Metal 2 the Masses: Quo Vadis + Hostia + more
Semi-final of the Polish edition of the Metal 2 the Masses battle of the bands—with five very different bands.
The line-up opens with Quo Vadis, a thrash metal band with over thirty years of experience. Since forming in 1988, they have performed three times at Metalmania, twice at Jarocin and four times at the Polish Woodstock Festival. They have ten albums to their credit, the latest of which is 2016's Born to Die, and several hundred shows in Poland and abroad. For the second fire goes Hostia—a decidedly more extreme proposition. Their modus operandi combines a deathgrind sound with a blasphemous aesthetic—the band members hide their identities under the pseudonyms of Catholic saints, and have included cardboard models of a burning church with their albums. The aggression and heaviness in Hostia's music is combined with a rocking, almost song-like groove; as they write themselves, this is exactly how your parish priest imagines metal music, and it gets even better.
Next up—Synapsa, a Wrocław-based deathcore band. Their debut Confession was released in 2015, but shortly after playing a tour promoting the album, the band suspended activities, but resumed after some time with the current line-up and a new musical formula; in 2020 they released the EP Dissimulation. Synapse's songs have been broadcast on Antyradio, Radio SOK, Radio Afera and Radio Wnet, among others. The band is also the winner of the Gostyńskie Rockowania 2021 festival and played at Louder Fest. Also appearing will be Headup, a Wrocław-based metal band that has existed since 2000, which combines elements of groove metal and hardcore in its sound. They have three albums to their credit, the most recent of which is 2019's release. Chain Reaction; they have also played shows in front of bands such as Gojira, Cavalera Conspiracy, Schizma, None, Madball, Born From Pain and Pro-Pain. The line-up closes with Sarang, a Silesian band playing nu metal, but closer to Deftones than Coal Chamber. Good riffs and massive vocals that rumbles and sings like Corey Taylor from the glory days, only better. To their credit they have albums Prisoners and 2.
