Review: Brutal Assault #27 - Josefov Fortress, Czech Republic - August 7 - 10th - 2024

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Review: Brutal Assault #27 - Josefov Fortress, Czech Republic - August 7 - 10th - 2024

Brutal Assault 2024

As one of the festivals we have attended the most over the years, Brutal Assault continues to hold a very special place in our yearly calendar. There is something almost ritualistic about the whole experience: a few days in Prague, the ride towards Jaroměř, the first walk into the Josefov Fortress, and that feeling that, for a few days, everything revolves around killer music, cold beer, sore feet, and the occasional sprint between stages.

What keeps us coming back to this event is still the same thing that has always separated Brutal Assault from most other large European festivals: the organizers can book massive names and, at the same time, still make room for bands that cater to people with more specialized and adventurous tastes. You can spend one hour watching a polished main-stage act, then immediately go to one of the smaller stages and catch something strange, atmospheric, progressive, or completely off the rails. That balance is exactly why BA continues to be one of the most exciting festivals for us.

For this 2024 review, we are focusing on the bands we actually covered in our photo galleries, while also mentioning the interviews we conducted on-site. As always, there were overlaps, impossible choices, and plenty of bands we would have liked to photograph, but this report follows the coverage that made it into our vault.

Image galleries and related interviews

Day 1

Starting the festival is always a bit of an endurance test. You arrive full of energy, ready to catch everything, and then the fortress quickly reminds you that four days of Brutal Assault is a marathon and not a sprint. Still, the first day had enough firepower and variety to immediately shake off the travel fatigue.

The Black Dahlia Murder

The Black Dahlia Murder was one of the first major punches of our Day 1 coverage, delivering the kind of sharp, fast, and technically precise Melodic Death Metal assault that works perfectly in front of a Brutal Assault crowd. The band’s material has always been built on a mix of chaos and control, and live that balance translated into a very energetic set that immediately helped set the tone for the day.

Finntroll

Finntroll brought a completely different kind of energy to the fortress. Their mixture of Folk Metal weirdness, trollish theatrics, and catchy melodies is always fun in a festival setting, and Brutal Assault remains one of the best environments for this kind of performance. Even surrounded by much darker and more aggressive bands, Finntroll’s strange and playful heaviness managed to stand out.

Spiritbox

Spiritbox represented the more modern side of the festival’s booking. Their sound is polished, atmospheric, and very much built for large crowds, and whether one is fully into this newer wave of heavy music or not, the band clearly has a commanding live presence. Their set showed how Brutal Assault continues to mix old-school extremity with newer, more contemporary metal movements without losing its identity.

Srefa

Srefa was one of the more interesting Day 1 moments for us, not only because of their performance but also because we had the chance to interview them at the festival. In the interview, we talked with the band about their music and their path to Brutal Assault, right around the time of what was described as their first European festival appearance. That context made their set feel even more special, as there was a genuine sense of a band stepping into a much larger international setting and making the most of the opportunity. You can find the interview here: Srefa at Brutal Assault 2024.

Vltimas

Vltimas gave the day a more imposing Extreme Metal edge. The band has the kind of veteran confidence that makes a set feel controlled and powerful without needing any unnecessary gimmicks. Their material sounded sharp and forceful, and the performance fit very well with the festival’s heavier side.

Hexvessel

Hexvessel added one of the day’s more atmospheric shades. Brutal Assault is at its best when it allows different moods to coexist, and Hexvessel’s haunting, ritualistic presence gave the day a welcome contrast from the more direct assaults happening elsewhere. Their set worked as a reminder that heaviness can also come from mood, dynamics, and atmosphere.

Motionless in White

Motionless in White brought a very theatrical and modern energy to Day 1. Their blend of metalcore, industrial/gothic aesthetics, and big-stage hooks made for one of the more visually striking performances of the day. Brutal Assault audiences can be demanding when it comes to bands outside the more traditional extreme metal spectrum, but Motionless in White had the presence and production to make their slot feel like a proper spectacle.

Abbath

Abbath closed our Day 1 coverage with exactly the kind of larger-than-life Black Metal presence one expects. The corpsepaint, the riffs, the unmistakable stage stance, and the old Norwegian aura all made for a very enjoyable ending to the first round. By the time we walked out of the fortress, our feet were already hurting, but the adrenaline was high enough to make us ready for the next day.

Day 2

Day two is usually when reality starts setting in. The first-day excitement is still there, but the body begins to understand what it signed up for. Luckily, the second day gave us a very strong combination of classic Thrash, Death Metal royalty, colder underground sounds, and Norwegian darkness.

Forbidden

Forbidden brought a proper old-school Thrash Metal charge to the festival. Their set was exactly the kind of direct, riff-driven performance that works well in front of a Brutal Assault audience. There is always something satisfying about seeing a veteran band hit the stage with conviction and remind people why these older names still matter.

