Without having planned it and completely unexpectedly, I found myself at the second edition of the South of Heaven Festival in Maastricht. While the original idea was simply to visit friends who live in the city, we ended up all together enjoying some of the biggest names currently touring the festival circuit, such as Black Label Society, Cavalera, and our own Septic Flesh. On Saturday and Friday, bands like Megadeth, Sepultura, Alestorm, and several others also performed.
The park where the festival took place was extremely accessible, being less than 10 minutes away from the city center — especially in a city where everyone gets around by bicycle, making distances feel even shorter. My friends call Maastricht “the Patras of the Netherlands,” as the pace of life is much more relaxed and there are countless students around. It is also worth mentioning that, despite the fact that the day I attended featured five major names from the metal scene, the festival grounds were no bigger than our own Technopolis in Athens.
Early in the morning, with the cool northern breeze, I found myself among quite a crowd — almost one third of the venue’s capacity — waiting for the first band. Being locals, they already had their own audience ready.
Rectal Smegma, having already completed two decades in grindcore, appeared with the artwork of their previous album displayed behind them, immediately giving you an idea of what was about to follow. Grindcore shots with vocals straight from the sewer and lyrics taken from the darkest corners of their imagination. Obviously, everything was delivered in a highly comedic way, with the guitarist appearing in an ’80s-style green gym outfit. The vocalist was very communicative, speaking to the crowd in Dutch, and judging by the reaction, the audience gave them everything they asked for. The highlight was clearly the younger fans causing chaos in the pit right in front of the stage.
Two objects thrown by the frontman became the reason for some of the most creative acts of “destruction” one can imagine. An inflatable crocodile and a baby doll — which later ended up headless — were flying through the air constantly, even during the following bands. The third item thrown was a football. Whoever had possession of it until the end of a song would win free merchandise. That was when things truly went insane, with the entire area in front of the stage turning into a rugby field. Although grindcore is not exactly the easiest genre to listen to, especially at a festival dominated by heavy/thrash names, Rectal Smegma stole the show with powerful breakdowns, pure madness, and a young crowd fully supporting them.
Next came Flotsam and Jetsam, the beloved thrash legends who continue relentlessly taking heads off with their music and performances. Entering with “Hammerhead” from Doomsday for the Deceiver — an album that received special treatment with three songs performed live — they had the pit and crowd surfing starting within seconds. Eric on vocals delivered the songs flawlessly, moving constantly across the stage and bringing the energy their music demands. Their setlist focused mainly on their classic era, almost functioning as a best-of collection.
However, we are also looking forward to their new album, expected at the end of August, without hearing any songs from it this time. I don’t think anyone complained, though, because the 45 minutes they had available flew by with anthems like “I Live You Die” and “She Took an Axe.” Hopefully we will see them again soon in Athens, as it has already been a decade since their previous visit.
Setlist: Hammerhead / Dreams of Death / Iron Maiden / She Took an Axe / Brace for Impact / I Live You Die / Demolition Man / Desecrator
Suddenly, the crowd doubled in size and, following the schedule that had been posted on social media with impressive accuracy, Death to All made their appearance through screams and applause. To be honest, I had already suspected it, as Death T-shirts were probably the most common ones among the audience. The band came on stage with incredible energy and a setlist that included the best material from their catalogue. Spiritual Healing received special attention, but songs from throughout their discography were also included.
The clear standout was Max Phelps on vocals and guitar, who, with respect and humility, handled both roles exceptionally well, no matter how demanding they are considered to be. Technically speaking — although I am not completely familiar with Death’s entire musical universe — all the musicians seemed absolutely flawless. Even though none of them remained in the original band for many years, they have clearly put enormous effort into delivering the best possible sonic experience without sounding like just another tribute band. The mastermind behind Death may have left us too soon, but his songs remain alive — and perhaps in one of the best versions in which we could experience them.
