Het gezelligste en oudste underground festival van Nederland!
Vertrapte grassprieten, kapotte plastic bekers, de geur van verschraald bier als kruitdampen boven het veld. De dag na Stonehenge biedt elk jaar een stilleven dat in schril contrast staat met de dag ervoor. De laatste zaterdag van juli barst uit zijn voegen van de herrie en nog meer herrie, lomp en onbenullig. Maar mét sfeer. Want metal is steenhard, maar ook keigezellig.
En dat al sinds 1995. Een stel trouwe bezoekers van jongerencentrum de Buze in Steenwijk stak in dat jaar de koppen bijeen. Ze smeedden een plan, dat ijzersterk en onverwoestbaar bleek in de loop der jaren. Stonehenge. Een underground metalfestival, gewoon in de tuin van de Buze. Met op het podium acht Nederlandse bands.
Vanwaar de naam Stonehenge? Te logisch voor woorden, maar vooruit: Stone = steen. En dat in Steenwijk. Voor verwarring met het Stonehenge Festival van vroeger in Engeland bestond geen angst; dat was immers voor een stel halfzachte hippies…
De gedachte achter het festival. Geen commercie, geen gedoe met mensen die bulken van het geld en jouw feestje invullen en verstieren. Het doel is eenvoudig. Neerlands trots uit de wijde regio en verre omstreken, een podium bieden om zich te presenteren aan een groot publiek. De weergoden hebben van meet af aan hun zegen gegeven aan Stonehenge.
De eerste editie bleek een schot in de roos. Met een bezoekersaantal van bijna vijfhonderd kwamen er drie keer zoveel metalheads op Steenwijk af als was ingeschat. De conclusie van de organisatie: volgend jaar weer! En zo was tussen de jaarlijkse festivals in Nederland een nieuwe woest telg ontsproten.
Het festival groeit, in eigen tempo en zonder zich over de kop te laten jagen. De metalmarket (Staalhandel) blijkt een welkome aanvulling. In 1999 waagt de organisatie zich zelfs buiten Nederland en België. Het Engelse Anathema is de eerste band van buiten de Benelux. Het initiatief slaat aan, het roer wordt op deze koers vastgezet.
Stonehenge krijgt steeds meer de allure van een internationaal festival. Bands uit Duitsland, Frankrijk, Zweden, Italië en zelfs Amerika dompelen zich onder in Steenwijks metal.
Het oorspronkelijke doel wordt echter niet uit het oog verloren.
Inmiddels is Stonehenge veelal weken van tevoren uitverkocht. Daarmee is de kracht ervan keihard bewezen. Stonehenge is uitgegroeid tot hét toonaangevende underground metalfestival van Nederland. En de organisatie, die gaat meedogenloos door. Want de Steenwijker toren is nog steeds niet uit het lood geblazen.
Autopsy
Since first bursting onto the death metal scene with the now genre classic ‘Severed Survival’ back in 1989 and following up with the equally revered ‘Mental Funeral’ album, the influential US quartet has carved an unwavering legacy over three decades as masters and purveyors of the vile sides of the extreme metal spectrum. And now, Autopsy marks its reinvigorated return, presenting the first new full-length studio opus since 2014’s ‘Tourniquets, Hacksaws and Graves’ with ‘Morbidity Triumphant’; a savage offering of brutal death, showing the US legends still have an unbridled hunger for the sadistic, never reluctant to step beyond the threshold of decency.
Disharmonic Orchestra
From the crypt
DEATHFUCKINGMETAL from the South-East of the Netherlands, with (ex) members of INHUME, CALLENISH CIRCLE, CLITEATER, PROBATION, MASS DECEPTION.
