ProgPower Europe celebrating it’s 25th edition was something not to miss. I was not the only one thinking so, as a first gift back to organizers was the sign Sold Out at the poster. This year the line-up was maybe the most diverse ever. PPE since long is not purely focussed on Progmetal, but we also get the extreme metal blended in and the (too?) soft prog rock. So in my ears noone attending this weekend could love all 14 bands. At the same time there must be something for everyone. We this year meant the same of group of 12 people as last year. Also since bold bastard Gilles still did not manage to sell his campsite de Berckt, we moved out to Heldense Bossen again. A nicer campsite as such, but a scary bicycle ride through dark forests home at night. If we than add the weather forecast for the weekend and we knew that excitement was coming our way on different levels.
Arriving on time in Baarlo, meant the usual get yourself a locker, a beer and say hello to many known faces walking around. The real start this year came by Nospun. This being an American band forced me to make some observations. We heard keyboards, but they were not as such on stage, but coming from a laptop called the Anchoret. Further at least two of their members are in trouble if their day-job happens to be general in the US Army. Well they were at Progpower now and noone cares what you look like as long as you play good music. And playing good music is what they did. I never bought any of their music, but listened in the past to their album and ep online. So I did not recgonize any song or title, but liked their set and especially the two long instrumentals were fine. This is strange when you consider that the vocalist had a strong voice indeed. So while Sjiwa was getting very hot, I was getting warmed up by the music on stage. A fine start we got, even if for me the guitar and bass could have been a notch louder in the mix. In the mood I decided to pick up the very nice festival-tee. This only to find out that my size was already sold out. That can only mean that too many tiny people buy too large sizes.
Extol were the headliners for the Friday. This made me happy in various ways. First I do have three of their albums and second I never saw them live, At the same time I realized this was a bold move by PPE, as whatever you think about Extol, they are definitely not for everyone. If than also the vocalist is a new guy from Denmark, who mainly uses his screamo voice hurdles rose. So I was not surprised that after some 45 minutes half the room was empty and the other half enjoyed their weird extreme blended masterclass. For me the start was not their best part, When guitarist Ole started singing along with his clean vocals the overall mix improved for me. That was when I remembered seeing him with Fleshkiller some years ago. Luckily they did play the only song I immediately remember by them Gloriana. For me a true highlight, even if my fellow campers all 11 went to the basement during their set. So I did get a Friday evening worthy of a 25th edition. A few beers in the basement and an almost safe bicycle trip home. Turns out that putting Amii’s chain back on your bicycle in the dark results in black hands for Peter and Leah. But we survived, had a last drink and tried to sleep through the storm.
Good morning campers! It is raining cats, dogs and acorns. We had rain before at PPE, but these amounts got our trailers leaking and our bospaths muddier by the minute. In the end forecasts told us that around 12:00 matters would improve and they did. Just when we planned to leave in order to arrive on time a terrible last attack meant we waited inside. Off we went and the bicycle paths were surprisingly good on the way, only my rental bike was hidden in mud now.
This did mean that entering Sjiwa was only possible when the Cryptex were some 15 minutes in their set already. They said they played de Boerderij before a semi-home venue to me, but I never even heard of them. This trio consisted of on the left keyoards dressed up as a piano and the vocalist. Centre stage behind it was a masked guitarist and on the right we watched the drummer sideways. Musically I was pleasantly surprised as they mixed bombast with prog and notches of metal at times. The vocalist was quite the performer, but his jokes were at the edge of acceptable or boring to some. I had a good opening band and Saturday was off to a good start. This was when I realized I missed my after each two bands chat with Christian where we often agree on the good and the bad. Wishing him a quick full recovery.
Next band would change the stage setup again as now the drums got placed centre forward. This because the drummer also sang and they were with three only. The other two members both played guitar following the recent trends of bassists gone missing. The looks of the band were not the most charismatic of the weekend as the guy on the right looked like a Roumanian waiter, while his friend on the left looked like an Irish darter who just did not qualify for the World Cup. Trylion was their name and they came from Poland. Musically they were heavy mixing mostly extreme vocals with some clean ones. I stayed half their set as after a while I missed songs that stuck in my head.
Next on were Mayfire from Norway a band that Hans tipped me on as a potential highlight. Let me first get the elephant out of the room: fok facemasks. Hiding your face adds nothing for me and their black scarves made me fear they were going to throw rocks at us any time soon. Luckily musically they indeed were a highlight . The vocalist had a strong voice and the band knew how to play well, packed in fine songs. As they have one album only so far, that is what they played plus a new song. For me a very enjoyable set and when it was over we were asked not to leave yet. Those shouting for an encore got it wrong.
