SYLAK 2022
Napalm for breakfast!
A quick look back at the Sylak Open Air festival, held from August 5 to 7, 2022, in Saint-Maurice-de-Gourdans (Ain department). After a two-year hiatus—and despite all the challenges of organizing a festival during a pandemic—the organizers managed to finalize the lineup, offering a complete and enticing bill to power this three-day tenth-anniversary edition.
The lineup for Friday, August 5, featured: Death Decline, Assignated Fate, Dead Kiwis, Ultra Moule, Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition, and Born From Pain.
Saturday, August 6: Atomic Trip, Death Awaits, Benighted, Nervosa, Unearth, Bömbers, 1000Mods, Napalm Death, Jinjer, Carcass, and Alestorm.
And Sunday, August 7: Dukkha, Heart Attack, Moscow Death Brigade, Hangman’s Chair, Misery Index, Mad Sin, Suffocation, Faun, Exodus, Korpiklaani, and Testament.
The festival was a sell-out right from day one! Everyone had been eagerly awaiting this special tenth-anniversary edition.
As is tradition at Sylak, things kicked off on the small stage on Friday. In short, here’s the lowdown on day one: festival-goers raring to go; wild energy on stage and in the pit; sounds ranging from Thrash, Death, and Heavy Metal to Punk and Hardcore; frenetic compositions and razor-sharp riffs; circle pits and high-octane sets; a mix of violence, friendship, and glorious chaos; electric shocks and instant favorites; flying kicks; crash barriers taking a pounding from the crowd; a family-friendly yet high-voltage atmosphere; stunning performances; inflatable dolls and rose petals tossed into the air; and hordes of lovable, unhinged, and—for some—balding lunatics having a blast setting the tone during the famous, traditional foam party! The genre’s fans are fully on board, truly appreciating the show for what it’s worth! (And taking the opportunity to wash up now to avoid the shower queues—smart move!)
A recap of day one: well done! Festival-goers didn’t have to wait long to get absolutely blown away! They’re heading back to the campsite—not to sleep, but to scream out their wild energy until the sun peeks over the horizon... What an atmosphere!
But that was just day one! Saturday kicked off hard right from the morning—this time on the main stage—leaving most festival-goers with a serious chunk of their stamina drained. The heat was scorching, both on stage and in the pit; the shows came one after another while the crowd slowly but surely baked under a blazing sun worthy of a Sergio Leone Western! Everyone had to pull themselves together fast, because the bands were dishing out massive sonic beatings, turning up the heat in the cauldron where the crowd—already red-hot—was going wild and sweating buckets. It was scorching! In short, here’s what we saw and heard on day two: insane energy on stage and in the pit; sounds ranging from Thrash, Death, and Heavy Metal to Punk and Hardcore; frenzied compositions, razor-sharp riffs, circle pits, high-octane sets, violence, camaraderie, and glorious chaos; a Motörhead tribute and a touch of nostalgia; die-hard Grind fans and seasoned stage veterans unleashing a barrage of mosh-inducing tracks; a vintage performance accompanied by rounds of beer; water and fire; a pit at boiling point; a joyful mess amidst a cloud of dust; and a grand finale featuring pirates and a giant inflatable duck! Batten down the hatches, ye scallywags! And bring me three barrels of rum, dammit!
Day two recap: it was no time for a nap! The festival-goers took a monumental thrashing and unleashed their wild frenzy in the passionate pit. And the night was only just beginning...
On Sunday morning, for those who manage to drag themselves out of bed, it’s time to kick-start the backup batteries immediately—the biggest day is starting with a massive lineup! It seems the heat didn’t let up overnight; it’s already 40°C in the shade as things kick off at full throttle—merciless, showing no respect for the "zombies" stumbling back toward the stage, drawn by the massive sound!
In short, here’s what actually went down on day three: fierce and powerful death-thrash, top-notch psychobilly, mosh pits, a furnace-like atmosphere, madness, electric shocks, a massive wake-up call, a taser-like jolt, instant favorites, flying kicks, circle pits, crowd surfing, walls of death, devastating brutal death delivered by hellish demons, Celtic and medieval influences, a perfect connection with the crowd, a frenetic pace, giant inflatables, a surfboard, dust, a heatwave, garden hoses, mud, and sheer, unadulterated joy!
And then, since all good things must come to an end, the headliner took the stage, blasting us with their greatest hits like a steamroller for a solid hour—madness and hysteria, a drummer in a trance, the end of the show, a grand finale, and a fucking massive ovation from the crowd!
A recap of the final day: thanks for "napalming" us like that! When do we do it again?
A huge thank you to the army of volunteers and the entire team for the family atmosphere and professional organization; the festival’s success is a well-deserved reward for their hard work.
In short, a tenth edition that lived up to every expectation!
See you next year!