21.05.2025 Self Deception

Graspop Metal Meeting

Dessel (Belgium)

Today would once again take place mostly at the small stage and in the small tent. The sun was already high in the sky, and inside the Metal Dome it was unusually cozy for such an early hour. I had rarely seen it this full at midday. But the four guys from Self Deception from Sweden were about to deliver quite a show.
What happened next is hard to put into words. Their music is an incredibly catchy blend: heavy riffs during the verses paired with hooklines so catchy, almost kitschy pop, that singer Andreas Clark crooned longingly into the microphone. He was supported by guitarist Ronny Westphal and drummer Erik Eklund. The one who stood out visually the most, though, was bassist Patrik Hallgren, whose outfit made him look almost identical to Heihachi Mishima from the action game Tekken. Fortunately, he treated his bass better than Heihachi treats other people.
As part of their tour for last year’s album "Destroy The Art", the band made a stop in Belgium, and it became clear that they’ve built up a respectable reputation and a solid fanbase by now. Otherwise, I can’t explain why it was so packed. But the atmosphere was fantastic. Just like Last Train before them, Self Deception pulled out all the stops and won the crowd over from the very first second. The musicians constantly sought interaction with the audience. Already during “The Scandinavian Dream,” the tent turned into one big party that kept going until the final notes of “Fight Fire With Gasoline,” growing more intense with every song. It was also unusual that the band used fire columns and CO₂ streams for their show, effects that even some bigger bands later in the day didn’t use. Production‑wise, they went all in.
I had only listened briefly beforehand and thought it was nice enough, but I didn’t have high expectations. You shouldn’t expect musically groundbreaking masterpieces here. Self Deception are straightforward in the best possible way, their melodies are so catchy that hardly anyone can resist singing or humming along. It’s simply feel‑good metal. A nice little Swedish snack in between, but you don’t necessarily need more of it (at least I don’t. The crowd in the tent probably saw it differently).