The air was thrumming with an unruly and impatient energy. From the moment you stepped indoors at Rumours, you knew that people were there for only one thing: to support local metal and alternative music. Even before the Wacken heat started, people were already shoving each other across the floor, as if they wanted to fuck each other up from the get-go. You always know you’re in for some fun at these events, because when they were drawing the lots, they decided on doing some rock-paper-scissors to help decide the order of numbers drawn from a hat. With the crowd chanting for Surdus’s lead singer with “lekker Chelsea” when it was her turn, and calling out each band’s name every now and again, the scene fans were out to start a riot.
Once the lots were drawn, the lineup was decided and a truly amazing night was kicked off…
Diverted Disorder
From the instant they got onto the stage, Diverted Disorder put us in a chokehold and didn’t let go. It felt like there was electricity sparking off them that carried over into the crowd, making it more agitated. Even before they started playing, during their soundcheck, people were calling out their name and pushing against each other, exuding a feral energy. And when they finally did, there was no escaping them.
Their newfound brutal heaviness was carried through the entire set, from older to newer tracks. They had this amazing stage presence that kept us engaged and energized throughout, largely with the help of one of their guitarists, Hardman Mills, who even came down and jammed out with us in the pit. They gave it their all, and so did we, as there was a mosh or circle pit for almost every song. All these factors ultimately contributed to solidifying their victory.
Deadly Since
Giving great hair and guitar shreds, Deadly Since came in with their thrash metal vibes, showing us that they were not to be underestimated. Their technicality shone through their melodic guitar breakdowns, ensuring that we were grooving to every song. Not only were the guitarists in perfect sync, but they also engaged with each other and often criss-crossed the stage, helping to keep our attention.
With hair and a presence like that, they had this almost enchanting quality that drew us in. They also brought in a crowd that ate up everything they gave, down to the scraps. The mosh pit was intense, and I was even stomped on at some point, surely leaving a bruise. They very much had a different energy to Diverted Disorder, and they used that very effectively to stand out, ensuring they were remembered more clearly. Deadly Since also played their new song, “Eternal Fire,” which was just released and was the first song they had recorded together as a band since it had been a solo project run by J.D. Baird, and it hit with full force.
Surdus
Then Surdus came in and swept us off our feet with their symphonic death metal, making the winner selection even harder for the judges, with the final vote coming down to only a point difference. Their style of metal is one that gets you moving and shaking, and that’s exactly what they did. Through their keyboardist, Neville, they are able to achieve a unique sound that is hard to duplicate. The crowd once again responded with sheer, uncompromising energy. When Surdus asked for a circle mosh, they answered. When they asked for a wall of death, they answered, and when they asked for a rowboat, the same!
Chelsea Larsen has this intimidating stage presence, and she uses her vocals to get the responses she desires. She also periodically threw Easter chocolates out into the crowd, creating even more opportunities for engagement. She prowled the stage, standing on the speakers regularly and even coming down into the circle pit to rock out with us, making it more intimate. Their setup was also amazing: they came early to give out free shirts to the wait staff, and had a banner, free stickers, and QR codes to their social media. They delivered 100%, giving Diverted Disorder a run for their money.
Sons of Solomon
A psychedelic experience through and through, Sons of Solomon got us high through their music. A very different feel from the previous bands, they chilled us out and kept us bobbing with their slow build-ups and persistent energy. When pulling the last spot of the night, as they did, it can be difficult to keep audiences around, but there was still a crowd that thoroughly enjoyed their set. While their genre may have played against them in the competition, they still presented themselves with full, unabashed confidence.
A cacophony of sound, they were one of the bands with five members, but their discordance ultimately meshed together into one cohesive, eclectic piece. Their mix of punk, metal, rock, and high-energy performance made them a contender worth having in the competition. When rounding out their performance, they even brought out a bottle of vodka and gave it to us to drink. It was their way of thanking us for being there, and was prefaced with a statement calling for a free Palestine, and peoples of the world.
Hiraeth
Bringing the best of Moshmallow and Human Nebula together, Hiraeth has made itself one of the premier prog-melodic metal bands in the scene. They have this underlying groove that steadily courses through your body, making you want to jive. As a classically trained singer, Marty brings her trademark soaring cleans and gutturals, mixed with Gareth’s own intense vocals and screeches. This means they can swap and change easily within these vocal ranges to add drama or emotional pull to their songs. This is clearly why they made it to the Wacken Africa Finals last year, and having them as the special guest made the event all the sweeter.
Winner Announcement
Once again, Lana, Organizer and Social Media Manager for Wacken and Emalyth, came onto the stage to reveal the winner. Before she made the announcement, the audience started chanting the names of previous heat winners, like Walk These Skies and Hilliker, adding another comedic element to the night. This went on for a bit before she revealed that it was Diverted Disorder who won the heat. The room burst with enthusiasm at the news, with the band members being congratulated by everyone. They are now all set to go to the finals on the 6th of June and compete against other heat winners such as Fading Gray and Human Nebula.
