The SonicBlast-Festival unites several different festivals in one: the chilled atmosphere of the DunaJam, the intimate size of the Stoned from the Underground and the quality of the Hellfest. So it´s a "must go" if you want to listen to relaxed and heavy tunes in a beautiful landscape. This years edition changed from Moledo to Arnaco, but ..Each and every cost in the north of Portugal is so beautiful to stay and to surf.

An art-rock passage began to play that reminded me a lot of Elder and we approached the stage very quickly. It was Temple Fang, a band that pleasantly surprised me not only for their nods to the Germans but also for their desert parts in the Big Scenic Nowhere wave, continually approaching an eternal Jam that takes you and you don't know where. I was left wanting more from this Dutch quartet, maybe it was good to rescue them for a bigger stage in the future

Then it was El Perro's turn, we were able to see them for the first time because they played again on Friday. This American band came with a very good letter of introduction, and it is that it is a group led by Parker Griggs from Radio Moscow. Good psychedelia with overtones of soul-funk, very, very danceable. What plant and what style on stage…

Finally, highlight Toxic Shock, a band from Belgium that I was not expecting at all and that managed to activate me for the time it was and all the accumulated fatigue of the trip. Sound between Municipal Waste and Youth of Today, energetic in abundance, raw and very badass.

Lunch time and it was the turn of the Portuguese band Pledge, a quality post-hardcore with touches of emo, a voice with a lot of identity and some essence of the early 2000s. They reminded me of Refused at times and were one of the surprises of the day.

I quickly switch to Main 2 to see Madmess, another local band that for those of us who didn't know, we came to think it was an instrumental stoner until 20 minutes into the concert they started singing a verse. The truth is that the voice was not missed. Very compact trio with hints of psych-space but with a very heavy and forceful base. From here, the afternoon began to pass very quickly

The Norwegians The Devil and the almighty blues began with  a very heavy planting, a very forceful sound, transporting us to some desert far from Oslo, how hot it was! Of course, "These old Hands" was THE highlight of this incredible concert.

After them, Slomosa conquered me with some very careful harmonies for two voices that made us advance through long stoner passages in the Kyuss wave with psychedelic touches. A bit of Grunge and their harmonic chorus´ create an unique sound. Take it or leave it.

Well, those who came were King Buffalo, one of the most anticipated of this first day. This mighty trio lifted the masses of us huddled together under the sun. A hypnotic heavy psych that stood like an anvil on stage. A very complete setlist and perhaps a bit tarnished because they played too early and people weren't quite active yet. Still, I was surprised at how crowded everything was for only six in the evening.

We were already looking for the sun to hide a bit, but we still had to see Meatbodies, a curious mixture of stoner and punk with very sharp voices and epic guitar harmonies that gave way to the happy hour of the day

W.I.T.C.H. We were left wanting to see their frontman Chanda, who couldn't attend, but even so they fulfilled their promise with their charismatic keyboardist taking the helm. The Zambian band that was born back in the 70s and after a long hiatus continues to give a lot of trouble, put the happy note and allowed us to relax a bit to gather strength. It was an hilarious retro thing which took all the musical influences from Zambia to Portugal. Outstanding!

We start the night with Nebula, showing that the years have not passed for them. Often direct from these kings of fuzz. I was looking forward to it after hearing the latest they had been releasing. Expectations were very high after their last album recorded in the very Mojave desert… and they didn't disappoint at all. Cosmic sound, a lot of pedal and the immense presence of an Eddie Glass with his immense presence on stage.

They set the bar high for those who succeeded them, and they were none other than the legendary Brant Bjork and Nick Oliveri, accompanied by Ryan Goot on drums under the umbrella of their new line-up: Stöner. I was really looking forward to seeing this band because the mere presence of Kyuss' backbone is already imposing enough. The warm up on the main stage already diverted hundreds of eyes away from Nebula's performance, and people were eager for these legends to start playing. Unfortunately, I was quite cold with the sound of the band. The voices were barely heard throughout the concert, and I saw them quite lazy and not very charismatic (with the exception of Goot, and some specific moments by Oliveri) on stage. I'm left with one of the few positive things and that is that they closed, as expected, with “Green Machine”.

