Breaking Benjamin remains something of a rarity on this side of the Atlantic. Benjamin Burnley's well-documented fear of flying has made European appearances few and far between, which explains the enthusiasm greeting the band's arrival at Hellfest. For many in attendance, this is less another festival booking than an opportunity that may not come around again for quite some time.
Under the afternoon sun, the performance gradually takes on the atmosphere of a giant support group. Burnley's songs have always revolved around anxiety, frustration, doubt and the struggle to keep dark thoughts at bay, and he approaches them not as abstract concepts but as wounds that still require tending. Song after song becomes an act of confession, and the audience responds in kind. Thousands of voices sing back every line, not merely in celebration but in solidarity. Burnley is not alone in confronting his demons, and neither are they.
That sense of shared catharsis has always been one of rock and roll's most valuable functions. The details may differ from one person to the next, but fear, anger and insecurity become easier to carry when they are experienced collectively. For an hour, Hellfest resembles less a concert than a therapeutic session conducted at extreme volume, with Burnley serving as both patient and facilitator.
Perhaps that is why the set seems to end just as everyone is beginning to get somewhere. A breakthrough interrupted by the clock. Fortunately, the band will remain in Europe long enough to play Paris next month. In the more intimate confines of the Bataclan, one suspects the conversation will simply resume where it left off.
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TesseracT @ Main Stage 2 (Photos, setlist)
Point Mort @ Warzone (Photo)
Queensrÿche @ Main Stage 1 (Photos, review, setlist)
Stoned Jesus @ Valley Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Bloodywood @ Main Stage 2 (Photos, setlist)
Accept @ Main Stage 1 (Photos, review, setlist)
Sepultura @ Main Stage 2 (Photos, review, setlist)
Helloween @ Main Stage 1 (Photos, review, setlist)
Opeth @ Main Stage 2 (Photos, review, setlist)
Iron Maiden @ Main Stage 1 (Photos, review, setlist)
DAY FOUR
Scour @ Temple Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Eyehategod @ Valley Stage (Photos, review)
Six Feet Under @ Altar Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Corrosion Of Conformity @ Valley Stage (Photos, review)
Possessed @ Altar Stage (Photos, setlist)
Agnostic Front @ Warzone - (Photos, setlist)
Acid Bath @Valley Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Marduk @ Altar Stage (Photos, setlist)
Napalm Death @ Altar Stage (Photos, review, setlist)
Down @ Valley Stage (Photos, review, setlist)