Finally, I have finished my Obscene Extreme Festival 2024 Report! Took me a while, luckily I had notes I wrote during the festival, so it was much easier to do it.
I attended the Obscene Extreme Festival for the first and last time back in 2011. Not because I wanted it to be the last, but due to circumstances beyond my control. Last year, I told my wife that I had no intention of missing the 25th anniversary of the festival, as I was sure the lineup would be insane. And I was right. The announcement that Danny Lilker would form a new band for this event with the sole purpose of playing BRUTAL TRUTH’s “Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses” in its entirety was a clear sign for me that there was no turning back. If someone had told me I would hear the whole album live, I would have told them they were joking. I saw Brutal in 2011, where I stage-dived, landed on my head, and blacked out for about 10-15 seconds. But it was worth it.
This time, I went with the full crew: my wife, our five-year-old kid, and our dog Pennywise. Since rain is more than common in Trutnov, we decided to rent a cabin about a 30-minute walk from the venue. The nearly 900-kilometer journey was barely felt since we both drove, and we left a day early to catch Freak Festival. We entered the town from the direction leading straight to the festival. Everything was festival-themed: billboards, signs to the campgrounds, and a river of grinders, metalheads, and crusties dragging their bags, sleeping bags, and tents.
I should mention that my wife is not into this scene, so she was initially shocked, then impressed (positively, of course). It was my kid’s first concert experience, and even now, he says he wants to go to another one. Our dog, Penny, didn’t say anything, as she didn’t attend.
Concerts are my way to unwind, as my only vice is alcohol. 🙂 It’s impossible to watch bands from morning to morning, so if there’s no report on a performance of a band you like, I DON’T apologize in advance.
Regarding the festival itself and payments, everything is cashless except for the merch. At the entrance booth, they scan pre-purchased tickets, and you get a wristband with a chip that you load with money on the spot. You can also do this before arriving, which is preferable due to currency differences. Food and drinks are in Czech crowns, merch in euros, and some vendors accept cards or PayPal. This year, there were over ten different Czech beers available, plus an IPA made specifically for the festival.
The OEF merch sold out by the second day. For example, I bought a charity XL shirt without trying it on, as they said it was standard size. Tried it on at home – too small. Went back the next day to exchange it – sold out. Now I need to lose weight to wear it. :'(
But let’s start from the beginning.
Obscene Extreme Festival 2024 Report – Day 1
On the first or zero day of the festival, everything kicks off with Freak Festival. It’s a total two-hour madness where fans in costumes or naked play various games, compete in vomiting, peeing, etc. I’m sure nothing like it exists at any other festival. It’s not something you take a kid to, so my time there was limited.
After spending the first few hours showing my wife and kid around the festival, the first band I saw was C.A.R.N.E. What a start! Mexican goregrind that shook my kidneys instantly. Ah, four days of enjoyment begin. The Mexicans have been around for 25 years, and the crowd was eager to celebrate with them. Next were SEDEM MINÚT STRACHU, who played their seven minutes of noise, causing fans to gag and vomit. They even did a one-minute encore. Hahahahaha. I stayed for ACIDEZ, another old Mexican guard playing a mix of metal and punk.
Watch ACIDEZ below:
An excellent, well-rehearsed band, which isn’t surprising as they’re on tour almost all year. After them, I decided to wander and wait for DEVOURMENT, American brutal death metal veterans. “Fucked by death” and “Babykiller” caused the usual frenzy on and off the stage. Then DROPDEAD, whom I’ve seen several times. I mostly hung around the stands, drank beer, and listened to music between political announcements and speeches. The headliners of the day for me were GRUESOME, death metal veterans: Matt Harvey – EXHUMED, Gus Ríos – ex-MALEVOLENT CREATION, Daniel Gonzalez – POSSESSED, and Robin Mazen – CASTRATOR. GRUESOME were there to remind us of DEATH and Chuck Schuldiner’s sound and legacy. And they succeeded. Naturally, I positioned myself in front of the stage, looking for the perfect spot. To say I enjoyed it would be an understatement. That was the end of the day for me. Too much beer had taken its toll, so I didn’t force myself to stay for the rest.
Watch GRUESOME below:
Obscene Extreme Festival 2024 Report – Day 2
For the second (or first full-schedule) day, I was mentally and physically prepared. A light plum brandy from early morning, barbecue at the cabin, and off to the festival. I didn’t want to miss WHORESNATION. I’ve been chasing them for a long time, excellent representatives of French grindcore. The vocalist was in great form, flying from one end of the stage to the other without it affecting his singing. I wanted to give PUTRIDITY a chance, but unsuccessfully. Since I decided to start my label and distro before OEF, I headed to the festival’s merch area. The previous day’s offerings weren’t great, but on the second day, there were twice as many vendors, so I took the opportunity to browse and gather some contacts before returning for SEE YOU IN HELL, who lost their frontman Filip seven years ago. Luckily for fans, Jozka on the mic now delivered, as did the band.
