15.06.2023 Molybaron

Graspop Metal Meeting

Dessel (Belgium)

The first day of the Graspop Metal Meeting 2023 kicked off in the Metal Dome tent with the French‑Irish band Molybaron. Even though it was still early in the day, quite a few people were already on the move to listen to the four guys. Since the band has only existed since 2014, their musical output was naturally still fairly limited. Essentially, it consisted only of their self‑titled debut and the album “The Mutiny“, which also made up the lion’s share of the set.
With a really well‑crafted blend of alternative and progressive metal, they pulled the audience in right from the start. The mood on and in front of the stage rose with every song, and it didn’t take long before the crowd was singing along at full volume. Guitarist and vocalist Gary Kelly encouraged them repeatedly, just like his band mates Sébastien de Saint‑Angles on bass, Florian Soum on guitar, and last but not least Camille Greneron on drums. The stage setup was impressive as well. Behind the band stretched a massive LED wall spanning the entire width of the stage, and the towers to the left and right were also fitted with LED panels. In the center, only the band logo was displayed, but the background was repeatedly set in scene with virtual flames. The crowd had their devil horns raised almost constantly, and the performance reached its fiery peak with the final song “Lucifer” which brought literal flames back to the stage visuals.
A big advantage for the band was that, at this time of day, only 1914 were playing in the Marquee, and the main stages were still closed. As a result, far more people were in the Metal Dome than I would normally expect. The band absolutely deserved it. Their fantastic performance was simply a lot of fun, and it’s a shame they could only play for 40 minutes. Their material is still somewhat limited in scope, of course. I would have loved to hear more. Maybe that wish will be granted in the future. All in all, a truly strong start to the 2023 edition of the Graspop Metal Meeting.