Yellow Eyes

Yellow Eyes provided a much colder and more underground kind of darkness. Their Black Metal approach felt raw, tense, and atmospheric, standing in contrast to the cleaner and bigger productions elsewhere in the day. Brutal Assault’s strength is that a band like this can exist in the same festival ecosystem as much more polished acts and still find the right crowd.

Carcass

Carcass was, as expected, one of the most important names of the day. We have seen them before, and they are one of those bands that always sound ridiculously tight. Their mix of Death Metal, Grindcore roots, and melodic surgical precision translated perfectly to the large stage, and the crowd response was massive. It is always impressive to see a band with this much history still performing with this level of authority.

Testament

Testament kept the old-school energy flowing with a polished and muscular Thrash Metal performance. Their catalog is stacked with festival-ready material, and the band’s ability to sound both classic and powerful in a large outdoor setting made their set one of the day’s obvious crowd-pleasers. At a festival like Brutal Assault, a band like Testament does not need to prove anything, but they still played like they had something to conquer.

Tulus

Tulus brought another strong dose of Norwegian darkness to the day. Their Black Metal felt direct, cold, and no-nonsense, with an old-school character that contrasted nicely against some of the more technically polished bands on the bill. This was the kind of set that worked particularly well for people who wanted something grim and focused.

Satyricon

Satyricon closed the night for us in style. The Norwegians have a very particular live presence: cold, controlled, and imposing. Their more groove-driven material works especially well in a large outdoor setting, while the older songs still have enough bite to please the Black Metal crowd. After a full day of running around, Satyricon’s set felt like a perfect dark ending to Day 2.

We also managed to interview Master Boot Record on Day 2, just before they closed one of the BA stages. The conversation touched on the live show, an upcoming release, and a North American tour, making it a nice companion piece to our festival coverage. You can find the interview here: Master Boot Record at Brutal Assault 2024.

Day 3

Day three is always the real test. By this point, we usually need more coffee, more water, and more sitting down than we would like to admit. However, Brutal Assault always seems to schedule enough must-see bands on the third day to force everybody back into action. This was also one of the most musically diverse days of our coverage.

Villagers of Ioannina City

Villagers of Ioannina City brought a very different kind of performance to the festival. Their psychedelic and progressive take on heavy rock has a hypnotic quality that works especially well when the listener has already been battered by days of more extreme music. Their set gave the day a sense of space and groove, and it was one of those performances that made the festival feel broader than just a nonstop extreme metal assault.

Jinjer

Jinjer was one of the most obvious highlights in our Day 3 coverage. We have seen the band several times now, and their ability to jump between technical grooves, harsh vocals, melodic passages, and tight modern metal arrangements remains impressive. They are a band that clearly knows how to handle a large festival stage, and the crowd response made it obvious why they keep climbing higher on festival bills.

Unto Others

Unto Others brought their unmistakable blend of dark rock, heavy metal, and gothic melancholy to the fortress. Their songs have a very immediate quality, and live they balance moodiness with enough punch to keep things from becoming too subdued. In the middle of a day full of heavier and more extreme acts, they offered a stylish and memorable change of pace.

Candlemass

Candlemass gave the crowd a dose of pure Doom Metal class. There is something timeless about those riffs, and hearing them echo through the fortress is always a treat. The band’s slower, heavier pacing did not reduce the intensity at all; instead, it gave the day a sense of weight and tradition that only a band like Candlemass can deliver.

Cult of Fire with orchestra

Cult of Fire with orchestra was one of the most anticipated performances of the entire edition, and it did not disappoint. The band’s ritualistic approach to Black Metal already has a ceremonial quality, and the addition of orchestral elements made the whole thing feel grand and immersive. This was definitely one of those special festival moments that people will remember for years.

Architects

Architects brought one of the day’s biggest modern metal productions. Their sound is built for large audiences, and their performance had the kind of confidence and scale expected from a band occupying such a prominent position on the bill. While their style sits in a very different place from some of Brutal Assault’s more underground bookings, the energy and crowd reaction were undeniable.

Khold

Khold delivered exactly the kind of cold, stripped-down Norwegian Black Metal that can reset the atmosphere of a long festival day. Their performance was not about excess or flash; it was about tone, pacing, and that grim mid-tempo darkness they do so well. In a day with plenty of variety, Khold gave us something focused and bleak.

Laibach

Laibach was one of the most unique performances of the day. Their industrial, martial, and conceptual approach is not something that fits neatly into a standard metal festival box, but that is exactly why their presence at Brutal Assault was so valuable. Their set felt like a full audiovisual statement, adding a completely different kind of intensity to the night.

Day 4

The last day of Brutal Assault always comes with mixed feelings. On one hand, the body is ready for a real bed, a normal schedule, and not having to walk thousands of steps between stages. On the other hand, it is hard not to feel a bit sad that the yearly fortress ritual is almost over. The organizers did not make the final day easy on us, as Saturday was absolutely stacked.

