Nestled in a small village beneath the ski resort of Les 7 Laux, the Festirock En Belledonne has been bringing music to the French Alps for nearly 20 years. This free festival, though initially rooted in Rock Music, has evolved into an eclectic, kid-friendly program. However, they keep the last spot on the lineup for a Metal band—usually the first occasion for local kids to enjoy their first taste of live Metal music.
This year, that spot went to Wesmaguhl, a Power Folk Metal band from Grenoble known for their originality and playful gigs. The singer also plays the flute: Wesmaguhl are not the first to try their hand at this mix, but it remains rare enough. Earlier this year, they independently released their debut album In The Mists of Thoughts, which is a more than decent effort with both catchy melodies, powerful growls and meandering riffs.
Folk vibes from the valley
Their set at this year’s Festirock struck a nice balance between original tracks and covers. Even though much of the audience wasn’t familiar with the band at first, those who stayed discovered something special. Starting at 11:00 PM, their performance marked a clear divide: families with young kids began to drift away after hearing the first growls, while metal fans sprawled on the grass with beers and band tees finally got their moment.
The keyword for Wesmaguhl’s show was “fun.” They arrived armed with props and leaned into audience participation. During a heavy-metal cover of Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky”, band members put on their heads everything from a rubber dinosaur balaclava to a welder’s mask and even a full knight’s helmet—surprisingly, it was a successful cover. They followed it with a more mixed result cover of Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl”, but quickly recovered with a crowd-pleasing rendition of Diggy Diggy Hole from Minecraft, but more inspired by Wind Rose’s latest version than the original. For this, they handed out makeshift cardboard pickaxes, though these were no match for the fantasy sword replicas doubling as mic stands.
A Metal carnival
From their own repertoire, they played their catchiest titles. The flute and melodies often recalled Wintersun more than Eluveitie, although the alternation between clean vocals and growls evoked both. Even though Halloween is a long way off, they played “Creepy”—an aptly named track where the flute brings to mind images of dangerous things lurking in the dark.
Another definite highlight of the evening was the song “Knights”, during which the band raised their swords and shouted the chorus in unison while the audience engaged in rubber sword duels. The band’s energy, humour, and clear musical ability (despite a few minor slip-ups, but honestly, who doesn’t make mistakes?) carried the show from start to finish. They even got the audience to pretend to row along to “Capsize”, and closed the night with “Feel Like Home”—fittingly performed in the ugliest array of bathrobes one could ever see on a stage.
All in all, Wesmaguhl delivered an unforgettable and wildly entertaining set, full of creativity, humour, and enthusiasm. Thus, the band proved they will certainly become a force to reckon with on the local and, hopefully, soon national Metal scene. This reviewer wishes them the best of fortune!
Thanks a lot Séverine for this fantastic review !