Everything is political. Coilguns are that sentiment personified. A fabulous explosion of energy and conviction. We discuss how they help people sweat out repression and how being white and privileged shouldn't stop you shouting out injustice. A fantastic deep dive into the minds of musicians who want to make both mischief and a difference.
Read MoreThe momentum is building. Hellripper may be a one man studio project but as Mr Hellripper himself tell us there are actually a lot of people behind his success. With Raging Speedhorn providing background noise we discuss the new album, how much work it takes to be a full time musician and plot together about getting Sabbat to reform for next year’s Damnation.
Read MoreRaging Speedhorn are a chaotic constant, we discuss with Frank and Dan how they capture that ferocious anarchy that makes them so special. We also discuss the fact that Damnation organiser Gavin has written their setlist and how two vocalists are always better than one.
Read MoreWelcome to fanboy city as our Stewart gets to meet the band for him that started it all, Onslaught. He manages to keep his composure (just) as he discuss with Nige how he sold all his guitars in '91 thinking it was all over, how British thrash was always racer than it's American counterpart and the third coming of Sy Keeler.
Read MoreConjurer aren't just content with producing one of the albums of the year, they now want to cement their reputation as one of the most formidable live acts out there. In their down day between headlining Night of Salvation and opening the main stage on the Sunday of the Damnation Festival 2025 we spoke to them about how they constructed "Unself" haunting opening, ropy early gigs and what inspires them.
Read MoreWhen Gavin loses a band at the last minute he puts the Damnation bat signal up and only the brace and the valiant answer. Dimscûa are still pinching themselves as the album they produce for their own fun has blown up beyond belief. We talk to them before they play their third gig at Damnation!!
Read MoreMove over Anaal Nathrakh and Raging Speedhorn. Damnation has a new house band. Deadguy created one of the festival’s moment two years ago when they brought all the energy, all the violence and all the agro. We catch up with Keith Huckins (guitar) to talk about their return, their new album “Near-Death Travel Services” and his love of Black Metal.
Read MoreProper death metal for a proper death metal crowd, we got to spend a few minutes in the illustrious presence of legend Karl Willetts. He was on fine form, buzzing from their set and ready to tackle all the big questions of the day. We talked about politics, the healing power of death metal, day jobs, minimalism and even whether Bolt Thrower are completely finished.
Read MoreAlex Williams is the breakout star of the last few years. She produces metal that isn't metal. She was the first up on the main stage at this year's Damnation Festival and we spoke after her set about the show and her extraordinary rise to fame. We covered tours with the Sisters Of Mercy, releasing an album during a global pandemic, songwriting, whether Nine Inch Nails are more influential than Nick Cave and how much an artist can see from the stage.
Read MoreDirect from Damnation Festival's “A Night of Salvation”, ROCKFLESH grab a chat with Ash Tubb from Bristol's unpredictable and superb Sugar Horse. They chat about key influences, lessons learnt and cloning Ash himself!
Read MoreIn “An Empire”, Swedish duo A Swarm Of The Sun have produced one of the albums of the year. Our Stewart is quite rightly obsessed with it. When we meet Jakob Berglund and Erik Nilsson at the Damnation Festival preamble “A Night Of Salvation” Stewarts wanted to know all about its genius and how they planned on replicating it in a live environment. We also got on to how touring is for a non touring band and the complexities of being a six piece on the road. Listen up!
Read MoreMaybeshewill are a gift to those who like their post-rock with flourishes of unashamed optimism. Playing their first Damnation Festival since they returned from an elongated hiatus we got to have in-depth chat with them about living with the moniker of Gav's favourite band, what lead to their reformation, holding down a day job whilst being in a band and most importantly how they remain so darn happy all the time.
Read MoreUndeath specialise in non compromising, in your face death metal. We chatted to guitarist Kyle Beam about how they should be getting their mail delivered to the UK, whether there is a new death metal scene brewing and the insanity of their recent jaunt with Municipal Waste and Gel.
Read MoreJapanese powerhouse Sigh are one of the most inventive metal bands around. At Damnation they pulled double duty giving us their debut "Scorn Defeat" on the Friday and then a time travelling greatest hits set on the Saturday. We chatted to the main man himself Mirai Kawashima about their evolution, playing albums in their entirety and their debt to classic metal.
Read MoreStewart Lucas talks with Tom Begley and Rob Vaughan of Bossk who literally owned Damnation 2023. We managed to grab them in advance of their soon to be legendary performance of "Audio Noir". We discussed how they are a band's band and the fact that after all they are just a bunch of mates enjoying making music together.
Read MoreFinally the last of our interviews at Damnation Festival 2022. One of underground metal's most talked-about bands, Irist.
Master linguist Rodrigo Carvahlo may be a bit tired on the last date of their European tour after supporting Elder and Pallbearer but he has fire in his veins and is very chatty with our Matt!
Read More"If Pallbearer was a drink, what would you be? asked Matt. Watch the whole interview to find out!
The American doom metal band Pallbearer who released "Forgotten Days" in 2020 made it to No 22 in our TOP 100 Albums.
Read MoreIt is the actual day of the Damnation Festival 2022 and our first interview of the day is with Tom from We Lost The Sea or is it Matt? Watch to find out! We Lost the Sea are a band from Sydney, Australia featuring soaring soundscapes and beautifully constructed instrumentals.
Read MoreAnd this time, just after their performance at the Damnation Festival 2022, Matt Fraser is chatting with Jim Hodge (Growls) of the miserable band from a miserable city”, the mighty hardcore grinding sludge metal (and let's not forget aggro) band from Hull, Mastiff!
Read MoreMatt Fraser meets James Lewis (Drums) and Will Sweet (Guitar) of Ithaca before their set at the Damnation Festival 2022.
Ithaca formed in late 2012, when guitarist Sam Chetan-Welsh wrote on a message board that he was starting a hardcore group inspired by American punks the Chariot and looking for a vocalist. With their latest album “They Fear Us” out since July 29th 2022 via Hassle, the quintet has quite shaken up the metalcore scene.
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