SLIFT closed the day with an unparalleled audiovisual show, more typical of macrofestival headliners than what you expect to see on a Thursday night in Praia Ancora. The French made it clear that they are the present and the future of the scene. The intro of “Altitude Lake” continues to resonate in my head accompanied by the majestic projections that left the crowd in love. An hour of absolute sound barbarity, where those from Toulouse walked at ease applying to be called to lead the new order of space/stoner/art and all the labels you want to add. They just nailed it, like at the Hellfest.

The band that was in charge of opening the day on stage 3 was Rosy Finch, and we already know what the live shows of this piece of band from Alicante are like. A sound between grunge and the most furious sludge that pushes you with each riff. They exude anger and noise, which is the best way to start a weekend.

We continued with the trio 24/7 Diva Heaven, from Germany and who were a great surprise for me. What a way to create chaos and put on such a fun and powerful performance. Personally, I always appreciate some punk, regardless of the festival I'm at and the Germans left me vibrating while waiting for the next concert.

We moved to main 2 to see Lunavieja, a group that made quite a good impression on the public but they didn't convince me. A performance halfway between doom and performance. They started very well, reminding me of Monolord with a very heavy riff and a very dreamy voice full of reverb, but I completely distanced myself from the show and the mystique, which I do not take away from it and I admire the proposal.

We moved to see The Machine on the main stage and despite having a very powerful live show and sounding like pure noise without cracks, I felt it was a very transitional concert due to the time it was. I would have liked to enjoy them more late at night. Even so, we moved our necks a lot with the desert passages of this Dutch trio in which I couldn't stop looking at David Lebowski's Alef, what a beauty! 

Green Lung. The British band was one of the bands I most wanted to see from this lineup and my surprise was that they went so unnoticed when it was announced, knowing what they are capable of doing. They were presenting the album “Black Harvest” and started the concert as if we had pressed play on the album. “Old Gods”, “Reaper's Scythe” and the incredible “Graveyard Sun” generated the great coven of the afternoon. They managed to bewitch those of us who stacked up in the main 2, making it clear that “…a little death never hurt anyone”

There were no technical stops this Friday afternoon, because what was on now was to enjoy the British band Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs. Those from Newcastle gave an incredible live show, letting the noise, stoner, doom flow that they integrate so well into their cuts. Two voices emptied themselves in each song without thinking. Such was the energetic display that his singer, Matt Baty, flaunting his British humor, apologized for not bearing the peninsular temperatures and having to take a breather between songs. Of course, he ventured to be a participant in the chaos with a bit of crowd surfing.

Frankie and the Witch Fingers. For all the people who already knew who they were, we were expecting a great live show, with a lot of energy, psychedelia and fun. And that they gave us, but surprising with the way in which they achieved it. A perfect sound with an almost magical connection between members and an overwhelming charisma. Personally, being a big fan of this band, I was surprised by how clean and balanced everything sounded, like their characteristic dirty fuzz on disco, and this helped us to appreciate all their talent much better.

We moved to main 2 again to see Conan for a while, whom I had already seen on other occasions and they always left me a little ugh because of the voice. And it happened to me again. It is a group that I prefer to listen to on record because I enjoy it more and despite the sonic wall they created they do not end up filling me with what I could expect.

Around 10:00 p.m. we started with Witch, one of the main dishes that were expected this day. We knew we weren't going to see J Mascis because he was on tour with Dinosaur Jr. and that put me off a bit. The truth is that they left me a little lukewarm. They sounded good, correct, but without much fanfare: enjoyable. It´s a band for a club, not for an open air.

After seeing Witch, we quickly went to the main 2 to greet our fellow Moura. The people from Coruña set the bar very, very high with their psych-rock. Pure magic full of Galician folklore, creating another mystic concert of the day.

