«10»: Our most anticipated performances of Roadburn 2024 - Part D'

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At one point in time, Sunday was known in festival circles as "afterburn", but for some years now it has been established as its official fourth day. This gives Roadburn the opportunity to provide a foothold to even more underground acts, and further expand its artistic horizons. We personally declare that for us, the last day of the festival is usually the one with the most surprises. This year, Roadburn 2024, as you can see in its full line-up, has reserved heavy hitters for Sunday, April 21st.

So, we conclude our tribute to this year's edition of the festival by choosing ten appearances from the fourth day. As you can see below, Roadburn perfectly balances between honored past, awesome present and hopeful future of the global underground. As an editorial team, we hope that through this series of articles we have communicated our love for a portion of artists that we believe deserve the spotlight. We'll be resuming our editorial rendezvous with post-festival responses after we return from Tilburg, The Nederlands, but in the meantime, we urge you to tune in to our R! Instagram where we will convey the pulse of the four days to you non-stop.

You can revisit here the first part of our article series about this year's festival, focusing on the sets of Thursday, April 18, here the second part regarding Friday, April 19, and here the third part for Saturday, April 20, respectively.

1

Use Knife (15:00 - 15:50, Next Stage)

Based in Belgium, Use Knife may not have been around for very long, but they have quickly distinguished themselves due to their inspired blend of western electronic sound with Arabic musical tradition, with a heavy emphasis on percussion and vocals. At a particularly charged historical moment for the Arab world, the cultural heritage carried by Use Knife is an ideal opportunity to celebrate musical culture and to forget without pigeonholing, creating memories of the beauty created by the collaboration of different cultures and while we move away momentarily from the ugliness to which their differences lead.

2

Die Wilde Jagd & Metropole Orkest (15:50 - 16:50, Main Stage)

As the saying goes 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'; and as it is known to anyone following Roadburn in the last years, Die Wilde Jagd are a perfect match for the festival. We've seen this twice through our screens in the Redux experience of 2021, and we've witnessed it firsthand, moments before the curtain call of the glorious return to Tilburg, one year later. This time around, the band will be presenting the brand-new, commissioned project "Lux Tenera - A Rite To Joy", accompanied by the renowned Metropole Orkest (see Triptykon's "Requiem"), and the limit to our expectations is practically sky high.

3

Verwoed (16:20 - 17:10, The Terminal)

The Dutch Verwoed's recent album is one of the most special black metal records you can hear. "The Mother", which will be performed in its entirety, is ritualistic, hypnotic, and psychedelic, with an essence of twisted disharmonies. Roadburn have always supported the local scene, and this time, Verwoed, who have been heavily supported by the more prominent Dodsrit (see below) leave us with a feeling that they're going to get a lot of attention. Their third album is so ambitious and evocative that it's recommended for listening and meditation even if you're not into the particular sound. We doubt that you could let “The Mother” in and not be drawn into its anti-cosmic magic.

4

Neptunian Maximalism (16:50 - 18:10, Next Stage)

The avant-garde jazz/drone metal outfit that blew us away at Roadburn Redux comes to the Next Stage (nice setting) to present their new album in its entirety, "Le Sacre Du Soleil Invaincu". We don't know what to expect, but we're excited for it. Having understood their maximalist and transcendental view of art, we've set very high the bar for their show. In records like "Finis Gloriae Mundi", they have proven that their live performances go beyond the expected and break through the norms. The live experience of a concert by this collective is one of the main reasons to go to Roadburn 2024, and we stand by that position firmly.

5

Devil Master (18:00 - 19:00, The Terminal)

From their first seven-inch relases and EPs to records like 2019's "Satan Spits On Children Of Light" or 2022's crushing "Ecstasies Of Never Ending Night", Devil Master have managed to achieve a lot with a little in their hands. Their blackened speed metal/punk, the macabre aesthetic, the old-fashioned beats, the unadulterated enjoyment of their music, they are a meeting point for different subcultures. But one thing is indisputable. A Devil Master concert is capable of derailing everything, making you find energy where you have run out, renewing your faith in the cult underground. Finally, we will see them live.

6

Grails (18:10 - 19:25, Main Stage)

Grails' live performances can safely be said to be a sonic mystique, worthy only of an appearance on the main stage at Roadburn Festival. After turning to film-quality music after their journeying, last album "Anches En Maat", the parallel dimension they set up on stage seems to only have room for growth on their already classic discography. On a road that starts on our own soil, Grails' appearance as the epilogue to this year's Roadburn Festival is expected to be the culmination of this year's European tour, for which we can only reserve too much excitement and emotion.

7

Jegong (20:00 - 20:50, Hall Of Fame)

If Jegong's name alone doesn't tell you much, the two musical boulders that make it up might put something into perspective: the musical partnership of Mono drummer Dahm Majuri Cipolla and Sum Of R's axeman Reto Mäder R is a celebration of music. From sounds rooted deep in ‘70s krautrock to ambient haunting distortions, Jegong pays tribute to the music that raised them, from the moment the two musicians met and discovered the musical preferences that unite them. Their adoration for electronic sound and their deep knowledge of its evolution is evident and leads to a sure result of an unforgettable performance.

8

The Jesus And Mary Chain (20:50 - 22:10, Main Stage)

Let's see hands, who here had 'Jesus play Roadburn' in their bingo card? Nobody? Good, honesty is always appreciated. Somewhere in the back of our minds, there's a faded memory of Walter mentioning something of the sort in a panel, but in any case to say the announcement caught us off guard would be an understatement, in the best way possible. Especially for those of us who had the good/bad luck of missing out their latest show in Greece, opening for Bauhaus, a couple summers back. The line connecting the Reed brothers with the festival's style and mindset is more than obvious. The possibility of hearing "April Skies" feels too good to be missed.

9

Dödsrit (21:50 - 22:50)

Two years have passed since Dodsrit's crushing performance in Tilburg. Then it was the impressive "Mortal Coil", this year, their return takes place under the sounds of the epic and dramatic "Nocturnal Will". We've been there, and we'll be there again. At the risk of repeating ourselves, we can't help but rejoice at how these metal/punks are growing and establishing themselves as one of the most impressive names in the modern black metal scene. Their new record has swept the speakers of every "non-believer" who gave in to its enchanting guitar parts and the deep emotions it generates. So are their appearances. Collective but also deeply individual experiences. Magnificent.

10

Cloakroom (23:10 - 00:00, Main Stage)

It's no small feat to be able to say about your band that you've managed, for several years, to bridge Midwest emo with shoegaze, but Cloakroom can wear it as a badge with absolute success. As if that wasn't enough, their stoner/sludge origins lend a facet to their sound that is unmatched anywhere else. Across their three releases, Cloakroom offer us dozens of tracks that sweep us into a nostalgic bliss, culminating in compositions like "Seedless Star" and "Lost Meaning", making them one of the top picks for the farewell show of the entire festival .