Next, WALKING CORPSES, a band Danny Lilker created specifically for this occasion, on the ashes of BRUTAL TRUTH. Čurbi’s favorite album is “Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses” (mine too, but who cares), so Danny didn’t want to miss the chance to give his friend probably the best gift ever: the entire album played live. Bilos from MALIGNANT TUMOUR handled the vocals excellently. At the middle of the set, “Walking Corpse” starts, Keijo from ROTTEN SOUND jumps on stage, grabs the mic, and I already had serious bruises. Literally, if I had died after this performance, I wouldn’t have regretted it. 🙂
Watch WALKING CORSPES below:
I headed to the nearest beer tap to kill the taste of dust and mud in my mouth and watched SIEGE in peace. At one point, Barney from NAPALM DEATH appeared on stage, and the “Drop Dead” massacre followed, the crowd in a trance. 40 years of a band that raised hardcore to a higher level. After SIEGE, the party of the evening: GUTALAX, the biggest grindcore party band. Even as I write this, tears of laughter fill my eyes. I’d recommend a GUTALAX concert even to those who don’t like the genre. The crowd was filled with balloons shaped like poop, penises, inflatable sex dolls. Maximum delirium.
Watch GUTALAX below:
Just before RATOS DE PORAO started, heavy rain began. Without any protection like a jacket or poncho, I sought shelter in the crowd under a canopy made specifically for this recurring festival mishap. RDP sounded great, Gordo held up well, and as “Farsa Nacionalista” started, a mosh pit broke out, halved by the rain. The rain pestered throughout RDP’s set, stopping just before NAPALM DEATH. The crowd around the stage grew again. Newer songs were played, which surprised me, and during a break before “Scum”, Danny Lilker came out, grabbed the bass, and played the entire song with them. “Nazi Punks Fuck Off” predictably got the most audience reaction. I hadn’t seen DYING FETUS in about 15 years, since they played with CANNIBAL CORPSE in Belgrade in 2009, and expected more action on stage. However, there was none. John Gallagher and Sean Beasley left space between themselves for fans, played their set, and left. I decided to skip WORMROT as I had seen them with NAPALM DEATH a few months earlier on the “Campaign For Musical Destruction Tour”. The announcement that lady singer Weish would perform with them further cemented my decision to skip the gig. As if I sensed it wasn’t the same anymore, guitarist Rasyid announced on social media that drummer Vijesh was leaving the band. I still regret not catching WORMROT live while Arif was on vocals.
Obscene Extreme Festival 2024 Report – Day 3
On the third (or second :D) day, there was a pretty packed schedule of bands I wanted to see. I was at the venue by 11:00 to catch GUMMO, another French grindcore representative. Someone says beer shouldn’t be drunk before 12:00, but that’s impossible while watching GUMMO. I stumbled upon the Brazilian band ESCARNIUM online a few times and watched their full set. Some vocal/microphone issues didn’t affect the overall impression of excellent Brazilian death metal a la KRISIUN. I skipped ABRADED and waited for the Austrian DISTASTE. A pretty good death grindcore band that will surely make a name for themselves. I skipped REBAELLIUN, watched MEAT SPREADER. Polish grindcore veterans consisting of members from DEAD INFECTION, SQUASH BOWELS, ETERNAL ROT, EXIT WOUNDS, etc. This year they released an excellent second album “Mental Disease Transmitted by Radioactive Fear,” and it was a must-see. Jaro was dressed like he just came from a second-division English football derby but didn’t let that stop him from giving his all on the mic for (short) 25 minutes. No complaints, everything was in place, but simply too short, in my opinion.
Stayed in front of the stage, waiting for THE ARSON PROJECT. Ah, Swedish grindcore is probably my favorite, I realized that while sending interviews for this webzine and album announcements. Last time I saw them with NASHGUL and GADGET in Handen (Stockholm), it was 2015, I think. There were probably 20 of us, a club the size of three rooms, but it felt like a volcanic crater. Back to OEF. THE ARSON PROJECT showed why they are one of the best Swedish grindcore bands. They were joined on stage by Pibe from WHORESNATION, Elis from BIRDFLESH… grindcore at its finest. Again, too short for my taste. Took the opportunity to chat with them after the show and skipped LAHAR thrashers, grabbed some TAP merch.
Watch THE ARSON PROJECT below:
Returned to the mosh pit to watch the Dutch fury INHUME, a band celebrating 30 years of existence this year. Last saw them in 2023 at the Bloodshed festival in the Netherlands, and they tore the place apart. Expected the same this time, and wasn’t disappointed. From the first note, it was clear that INHUME doesn’t mess around. Dorus gave 101% on stage, other members crushed it, and there’s no way you’re not at least tapping your foot, even if you don’t like mosh pits. Rested until FLESHLESS, legends of the local scene. During their set, kids from the Kinder Grinder part of the festival (you come with a child and leave them in care) did stage diving. It was surreal watching kids from three to thirteen years old diving into the crowd to FLESHLESS. Priceless.
