Anoxide takes to the stage and the room starts to fill. Occasional blastbeats growls, and riffs a-plenty, this local Death metal act make a good impression on the people around me as much as myself, with the headbanging the best indication that, despite the early start, they are certainly worth their spot on the bill. The room is busier than expected by the end of their set and their tight set is worthy of the applause they get.
Crescent is next up on the 5 band bill, with the Egyptian powerhouses having seemingly come from nowhere over the last year and a half. Their blackened death metal seems to be a hit with the crowd from the off, as the busying room continues to pick up, with the newcomers taking an equal liking to their rather old school take on metal, making a hell of a sound to go with it. While feedback issues keep cropping up during the set, it doesn’t put the band off from continuing their good work. An excellent introduction to the UK with a promise of very good things to come!
It’s definitely getting busy by the time Damim take their place on stage, with the London blackened Thrashers having earned a good spot on the bill. The uncompromising quartet is greeted loudly by those assembled before them before proceeding to tear us all a new one with their brutal assault upon our senses. Despite not knowing them before, they feel quite familiar in a way I cannot discern, certainly in a manner that makes them likable from the off. They come across as well-rehearsed and ready for winning the crowd over, which they do with aplomb. A great set from a strong band.
On to our main support now in Krisiun, who play in the manner we have become accustomed to across the years with this Brazilian death metal act. It’s that busy that bring slightly late to the party by grabbing a drink from the bar means that I can’t even get down to the main part of the venue for the mosh pit, instead of being stuck at the back of the raised area around the main floor. Krisiun still seems criminally underrated in comparison to the likes of compatriots Sepultura, despite putting on easily as strong a showing as them both from a live and recorded point of view for a number of years now. They smash through their uncompromising set dealing out whiplash left, right and centre as their hooky death metal means you can’t help but headbang along. As support bands go, it feels a lot closer to a dual headline show. Fantastic performance.
Now for our headliners though, as we finally get Deicide on to the stage with only an hour to blast through their hellish set. There are sound problems again, which repeat at times through the set – it seems the heaviness may be a bit too much for the sound engineer tonight, with the problems not flagging up with The Dwarves the previous night. The band themselves are in fine form, like the rest of the bill have been, those it’s clear that the mic issues and feedback are annoying Glen, not that it affects either his nor the rest of the band’s playing. Dead By Dawn gets a cheer, as do the other big songs you would expect from a Deicide set and the sound issues eventually calm down, letting the band relax a bit more and just do their thing. The crowd are up for it, as we have been all along and the pit opens up from the get-go until close of the set, with the atmosphere being both fun and electric, creating a potent mix as an experience for those of us lucky to be in.
All in all, a great gig where every band did themselves absolute justice and no one seemed out of place. Whiplash acquired!
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY DJASTROCREEP