Setlist: Living Monstrosity / Zombie Ritual / Lack of Comprehension / The Philosopher / Spiritual Healing / Symbolic / Zero Tolerance / Crystal Mountain / Spirit Crusher / Pull the Plug
Inside the festival grounds there was also a second, smaller stage, covered by a huge tent similar to the ones usually seen at circuses. That is where a very pleasant surprise was waiting for us, as the stage had been taken over by A Knight Under Maria’s Altar, also known as AKUMA, whose members were all very young. Their music carries influences from metalcore and deathcore, with two vocalists who had completely energized the young crowd below, creating chaos and nonstop movement. Their energy was exactly what you expect from a band at the beginning of its journey: a group that truly loves what it does and is already musically more advanced than many more experienced bands in the scene. The circle pits and the insane activity from the fans below are hard to describe, until one guy claimed his own space and started doing something resembling hardcore breakdance. It was an incredible experience to discover a band without having heard a single note beforehand and be won over within seconds — not only by their music but also by their stage presence. Hopefully these guys reach the level they deserve and manage to win over an even bigger audience. Definitely check out their first album, although their live performances clearly elevate the experience to another level.
Of course, there was no time to rest at this point, because as soon as AKUMA finished on the small stage, Septic Flesh appeared, having already created the atmosphere with smoke and stage effects. Their symphonic death metal spread across the venue, capturing every eye and ear that happened to be nearby. A Greek flag was raised by a friend inside the pit, and the acoustic intro of “Neuromancer” sounded like a warning before the massive riff exploded, followed by Seth’s brutal vocals. The symphonic elements completed the formula together with Sotiris’ clean vocals, who unfortunately was not present but could be heard through the speakers so clearly that it felt like he was actually there. Many people in the crowd seemed not to have seen Septic Flesh live before — perhaps they had not even listened to their music previously — because their reactions were restrained at first, until they understood what was happening and the pit and headbanging started again.
With one hour available, they divided their setlist between songs from their latest album Modern Primitive and older material such as “Vampire from Nazareth”, and of course “Anubis”, which simply could not be missing. Many of the fans in their thirties knew every word by heart.
I think their performance was one of the ones that stood out, both because of its intensity and because they had a clearly different sound compared to what came before and after, giving the festival a much wider variety of metal colours.
Time for something more groovy, with Corrosion of Conformity taking over the stage with the rock star attitude they truly deserve. The songs from Deliverance may be our favourites — and they probably always will be — but the tracks from their latest album Good God / Bad Man made the difference with their raw punk energy. Take “Gimme Some More”, for example, with its chaotic riffs and vocals that carry the attitude of a band that has just released its debut album and has absolutely nothing to lose or gain.
Their sound — dirty yet crystal clear — blew through the speakers of South of Heaven, giving us one of the most electrifying performances of the festival. Of course, the legendary “Albatross” could not be missing. It sent us straight back to 1994, when C.O.C. alongside Kyuss were creating one of the most badass genres in our music world: stoner rock.
For the final time on the smaller stage, we got a taste of The Fifth Alliance. Being a much more experienced band, already with four albums under their belt, they poured all their melancholy into their post-metal sound. The commanding female vocalist, with a huge vocal range stretching from clean singing all the way to black metal screams, took both us and the band itself into darker territories, helped by the crushing, almost locomotive riffs that kept us trapped in constant motion.
The sound quality may have done them a little injustice, but everyone who was there left satisfied — and definitely with a new, very interesting band added to their playlist.
Approaching the main stage, we saw the Cavalera family appear in front of the banner/cover artwork of Chaos A.D., which had been transformed into “Chaos 3D” since the mummy from the artwork was now a real, gigantic structure hanging in front of the banner. A very clever visual trick that, together with Max’s entrance on stage, immediately created chaos among the audience. The tour is clearly focused on performing this specific album live, and that is exactly what they did — although the songs appeared in a slightly different order. Igor behind the drums, cooler than ever, delivered an incredible drumming performance while playing the music he himself had written. The peak moment was “Kaiowas”, which transported us to Brazil through the rhythms inspired by the indigenous tribe of the same name, whose story ended tragically after members committed suicide in protest against the destruction of their lands and heritage.
Max, visibly changed after losing a significant amount of weight since we saw him with Soulfly in Athens in 2023, had incredible energy and clearly better vocal performance, sounding almost as if the vocals were coming directly from the original recording. On his right, his son Igor Jr. looked ready to destroy his bass guitar during every explosion, every riff, every anthem that opened the pit — especially songs like “Propaganda” and “Territory.” Those who attended the previous day also saw Sepultura, although I believe comparisons are pointless because the two acts offer completely different experiences. However, I will say that I felt extremely lucky to witness this Cavalera performance, which ended with the incredibly experimental “Chaos B.C.”
