Thank you, to those who read the first part of this review. For those still with me, here is the second.

Saturday

Saturday begins with the most ridiculous transport problem I’ve had since I moved out of London and I arrive to Knoll two minutes before they start. The room is lit only by a handful of table lamps at strategic points on the stage which sets the tone for the grindcore/noise band to fully embrace their darkness. Screaming into the void is vocalist Jamie Eubanks who takes on a persona that is both engaging and aggressive. Curious noise interludes and trumpet add to the pitch black atmosphere the band create and its not until they leave the stage that the audience finally takes a collective breath.

Heading to the The Terminal and the European debut of Couch Slut and their new album being played in full, I fight through the crowds to secure a good viewing spot. You Could Do It Tonight is a hard listen, as is almost everything Couch Slut put out, with true stories being told from the viewpoint of the band and vocalist Megan Osztrosits. Appearing on stage looking like she just rolled out of bed, Megan tells us with all honesty, that’s the case. Last night they played in the skatepark and evidently the party continued well into the late hours. It doesn’t detract from the performance, however, it only enhances the filth and horror that lies underneath Couch Slut’s music and words. This afternoon the band are stark in their truth and that brutal candor brings to the surface emotions that have long been forgotten and fleeting memories of terror. It’s affecting in ways that are both blunt and fascinating, and that uncomfortable and sad feeling persists still now.

Next is Sunrot at The Engine Room, sludge at its finest with technical issues that are the opposite. The mic drops out several times which seems to not faze the band in the slightest, they continue to rip through tracks, converse with the crowd and lay down some of the heaviest music this weekend. The extraordinary weight of “Trigger Warning” that closes the set leaves us all wanting more from the New Jersey natives, making their first European performance much more meaningful for both them, and for the audience.

There’s a lot of back and forth today and next on the schedule is the ecstatic black metal of Agriculture. Having played a secret set the night before in the skatepark attached to venue, there is a lot of anticipation as to how this show will go. The band seem nervous, looking to each other for reassurance or their cues and that only ramps up when they stop shortly into the first song as it becomes clear no sound is coming from the bass. After the problem is fixed, the quartet go on to enrapture The Terminal with their own brand of black metal. Evoking the highest highs, Agriculture create music that flows with the strangest sense of peace and happiness. The beauty of set closers “Look, Pt. 1” and “The Glory of the Ocean” is in such contrast the desolate sounds of the first bands of the day that the only response I have is to cry.

Afterwards, I take a slow walk over to the 013 for The Keening who are performing Little Bird on the Main Stage. Led by ex-Subrosa vocalist Rebecca Vernon, who has brought together some of the scenes most wonderful musicians to bring her compositions to life, The Keening affect on a different level. Gorgeous waves of sound take you to a new horizon as the band process grief and loss through beautiful piano, soaring guitars and Vernon’s exquisite voice. The Main Stage is quiet, in awe of the strength displayed on stage and the pain that we all feel and don’t talk about.

It’s fitting, then, that Dublin’s Lankum are next, with a thrilling turn through traditional Irish story-telling, instrumentation and a sense of humour that makes this performance one of its kind. Lankum may not seem like the type of band that Roadburn would book, yet theirs is one of the most well attended at the Main Stage. There’s wonder and intrigue at the sheer number of instruments set in front of the musicians and the way in which they are used is deeply absorbing. Songs are long and repetitive which allows the audience to fall under Lankum’s spell in a short space of time. The hypnotic rhythms are sorrowful, yet the band tell us stories and make jokes between songs that belie the weight of the words. A contrast that no one knew they needed until now.

For many here, Khanate are the main draw of the weekend as their first live performance in 19 years is about to begin. Having released To Be Cruel in 2023, their last being in 2009, the anticipation Khanate brings with them is palpable. It takes a strong mind to stay for the Khanate experience even on record, so tonight holds an interest for many reasons. Vocalist Alan Dubin barely faces the crowd and instead chooses to face stage right for almost the entire set time, Stephen O’Malley keeps his back to the audience throughout and the band choose to allow their horrendously heavy sound do the talking. Which it does. In powerful waves that can be felt radiating from the stage and up through the floor. It’s hard to say this is an enjoyable experience, and as Dubin exclaims that he thought the room would be empty by the time they finished, I look around to see that many people around me did leave. It’s understandable as Khanate are not a band to shy away from the sheer horror of their sound. I’m glad I didn’t, also.