Gorod

Gorod kicked things into high gear for our Day 4 coverage with their technical and precise Death Metal. Their musicianship is always impressive, and even in a festival environment they sounded very tight. Their set was the kind of performance that rewards close attention, with plenty of intricate details flying by while still maintaining enough aggression to keep the crowd engaged.

Persefone

Persefone followed as one of the more melodic and progressive highlights of the day. Their music has a very polished and emotional character, and live they managed to bring both technicality and atmosphere to the stage. In a festival filled with more direct brutality, Persefone’s layered approach gave the day a welcome sense of depth.

Pestilence

Pestilence brought a classic Death Metal presence to the final day. Their performance had the kind of veteran confidence that comes from decades of history, and their material still carries that strange, technical edge that has always made the band stand out. They were a strong reminder of how much old-school Death Metal still matters at a festival like Brutal Assault.

Sadus

Sadus brought a completely different energy with their Thrash/Death Metal attack. There is nothing subtle about this band live, and that is exactly the point. Their set had that old-school intensity that makes people forget about being tired for at least a little while.

Impaled Nazarene

Impaled Nazarene delivered one of the most aggressive and no-compromise performances of the day. Their sound is nasty, fast, and confrontational, and live they remain exactly the kind of band that can jolt a tired festival crowd back into motion. After several days of music, this kind of ugly adrenaline was exactly what was needed.

Primordial

Primordial was one of the strongest performances of the day. Their epic, emotional, and deeply atmospheric Metal always hits hard live, and Alan Averill remains one of the most commanding frontmen in the genre. Even in a large festival environment, the band managed to create a sense of drama and connection that not everybody can pull off.

Julie Christmas and Cult of Luna

Julie Christmas and Cult of Luna gave the day a massive, emotionally charged performance. The combination of Julie Christmas’s intense, unpredictable presence with Cult of Luna’s crushing Post-Metal weight created something that felt both fragile and enormous. This was not just heavy in the traditional sense; it was heavy in mood, tension, and emotional impact.

Emperor

Emperor was, without question, one of the biggest moments of the entire festival. Every time this band appears on a lineup, there is a certain aura around their set, and the crowd at Brutal Assault was ready for it. Their majestic Black Metal sounded massive, and their performance felt suitably monumental for a festival of this size and reputation.

DHG

DHG brought one of the more adventurous and twisted Black Metal performances of the final day. Their music has always lived in a strange space between extremity, experimentation, and progressive darkness, and live that personality came through clearly. For listeners who wanted something less straightforward and more unsettling, DHG delivered.

Behemoth

Behemoth was one of the final major spectacles of the festival, delivering their usual massive stage presence and polished Blackened Death Metal assault. We have seen them many times, but the band continues to understand how to make a large-scale festival performance feel imposing. As a late-festival statement, it was exactly the kind of grand and fiery performance people expect from them.

Overall Impressions

Brutal Assault 2024 was another excellent edition of one of the best metal festivals in Europe. The organization remains one of the main reasons this event is so enjoyable: things run efficiently, the fortress layout continues to be unique, and the whole environment gives the festival an identity that few other events can match.

From the bands we covered, the 2024 edition again showed the festival’s range: The Black Dahlia Murder, Finntroll, Spiritbox, Srefa, Vltimas, Hexvessel, Motionless in White, Abbath, Forbidden, Yellow Eyes, Carcass, Testament, Tulus, Satyricon, Villagers of Ioannina City, Jinjer, Unto Others, Candlemass, Tribulation, Cult of Fire with orchestra, Architects, Khold, Laibach, Gorod, Persefone, Pestilence, Sadus, Impaled Nazarene, Primordial, Julie Christmas and Cult of Luna, Emperor, DHG, and Behemoth all represented different corners of the heavy music spectrum.

The interview coverage also added another layer to the festival experience. Speaking with Srefa around their Brutal Assault appearance gave us a closer look at a band taking an important step onto a larger European stage, while the Master Boot Record interview gave us a chance to discuss their live show, upcoming release, and future touring plans directly at the festival.

As always, there were overlaps and missed bands that hurt, but that is also one of the signs of a great festival lineup. Brutal Assault continues to be one of those events where you can carefully plan your day and still end up making last-minute changes because something interesting is happening somewhere else.

Overall, this was another memorable Brutal Assault experience and another reminder of why we keep returning to Josefov. If you are a metal fan and have never attended this festival, you should definitely put it on your list. It is intense, exhausting, extremely well organized, and consistently packed with bands worth seeing. We will certainly be back.

Thanks

Massive thanks to the Brutal Assault organizing team for the press accreditation and for once again allowing us to cover the festival with such ease. We also appreciate the continued support and excellent treatment throughout the event.

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Concert Reviews

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