A few years after effectively exiling himself from Hellfest following one particularly disgraceful drunken outburst, Phil Anselmo has completed a rather improbable rehabilitation. By the final day of the festival, his extended musical family seems almost omnipresent. Corrosion of Conformity is here. Eyehategod is here. Down, his long-running collaboration with members of both bands, headlines the Valley stage. Even with The Hives and The Offspring elsewhere on the bill, Anselmo's shadow looms large over the proceedings.
Earlier in the day, however, the Temple stage hosts perhaps the most uncompromising of his projects. Scour approaches black metal from a distinctly American angle, atmospheric yet brutally direct, dark but strangely invigorating. There is no risk of confusing this with Pantera. The musicians involved, drawn from bands such as Cattle Decapitation, Pig Destroyer and Nailbomb, are among the finest practitioners of extreme music anywhere, and they treat the material with complete seriousness. Unlike many groups operating in similar territory, Scour dispenses with corpse paint, theatrics and grand gestures. There are no stage antics, no attempts at creating mythology. The music speaks for itself.
And it speaks a difficult language. Scour does not make concessions and certainly does not invite casual listeners in with open arms. Yet for those willing to meet it on its own terms, the rewards are considerable. Their live appearances remain uncommon enough to make this performance feel like a genuine treat. For the record, I still think Phil Anselmo is a fucking asshole.
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)