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Upper LVL – Upper Level Community Hub
Upper LVL, short for Upper Level Community Hub, is an initiative by Jan, known from the blog MessageFromOne, based in Waasmont, Landen (Belgium).
Upper LVL is a community platform and meeting place for metal musicians. The idea is simple: bring different generations of metal musicians together, from experienced old-school musicians to young and upcoming bands, to share knowledge, stories, contacts, ideas and rare music material.
The main idea behind Upper LVL is:
“You don’t just come to listen. You come to leave something behind.”
An artistic interest in the occult or “Satanism” is a well-established element of metal culture and is welcome, provided it is expressed with respect for others.
However, political extremism (such as far-right ideologies) strictly violates the “no politics” rule of the meets, directly clashing with the anti-fascist and anti-dogmatic values championed by key figures across the Belgian scene.
What happens at Upper LVL?
1. Community Meets
Jan organises meetings in Waasmont. If travelling is too expensive or difficult, meetings can also take place online through Microsoft Teams.
The meetings have a simple structure:
Two members of an experienced band share a story from the early days of their band. Two younger musicians can then ask them three questions.
It’s a direct way for different generations of musicians to meet, talk and learn from each other.
2. The Archive Drop
During the Community Meets, we also work on The Waasmont Archive (The Archive Drop).
The goal is to preserve local and Belgian music history before important material disappears.
Bands and musicians can bring or submit old material such as:
- demos
- cassettes
- EPs
- flyers
- posters
- photographs
- other rare or historically interesting material
With permission from the people who own the rights, this material can be digitised, archived and shared online.
This way, music from the past can remain available for future generations.
All items will be offered for sale through the 66.6% Discount Merch concept.
3. USB & Data Exchange
People taking part in the meetings can buy a special Upper LVL USB stick containing useful community material, such as:
- archived demos
- band contact information
- digital flyers
- press release templates
- other useful community files
The 3.0 64Gb USB stick costs €20.
It also includes the complete discography of Jan (Gloomer2000), covering 2006–2026.
4. Live Exchange – Jam Sessions
Upper LVL also organises short live sessions of around 10 minutes.
Experienced musicians and younger musicians can simply get together and jam, scream or growl.
No competition. No talent show. No pressure.
Just musicians playing music together, trying things out and getting to know each other.
5. Photo & Video Corner
There is also a Photo & Video Corner where bands and musicians can record:
- short introductions
- interviews
- photos
- live performances
- personal messages
The goal is to create a living visual archive of the community and its musicians.
6. 66,6% Discount Merch
Bands can offer their merchandise through Upper LVL, including:
- T-shirts
- patches
- stickers
- CDs
- tapes
- physical or digital music
- rare or original items
Sales are handled through one central and transparent payment system: Stripe.
Each participating band can also receive its own QR code, linking directly to its band page on the online community hub.
7. Crowdfunding Corner
Working on a new album, demo, EP or other project?
Bands can present their project in the Crowdfunding Corner.
A QR code can take visitors directly to the band’s crowdfunding campaign, making it easy for people to discover the project and support it financially.
8. Online Community & Forum
MessageFromOne.blog is the online side of Upper LVL.
The website has an active forum with different sections covering subjects such as:
- Belgian metal history
- live events
- Waasmont projects
- community activities
- metal and music history
The online community also features the Belgian Metal Directory 2026, containing information and live clips from 100+ selected Belgian metal bands.
9. The Upper LVL Band Template
Before coming to a Community Meet, musicians are invited to fill in the Upper LVL Band Template.
It contains 10 sections covering things like the band’s history, music, releases, photos and other important material.
The template helps start the conversation, but it can also become part of the Upper LVL Archive if the band gives permission.
So a meeting doesn’t have to end when everyone goes home. It can leave behind a permanent record of the band’s story.
10. Simple, Friendly & Open
Upper LVL is meant to be a relaxed and welcoming place for musicians.
Water is free, and the meetings work on a potluck basis: if you want to join in, simply bring something small to share.
There are no VIPs, no competition and no need to prove anything.
It’s about meeting other musicians, sharing stories, discovering old material, helping new bands and keeping music history alive.
Upper LVL – Upper Level Community Hub
“You don’t just come to listen. You come to leave something behind.”
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