Watch FLESHLESS with kids stagediving below:
Took another break until GROINCHURN. Totally forgot about this band, it was a blast from the past. South African grind, hardcore, groove mix, tight as ever. 40 minutes of enjoyment. For those who haven’t heard of them, definitely check them out. After the show, headed to the merch area to grab at least a T-shirt. Rushed back for a historic performance. A band I’ve been waiting for 666 years, goregrind legends ROMPEPROP. Reunited just for this occasion, and probably never again, ROMPEPROP caused more chaos than GUTALAX and were in my top 3 performances of the entire OEF. During the set, they played a cover of COCK AND BALL TORTURE, and now I could die happy. 😀 Members of HAEMORRHAGE, BIRDFLESH appeared on stage, a lot of fake blood, total madness!
Watch ROMPEPROP below:
WOLFBRIGADE took over, nothing new to say. Legends of Swedish crust and d-beat made the most of their hour. I love WOLFBRIGADE, but I love DISFEAR more. Hehehehe…
Next up were IMMOLATION, a band I had been eagerly waiting for. Literally, my “Bringing Down The World Tour” DVD got worn out from watching, and finally, I got to see them. Unlike DYING FETUS, IMMOLATION crushed it on stage. A mix of old and new songs fired up even the hardest death metal opponents. For (my) end of the evening, legends CRIPPLE BASTARDS. A band considered a staple of OEF, despite not playing there often, and a band that needs no introduction. From start to finish, Giulio and the crew demolished the stage, fans, everything. An unforgettable show full of energy, malice seeping from Giulio’s eyes and every lyric. It made no sense to stay for the rest of the night as it would have been a downgrade. This day was undoubtedly the best of the entire festival for me.
Obscene Extreme Festival 2024 Report – Day 4
On Saturday, I woke up fresh and cheerful, lifted by some plum brandy. The pace had been exhausting the previous days, especially since I spent all day on my feet, even while eating. For the last day, I planned a few bands and a family tour of Trutnov. I was in front of the stage around 12:45 for the start of the new (old) Swedish band SICKRECY. Made up of proven members from BIRDFLESH, GENERAL SURGERY, JIGSORE TERROR, and many other bands. This was the first band I interviewed for this webzine. Thank you, guys, again. This time, Adde switched from drums and vocals in BIRDFLESH to just the mic. Covered in fake blood, along with the rest of the band, they once again demonstrated why Swedish grindcore has always been at the top of the world.
Watch SICKRECY below:
Three hours between SICKRECY and FINAL EXIT passed in the merch area and drinking liters of beer (what else to do when Czech beer is like water). FINAL EXIT – a legendary Japanese duo that managed to play at least twice as many songs as their 20-something-minute set. Kidding aside, check out some live recordings on YouTube, and you’ll get it. After them, Colombians INTERNAL SUFFERING, a brutal death metal band that stood out among the many similar bands in recent years. I took a break from one band to stock up on more beer and find a place to sit, to watch BIRDFLESH in peace. Swedish comedic band, with a good three-decade career. Luckily, their set lasted almost 40 minutes, with many hits. BIRDFLESH released their new EP “Faster than a Priest Vomit” just days before the festival, with 13 tracks totaling just under 13 minutes.
I eagerly awaited HAEMORRHAGE. My kid also didn’t want to sleep, even though his bedtime had long passed. The Spanish goregrind legends gave their all to prove their motto “We are the gore!”. Known for their live show style, with Lugubrious drenched in fake blood and the rest of the band dressed as pathologists, they were warmly received by fans, and the stage was packed even before they started. Total chaos. From “Uncontrollable Proliferation of Neoplasm” to the aforementioned “We Are The Gore” to “I’m A Pathologist,” it was hit after hit. An excellent setlist.
Watch HAEMORRHAGE below:
For the finale – AUTOPSY. Čurbi’s wish to see them live came true. Despite their age, AUTOPSY sounded phenomenal. They opened with the first two tracks from the “Mental Funeral” album, “Twisted Mass of Burnt Decay” and “In the Grip of Winter,” and then played “Severed Survival” in its entirety. They ended with a BLOODBATH cover “Fuck You,” and that was my cue to head back to the accommodation.
Our return home was marred by a traffic accident on the highway, adding two hours to our trip. The whole festival atmosphere and those few days still keep me filled with positive energy. What can a fan say to Čurby and the crew that they don’t already know?! Until the next edition – IN GRIND WE TRUST!
With a man himself: