Lemmy's presence still looms large over Hellfest. The statue erected on the festival grounds says as much, and judging by the crowd gathered in front of the stage, the affection for Motörhead remains undiminished. Few bands have cast such a long shadow over heavy music. By fusing hard rock, punk and pure volume, Motörhead helped lay the groundwork for countless styles that followed.
With Mikkey Dee behind the drum kit, the music is in capable hands. The longtime Motörhead drummer brings both authority and affection to the material, joined by his 'head cases Viktor Skatt (a dead ringer for Lem with his handlebar mustache) and William Dickborn for a set that has no ambition beyond celebrating songs that have become part of the heavy rock canon. And frankly, no further justification is required. Motörhead's catalogue was built for festivals, and hearing these songs blast across the Hellfest grounds remains one of life's simple pleasures.
There are no surprises, no attempts to reinvent the wheel, just a loving tribute to the men who made Motörhead what it was. Lemmy, Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, "Fast" Eddie Clarke, Würzel and Phil Campbell all understood that rock and roll was not a career path so much as a way of life. They were born to lose and lived to win. Born to lose, they lived to win.
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)