Well this first day was quite a revealling for me!!
Madelgaire (some of my buddies) were in top shape and opened the event in full blown progressive power. The group is now well on its way to their own personal sound (still taking from medieval texts, but resolmutely symphonic with an Anglagard twist). both drummer Pascal Rocteur and guitarist Dominique aree sharing vocal duties and their voices sound (live anyway) a bit too much the same.I regret a bit thazt the violin has taken a bit od a backseat and is now absent from their newer material .
Quantum Fantay then followed with the expected spaceprog that their first album had gotten us used to. If many agreed that the main comparison point was Ozric Tentacles, I was surprised to hear many opinions, that they actually thought QF was actually better than OT. I thought that of the four groups, they were the the ones that I was most pleased of their instrumental set!
Next was Panopticum: this was the first time I was really exposed to their music (outside the track on the compilation A Taste Of Belgium) and although not my cup of tea, they provided a very pleasant (an light) progmetal with female vocals. Apparently their second album is out soon.
AmAndA closed this first day. As two members are neighbours of mine, they were fearing that this very short set (45 mins for each group) , they would not be able to get their highly complex stories through. But if the full story did not come clear, the emotions did anyway and they pulled in a very powerful show, even if I missed the end as I had a long road back home.
Next week, my buddies of Globalys will open and Geert (the ever enthusiastic organizer) will also play with his group.
I must say that I am impatient to hear live Karma Depth and Ghiribizzi.
And I still cry thinking that Ken's Novel was not particiapting to the event asit was happened almost on their home ground.