Closing out this night is another big draw, Blood Incantation, with a set subtitled “A career spanning set of their metal catalogue.” Blood Incantation are bonkers, more so than your regular death metal band, with songs that push over ten minutes and a concept so beautifully weird that you can’t help but love them. Aliens. Aliens, man. It’s incredible and tonight shows just why they are so revered. The crowd are wild, the band are wild, the security guards are wild with annoyance at the rogue crowd surfers. “Awakening From the Dream of Existence to the Multidimensional Nature of our Reality (Mirror of the Soul)” is likely some of the most beautiful music played this weekend. That’s the kind of audacity Blood Incantation have. It’s incredible.

Sunday

The last day of Roadburn always seems slightly more relaxed. There’s less people and The Engine Room stage is not in use today. After checking out the art exhibit at the NS16 building, I make my way in for Laster at The Terminal. Today they play their latest release, Andermans Mijne, and remain one of the most curiously danceable bands out there. Laster are but three people, yet their sound fills the room with waves of groove and sparks with frenetic energy.

It’s a tough decision for the next performance, and I decide on the Main Stage and Die Wilde Jagd with Metropole Orkest playing a commissioned piece entitled Lux Tenera – A Rite to Joy. Walking into the space brings with it a great sense of awe. The stage is filled with musicians and Die Wilde Jagd is using this moment to capture his own joy in life, the light that brings with it hope and tenderness. It’s quite the spectacle and the audience is respectful in their silence when it’s needed and thrilled when the giant drums are played with keenly felt passion.

Neptunian Maximalism are late. Except, they’re not. In the Festival booklet they are scheduled to begin at 17:10, yet the Timesquare app we are recommended has the slightly earlier time of 16:50 listed. No matter, because getting there early ensures a spot for the debut of Le Sacre du Soleil Invaincu as the Next Stages has barely room to breathe in very quickly. Neptunian Maximalism is worship of the highest order and with Le Sacre du Soleil Invaincu, we hear the band take on new forms as they investigate eastern practices and Indian instrumentation in a mind-bending performance that many embraced wholeheartedly.

Devil Master already have a reputation for being a whirlwind of sound on stage and tonight is no exception to that rule. The band are on incredible form as they tear through songs from Ecstasies of Never Ending Night, bringing punk sensibilities to black metal aesthetic and a wonderfully theatrical nuance. The room is full, but not so full that you need to sit directly in front of someone or practically on their feet. If that was you…… I hope you enjoyed my knee in your back. I enjoyed Devil Master despite your weirdly close proximity. Weirdo.

Fluisteraars already played Roadburn on Friday, with their new album Manifestaties van de Ontworteling being at the fore and a different aspect of their sound taking precedence. Tonight, we have the black metal version of the Dutch band and it is one of the most anticipated of the weekend if the talk in the queue to get into The Terminal is anything to go by. This evening they are triumphant, euphoric even, as they bring us into their world. Vocalist Bob Mollema is a force to be reckoned with as his performance verges on the dramatic without tipping into caricature, his voice echoing over the audience in strange whoops and howls while the band push their riffs into ever circling rhythms that transfix.

To bring my Roadburn 2024 to a close, is Swedish/Dutch entity Dödsrit. The band are fresh from the release of Nocturnal Will and seem in a celebratory mood tonight. The songs from the new album are vital in their constant movement with even slower moments feeling as though they are waiting to be free in order to reach the heavens. Black metal is often dark, yet Dödsrit bring about a certain luminescence to their sound as “Celestial Will” and “Nocturnal Fire” radiate across The Terminal with climbing riffs and feverish screams.

It’s a bright end to a weekend that will live in the memory for quite some time. Thank you, Roadburn.