The sun is shining as we stumble from our tents and vans into the arena for an 11am start. Bleary-eyed from the VIP welcome party the night before, we wonder who on earth thought it was a good idea to start a festival this early? To be fair they kind of had to, as we have a packed schedule today with many bands to see and many friends to greet.
Read MoreIt’s a good sign that with over ninety minutes to go before the first band are due are on stage at the inaugural SpringFest, that there is already a sizeable crowd gathered in and around the Waterloo. Whether it’s the sun which has unexpectedly decided to grace us with its presence (and justify the seasonal name of the event) or just the prospect of the ten hours of rock n roll ahead, there is already a positivity, camaraderie and family vibe that will come to characterise this new festival by the time the day is done.
Read MoreThe terms seminal and genre defining are probably thrown around too much these days but the work of Godflesh, and in particular debut album ‘Streetcleaner’, deserves those accolades and more. It’s therefore almost unbelievable to experience the band performing the album in full after all these years. The anticipation prior to opener ‘Like Rats’ is palpable and, once some feedback and sound difficulties are overcome, it’s a joyous ride through what is a very important set of tracks from the late 80’s that has undoubtedly shaped the very fabric of industrial metal ever since.
Read MoreMeanwhile back at the eyesore stage So hideous present us with their awesome take on Post-Black Metal/Shoegaze. It’s massively atmospheric, a luscious full sound, and truly epic. The floods of dry-ice off the stage mash with the abundance of pastel lights and strobes to allow us to completely immerse ourselves in their wonderful world. The New Yorkers play their album ‘None But a Pure Heart Can Sing’ through in full for us Playing new album straight through.
Read MoreSo, this is it. Damnation Festivals’ grand step up into the big league. And if you are going to move home then do it in style. Whilst we were in the end sixty-six sales shy of the blazing “sold out as fuck” sign, shifting 5,934 tickets (double the capacity for even the busiest previous Damnation) is phenomenal. And then there is the bill. A smorgasbord of special sets, UK exclusives, and representatives from every corner of the extreme metal world. The fact that the absence of billed headliner Ministry was a complete non-event, is kudos to the strength of the bill as a whole. In many ways (in terms of performance, crowd size and participation, and general buzz in the room) it felt distinctly like Pig Destroyer were headlining and everything else was building up to and away from them. But more about that later.
Read MoreNight of Salvation provides Damnation festival with an intimate opportunity to road-test its new home at the Bec Arena in deepest and darkest Trafford. Tonight, manages to be simultaneously low-key and auspicious. Low-key in the fact that there are only around 300 of us on site, but auspicious in terms of the quality and the prestige of the bill that they have managed to pull together. The closing two sets (Celeste’s performance of “Assassin(s)” and We Lost the Sea doing “Departure Songs” as their UK debut) are both world exclusives and according to both sets of artists unlikely to be repeated anytime soon.
Read MoreSo this new stair-free incarnation of Damnation festival means that with a good wind, a willing bladder and a packed lunch you can actually plan on seeing 17 bands back to back. But for those of you more discerning folk who are still trying to work in merchandise shopping and beer perusing, we at ROCKFLESH are proud to present our five must see sets of the weekend. Based entirely on the subjective views of our black/death metal correspondent Stewart, these are the acts that he will personally get very grumpy if you dare not grace them with your presence (yes we know that he has not included Converge doing “Jane Doe”, yes we know that is not on and yes we will supply you with this email address).
Read MoreMy first Damnation was nine years ago, back in 2013. I went for one reason and one reason only, the (supposed) only UK show by my beloved Carcass (I say supposed as they were then added to an Amon Amarth UK package tour a couple of months after they were confirmed for Damnation). I went for the grind but ended up seduced by the variety of metal goodness on offer. It was a smorgasbord of diverse aspects of metal’s duplicit personalities.
Read MoreIt’s Steelhouse Sunday and the weather has cheered up which in turn cheers the crowd up too. We start with Merseysiders Ashen Reach and I know who they are this time (in joke!). They are not bad at all, I like them quite a lot. They do melodic alt rock and remind me a bit of Papa Roach.
Read MoreActually it’s kind of day 2 because those of us in self-contained campers are now allowed to drive up and get settled on the Thursday night. No facilities, no bands, just a chance to chill with your mates and celebrate most of us getting our various vehicles up the mountain without mishap.