FROM THE CRYPT is:
Ben - vocals
Luuk - Guitar
Ivan - Guitar
Wim - Bass
Herman – Drums
Napalm Death
What makes NAPALM DEATH so special? Well, let's think back 30 years: Would you have thought that a grindcore band from Birmingham would ever make it into the official album charts with some of the most infernal noise ever put on tape, enter the Guinness book for the shortest song ever recorded or appear in a prominent UK TV series named "Skins"? That it would be part of an Alice Cooper hosted episode of BBC's Never Mind the Buzzcocks to guess from a couple of look-alikes who is the singer in NAPALM DEATH? Could you have ever imagined a down-to-earth lad named Mark "Barney" Greenway, a soccer fan (Aston Villa F.C.), vegetarian, prog metal freak and one of music history's most renowned representatives of "cookie monster" style vocals would become a personality within the extreme music realm that is not about beer-drinking and hell-raising but synonymous with sounding hard while being smart? Well, that is where we are at now. From filthy, sweaty rehearsal rooms and tiny clubs and pubs NAPALM DEATH has conquered every music festival you can think of and toured through corners of the world a lot of bands would not even dare to tour while becoming famous for combining brutal music with political engagement and ethical values beyond the usual cliché of sex, drugs & rock n roll. And, as most fans will be delighted to hear, this remarkable story is far from being over…
Sabiendas
Founded in April 2006 by guitarist Alexandra, SABIENDAS are firmly connected to the old American death metal school of the 90s. After first successes in the local underground, SABIENDAS recorded their first EP "BURIED ALIVE" in 2009. This was self-distributed and is now completely sold out.
After a constant line-up was formed in 2011, the band signed with BretHard Records in 2012 and released their debut album "RESTORED TO LIFE" the following year. The success of the album and the fact that SABIENDAS had made a name for themselves as an unbeatable live band by then, gave the band the opportunity to establish themselves on big stages as well and to make a name for themselves in other European countries, from the North Sea to the Balkans.
With the second album "COLUMN OF SKULLS" from 2015, it was possible to capture the live power on a CD. For the first time, only songs were recorded, which were created in the interaction of the complete band. "COLUMN OF SKULLS" received consistently positive feedback from the press and fans. After that, the band focused on intensive touring across club and festival stages at home and abroad.
In the fall of 2018, SABIENDAS checked into the studio to record their third album "REPULSIVE TRANSGRESSION". The well-rehearsed line-up, many years of shared stage experience and the fact that the entire band was involved in the songwriting allowed for a consistent development of the song structures and allows for new influences without sacrificing the well-known trademarks of SABIENDAS. The recording and production finished in April 2019. "REPULSIVE TRANSGRESSION" shifts up another gear in terms of uncompromisingness, hardness and speed.
The album was released in May 2020 on Massacre Records, distributed worldwide by Soulfood, and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from both fans and press. Due to repeated demand by fans, "Repulsive Transgression" will be released on Aug. 13, 2021 in strictly limited edition red vinyl.
After more than a year of forced live abstinence, SABIENDAS are again extremely hot to lay the stages and clubs at home and abroad in rubble. First shows for 2022 are already in planning.
Stoma
Stoma are a goregrind/pornogrind band from Holland.
Stoma was formed in 1998 as a project when former drummer Puke Vomit and guitar player Still beer were still playing in the band Brainshit. Singer G.O.B. wanted to start a band with these two guys called Stoma.
After a few months growl master 391 accompanied the band to complete the vocal section. During the period of 1999 drummer Ziggy joined Brainshit and Puke Vomit moved to the Bass guitar, which he preferred. It took a couple of months when Brainshit and Stoma merged as one band and the new band was born.During the period of 2000 things went real well and Stoma went to studio Lobbes in Opeinde to record eight songs. Four of the recorded tracks were put under the name "Gory Human Pancake" on a split MCD with the Dutch grind gods "Last days of Humanity". Since then Stoma played several gigs throughout The Netherlands with numerous grindcore bands from Holland and beyond. Stoma recorded and mixed Scat Aficionados at SingSing studio in 2004 and released Unreleased Shit (MCD split with Screaming Afterbirth) in 2007. In 2008 Stoma released a two split CD one on Show me your tits records and one on FDA Rekotz.
