Doombringer. An absolutely unique phenomenon, and not just within the Polish extreme metal scene. My first encounter with them live, almost a decade ago at the Red & Black in Chorzów, remains one of the most intense concert experiences I've ever had. A perfect embodiment of the very essence of underground metal. The Devil incarnate, the shamanic rituals of Medium Mortem, deranged vocalizations, a merciless death/black metal assault, and a sick, ominous atmosphere. Chaos, savagery, and possession on stage. And even more chaos, savagery, and possession in the crowd. I don't think I've ever witnessed such an absolute bloodbath in the pit since. And I don't mean that figuratively. Bodies were dropping everywhere. Musicians from some of Poland's most respected bands were leading the charge right at the front, bottles in hand. I remember prudently retreating to the back rows, fearing for the safety of my bones. Back then, you could genuinely get the impression that the boundary between a concert and a Black Mass had ceased to exist.

Yesterday, during the fourth edition of the Death Is Not the End sludge metal festival, I saw Doombringer for the third time. The circumstances had changed, as had the audience. This time, there was no sense of imminent danger to life and limb in front of the stage. Doombringer themselves also seemed to have grown a little more serious. There was more focus in their onstage frenzy, more discipline in the chaos, and more majesty in the brutality. But the Devil is still in there. And he's doing just fine.

At first glance, Doombringer might have seemed somewhat out of place among the other festival acts. For me, however, they were the biggest attraction of this year's edition (with no disrespect to the other hordes, because every band delivered the goods). And they didn't disappoint for a single moment. A massive, ominous sound, a hypnotic atmosphere, possessed vocals, riffs cutting through living flesh, and that rare ability to turn extreme metal into an almost ceremonial spectacle. It's damn difficult to find another band quite like this. And this isn't about reinventing metal, but about having an absolutely distinctive way of delivering it. With all that shamanic madness, musical savagery, and infernal majesty.

Finally, a traditional salute to the organizers of Death Is Not the End. The fourth edition confirmed that, from an organizational standpoint, this is a model event. Just as importantly, the festival has already developed a loyal following and is slowly becoming something more than just an opportunity to catch a few excellent bands. It's also a gathering of people you genuinely want to see again. Once more, I had the pleasure of catching up with many of the coolest guys and gals in the world. You know who you are. Kisses!

All right, then. When's the fifth edition?

Norbert