Sziget is one of the fewer left European multiprofile festivals, which means that on the very island placed in the Dunabe in 20 minutes distance from Budapest by boat, you can see Napalm Death, Tool, Pink, The Killer, The Chemical BrothersВ and Madness next to each other. On different stages, of course. In a different time, too. But it's all details. The more important thing is that there's a chance for you to see here the most mish-mashed crowd gathered in one place; from hippies to metal fossils.

This year, as the tradition compels, the experience was groundbreaking again. Despite the rain attacks, accompanied by thunder and lightning, the party could not be stopped. While the peak momentum of the first night was the Manu Chao performance, the second one was drenched with the odor of the forthcoming set by The Chemical Brothers, again on the main stage, and the huge exodus-like movement of enormous masses towards the place of the event.

Other masses, clad in black Soulfly t-shirts from the current tour, were heading in the reverse direction. And while there were around 6,000 people on the Hammerworld Stage, who celebrated the Hungarians Depresszio, and in less than 500В meters the local metalcore act Embers were throwing a great party, there was a considerate movement around the metal event of the night, Soulfly.

It started exactly in 21.30 with "Babylon" and the immediate, already traditional crowd storm in front of the stage, leaving the participants out of breath and limbs. From the second revelation "Seek and Strike" until the last chords of the closing Sepultura heritage "Roots", Soulfly demonstrated high class, having in mind that the sound wasn't very good and all the time we were able to hear only the drums and the vocals.

Ektomorf took the stage right after their prototype. They were powerful this time and not as engaged with Soulfly as we expected from their albums. Until that time we were already wet from the afternoon rain and decided to quit and have a rest, but when I try to close my eyes, the memories from the day keep clicking in the brain like Polaroid snapshots: mudbaths, half-naked people dancing in the rain in front of the enormous world music stage, the stinking toilets and of course the sour vapors of sweat mixed with the smoke from the barbeque grills. It's a multinational mix of drunk and happy people who have come here due to millions of reasons.

On the next day somebody started a rumor and if it had happened, then Sziget would probably have resembled the battlefield on The Exploited concert in Bulgaria two months ago. The reason here was Madness. Mass fight can happen everywhere, it seems, but bad decisions look like Bulgarian priorities. Well, there wasn't a fight that night. The concert was incredible. As far as we watched it, because we had to go and take a look at the cult Canadians Skinny Puppy.

They say Trent Reznor is backstage. The man who will take the headline on the next day. The man known as NIИ.

No mistakes here. NIИ are armed with the fresh anti-utopia of "Year Zero" and they are playing a mind-blowing set, full of dramatic emotions. This was their first Hungarian show ever and one of the most expected events on the festival.  Judging by the number of people (though I do not dare to guess how many were there), that was true. Despite the cutting due to the new album, there was a certain amount of good old classics like "March of the Pigs" and "Closer". The end was celebrated with "Hurt" and "Head Like a Hole". It cannot be described, it should be seen…

Last technical preparations on the Metal Hammer stage and some five minutes later Nevermore from Seattle prove in real why they are among the biggest names in contemporary metal. Warrel Dane and his company have already destroyed the Summer Breeze Festival in Germany, but for me this is the first timeВ to see them live and the experience will surely remain in my memories as one of the most tight and powerful concerts I've attended.

We are leaving the festival area a few hours past midnight and the vivid atmosphere is the same as if it's still daytime. On that day somewhere on the island they had found a bomb from WW II, so some of the camps had been evacuated immediately. Hundreds of performances from different indie artists act like some kind of chill-out zones when you're fed up with concerts. There's even a huge tent where they give you a picture of someone in the festival area and you have to find him and bring him to get an award.

Interesting things happen at Sziget, but we have to leave for Bulgaria and miss The Killers, Tool, Satyricon and what not, so I'm a little bit pissed off... but that's life.

Words & photos:В Stefan JordanovВ / Tangra Mega Rock