The contrast with the previous day’s 1st act is very visible. They had their creative ways of dragging the audience into their performance. MR MYST, on the 2nd stop of their European tour, gave quite a few surprises with the sound effects in the background and voices of iconic films for comic relief. In the verses, you often heard tremolo picking by guitarist Atticus Myst, which is very daring but in perfect tone with the music that was brought to the audience. Vocalist Mr JSD had a love for changing his coats and hats on stage. Because they lean more on the sleaze rock genre than glam, it gave a refreshing start. 

After their long absence, the Swedish band Bulletrain returns to the stage after 7 years! With an intro of a Disney-esque background tones that reflects calmness, they mislead you with the actual appearance of their sound. Hectic singer Robert Lindell blows you away with his high pitch vocals and heavy charms that seem attractive. Truly a character who is not afraid to show his muscles in both his vocals and body. He was the 1st frontman in the whole festival to come into the audience to create pure mayhem. Not only the singer, but the whole quintet shows a firm confidence that puts everyone in a trance. The musical tones gave a wild resemblance to the spirit of Guns N ‘Roses and the dirty aggression of Pantera. An insane mixture! 

The moment you saw the stage being set up for South of Salem, you knew this was going to be something uniquely remarkable. The coffins, the band’s logo, and four light poles surrounding the drummer created an atmosphere straight out of a classic horror film. The band members emerged one by one in complete darkness, each wielding unique instruments, while lead singer Joey Draper, fully tattooed with iconic horror figures, stood in stark contrast to the rest of the band. Starting the set with “Cold Day in Hell” amidst literal flames and sparkling fireworks was nothing short of spectacular, leaving the audience in awe. The English group from Bournemouth experimented with dark atmospheres in metal, showcasing their love for the classic horror punk scene. The show’s decor, fireworks, and macabre style made it the most original Wildfest experience! 

Swedish melodic rockers Wildness stepped up to the Wildfest stage as a last-minute replacement for Maverick, that had a band member who fell ill. Though unfamiliar with the local scene, the band made a charming blunder by greeting the crowd with a cheerful “Hello Brussels!”—quickly realizing the mix-up and laughing it off with good humor. What followed was a set that felt anything but improvised. But unfortunately, an audience that remained calm. A highlight of the show was a surprise appearance by the Belgian musician Dani Hart, who joined them onstage for a powerful duet of their song “Nightmare.” 

With a large crowd waiting in the hall for the band to take the stage, it quickly became clear what kind of reputation Shiraz Lane has in the scene. Since 2022, these icons have been bringing style and energy to the stage, leaving a lasting impression with their performance. Hannes Kett delivers an overwhelming high tone, full of melody, and pairs it with a sense of humor that brings out classic rock clichés, like leaving the stage only to surprise the crowd with an encore. Instead, they treated us to a cover of Savage Garden’s “To the Moon and Back” as an explosive outro. Throw this together with an uptempo beat on drums from Ana Williams that makes you feel the rhythm, and the seamless harmony between bassist Joel Alex and guitarists Jani Laine and Miki Kalske, and the audience got a tantalizing taste of something fresh and incredibly compelling. True masters of their craft, remarkable to witness ! 

After Shiraz Lane and their uptempo aggression, we were treated to a more melodic sound, combined with a touch of symphony. Mix this with armor and battle clothes, and you get Art Nation! The group is well-known in Sweden for their immense potential, and they clearly showcased it with what they had in store. There was a lot of emotion in the songs that pulled the audience into their world, before letting you collide with epic guitar licks from Christoffer Borg. Their album Re-Revolution, released on May 16, made for a completely fresh experience for both fans and newcomers alike. They gave a live debut of songs like “Julia,” which revealed their softer side between tracks of musical distortion, and “Rise” as the closing track. We look forward to seeing what this trio has in store in the coming years, as their theme seems incredibly intriguing. 

With a misleading Mexican background track, there was an unexpected twist when the dirty, rough voice of Lizzy DeVine from The Cruel Intentions cut through the air. This sassy foursome delivered a performance full of backing vocals, short stories between songs, and a strong foundation rooted in punk habits. The Cruel Intentions surprised everyone with a Swedish song, “Salt i ditt sår,” featuring less heavy riffs to provide a bit of balance after all the wild tracks. But that was quickly over with songs like “Jawbreaker” and “Chaos in a Bombshell.” Perfect for keeping everyone awake and on track late in the night before the last act came forward. 

Crazy Lixx kicked off the show with the somber announcement that this would be the last act of the festival ever, and that they were playing only at Wildfest in Belgium. As the real “last ride,” they put on their sunglasses and shredded through songs in the genres we all adore. Crazy Lixx brought the true essence of glam to life, all within a whirlwind of chaos. With organizers Jan De Greve and Sven Berckmoes from Wildheart also on stage, and frontman Danny Rexon wearing a Jason Voorhees mask from Friday the 13th, they delivered an iconic farewell to everyone.