Last year, extreme music authority Season of Mist began a groundbreaking partnership with non-profit organization Savage Lands.
The collaborative project is spearheaded by Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren and Costa Rican musician/activist Sylvain Demercastel. Enlisting the talents of John Tardy of Obituary and Andreas Kisser of Sepultura, the core of Savage Lands began their campaign to combat deforestation in the lush landscape of Costa Rica, while turning out impassioned, heavy music that speaks to a greater purpose.
Riding high from the band's highlight performance at Hellfest last month, Savage Lands closed out their stage time with a show-stopping finale with the Sepultura classic, "Roots". Along Jesper Liveröd of Nasum, Alejandro Montoya of Cultura tres, Billy Graziadei of Biohazard and Shane Embury of Napalm Death, the band rallied fans with iconic track and punctuated their presence at the festival bridging their message and their music.
Completing their run at Hellfest 2024, the musician-run 501(c) 3 non-profit announced the festival has donated one million Euro to support their ongoing reforestation efforts in Costa Rica and Europe. Demercastel spoke about the news and how the donation lays important groundwork for the project moving forward.
"This is a historical move by Hellfest and a great signal to the music industry", says Demercastel. "Such an extraordinarily generous donation from a renowned festival is just another example of the many ways that the metal community supports each other". Thus far, Savage Lands and their ongoing efforts have protected 60,000 square feet of rain forest using 100% of the royalties from their music.
The donation and the band's 2024 appearance mark the first in a five year partnership between Savage Lands and Hellfest. The organization will be present with a footprint on the festival every year, promoting education, awareness and activism among the metal music community.
"As a non-profit, we depend on the support of our listeners, other organizations and fellow artists", Sylvain says.
Check the band's performance from Hellfest below.
