As the crack on noon dawned on day two of Resistanz Festival there were zero regrets from the previous evening. Granted, I was feeling rather delicate, but the festivities of Saturday loomed. This prospect was more than enough to get me out of my hotel and into Corporation for another intense day of partying.
Killing Miranda were the opening act, and very different to what’s usually seen on the roster. The festival is usually catered towards electronic/industrial music, so to see a Gothic Rock band from the late 90’s/early 2000’s was quite a break from the status quo. However, this was an inspired booking and the group put on an impressive show which was fully embraced by the crowd. To just call them another retro band is somewhat disingenuous of course, as they were a staple of the scene, and the room already being packed out so early on a Saturday of Resistanz was a testament to this. The whole ensemble were on-point throughout, synchronised flawlessly as they blasted out a barrage of sleazy numbers, sounding more raw than ever. “Teenage Vampire”, “Burn Sinister” and “Discotheque Necronomicon” were all present on the setlist, the addicting nature of these numbers keeping the audience hooked. The band resonated with charisma, frontman Richard ‘Filthy Rikky’ Pyne in particular having some brilliant moments of interaction with the crowd, including some amusing banter. It was a solid package that started the second day with a bang.
Then it was back to the world of dark electronic music as ES23 took to the stage. In an instant the room was hit by pumping beats, gritty electro and harsh vocals courtesy of project lead Daniel P, who unleashed his ferocity into the mic. Sadly he had problems with his voice so wasn’t able to perform to his full extent, although he still powered through the entire set which was a fantastic ride despite these issues. The sinister sensations brought by “Heaven or Hell” were enrapturing whilst “When I’m Gone” upped the tempo to the next level, sending shockwaves through the crowd. Another highlight of the show was the inclusion of a brand-new song “BFG”. Daniel P explained that after seeing the demonic themed promotional art for the festival he was inspired to create this number, with heavy ties to the DOOM videogame series. The track was another fast paced menacing raver, and the lyrics may have been a little bit cheesy but it was all good fun. Naturally, “Erase My Heart” was present on the setlist, and this was the key moment of the whole performance where everyone present gave it their all to the addicting aura. The track is an anthem in its own right and it sounded massive here.
Choke Chain is an act I feel like I haven’t given enough of my attention to, and after seeing what Milwaukee-based Mark Trueman brought to the table here he now most certainly has it. The soundscapes carried a visceral and raw edge, coming across in an incredibly intense manner. Booming, menacing beats were met with unsettling ambience, leading into slick electronic melodies effortlessly as he showcased tracks off his most recent outing Mortality. I find the presentation of his music very old-school inspired, like a mashup of Nitzer Ebb and Skinny Puppy only somehow much much angrier. This could particularly be felt in his rage-infused vocals in which he delivered 110% on. Of course Trueman has taken these influences and moulded it into his own identity with Choke Chain, something that came across strongly here. It all cumulated into an immersive, aggressive performance where he kept Corporation entranced for 45 minutes.
After cramming into room 2 of Corporation it was time for the return of the automaton as Serpahim System took to the decks for his DJ set. To make this occasion even more momentous the first four tracks played were off his upcoming record SIGILS & CONCRETE with those of us present being the first in the world to hear them. To call these monstrous would be an understatement, because the sheer brutal force of the glitch-laden, apocalyptic sounding electro was enough to have the very foundations of the venue quaking in their wake. I fully recommend looking out for this album when its unleashed 4th May! Naturally, he started as he meant to go on and the harsh tunes just kept on coming, the fifthly nature of the slick beats not allowing for a single moment of respite. It was unrelenting and the packed out room somehow found the space to rave to these razor-sharp numbers. Matt Hart once again made an appearance on guest vocals, as well as Keith Kamholz (Mechanical Vein) with them both totally nailing it in their respective departments. Closing off this magnificent set was a cover of the Terminator theme tune, making for an epic moment as the audience were left to unpack how awesome of a show this had been. It was very easily one of my highlights of the entire weekend.
Seraphim System had left me so broken after stomping to his set that I ended up missing a chunk of Danny Blu‘s performance, and I’m still kicking myself for this now. I’m thankful I was able to be present for a good portion of it, as what I experienced had me hooked quite quickly. To put it simply the show was superb! It would be an understatement to call his style of industrial pop catchy because the tunes are real earworms, and their effectiveness got the crowd exhilarated. It was hard to not be drawn into the lively, pulsing nature of the music and the atmosphere in the room could only be described as jubilant. This was in part thanks to Blu himself who was extremely charming, clearly having as much fun on-stage as the crowd were partaking in the festivities. Some of you may have no doubt seen the meme going around about how Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” is ‘an industrial banger’. This lead me to discover Blu’s collab cover of the track with the mighty MORIS BLAK. I never expected to see it live, so as soon as it started I may have lost my mind a bit, and it was just as glorious here. It was such an enjoyable experience, and next time I’ll be sure to catch a full show!
I’m very aware of Future Lied To Us, having already seen them live at Wave-Gotik-Treffen in 2022. Back then Damasius Venys had only recently taken on the mantle as frontman after Tom Lesczenski parted ways with the group. Venys had proven himself to be a perfect fit even then but here he was very much fully established, the trio bouncing off one another more effortlessly than before. The synthpop instrumentation echoed beautifully throughout Corporation, courtesy of Vasi Vallis and Krischan Jan-Eric Wesenberg, whilst Venys Gothic tones made the show all the more dazzling. The energy throughout their set was wondrous as everyone present danced along to the selection of superb numbers being output from the stage. Venys himself was very caught in the moment, embracing every second alongside the enthralled audience. It was a majestic showcase and Future Lied To Us continue to go from strength to strength.
After being finished with seeing live acts for the day it was time for yet more after-partying. The Warehouse held host to some sublime DJ sets from Red Meat, Exo Cell, Lysinergy and Das Ook, who had attendees stomping well into the early hours. It had been a fantastic couple of days so far, and as the final day of Resistanz Festival approached it was time to see it off with a bang!
For the lowdown on the epic conclusion to Resistanz Festival check out part 3 here!
Epitome of Epic 