25 Years of Toutpartout @ Paradiso

Belgian booking agency Toutpartout are celebrating their 25th anniversary by throwing a party with some of the bands they represent. With acts like Whispering Sons, STAKE and Raketkanon on the bill I'm definitely going to check those out.

25 Years of Toutpartout at Paradiso Amsterdam, December 4 2019

STAKE

I arrive at the venue when STAKE have just started. They are playing the small hall that is chuck full and I can't even come near a spot from where I can see the band. After a couple of minutes I manage to squeeze myself in and can enjoy the band without a problem. Arisen from the ashes of Stake Number Eight they changed their name and musical direction. "Sometimes you have to kill something off to start something new" and sludge metal was exchanged for grunge, although I find it more a shift into punk hardcore territory mixed with post-metal. No matter what the label is, it suits the band well who are still playing with incredible energy. The explosive songs bounce around the small hall which stays full until the end. It's a courageous move the band has made but it looks like it paid off. I certainly hope so and want to see more of these guys.



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Whispering Sons

It's the fourth time I get to see this band this year, who have left quite a mark on the alternative scene in the lowlands. Without a doubt they had an amazing year, where their name took off like a rocket. The classic new wave is a great find and the young band have worked out their industrial new wave sound really well. It isn't subtle, although guitar player Kobe Lijnen's guitar lines and riffs do add enough detail to the somewhat blunt sound. And of course singer Fenne Kuppens is amazing with her low voice and passionate performance. She's the shining white centre point of the band, whose other members are all dressed in black. The dark new wave songs sound good again tonight and I'm curious where this band is going next.



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Raketkanon

This Belgian band are a unique group that unfortunately have announced this year to call it a day after their current club show. It's even hard to describe what this band is about. Noiserock with psychedelic elements, electronic elements, lots of craziness, but at the same time very clever, tight and complex. Some songs remind me of Primus, with incredible funky grooves and heavy riffs. Singer Pieter-Paul Davos is bouncing around and off stage, sometimes whispering, then screaming. His band follows him in this rollercoaster of noise and heavy music, but it always stays together. Still it somehow seems to make sense as well, which is a huge compliment. Too bad this band are calling it quits, since groups like this aren't wide spread.



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