That time of the year has come again. This is the second time I am being part of this great festival surrounded by cool people and nice music. Of course I’ve discovered a new band totally unknown to me (shame!) until now and this is Gorilla Pulp, an Italian four-piece band who channels their blues, psychedelic, stoner rock and heavy metal influences from the 70’s in their own unique way. They had a very nice show with a lot of energy, which made me jump and dance for almost an hour. I truly recommend this band if you don’t know them already!
The openers were Purple Caravan from Craiova. These guys are pretty neat, I loved their sound. They are for sure a band who makes you proud that they are from your country.
Zammorian– I saw them 3 times already and every time I discovered new things related to their sound: a journey to the stars and back. I really hope we will hear more from them in the future.
Last band of the first day of the festival was Perihelion. I was expecting something nice after I heard the guitar riffs…but the voice didn’t convince me. I guess after the Gorilla Pulp show, nothing could make a nicer atmosphere.
Day 2- Stonus opened the 2nd night of the festival. A band which is completely new to me and impressed me that much that I will follow their work from now on.
Stonus is a five piece heavy rock band with stoner and psych influences and a voice which completes everything perfectly.
Weedpecker– is the band which brings you the old school of grunge riffs, combined with a drop of psychedelic sound. As I usually do, I paid attention to the voice and I really liked it. Another band which made me dance and jump. This festival never disappoints. I came here knowing more or less about every band and after the 1st day I become an instant fan of most of them.
Next band and my favourite for the night was Sunnata. Everything started with the environment they’ve created, the incense burning, the guitar riffs…oh dear ! I haven’t listened to something like this in a while. Oh wait ! they make an original sound I could even compare with a specific genre. Definitely something you’ll want to see and hear. Starting with instruments and ending with the voice everything was beyond perfect. This was their first time in our country and I am already eager to see them again soon!
Planet of Zeus– this band takes the listener to a journey through the history of heavy riffs, groove and rock and roll. Definitely another band which got my attention and I am looking forward to seeing them again.
Day 3- Mihai Barbu Project– opened the last day of SoundArt Festival..this one is a young band which sounds pretty promising: a touch of progressive riffs and a combination of a doomish sound. Unfortunately I had difficulties in hearing the voice. Next time maybe it will be better.
Viper Soup Complex– or how to do a theatrical show combined with a wicked voice, and an avant-garde sound, this band is for sure one of a kind and the nicest surprise of the night.
Lesoir– a five piece band from the Netherlands, with 2 girls on vocals who managed to create a fairy tale atmosphere. An experimental balance between lyrics, melody groove and dynamics that opens an entirely new dimension of music. The cutest moment was right after the show when the public sang “Happy Birthday” to Maartje Meessen.
Riverside– the headliners of the festival were the most expected band. I am again in the position to write about a genre that is not familiar to me. It’s a bit difficult to see people around you appreciating the music, and you yourself are in a totally different mindset. I wouldn’t be able to comment on the music without congratulating Riverside on their show and on their music; they are very good musicians, without a doubt. A successful night with a finale that matched expectations, with good musicians that were happy to see their fans cheer in front of them.
I would like to add that there is a palpable increase in people that showed up in comparison to last year. I also liked the fact that the festival schedule was not too packed and the number of bands that played each day was just right. Congratulations to the entire festival staff for their efforts.
See you next year!
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