HET ZESDE METAAL

Do we still need to introduce Het Zesde Metaal extensively? With classics like ‘Ploegsteert’, ‘Naar De Wuppe’ and ‘Tid Van Ton’, and acclaimed and award-winning albums like ‘Nie Voe Kinders’, ‘Calais’ and ‘Skepsels’, the band around Wannes Cappelle has become an indispensable part of the Belgian music landscape. 'Het langste jaar' has just been released, the band's sixth album, and created in emotional circumstances. In mid-2022, the news of the incurable illness of guitarist and keyboardist Tom Pintens hit like a bomb, and it inspired the band to make an album in the intimacy of their own circle. Pintens put on the producer's hat and led the band into the studio the summer of the following year to give everything one last time. A month after the recordings, he died. ‘Het langste jaar’ has become a musical reflection of the most intense period in the band's history, but is at the same time perhaps the most melodic record by Het Zesde Metaal, with more room than ever for subtle but extremely efficient arrangements. We can already hear you humming along! Het Zesde Metaal is playing a limited number of shows this festival summer, and will not be seen on a stage for a long time afterwards. support: Glitterpaard In times when music projects are coming out more and more individually, Glitterpaard swears by the power of the group. Glitterpaard is the band of Philip Bosschaerts (Mintzkov), Johan Verckist (Wardrobe), Damien Vanderhasselt (Millionaire), Sarah Pepels (Portland), and Frederik Bastiaensen (Marble Sounds). In 2016, they paid homage to the tragic cult figure Mark Linkous, the man behind Sparklehorse, and in 2022 they came out with their self-titled debut album with their own work. With a whole load of new ideas, Glitterpaard dove back into the Hobokense Studio Swamp not much later. But on a personal level, the band members went through difficult times. With weekly recording sessions on Thursdays, they found a method to try things out in peace, leave some things, and refine others. The work process behind ‘Thursday’ thus became a therapy and an escape from everyday big and small worries. The production was again in the hands of the band itself, with drummer Damien Vanderhasselt behind the buttons. Jerboa Mastering provided the finishing touch. The songs on ‘Thursday’ can be counted among the most personal of Bosschaerts and Verckist. Musically, the band sought depth again, and created its own world with many layers that do not reveal themselves every time from the first listen. The album also shows the versatility of Glitterpaard: from the disarming, honest heartbreak of ‘Lost In Your Gold’ to the raw groove of ‘Mythomania’ and from the introspective ‘Quiet Boys’ to the skipping rock winking at the Velvets of ‘Black Page’. At the end of the instrumental song ‘Days of Jupiter’ you hear the sample: “We are at a pivotal moment in history”. Voor Glitterpaard is 'Thursday' that moment.