Alcatraz Line up: 2019, 2022

Some people take issue with instrumental music because they claim it lacks expression. Not only do we disagree, we’ve got just the band to refute claims of this nature. Meet Hemelbestormer, a Flemish post metal quartet comprised of former members of Serpentcult, Gorath and Death Penalty. This lot creates a deafening and obliterating wall of sound infused with heartfelt emotion. In other words, they touch your soul while beating your face into a pulp. This may sound like a contradiction in terms but the pieces of the puzzle will fall into place as soon as you spin their albums ‘Portals’, ‘Aether’ and ‘A Ring of Blue Light’. Hemelbestormer likes to explore different soundscapes, dipping their toes into a variety of musical pools: ambient noise, post metal, sludge atmospheres and sweeping and epic passages combine into tracks that often break the 10 or even 15-minute barrier without ever becoming stale, boring or incoherent which, in itself, is an amazing feat for a (mostly) instrumental band. Post metal at its best from another homegrown band!