Before that, they also performed a cover of “Symptom of the Universe” as a tribute to Ozzy and Black Sabbath. Of course, we would have loved to hear “Roots Bloody Roots”, but they did not grant us that wish — without this disappointing us even slightly.
Setlist: Refuse/Resist / Slave New World / Amen / Propaganda / Nomad / We Who Are Not as Others / Clenched Fist / Kaiowas / Biotech Is Godzilla / Territory / Symptom of the Universe / Chaos B.C.
After almost 10 hours of music, the moment we had been waiting for finally arrived: the headliners were about to appear on the South of Heaven stage. The Black Label Society banner dropped, revealing behind it a massive wall of amplifiers, the drums in the middle, and in front, Zakk Wylde standing on an elevated platform, delivering the riffs of “Funeral Bell” with his imposing presence. With his classic appearance — kilt and denim jacket — he brought us into the world of biker clubs: a world full of smoking motorcycles and riffs forged from broken pistons.
The reason for the tour was their latest album, released in March, titled “Engines of Demolition”, from which we heard the next song, “Name in Blood.” The absolute highlight was the cover of “No More Tears”, a song we will never hear live from Ozzy again, but one where you genuinely could not hear a difference with Zakk’s voice. Their collaboration lasted almost 40 years, making Wylde one of the most important people who created music with him and shared that journey.
The next tribute was dedicated to the Dimebag brothers of Pantera, as two banners featuring their faces covered the huge amplifier stacks. Zakk moved to the piano placed on the side of the stage and delivered “In This River”, one of the most heartbreaking rock ballads ever written.
The albums Mafia and The Blessed Hellride played an important role in shaping the setlist, which makes perfect sense considering they contain some of the greatest gems of the band’s career. Shortly before the end came an impressive guitar battle, with Zakk climbing onto the piano and trading solos with Dario Lorina — playing guitar behind his head — for around ten minutes. Lorina proved to be an equally exceptional guitarist. The ending was exactly what everyone expected, with the all-time classics “Suicide Messiah” and “Stillborn” making even the grass sing the choruses back with us.
Between them, we also heard “Ozzy’s Song” from their latest release, accompanied by the image of the Prince of Darkness appearing on the banner behind Zakk. Black Label Society have nothing left to prove. They have written countless hits over the years, yet they continue releasing excellent albums and touring relentlessly. We should not forget that Zakk is also touring with Pantera.
My only personal and completely minor complaint is that they have stopped playing even one song from the incredible 2010 album Order of the Black.
Between Flotsam and Jetsam and Death, I started talking with three guys from a village about three hours away from Maastricht, all around 20 years old. All three were musicians themselves, and they had travelled there to see their favourite bands and simply have a great time. Their passion and love for metal were unlimited, having been in the pit from 12 in the morning until midnight. We often say in Greece that Northern Europe makes it easy to see any band you want, but honestly, the energy and enthusiasm of the younger generation abroad — at least in the Netherlands where I found myself — remains at an extremely high level. They definitely did not seem “spoiled” by having easy access to concerts. On the contrary, they appreciated the older bands just as much as the newer ones. Of course, the size of the festival also played a role. As I mentioned at the beginning, South of Heaven is one of those smaller festivals you find in the northern countries, and I hope it stays that way, because the “family” atmosphere you could feel throughout the event was truly unique.
There is obviously no comparison when it comes to cleanliness in the toilets — with toilet paper and soap available — organisation at every level, and respect towards the audience, even through the food options provided, which included everything from vegan choices to Asian cuisine.
Nick Drakopoulos
photos: ndrakosphotography
P.S. 1: A huge thank you to the Septic Flesh team, who managed at the very last minute to get us into the show with a photo pass.
P.S. 2: Pre-sales for South of Heaven have already started, with early bird tickets available. I highly recommend it, as the festival is very close to one of Belgium’s most affordable airports, and its small size allows you to move at any moment from the very front row all the way to the back while still having crystal-clear sound and a great view. And for those who are even more hardcore, you can simply head out the following weekend to Graspop Festival, only a few hours away from Maastricht.
