It’s time for the second edition of Raging Waters. Mark Debono gets ready for some poolside headbanging and brings us a behind-the-scenes preview.

Raging Waters is back for round two and this year the metal-themed pool party will again be loaded with music, food and drinks in keeping with the season’s vibe to help the partygoers stay cool while headbanging in the sun.

I caught up with one of the organisers, James Horton, who, together with Mikaela Attard, is the mind behind the summer event that was created especially for metal music fans in Malta.

Why did you set up this summertime festival and what do you hope to present to the audience that other events in the same musical genre do not?

The idea of Raging Waters is to bring together the local metal/rock scene and for a day full of musical entertainment, sun and thrills, while chilling beside the pool. Despite a huge amount of music events taking place during the summer, no one really caters for this crowd. So when the opportunity arose, I partnered up with Mikaela to make this happen.

An event like this gives live acts the opportunity to perform in a more relaxed setting. It is simply about having fun in the sun with no pressure for the musicians. Bands relish a chance to perform in an event where they can let their guard down and enjoy a drink with their audience. In turn, the crowd feeds off such enjoyment and can mingle with favourite bands. It’s a win-win situation.

This is the second edition. What can we expect to be different from the first?

Before the first edition actually happened, Mikaela and I did not know whether it would flop or turn out to be great. Fortunately, it was the latter. This encouraged us to make the second edition even bigger. Due to interest from outside of Malta, we have flown over two bands from Austria and Italy to be part of the line-up.

Moreover, Raging Waters won’t be restricted to the pool area – the indoor area at Avalon Club will also be open, complete with another bar. There are some other surprises in store, but for now we do not wish to give too much away.

Six bands are on the billing for the day. What can you tell us about each of them?

To start with, there’s Cadaver Mutilator hailing from Palermo, Sicily. These guys are a brutal death metal act and have shared the stage with many giants of the metal world, including Destruction, Suffocation and Sinister. They are a highly professional group and have three albums under their belts. Their style consists of heavy and fast riffs with melodic undertones.

Also on the line-up is VxPxOxAxAxWxAxMxC – possibly the band with the longest name. These Austrians play goregrind and slamdeath metal, producing incredibly infectious death metal groves. And even better, they aren’t afraid to enjoy themselves while they’re at it. The band focuses on making primitive mosh music, which they feel is the music that is most fun to play, listen and dance to. This is a band with a sense of humour and they aren’t afraid to show it.

Loathe, a heavyweight among metal bands in Malta, are also performing on the night. This band has been showcasing its material since 2003 and continues to hold regular gigs to this day. We were very keen on bringing them on board, since when it’s time to let your hair down and have a good time they’re the band you can count on.

The fourth band is Fallen Icon, relatively new to the scene, but with the potential to be one of the next greats. Their first full-length album has received fantastic feedback and the band comes with a hard-hitting, heavy groove and sound that is very powerful for a trio.

Which brings me to Falcon’s Flying Circus, my favourite band in Malta. There is a lot more to this band than meets the eye with a style that is a fusion of classic rock, progressive rock, funk, jazz and much more – all rolled up into one band.

Finally, there’s Pyramid Suns, a very interesting act that takes its influences from blues, rock and a touch of psychedelia. The band’s style is unique and powerful, without ever focusing on a specific genre.

Will Raging Waters become a regular summer feature for Maltese metalheads?

If this event continues to be successful, I will cautiously say that we do not see why it shouldn’t be back for future editions.

The second edition of Raging Waters takes place on Saturday at Avalon Club (Cabo Terrace) in Birżebbuġa. Doors open at 1pm.

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