SonicBlast 2024

**Sonic Blast Festival 2024 – SURF, SUN, STONER** Alright, folks, it's that time again !Sonic Blast! My second time at this killer festival, and this year, it was an absolute must. Living in Portugal, we don't get a lot of Stoner, Doom, and Fuzz Rock bands passing through, so when Sonic calls, you pack your bags and hit the road!

This time, we played it smart and arrived on Tuesday. Definitely the right call because the campsites were almost full already. If we'd rolled in a day later, no chance of getting a "decent" spot for the van. And hey, I wasn’t imagining it—there were definitely more people this year than last.

Even before the festival kicked off, we weren’t bored for a second. Why would we be? Sonic Blast has everything a stoner heart could desire—and a surfer's heart too! Located in Vila Praia de Âncora, right behind the dunes, the beach out front has some sweet sandbanks where you can catch 5ft A-frames, even in August. REALLY SICK! My daily routine? Easy: Wake up, surf check, surf, back to the camp, crack a beer, throw on the kutte (battle vest), and head to the festival grounds. How could that not be the perfect day?

And then the music started. My highlights? Oh, there were plenty.

Margarita Witch Cult – These guys crushed it with their heavy riffs and a thrashy-stoner mix that leveled the place. “Diabloical Influence” from their first album? Absolutely scary. And then that moment when they counted in the song Sacrifice: “1..2..666” — fuckin classic! Pure goosebumps. Honestly, if you're into massive riffs and anti-fascism, this is your band.

Enola Gay – Man, guitars and base like Rage Against the Machine, drums like in a dark room electro pit and vocals back to RATM - and the whole package on Irish steroids. Perfect music for getting into a brawl with cops. The energy they brought was just insane, it really hit hard. Ah—even Iggy says: “They are just what you need”.

Maquina – King Gizzard vibes at first, but then not really. More like a Heavy Riff Raver Party, starting with a spherical, monotonous sound that takes you on an EDM beat trip. Fifteen minutes later, and it's still the same track, but hey, it slapped. The Prodigy on Bulldozer Blunts—enough said. Oh, and by the way, this unique stoner trance rave band is from Lisbon... Muito obrigado, boys. I need a shirt!

Causa Sui – There were a lot of bands with organs (keyboards) this time, but Causa Sui nailed it. At first, I thought it was going to be some sound-port nonsense, but then that spherical-groovy fuzz and psychedelic vibe kicked in. Dancing drums, slightly oriental guitars—kind of like Monkey3, but with Color Haze vibes. Groovy and catchy, it stuck with me.

C.O.F.F.I.N – Aussie Rock’n’Roll with a Motörhead vibe, you cunt! Proper metal, mate! Great show, and the good vibes finally got everyone dancing. Aussies know how to party, no doubt. I already regret that I didn't buy a fuckin shirt. But right after came a banger… Color Haze… Color Haze – I’ve seen them a bunch of times, but this was the best performance I’ve ever witnessed. Maybe because they came right after c.o.f.f.i.n. Maybe because they opened with “we don’t talk a lot between our songs, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t appreciate your appreciation”. That simple honest line, did the trick and freed them. The show was like a freakin maze; and you only find your way out when they’re done. Completely hypnotized, and that’s saying something, considering I already knew them very good.

Unfortunately, I missed the last day of the festival. Why? On the second day, right in the middle of the 1000Mods performance, which was absolutely ripping, my body completely gave out. Full on stomach bug. My girlfriend and my buddy still went, though, and they said Brant Bjork and High on Fire were especially killer. The latter was so loud that I could hear them even while puking my guts out at the campsite toilet 1 km away.

Check out all the bands that played at Sonic here.

But as awesome as it all was, Sonic Blast has a few things they really need to improve: Toilets – They’re all crammed into one corner, with the porta-potties set up right around the urinals. You’re either waiting among guys taking a leak or peeing practically in front of people queuing for the loos. Not cool. And hygiene? Forget it. There were hardly any sinks, and those that did exist weren’t nearly enough. By day two, they were so filthy, it could be where my stomach bug came from.

Water Stations – There are just no water dispensers, only a few sinks that were never cleaned. Really uncool with all the dust and dirt.

Van Camping – On the website or Instagram, I didn’t see a single note on where you’re supposed to park with a van, caravan, or camper. Just one day before they made a post about where you can park your car and mentioned that there is also a little spot for campers. fuckin lame.

Food – One veggie stand, but loads of meat and burgers. Even I, a total beef junkie, started craving a salad leaf at some point.

Sonic Blast 2024 was an epic experience despite everything. Sure, prices have gone up—tickets, food, drinks, everything is more expensive, and some issues definitely need to be fixed. Still, we'll be back next year. Where else can you find the perfect combo of surfing, sun, and heavy riffs?

Fuckin’ join us rippers and devil music lovers!

Death by Rippin will be there - at the doom behind the dunes.

Text by Lukas Fröhlich (Death by Rippin´)