They more than fulfilled leaving the door open for the great headliners of this edition of SonicBlast: Electric Wizard to pass. Midnight, everything dyed red and the atmosphere could not be more consistent. All the clocks slowed for a long hour, clinging to the powerful and heavy riffs of the English. The desire that everyone had to enjoy this band was palpable and Jus Oborn did not disappoint. Each guitar intro introducing the base that would so characteristically dominate the song was chanted by the crowd. A dark, mysterious and visceral doom metal ritual that managed to unite all the people under a unanimous opinion: What an experience! The atmosphere they created was brutal, but here I was able to experience one of the biggest flaws in the organization. There was no way to get out of the crowd anywhere, since the festival site was arranged as a corridor surrounded by the sides, you could only get out by moving in the opposite direction of the stage. This caused some fainting due to the heat and crowding, which fortunately remained small scares.

After the great mass that Electric Wizard attracted dissipated, Kaleidobolt began, another of the bets of Svart Records, which had a very very complicated role: to keep people hooked after the biggest performance of this edition. This extremely powerful trio from Helsinki had been presenting “This one simple trick”, an album that had surprised me for good due to the strong union of psychedelia, 70s rock and classic heavy. Live they did not disappoint, they did an impressive performance and ended up taking away the little energy I had left

We started the third day (fourth for those of us who arrived at the opening) practically in reserve. While we were having our first coffees in the morning, we found out about the changes that the cartel was undergoing that day. Unfortunately the performances of Mythic Sunship and The Holocaust Altar were cancelled. Replacing the Danish band would be the American Deathchant, who had been in charge of closing the night before, and to replace our favorite masked Salamancans, the Mr. Miyagi concert was brought forward. A pity not to have enjoyed these two bands that I hope to see soon.

The day began with the performance of Samavayo, who were very good. The German trio left me with the feeling of having seen a fusion between Red Fang, ASG and The Sword. Big words. A pity that there were so few people because of the time it was.

From here we went to the main stage to see The Black Wizards, which I already advanced, they did not disappoint. Local band that moves perfectly through blues rock and seventies. Between wah-wahs we kept moving in the company of the two voices and the well-drawn basses that articulated each song. After this great performance, we were going to enjoy another similar

It was the turn of Deathchant, a band from L.A. in the vein of Valient Thorr and Red Fang, with very classic heavy rides and a mega punk attitude. They amused me a lot, like much of the audience.

We crossed the pond to get closer to the UK, because it was Psychlona's turn, a band that gave an approved concert, good sound and good performance, but they gave me the feeling of being just another band...

What did not happen to me with Bala, because the Galicians gave the show of the day. Rage, pure and raw feeling ripped from the very throats of these two stage-busting machines. They knew how to “agitate” the masses, taking their performance to a level rarely seen. Top concert!

After Bala, we needed a break and we moved away a bit to get some air, but of course, we didn't count on the attractive force of Mdou Moctar. The excellent composer from Niger, surrounded by a halo of joy as if he were playing in his living room for four friends, put on one of the best performances of the entire festival. It was incredible to see that, being only 6:00 p.m., people piled up, danced and sang hymns like “Afrique victime” in unison, which, knowing what it meant, we appreciate that it dragged on until it became practically a jam. I'm still humming it days later

After their wonderful performance, with smiles still on our faces, we changed the stage to see The Atomic Bitchwax. Those from New Jersey gave a correct concert. This veteran trio that moves through psychedelia, classic rock and prog overtones, gave us a very familiar performance, very roomy and served us as a prelude to what was to come.