Read MoreSaturday starts rather drizzly and the first band up are Mother Vulture. They are heavy blues and I was prepared not to like them but wait, what’s this? They have the worst pants ever but they move, they dance, they fall over - it's all a bit mental but it's also kind of fun. Musically they're average but visually they are superb
Read MoreIt’s Saturday morning, the last day, excitement, and mixed feeling that it’s almost over fill me, but no time to ponder because it’s band time. My first band is the heavy metal band Defects and just wow… it’s 11am and they are on full form, with energy, brutality and a few songs in they open up a circle pit. It’s rude not to, so I join in, nothing like a good pit to start your day off as you mean to go on; Defects and the crowd deliver.
Read MoreFriday morning it’s sunny, warm, and humid. Refreshed from yesterday, I plan my day, my first band of the day is a London-based band Chapter and Verse. A good size crowd has formed and off we go. A few line-up changes since I saw them last, but the lead singer’s voice is still as good and unique as I remember. It’s difficult to place them, they are rock but an odd mix of a lot of different sounds and it works.
Read MoreAfter almost three years, many rounds of crowdfunding and a few community grants that kept it all going behind the scenes, it is great to finally be back at 2000trees. This medium-sized festival has five main stages, plus more pop up and busking stages than you can shake a stick at. After all this time you would think I would be out the door waiting at the gates, but in typical fashion I am running late. First impressions is that the security is very relaxed. You are no more than 3-5 minutes’ walk from camping where you can set up without getting your wristbands, but I dutifully collect my wristband and the included merch bundle before setting up.
Read MoreAfter a stellar end to it’s first day, Mangata Festival kept up the momentum on the main stage with Mortal No More. I had it mentioned to me by a couple of friends prior to their set that Mortal No More are definitely a band worth checking out, and they were absolutely right. Mortal No More offered a mixture of Nu Metal, Alternative and Post Hardcore and comparisons can be made to SOiL, Deftones, Limp Bizkit and even a little dose of Tool to boot. The standout moment for me however had to be their performance of the song ‘Bleed’.
Read MoreFor myself, and many others, Nottingham is considered the beating heart of the UK Metal Scene. Situated a mere stone’s throw away from the hallowed ground that is Donington Park, home of the Monsters of Rock & Download Festivals, it can be considered as no surprise that there is such a rich passion for all things heavy metal in this part of the world. This is evident by the absolute abundance of new talent rising the ranks of the East Midlands metal scene, every Friday and Saturday night the best in new talent can be found playing at the Tap N Tumbler or The Sal, two of Nottingham’s finest Metal Institutions. For me, the line-up that Mangata Festival presents is a love letter to this East Midlands metal scene
Read More3rd day, and my 3rd drive-in, but as I'm only driving in from Bury so there's no drama. I arrive, park, flash the pass and get my camera out just in time to see We Three Kings, who open up Sunday morning on the outdoor stage. They are a Manchester-based trio that delivers (and delivers really well) no-messin' rock n roll.
Read MoreDay two starts early (well, earlier than Friday), and has 13 bands plying their wares today. It opens with relative newcomers Unknown Refuge and they instantly get the crowd to wake up or at least look up from their first pints of the day. If this Bolton-based band of youngsters are anything to go by, we are in for a belter of a day today. These very talented guys not only wrote, recorded, mixed, produced and released their debut album (“From the Darkness”) during lockdown, but they also built their own practice and recording facilities.
Read MoreWow. These festivals are coming thick and fast now. After working a non-rock/metal festival last weekend (followed by a failed attempt to get to a christening on Sunday and a two-day wedding), I find myself awake mid-morning Friday with a full weekend of SOSFest at Whittles and Tokyo in Oldham to look forward to.
Read MoreIt’s the final morning of the festival, but our day will still be filled with interviews, japes and even more tech-metal. It’s an early start today to make sure we don’t miss one of the bands we’ve been most eagerly awaiting, Arcaeon. Having reviewed these guys at a basement venue in Liverpool, I’m looking forward to seeing them flex their musical muscles on a much bigger stage. They don’t disappoint, with their glorious mix of djenty tech-metal.
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