Once every Sun cycle or so, stars emerge from cosmic dust clouds – awaking amplifiers and calling out to a collection of questionable-looking individuals, to gather together for one very important purpose.. To dance within destruction and get utterly obliterated by some of the sickest heavy sounds our little pit has to offer this planet!
This is State of the Nation. This is where local heavyweights gather to test our mettle with their most savage and sinister sounds. This past Saturday some of the heaviest acts in the metalverse gathered at Rumours Lounge for the sixth iteration of this immense event.
The bands were scheduled to start at 16:30, though the gates were open at noon already, making for an entire day (and night) of hard hitting, high energy entertainment for us slightly rougher-around-the-edges individuals.
With bands reaching double digits, merch stalls, lekker chow, two alternating stages, and many potent potions; there were no dull moments to be found around Rumours, no sir! As one band finished pounding our senses into another dimension, another act would already be gearing up to unleash the next onslaught! Don’t think for a moment that you could start reading the punches though, because each savage style is unique in it’s execution. The diverse line-up made an event which felt fresh and dynamic throughout; no stale air around these parts.
From the progressive and technical Raptorbaby and Human Nebula, with their delicious and complex combination of styles, to the crushing groove and contemporary heaviness of Sunken State, Die Gemeente, and Diverted Disorder. We had the downright nasty, yet tasty from Black Nature and No Closure; each bringing their own brand of brutality to the table. Walk These Skies unfortunately had a band member fall ill and could not perform, but Surdus stepped up to the plate, filling the space with their symphonic groove.
We even got some colour in the crowd with MoshMallow’s mad Pinkcore contributions. Freedom For Your Life apparently got resurrected through questionable means after years of silence and Days Without Incident added even more depth to an already stacked bill. Among the Absence joined in on the carnage and Facing the Gallows brought their infamous brand of Hate City chaos to the proceedings. Grift ripped a few new ones, with their unapologetic brand of face disintegrating hardcore. Boargazm ended things off by bringing the aporkalypse, sending us through wormholes with their intergalactic space metal.
This wasn’t just a bunch of bands playing their sets; it’s a community of musicians, fans, promoters, and absolute maniacs keeping the metal underground alive, one sweaty mosh pit at a time; and that is what makes events like this so bloody exciting!
State of the Nation celebrates heavy music in all the strange, sexy, and ferocious forms it takes; and the event was run like a well-oiled machine. The sound was on point, a tight time-schedule was achieved, and musicians and fans alike were having a blast. There truly was something for just about everyone and a huge congratulations to all who were involved! See you at the next one and remember..
Dwell in Darkness. Live in Light.
–Lunis Voidbright