, and during concerts they focus on minimalism. They talk about a cloudy reality and create a rainy and apocalyptic vision of the world for each of us. However, there is a lot of tenderness and understanding in it, which can also be easily found in the (less and less gloomy) city of Łódź. The invitation of Wieże Fabryki to SDL was a bull’s-eye. I know it was hot and crowded in the Krypt, but the sound and atmosphere were worth it.
Manbryne played the best concert in the short but intense history of the Krypt. The room couldn’t handle the numbers and, above all, the fans’ hunger for the band’s music. It has been growing since the premiere of their debut album, because the group rarely plays and probably a significant part of those attending SDL had the opportunity to listen to it live for the first time. I also belong to this group and I must admit that the album tore my black heart, and the concert brazenly drove a tank over its remains. For me, Manbryne’s music is a testimony of such an intimate attempt to deal with deep, sticking pain that it was almost awkward for me to listen to it in the presence of so many people. The joy of being able to experience each sound of my favorite songs even more intensely had nothing to do with what these songs do to my soul. It all sounds quite pompous, but believe me, it was for me the most emotionally demanding concert I have ever been to in my life.
Alchemists have supposedly been figuring out how to obtain the elixir of immortality, retain youth, and trick transience since late antiquity. It turns out that the recipe for showing the middle finger to your social security number is very simple. Just go to an Owls Woods Graves concert. My inner “teenage punk” that had been dormant for years just went crazy. To say that the last album (and not only it) is perfect for playing live is an understatement. Almost every song in the set was a hit in my smiling face. And in the context of this particular band, it is a compliment, because the group writes its metal-punk hits with full premeditation, distance and with a wink to attentive listeners. It was the concert I was looking forward to the most and gave me the most joy. Does my neck still hurt from headbanging at a concert? Maybe. OWG’s music is the perfect mix of madness, venom and absurdity. It’s time to start the countdown to the band’s fall tour.
The order of the best metal festival in Poland goes to…
On Saturday, the festival attendance was impressive, largely due to the My Dying Bride concert. I came to the stage out of curiosity, because the phenomenon of this band had somehow passed me by. They had a great sound, I don’t regret getting sucked into the crowd. However, when it comes to “dooming”, I was definitely enchanted by Candlemass. I have no questions about the form this team is in. If when you hear this name you imagine a Dadrock attempt to conjure time, you are wrong. Candlemass’s music is so bad, and when “Bewitched” came on, I forgot my name. Johan Längqvist champion.
The seventh edition of Summer Dying Loud is behind me and Without a shadow of hesitation, I award her the order of the best and favorite. Bah! It was the best multi-day music event I have ever had the pleasure of participating in. I will continue to praise the event for great heart, family atmosphere and unique atmosphere. A similar team can be gathered in another place, but without the entire environment and people who create the SDL world, we would not want to come back to it.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
