Once again, the Dessel festival grounds will be the setting for a three-day marathon where the heroes of metal and rock rule the roost. Following the confirmation of headliners SCORPIONS, OZZY OSBOURNE, SLIPKNOT and JUDAS PRIEST, we are proud to add another batch of top notch bands to our lineup.Ticket presales start today! Go to www.graspop.be/tickets_EN for more info.
Scoops
The 16th edition of our festival not only promises loads of variation; the lineup includes a number of bands who will be making their GMM debut this year. Yet another reason to haul your carcass to our festival arena for GMM2011.
ELECTRIC WIZARD are one of the bands to feature on the GMM bill for the first time. These English doom legends earned cult status early on with genre landmarks such as the ‘Dopethrone’ album. The band’s unique and heavy mix of doom, stoner and sludge hits you like a steamroller, slowly but surely crushing all resistance. Electric Wizard may well be the heaviest band ever to play our festival. The lyrical content reveals a passion for horror movies, the occult and cannabis, which fits the band’s pitch dark and blurry sound.
Some people are way ahead of their time. As early as 1981, Chris Goss burst upon the scene with MASTERS OF REALITY, a stoner rock band avant la lettre named after the eponymous Black Sabbath album. Nevertheless it took seven years for their self-titled debut to hit the shelves. In the following years, their fan base grew with every new release. In the meantime, Goss also made a name for himself through his work for friends such as Josh Homme. Goss was instrumental in helping Homme put Kyuss on the map and later he made an essential contribution to the sound of the Queens of the Stone Age. In 2005, his life briefly hung in the balance due to serious health issues but he fought back. Only last year, Masters of Reality resurfaced with ‘Pine/Cross Dover’. A must-see for gourmands at GMM2011.
ANGEL WITCH is yet another GMM newcomer. These NWOBHM legends made a name for themselves in the eighties with the album of the same name and since then, the band has undergone numerous personnel changes. Singer Kevin Heybourne is the only founding member left in the 2010 lineup. In the meantime, the London quartet are touring again and their set will undoubtedly confirm their excellent live reputation! Don’t miss out!
Michael Amott is in for a busy Graspop weekend this year because both Arch Enemy and his side project SPIRITUAL BEGGARS have been added to the lineup. There’s no comparison between the two, though: the Beggars prefer an engaging mix of seventies hard rock and stomping stoner rock. In other words, retro stuff in a new jacket but far from dated! Keeping your feet still when these guys rock out is a major challenge and their music effortlessly bridges the generation gap. Check them out!
Norwegians KVELERTAK and the Detroit outfit THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER are also making their first GMM appearance.
New Projects
Every year, we gladly present a few new projects by old hands and GMM2011 confirms this trend.
This year’s first new project is THE DAMNED THINGS. The idea for THE DAMNED THINGS was born when Joe Trohman from Fall Out Boy met Anthrax’s Scott Ian and told him about the Thin Lizzy-ish, classic/stoner material he’d been writing for a while. They decided to have a jam session and they hit it off, so they invited their respective band members Andy Hurley and Rob Caggiano to join in. Finally, Keith Buckley from Every Time I Die was asked to fill the vocalist slot. The result is ‘Ironiclast’, an energizing debut by a new supergroup that combines the best of the old and the new generation in heavy rock. Just the type of initiative we like to include on our bill…
Household Names
Some bands never get old and draw larger and larger crowds as time goes by. This is the type of band that doesn’t need a formal introduction and the following bands certainly belong in that category: VOLBEAT - MOONSPELL – ARCH ENEMY – AMORPHIS – SOILWORK – ICED EARTH – SEPULTURA – EPICA
Up-and-Coming Talent
Apart from the usual megabands and other household names, GMM always provides a forum for new blood as well. One of the most interesting new bands is undoubtedly WHILE SHE SLEEPS. This metalcore band from Sheffield has proven its mettle on many occasions this year. Their energetic show and uncompromising attitude will set any venue, arena or marquee on fire. Be sure to book front row seats if you’re into the new generation of hardcore/metalcore bands!
The Welsh band REVOKER is yet another exciting and promising new name. Roadrunner signed them on the spot after hearing their demo. The band’s debut album is produced by ex-Dub War and current Skindred front man Benji Webbe and is scheduled for an early 2011 release. Meanwhile Revoker is building a solid live reputation and they already have support slots for Skindred and Soulfly under their belt. Next spring, they’re opening for Rob Zombie on his UK tour. Next stop: Graspop Metal Meeting 2011!
Brutal Hardcore
A main course of uncompromising hardcore covered in a thick metal sauce… If this is your recipe you’ll feel right at home at GMM201: ADEPT and HEAVEN SHALL BURN have been confirmed for this year’s edition.
To date, PARKWAY DRIVE have put out three full-length albums with the same recipe: a tight rhythm section and a thick overall sound. Apparently the formula works because the Aussies have shared the stage with Hatebreed, In Flames and Bleeding Through to name just a few. Also, their scorching live set from GMM2009 is still etched in our memories. If you didn’t catch them two years ago GMM2011 is your second chance. Don’t blow it!
The American outfit TERROR has been part of the hardcore scene since forever and the quintet have a large and faithful following. In recent years, front man Scott Vogel has personally reinvented the art of stage diving and a Terror gig is always a huge party. This will be their third GMM appearance in a row so check them out if you haven’t before. You’re guaranteed to get a full workout so if you’re a mosh pit fiend you know where to go. Hardcore at its best, live in the GMM arena!
Source: Newsletter
