By Donna Collins
WINDHOEK– A ‘heavy metal’ onslaught of live music in Windhoek on Saturday was just the medicine for the mid-Winter blues, as five noisy bands tore up the stage to the deafening sound of hard guitar and raucous vocals, entertaining their frenzied head banging fans.
The revival of the Windhoek heavy Metal Fest at the Warehouse, gave rise to a unifying factor of the heavy metal culture of Namibia, which is alive and well. This was a certainty amongst the audience who mostly turned up in their black attire, with studs, piercings and tattoos, attributing that ‘certain’ look as part of belonging to the metal scene.
Although a somewhat acquired taste of music for those who prefer a more toned down version of live music entertainment, it is music that brings a message, which according to these musicians is to connect people who want to make the world a better place. And whilst it is loud and in your face, it is by no means violent.
Time Out spoke to ‘meistro’ lead guitarist, Stefan Steyn, of the five-piece headlining band ‘Within Madness’, who described metal as loud, raucous and energetic. And who would know better than these boys who have just returned from playing at a two-day charity heavy metal festival at Ganzi Town Hall in Botswana, where this culture is a movement on its own. Steyn mentioned that his band played to nearly 3 000 screaming fans, and was one of 15 metal bands in the line-up. In fact there is a growing trend for this music, within many of the SADEC countries inclusive of Botswana, Namibia, Kenya and South Africa, where black attire, studs, tattoos and piercings rule.
“Namibia’s metal scene has always been around, butthis is the first time after many years that a line-up of metal bands, both new on the scene and established, got together proving that there is growth, and the standard of music is improving.”
The acts included newcomers to the local music scene We Stand Alone who delivered a loud and heavy performance with a vocalist who growled his way through the set. Another new band on the scene but by no means ‘rookie’ muso’s was Shotgunlemming who brought out some foot tapping, head banging rock/metal cover songs which got the crowd going.
A unique sound from The Hunt for Higher Ground, put the cherry on the cake with some fly lead guitar, mean bass and energetic drumming. While the night was rounded off with a thunderous show from Within Madness.