The situation suddenly turned surreal. We were next to the main stage when we suddenly realized that we had Bobby, from Pentagram, on our shoulders, visibly nervous looking for someone in the audience who was carrying "something" very valuable to him. We tried to find out what he was and offered our help, but people began to notice his presence and flocked to immortalize the moment. A whole character, endearing and eccentric, did not stop coming out every few minutes but the thing did not seem to be solved, until finally, the savior of him appeared and they went to the back stage for their performance to begin. We did not know very well what we were going to find, and the truth was that it was an impressive concert. Between classics, Bobby seemed to move rejuvenated with a legendary placement. He did not disappoint at all his voice or the sound of the band. One of the best performances of the day was that of Pentagram, helped by the nostalgia of the public and the arrival of the night.

We were now going to find one of the surprises of the last day of the SonicBlast, and it was the performance of the Greeks 1000mods. And I don't say surprise because I didn't think they were going to perform correctly, but because they left the entire audience speechless. What a way to empty yourself on stage. One of the most energetic performances of the entire festival, which to the rhythm of stoner left us without a voice and with our strength already a little diminished.

Luckily, now it was time to relax a bit, close your eyes and feel the proposal of this legendary band: My Sleeping Karma. It was my fourth time with the Germans, and by far the one I've enjoyed the most without having too many expectations. I already knew what I was going to see and I wasn't particularly excited about one more, but really, this band saves any day with this attitude and intoxicating spirit. His characteristic game with delays and his long clean intros that answer themselves but with distortion delighted the audience, who moved their necks until they could no longer. Others who deserve a place on the podium of this edition…

Midnight and they arrived on time for the appointment: Orange Goblin. The London band that only asked for one thing through its frontman Ben Ward is well known: chaos. And so the people gave it to him. A continuous tumult that did not stop oscillating on both sides of the stage. The people were very dedicated and it was obvious that they wanted to see these mythical figures of the scene. People continually jumping the fence, running to the pogo to do it again, and so on, for an hour and a quarter of fatigue and debauchery. The "Time traveling blues" dyed the venue orange to promise to return, sooner rather than later, while they gave clues about their next album.

From orange we passed to green, darker than light due to the few lights that made us glimpse our two favorite Daves: the American Weedeater, accompanied by their slow riffs and their bottles of whiskey. Endless passages of distortion so severe it sometimes gets lost. An amazing experience for your die-hards and not so much for others. There were few people left at this time and we could only get carried away by the inertia of the heavy rhythms of the band, which gave a badass and uncensored show. Everything that was expected.

The closing was very nostalgic for me. The band in charge of closing the tenth edition of the festival was none other than Mr. Miyagi. The local gang is chaos personified, extreme speed and adrenaline to push people who still had energy to the limit. I said nostalgic because many, many years ago... I was lucky enough to open for them a couple of times and they are extraordinary people that I didn't think I would ever enjoy live again. The circle pit was impressive and they honored their anthem “Destruction party”. I hope people have recovered after a few days.

To close, taking stock of everything we have experienced, this tenth edition of SonicBlast was everything we expected. Despite going through a few months of slump due to the cancellation of All Them Witches, a band that by far was the one I wanted the most from the lineup, I was doing a resilience exercise and ended up forgetting thinking about the rest of the groups that I was going to be able to enjoy one more time. Leaving there having seen legends like Electric Wizard or Pentagram, dancing with Mdou Moctar, Frankie and the Witch Fingers, entering day and night covens with Green Lung and Moura, sweating and leaving our voices with Bala and going through wonderful trances with Slift or My Sleeping Karma, are some of the feelings that I stay with and will accompany me until the next edition of this great festival.

Its level jump has been remarkable and visible by all the people already faithful to the previous editions, and we are sure that next year they will know how to perfect the little things that in this edition were left a little tarnished by the change and the flood. of influx. Perhaps a different location for the stages would be valuable, since the sound tests were done while another band was performing and it was very annoying as both main stages were stuck together. Some more food stall would be appreciated and perhaps more rest areas or shade to be able to better carry out the day. As I say, these are normal and understandable things with the change of location and the magnitude that the festival has acquired in this new edition.

We count the days to return. What will 2023 bring us? Slow life, I hope.