Family Place Without Restrains

26th Durbuy Rock Festival

Bomal-sur-Ourthe, Belgium 20230512-13

In the hinterland of medieval town Durbuy, that could have taken from a Hergé cartoon, lies Bomal. Right where the rivers Ourthe and Aisne meet, Rock and Metal fans gather annually to celebrate. The Durbuy Rock Festival there takes place for the impressive 26th time in 2023. Recipe for success: a line-up selected with love and a family feeling between organizers, bands and guests as strong as you can imagine. 

Getting closer to the final destination, the DRF’s black clothed visitors get more and more with every train. Crossing the bridge from the station in a slight rain, you experience a quite relaxed atmosphere under the pavilions at the riverbank camping site, where La Solution will open the festival. Also up the hill at the hotel Mont-des-Pins, where some musicians are lodged and at L’Escale, just one of the pubs serving the Metalheads drinks and food, the mood is good.

Friday 12 May 2023

Stepping into the main grounds, the face of Olivier Vandecasteele catches the eye, for whom the DRF shows its solidarity. Little security control is needed in this familiar community. At the first desk, money can be exchanged for tokens and then you are ready for the Hard-Core Death Post Metal action, that starts inside the sports hall „Le Sassin“ with One Hour. Immediately, it feels like this band knows every single person in this room and this first show already has all the power that will be present for the whole weekend. 

With ancient walls in the background, the outdoor stage is located right in front of the gymnasium. In this area, the food and most merchandise stands are build up. Drakwald from France are the ones to cast a spell of dark art on the audience, freshening up their heaviness with bagpipe and flute. Afterwards, the pure essence of Death Metal hits in with Carnation. Their music, their logo and their presence, everything is just fitting. 

Again outside, „Here Comes The Boom“ literally with Rise Of The Northstar. Like at the SBOA, they get their fans smashing and crowdsurfing. Same applies to Bloodbath, who aren’t drenched in blood like Carnation but have a new album via Napalm Records with them entitled „Survival of the Sickest“. From Sweden Death to Greek (Black) Metal spearhead Rotting Christ, who conjure the evil demons this night, while Classic 21 is doing a special direct radio program. 

Then the order is to dance, as Finish Folk export and DRF regular Korpiklaani is up next. As the feet are shaken out, the neck gets a final therapy for night one with the routiniers of Suffocation. And as the organizers have chosen the billing wisely, there is even one more opportunity to party with the pirates from Barbar’o’rhum. 

Saturday 13 May 2023 

Curtain up for day two. The surroundings look peaceful again, but at the DRF stages, the bands already start before noon. So Psykup are still quite early with their crazy mix of Metal with Jazz. Shifting from wild to focused riffs of My Diligence, who build an enormous sound just the three of them. 

Solid Grind comes in with Gronibard. Not only their pink monk’s cowls are memorable, but their decent and fast style (soon live at the Escape in Vienna as well). Meanwhile outside, the signs are on rain, but after a short intermezzo, Bukowski continue, establishing the Hard Rock part of this afternoon with massive guitars and a motivated show, reminiscent of American Southern Blues like Black Stone Cherry.

Also Black Mirrors not only have a similar passionate commitment on stage, but extremely cool Rock sound too. That resulted in their new album „Tomorrow Will Be Without Us“ lately. Then Dark Rockers Lacrimas Profundere follow, offering parallels to VV. They tell, that they are here for the first time and celebrate this fact, as singer Julian Larre climbs the fence. So one intense gig hunts the other, like Brutus with Stefanie Mannaerts shining simultaneous on drums and vocals, and visually by creating a scenic mood with their sun light lamps.

Now Roadburn regulars Wolvennest are out to take us on a secret trip, concealing reality under a blanket of sound and smoke. Nick Holmes then returns with Paradise Lost, joking that Bloodbath was great the night before and bringing back some Rock with „Say Just Words“. The Austrian demon Belphegor has to be conjured, as the stage is decorated with crosses of Peter, skulls and bones. They hammer out blast beats and groove in midtempo pace with a commitment to a satanic performance including the burning of a horned skull.  

Belgian Post Metal might Amenra then end the 26th DRF with an amazing set of slow headbangers with bursting screams. An immersion thanks to blinding lights and visuals all black and white, tremendous contrast like in the music itself.

The excellent organization basically covers all needs. The only pity is, that there is neither time nor space to retreat, as there’s almost no break between the acts and the terrain is so compact. And the sound inside could be better. But as we are told, returning guests get part of the lovely festival community, that makes you leave with a feeling of melancholy and a major desire to come back. So overall the Durbuy Rock Festival can be highly recommended without restraint.