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Camera & montage: André Broens ( www.abroens.nl )

In 2009, Bliksem quickly establishes a strong live reputation playing dozens of youth centers and local metal and rock festivals around Belgium and soon moves up to bigger stages. In 2010, the band enters Antwerp's Little Big Studio with Peter De Wint (former vocalist of Crossfire and sound engineer for bands such as W.A.S.P. & Twisted Sister) to lay down five tracks, which are mixed by Sven Janssens (ex-Aborted) at Red Left Hand Studio and mastered at Motormusic. The result is a stunning five-track EP of powerful thrash metal garnished with heavy prog elements. The EP gets rave reviews in numerous magazines/e-zines such as RockHard Germany, Aardschok NL, Lords of Metal, RockHard France and RockTribune Belgium as well as alternative-oriented press. Critics praise the quality thrash and some go as far to declare Bliksem the best thing to happen to the genre in years.

The band soon hooks up with Dutch booking and management office Bidi-Bookings (The Devil's Blood, Vanderbuyst) and in 2011 Bliksem expands their horizon, playing shows in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland, along with a fiercely convincing performance at Slovenia's Metalcamp festival. With so many followers sporting Bliksem shirts, even ING Bank Belgie takes note and invites the band to appear in a television commercial.

The band goes on to play Holland's Paaspop, which features fellow heavy acts like Hell, Enslaved and Accept as well as Dutch chart toppers, and the renowned Eindhoven Metal Meeting (with Exodus, Heathen, Immortal and other metal greats). The momentum continues, and Bliksem is asked to support Channel Zero, Angel Witch, Vanderbuyst and Prong and requested for after shows for Mastodon and Megadeth. Meanwhile, Bliksem creates a buzz in the leading alternative media in the Benelux including 3voor12/VPRO and Kindamuzik.nl, which calls them one of the bands to watch in 2012-2013.

In 2012, Trix Music Centre in Antwerp chooses Bliksem as the first-ever metal band to be its new "Artist in Residence," an honor previously bestowed on highly successful Belgian bands such as School is Cool, The Hickey Underworld and Triggerfinger. Festival appearances include Waterpop in the Netherlands, a perennially popular and varied event that draws some 20,000 visitors, and Torhout's heavy-duty Masters@Rock Festival alongside Soulfly, Clawfinger and Channel Zero.

By June 2012, the band enters the studio to record "Face the Evil," the long-awaited debut album. Combining blistering tandem guitars, thrashing drums, pounding bass and furious vocals, the resulting eight songs not only explore themes including revenge, oppression and madness but also celebrate the timeless glory of metal. Bliksem are now rapidly moving forward and ready to take the rest of Europe.