The tenth anniversary of what has become a key event in the winter rock calendar, Damnation Festival had a lot to live up to this year. The sell-out event kicked off with a furious performance from Bast who pump up the crowd early with their brand cacophonous sludge.
Stepping into the breach left by October File’s last minute cancellation, Horsham’s Dyscarnate open the main stage in style with their punishing and precise death metal assault. ‘The Promethean’ begins a set of bludgeoning force coupled with intricate musicianship which has seen them ascend to the vanguard of the UK scene.
Leeds’ own Black Moth draw one of the biggest crowds of the day and it is due to more than just their local hero status. Vocalist Harriet Bevan is a star in the making, her voice lending a haunting beauty to their occult doom metal grooves.
Reunited hardcore stalwarts Stamping Ground may lack the presence of bass beast Ian Glasper, but their powerful chest beating anthems have fans losing their minds. ‘Officer Down’ opens up the pit with fans throwing caution to the wind.
Hark face stiff competition from Brit Black metallers Winterfylleth and some recent patchy live outings back in summer suggest they may not be up to the task but Jimbob Issac and his cohorts pull of a tight set of stoner metal which recalls the fire exhibited with Isaac’s former band Taint.
Known to many as the band Mat ‘Kvohst’ McNerney vacated to focus on Beastmilk and Hexvessel,
are a cult act who deserve attention for more than just their alumni. Searing blast beats and dramatic clean vocals provided by the enigmatic figure of Wacian make for a truly exceptional performance on the Eyesore stage.
Raging Speedhorn are as unrepentantly vile as they were back in 2002. John Loughlin and Frank Regen trading larynx shredding screams on the back alley mugging of ‘The Hate Song’ and ‘Thumper’ remind us what we have been missing.
Far more ambient, Icelandic phenomenon Sólstafir are pretty quiet to begin with but when that is rectified they put in a typically impressive shift. New album Ótta (Season of Mist) has seen them raise the bar for every post rock outfit in existence and the spine-chilling ‘Fjara’ and ‘To The Elder The Gods’ crowns a set which threatens to be underwhelming at first into an emphatic showing.
Discovery of the weekend for many are ambient black metal act A Forest Of Stars. Decked out in Victorian finery, the group possess a presence which truly comes into their own in the live arena. ‘A Gatherer Of The Pure’ and a surging ‘Sorrow’s Impetus’ blend barbed wire guitars with the lush embellishments of violinist ‘Queen Of The Ghosts’. An intensely seductive experience.
Quite why Anaal Nathrakh are on the Terrorizer stage is anyone’s guess. The room is packed to the rafters with many disappointed punters being turned away. Dave Hunt is in no mood to muck about leading the band through devastating ‘Bellum Omnium Contra Omnes’ and the deranged ‘Between Shit and Piss We Are Born’ demonstrating the strength of their misanthropic blackened grind.
Marking their 35th anniversary, doom legends’ St. Vitus performance of ‘Born Too Late’ is overwhelming. Wino stares trance-like, never shifting from his mic while Dave Chandler stomps around with a purpose during the like of ‘Dying Inside.’ Hopefully Wino’s arrest and deportation from Norway does not mean the end of this seminal group. Returning to the depths of the Eyesore stage to catch Wodensthrone is a challenging task, not least because of the congestion in the corridors but also the unfortunate sound the Sunderland-based group are afforded. Burying the subtleties under a cloak of grim with only the drums and vocals being discernible, the quintet bravely soldier on but today was one they would happily forget.
Cannibal Corpse also pack the room to bursting point. A one in, one out policy on the door will have made for many a disappointed death metal fan but in truth the fathers of gore turn in a set that feels somewhat workmanlike. ‘Scourge Of Iron’ and `Corpse staple ‘Hammer Smashed Face’ are the only stand outs from a set which seems a lot like going through the motions.
The sound on the Eyesore has finally been sorted out which means atmospheric post black metallers Fen shine. New platter ‘Carrion Skies’ sees the group branching out with haunting ambience and crushing power. Appearing alongside acts like Agalloch has seen the London act grow into a formidable proposition. Front man, The Watcher, switches from choral vocals to anguished snarls with ease in a captivating performance that should see the band elevate towards England’s extreme metal elite.
Death legends Bolt Thrower’s intensity would knock spots off many acts twenty years younger. Bombarding the audience with colossal tracks like ‘Cenotaph’, Martin Kearns’ drumming is delivered with military precision. “It’s great to be playing the UK” declares Karl Willetts with no attempt to hide the devilish grin etched upon his face at the site of so many bodies crammed into the main hall.
It’s a wonder the Midlands act shun their home turf as the rabid reception afforded to them is nothing short of worship. Three thousand odd fans screaming their lungs out to ‘Silent Demise’ should attest to the strength of extreme metal in the UK right now. Here’s to another decade of aggression for Damnation!
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WORDS BY ROSS BAKER
PHOTOS BY EMMA STONE PHOTOGRAPHY