22.05.2025 SiM (Silence Iz Mine)

Graspop Metal Meeting

Dessel (Belgium)

Leaving the tent, I headed back out to the Jupiler Stage. Since the wind had picked up a bit today, it felt noticeably more pleasant than on the previous days. And here, a premiere was about to take place: SiM (short for Silence Iz Mine) were performing at Graspop for the very first time. The second Japanese band of the day, moving in a similar musical realm as Crossfaith earlier around noon, though taking things in a slightly different direction.
Active since 2004, they’ve mainly been playing shows in Japan, but over the past years they’ve slowly made a name for themselves through various tours across Europe and Asia as opening acts for bigger bands. The guys around vocalist Manabu Taniguchi presented an unusual mix. At its core, it’s metalcore in the vein of bands like Electric Callboy, but repeatedly broken up or influenced by unexpected stylistic twists like ska, reggae, or rap. The band members stormed across the stage to songs mostly taken from their 2023 album "Playdead", and they quickly and confidently had the crowd fully under their control. People were singing along, jumping, and waving their arms through the air. Compared to Taniguchi, his bandmates guitarist Shōhei Iida, bassist Shin’ya Shinohara, and drummer Yuya Taniguchi, were no less energetic. In essence, this was another band that didn’t reinvent the genre, but their songs worked, and the fun of the performance was clearly the main focus. And there was plenty of that, so much, so that it was almost disappointing when the set reached its end with “f.a.i.t.h.”
As with previous editions of Graspop, I’m always amazed at where the organizers find these bands. Whether it was Bloodywood from India in 2023 or today’s Crossfaith and SiM, all of them bring unusual approaches and know exactly how to handle a crowd, turning them into a massive, celebrating sea of people in no time. I definitely enjoyed it, and as a fun, energetic act in between, they were absolutely perfect. I’d gladly see them again anytime.

Setlist:

Get Up, Get Up
KISS OF DEATH
Devil In Your Heart
TxHxC
DO THE DANCE
CHAMPiONS
RED
The Rumbling
KILLING ME
f.a.i.t.h

Weblinks:

	SiM (Silence Iz Mine) Homepage of the Japanese band SiM (Silence Iz Mine).
	Graspop Metal Meeting Homepage of the Graspop Metal Meeting Festival at Dessel (Belgium).