Alcatraz Line up: 2023

The best kept secret of the Belgian metal scene is no longer a secret since Gnome unleashed an excellent album this summer with their sophomore effort ‘King’. At times the tracks are complex with frequent shifts in tone and groove, attesting to the musicianship of the individual band members. At other times the songs are brutal but always tongue-in-cheek. Blessed with an above average sense of the nonsensical the guys in Gnome don’t take themselves too seriously – or what did you expect from a band that wears pointed hats on stage and writes lyrics about fantastical beasts? Gnome are very hard to pigeonhole so we’re not even going to try but the stoner, prog and hard rock influences are undeniable. But instead of trying to label them it’s far better to just surrender to their mesmerising sound and enjoy the ride.