Martijn took the stage and introduced to us the mayor of Peel and Maas. No political speeches luckily, but he was here for a much nicer reason. Rene was presented a royal order and became lid in de orde van Oranje Nassau. In the Netherlands our king can grant such an award to people who got proposed mostly based upon their voluntary work and service to the community. Well when the mayor read out the full lists of voluntary positions, including organizing PPE, this seemed more than deserved. A nice new highlight of the day it was and Rene seemed speechless for a while.
The dinner break got shortened by festivities so I stayed in waiting for the Dutch band of the weekend Elegy. Now I am Dutch and I follow progmetal since it’s birth (no official date, but it must be somewhere inbetween 2112 and Operation Mindcrime). Yet I never saw Elegy performing live, nor did I ever buy an album by them. In hindsight a huge mistake as they quickly turned out to bet he highlight of the day. We got a band on stage playing what you heard, great instrumental bits and with Ian Parry a great frontman. Now Ian I did see before, when he sang with Vengeance (for PPE visitors not knowing them a certain Arjan Lucassen was in that band too). Elegy was quite a bit heavier than that and while going through their catalogue we got one winner after the other fired at us. This was a Prog Power metal band in the true original sense and I loved it.
Next on were Major Parkinson. After yesterday’s Extol another band that would split the audience I knew. Many people seemed to love them and also many consider them just weird and at the wrong festival. I tend to be in the second category, but decided to give them a fairer chance this time after the three minutes I gave them some years ago. So I first had a pizza and than entered Sjiwa twice to see what was going on for some two songs both times. Well at least this time I understood why people do like them. Still for me a bridge too far. Their vocalist reminded me of Fish in a strange way, but than without the music of Fish unfortunately. Even within our group reactions moved between “this was brilliant” till “can’t be arsed”.
Closing the day were Vandenplas. They came in at a late moment when The Dear Hunter got cancelled. For me initially a good move as I was afraid of two prog rock bands closing the day would be a bit much for me. Vandenplas plays progmetal from the nineties which was when the genre boomed. I liked it that they opened with Push from Colour Temple. That was the first tour I saw them playing live in Blokhut Rotterdam. I did see them a few more times over the years, but stopped buying their albums after their nineties albums. Now some factors that did not help me getting really drawn in were: An old man like me gets tired after a long day. The beers passed by too fast over the day especially during Mayfire and Elegy when we all were in, after three songs we got a drum solo and finally the sound was a bit muddy. So I stayed for a few songs, walked out in order to return for a few more songs and than joined the gang cycling back home when Andy Kuntz was still very German on stage.
Sunday started off better than Saturday as the sun came through the clouds at time. So no delayed rides made me arrive in time to see Traels kicking off their show. I had never heard of this Belgian band before, but they started the day pretty fine. The drummer was sitting sideways again and he also took care of vocals. A nice voice he had which suited the music. The music did made me think of several other bands at times. There was prog but also post metal and some groovy bass pumped songs. The overall atmosphere was more depressevie in a Katatonia way. All dressed in black apart from the guitarist on the left who brought the colour wearing dark blue. Hans and Ton ran after a CD or LP, I did not go so far, but was pleased with these openers.
This year in March there was Marcelfest and I was not in the country. The hype I heard most mentioned thereafter was Tiberius. They seemed to be good in creating a party. Well that was no lie as these guys jumped around like it was 1983. Being it either on the stage or in the venue they were wildly moving around. Than there was Duncan the skeleton dressed in Tee who went crowdsurfing to the back of the hall and via the other side back to the stage. Hereafter there were airy beach balls bouncing around in the air and a circle pit had Connie joining in scootmobile. Now if you were not there, you might think they are a gimmick band. That is when their songs and instrumental domination kick in. I am now playing my newly purchased CD Singing for Company and it works fine at home too. Thinking at times of Protest the Hero, while I also hear Ton’s commented vocals like Myles Kennedy. Definetely a band I will travel for when these Scots come back to The Netherlands.
