13th February 2016
Textures, Pelgrim, Unchained Reality
Dutch masters of progressive metal, TEXTURES, are back with a new album in 2016 called ’Phenotype’. Before heading off to other parts of Europe, they will give two shows in NL. Tonight at 013 Tilburg they will get some loud support from UNCHAINED REALITY and PELGRIM, so brace yourself and take out those earplugs!
Unchained Reality
UNCHAINED REALITY is a new band formed around metal vocalist Koert van Zon (Ex-Nuclear Sushi). Their self-titled debut was released in 2015. The album is the first release on JBM Events own record label Painted Bass Records and has a clear focus on trash and heavy metal with distinct and explicit lyrics about modern society. UNCHAINED REALITY is Koert van Zon (vocals), Daan Janzing (guitar), Martijn Balsters (guitar), Jason Duykers (bass( and Tim Verheijden (drums). http://www.unchainedreality.com / www.facebook.com/unchainedreality
Music & Performance
While most metal heads are sipping on their first beer, Koert van Zon and his men had the honour of kicking it off at 013 Jupiler’s stage tonight. Although his roots are in speed metal, Koert seems to have taken a slightly different approach with more heavy and trash metal influences for UNCHAINED REALITY. Guitars and drums are tight, vocals laid back and vicious at the same time. Being Tilburg locals, history is not forgotten as tribute is paid to the metal mare of the town with ‘You Will Always Be Alive’ (Ad’s song). Given this is a new formation, it’s not a big surprise they seem to lack that feeling of a well-oiled machine on stage, but this will grow over time.
Setlist
01. Better off
02. Computerized humanity
03. Legalize
04. Stranger
05. Pain
06. Still fucking mad
07. You will always be alive
08. Open your eyes
Rating
Music: 6
Performance: 6
Sound: 6
Light: 6
Total: 6 / 10
Pelgrim
PELGRIM is a Djent/ Metalcore band from Tilburg, the Netherlands. Since their self-titled EP, PELGRIM played countless of shows in five different countries with bands like: TEXTURES, SWORN IN, MARTYR DEFILED and I DECLARE WAR. After a few setbacks, a change in members and a lot of hard work, PELGRIM is determined to show their willpower and endurance with their long awaited first full length album ‘Ephemera’, set to be released in February 2016. PELGRIM is Wouter Zaman (vocals), Koen Scheepens (guitar), Kevin van der Ven (guitar), Django van Loon (bass) and Rik Torremans (drums). www.pelgrimband.com / www.facebook.com/Pelgrim.band
Music & Performance
PELGRIM combines heavy vocals and pounding rhythms of the Djent and Metalcore world with the technicality and creativity of the progressive world. With this description, they obviously form an excellent support for TEXTURES this evening. Starting off with some sound balancing and technical problems, the men of PELGRIM seem untouched by these irregularities and continue their brutal sound assault on the audience as soon as they can. It’s technical, groovy and dynamic and but the vocals seem slightly forced here and there. They play several songs from their upcoming album ‘Ephemera’ and some older work. I think we will hear more of these guys in the near future!
Setlist
01. Demagogue
02. ISM
03. Loophole
04. –mera
05. For better or worse
06. Whistleblower
Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 7
Sound: 7
Light: 7
Total: 7 / 10
Textures
TEXTURES is a progressive metal band from the Netherlands, formed in 2001. The bands’ style is influenced by progressive metal, metal core, technical death metal and groove metal. TEXTURES first came to the spotlight with their fully self-produced debut album ‘Polars’ which won an Award for ‘Most Promising Act’ back in 2004. TEXTURES released two more albums with Listenable Records, ‘Drawing Circles’ in 2006 and ‘Silhouettes’ in 2008. Over the years, TEXTURES has known some line-up changes, of which especially the vocal changes made their albums sound slightly different but with the same brutal guitar and drum sound.
When after six years, singer/ front man Eric Kalsbeek left the band in 2009, he was replaced by Daniël de Jongh, who convincingly took over the role of leading vocalist. In 2016 the new album ‘Phenotype’ came out which is a double album with ‘Genotype’ to be released the year after. TEXTURES played stages from South America to India and was featured on dodgy radio stations to prime time television shows in Holland. TEXTURES is Daniel de Jongh (vocals), Joe Tal (guitars), Bart Hennephof (guitars), Stef Broks (drums), Remko Tielemans (bass) and Uri Dijk (synths). http://www.texturesband.com / http://www.facebook.com/textures
Music & Performance
TEXTURES knows how to play a live show and the audience is well prepared. Loud yells go out as the band enters the stage and takes off with ‘One eye for a thousand’ from the album ‘Silhouettes’ (2008). The set proves to be a rollercoaster back and forth in time with new songs (‘Oceans collide’, ‘New Horizons’, ‘Shaping a single grain of sand’) and some fabulous classics (‘Swandive’, ‘Drive’, ‘Regenesis’). The audience is being taken up in a wave from calculated chaos to progressive mathematically correct intermezzos. Even TEXTURES encounters some technical problems tonight and I’ve heard better vocals from Daniel at other shows. But that doesn’t spoil the overall atmosphere and the audience seems focused until the last beat. Great show!
Setlist
01. One Eye for a Thousand
02. Oceans Collide
03. Old Days Born Anew
04. Swandive
05. New Horizons
06. Shaping a Single Grain of Sand
07. Reaching Home
08. Awake
09. Illuminate the Trail
10. Zman
11. Timeless
12. Drive
13. Regenesis
14. Singularity
15. Laments of an Icarus
Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Sound: 8
Light: 8
Total: 8 / 10
All pictures by Ruth Mampuys (www.ruth-less.nl)
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