The Polish Mystic Festival has a lengthy tradition as it first launched in 1999. It suffered an over a decade-long break and came back with a proper bang in 2019. Then, unfortunately, promoters were forced by the pandemic to pause their efforts. MysticFestival came back in 2022 and showed that Gdańsk, Poland, is soon to become a new destination on the festival map of Europe. One to be reckoned with and worth putting your tabs on. This year, Mystic Festival was celebrating its 25th anniversary and invited a plethora of eclectic artists, both international and domestic, to honor the occasion. The festival’s third day continued with bands like MANBRYNE, INSOMNIUM, CROWBAR, VLTIMAS, LIFE OF AGONY, LEPROUS, PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS, PARADISE LOST, ACCEPT, TERRORIZER, MEGADETH, WAYFARER, and FURIA.
Poland is starting to become an exporter of quality black metal bands, with MANBRYNE being no exception. They released their debut, “Heilsweg: O udręce ciała i tułaczce duszy” in 2021, and after that, they rolled with the punches and shared “Interregnum: O próbie wiary i jarzmie zwątpienia” in 2023.
Domestic INSOMNIUM is still touring, promoting their 2023 release, “Anno 1696.” Another safe bet for a vivid show, these guys are a pleasure to watch on stage.
One can even say that CROWBAR, led by Kirk Windstein, are godfathers of sludge metal. Sluggish tempos only underline the heaviness in the music itself, creating a real treat to see live. Their latest album is “Zero and Below” from 2022.
VLTIMAS is a black thrash metal supergroup consisting of Rune Eriksen, Flo Mounier, and David Vincent, who released their sophomore album, “Epic,” in March 2024. Though the combination of what they play might seem quite outlandish, it really works live like a charm.
Veterans of New York’s hardcore scene, LIFE OF AGONY seamlessly blend the heaviness of metal, hardcore, and the sensitivity of grunge. Their latest release was “The Sound of Scars” in 2019.
Norwegian prog metal wizards LEPROUS are due to release their new album in August 2024, “Melodies of Atonement.” They are not scared to explore and add new elements to their core sound, which enhances the overall listening experience. They were also a much-needed breather before the rest of the evening.
PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS, also known as PIGSX7 for short and friends, are a British stoner band with the energy of a punk crew from the ’70s. They do not shy away from occasional psychedelic rock elements, and with their vocalist’s charisma being as contagious as flu in a nursery, this creates an absolute live banger. They released their fourth album, “Land of Sleeper,” in 2023.
British doom metal legend PARADISE LOST released a new album in 2023, “Icon 30,” but this night they played a special set for Mystic Festival. They performed a setlist chosen entirely by fans.
You cannot get more iconic in heavy metal than ACCEPT, especially with their legacy of music nearing almost half a century (yes, established in 1976!). Wolf Hoffmann‘s crew gave a proper heavy metal show, playing songs from their new album, “Humanoid,” from 2024, and old songs alike.
Death metal and grindcore are a dangerous combo, but when performed by TERRORIZER, it’s borderline deadly. Despite a rough history and obstacles constantly tossed in front of them, they kept going throughout the years. Their latest release was “Caustic Attack” in 2018.
One may not love Dave Mustaine, but nobody can deny his contribution to the legacy of thrash metal with MEGADETH, which just proves how far revenge can carry you. Their show is still top class. They released “The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!” in 2023, and Dave doesn’t seem like he wants to stop any time soon.
Poor things had to share a time slot with MEGADETH, WAYFARER blends black metal and dark Americana, going almost borderline country. Though it sounds quite odd, in a live setting it works gorgeously. Their latest release is “American Gothic” from 2023.
Polish black metal band FURIA, with 20 years of stage experience, are now exploring new territories, but their core is still as uncompromising and raw as always. This also applies to their shows, which are almost austere. Their most recent album was “Huta Luna” from 2023.
Notes by Maria Sawicka, text by Laureline Tilkin
Photos by Maria Sawicka