As if Sunday afternoon was not good enough yet, next on were Voidchaser from Montreal Canada. Their progmetal is of the heavier kind with a fair bit of the vocals being extreme. So only reading that chances of me liking them were huge. If you than add again a very lively and loose presentation and we were in for another winner of the festval for me. We can only hope that all those bands(No need to mention names here) where members are not leaving their square meter were watching and learning too. Their tech metal came over really well with most people and close to the end they gave us an epic, that was epical indeed. I got their last two EP’s and now we wait for a full album. As they are also involved with the new prog metal festival Progstorm, I might have to start negotiations with Josie about a trip to Montreal next year. Finally I did not know what all these thumbs up were about, but anyone saying f"ck the hand hearts shown to the stage has my sympathy.
After such a good afternoon I needed some time to catch my breath again. This over a few shrinkflation beers in the hall still. So we missed the dinnerbreak and that would go at the cost of Kyros. I saw the band twice before, when they were still called Synaesthesia. That was at prog rock festivals and that is my point. Obviously nowadays most visitors do believe prog rock bands do belong at Progpower. Just look at the success of Major Parkinson, Meer and Kyros too as I read. In the hall a huge banner showed the history of 25 editions (apart from 2024’s Sunday missprint) In 2002 A.C.T. played and at the time there were discussions if a band that light belonged at Progpower. Nowadays a definite yes, in those days pretty questionable. Since I am old and traditional to me all progrock bands can leave Sjiwa for good, while realizing I am a minority here. So I plan my food breaks around those bands. Result of this fairly long intro: I saw one song of very colourfull Kyros and left for food in Baarlo.
Kingcrow were next and again I need to explain something. Lots of the more recent progmetal bands do impress me so I start buying their albums and live they seem as good. Than after three albums I realize I never play their albums. I meanwhile saw them live mixing good and not so good shows. So I stop buying their albums, but can still enjoy their live shows. Examples plenty but looking at PPE: Leprous, Caligula’s Horse, Vola, Voyager and Prehistorc Animals come to mind. Actually I only still buy anything Haken from that generation. Kingcrow I discovered with Phlegethon and I bowed out with Eidos. Yet live I never saw them disappoint. Tonight would not be much different, but circumstances were far from ideal. After eating entering a hot Sjiwa and watching more towards the back, meant my energy levels dropped dramatically and after some 45 minutes I moved to the basement. Kingcrow meanwhile were being Kingcrow and that means good. Maybe a bit more variation between light and heavy would have given me another 15 minutes, but it was good.
Threshold headlined the first ever ProgPower, so nothing more logical than inviting them back to close of the 25th edition. Now with Threshold I have a longer history than any other band playing this weekend. The year was 1993 and The Hague still had several CD stores specialized in metal. So one day Kees from Kees CD told me “you are into this progressive metal, try this band out”. That was Wounded Land, I listened and the rest as they say, is history. In 1995 Threshold came to The Netherlands and we attended their tour. This day at the Merch stand they sold one longsleeve of that tour, which I still have in T-shirt form. Peter bought it again due to a personal story, which involves the birth of his oldest daughter Amii who was here the weekend with us too. Back to Thereshold I saw them several times over the decades with all vocalists apart from the Italian stand-in during their last tour. Now my energy levels were low and I was doubting if I could make it till the end. So I already started saying goodbye to Michel and Esther before the show and than the beauty of music hit me. Threshold on stage were quickly provng I needed to see their full show. With every song I got more energy and Glynn’s voice warmed up better too. This was a beautiful show, build around the last two albums. Luckily with lots of trips back in time too. Threshold are just a very solid band and what a great way to close the festival for me this was.
So than it was over and we moved back to the campsite. This year again had no karaoke, which was a pity as I was prepared to entertain a packed basement with my tribute to Ozzy in what is his year really. Finally this year I do not only want to thank Organizers and all volunteers I also give them some free advice for an awesome 2026 edition. From the USA the two best US progmetal bands of recent years, both releasing two amazing albums this decade, Lunar and Imminent Sonic Destruction. From mainland Europe: Eternal Storm, The Moor, Philosophobia and Pentesilea Road. From the UK: Ophelion and Synaptik. Irish The Enigma Division and representing The Netherlands August Life. From Brazil Papangu (more than one T-shirt spotted in the crowd) and Jack the Joker. Than you only need three headliners which should be Watchtower and Eldritch (both never before at PPE after 25 editions???) and finally A-Z, Oceans of Slumber, Wolverine or In Mourning maybe. Seems a damn fine line-up to me without too soft progrock acts to scare us away, nor too low grunts for delicate ears. With the early bird tickets expiring today, I decided to go crazy and buy a new ticket before the festival was over. Hope to see all I met this year again and those whom I missed I might speak to in 2026 if my above revelations did not scare or piss you off.
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