A Night Of Salvation is the traditional precursor to Damnation Festival, but this year they have gone BIG with lots of exclusive full album sets from well established bands.
The Sun's Journey Through The Night are the first band I catch on the Cult Never Dies stage. They play powerful black metal with an atmostpheric/experimental edge. Resplendent in a horned skull mask, the vocalist No One sounds great. There is probably a bit too much bass in the mix and not enough guitars for my liking but these are minor quibbles as they are still hugely impressive. There are some great melodic guitar leads in places whilst at other times they have a Rotting Christ style dark spirituality, all of which adds extra dimensions to their sound. They are more on the leftfield side of black metal but there is no less power or fury, as demonstrated on closing track 'The Black Pyramid'. An excellent start.
I'd already earmarked Viking Skull's slot on the main stage as the point at which I would grab a bite to eat and check out merch. However, looking at the stalls at the back of the main hall means I can still hear them and they sound much better than I thought. The Motorhead worship goes beyond just the musical style, but also matches the volume which that band used to crank out songs as it is ear-splittingly loud.
I intended to watch Ninkharsag next. However, on my way in to watch them, I bumped into someone I haven't seen for about five years and just ended up chatting instead. They are mid way through their set when I finally walk into the hall and, not really feeling it, I decide to go and watch Inhuman Nature on the Church Road Records stage instead.
Inhuman Nature's guitarist is wearing a Power Trip shirt and I can definitely see them as an influence, as they play the same kind of crossover thrash. They're pretty good at it too. There is also a Slayer influence too, particularly the singer, Christopher Barling, whose voice is pretty reminiscent of Tom Araya. The Slayer references are different to the studio recordings though. On record, they are very 'Show No Mercy' or 'Hell Awaits' whilst live, they are more 'South Of Heaven' and 'Seasons In The Abyss' influenced. One track even has a 'South Of Heaven' style intro or outro (I couldn't quite tell if it was the start of one song or the end of the previous song). The drumming doesn't seem quite right on the final song and the band aren't quite as tight as this style of music requires. They're still good though.
Bossk are the next exclusive album set, performing their 2016 album 'Audio Noir'. Moments of mathy uplifting post-rock are juxtaposed with moments of sheer heaviosity. They are certainly post-metal but they veer very close to doom at times. You can definitely see Isis and The Ocean as major influences but they are also surprisingly easy to headbang to. They have a real groove and really rock out at times. I don't remember them being like this, although the times I had seen them live well predated 'Audio Noir' as it was usually with an ex-girlfriend who was friends with the band. The guitars shimmer at times but most other times they crush. At one point towards the end of the set, I just put my notepad away and give in to the the blissful noise rather than writing notes, and there is usually no better compliment than that.
Din Of Celestial Birds are late additions to the bill, replacing Tuskar who had to pull out the previous day due to a family emergency. I had decided to go and watch The Internal Sea on the Cult Never Dies stage prior to the change, but the new additions made me change my mind and I decided to watch Din Of Celestial Birds instead. They follow on seamlessly from Bossk, being yet more post-rock. They are progressive with a good sense of dynamics. However, the heavier bits don't crush like I'd want them to. Although the songs build in an engaging fashion, they seem to be missing a payoff at times. The penultimate song is pretty satisfying though. It gets pretty heavy and even has the crowd punching the air at times.
I have seen Enslaved a number of times over the years and they are always great. However, because I have seen them a number of times, I took their sets this weekend a little for granted, especially as neither of the albums they were playing are particular favourites of mine. I therefore had planned this time (where they are playing 'Below The Lights') as a comfort break where I could get some food and drink and sit down. However, whilst browsing (and buying) patches at the back of the hall, I heard them start their set and realised how brilliant they are. I still got some food and a drink but rushed back in to the main hall, propped myself up on the bar and enjoyed my refreshments whilst taking in Enslaved's imaginative and inventive progressive icy blasting. 'Havenless' starts off with Norse chanting before disappearing into a dizzying blackened labyrinth. Unexpectedly breathtaking.
I opt for Heriot next and their brand of modern death-inspired metal. I'd probably put them in the same ballpark as Svalbard, only more deathly and straightforward. Their sound is pretty dense and relentless, and they are fairly slam and beatdown friendly too. I don't stay for all of their set as I just HAVE to get myself a good spot for Leprous playing their classic 'Coal' album in full.
When I think of 'Coal', I think of a rather humiliating preparation for an exploratory medical procedure many years ago. However, despite the embarrassing memories attached to this album, it is very dear to me. Quite simply one of the best albums of the last ten years, and I was so excited for this. A shame then that they are about ten minutes late in starting. However, as soon as they start 'Foe', all else is forgotten. It is fucking perfect. Einar's voice sounds unbelievable, whilst the rest of the band are note perfect. The sound is excellent and you can hear all the little acapella style noises which make up the memorable backing vocals. 'Chronic' is very energetic and the bass sounds amazing during the middle section with its pleasingly heavy tone. The climax is so hefty. I lose control of myself during the screamed section of 'Coal', rocking back and forth as I pull at my hair and scream along. I was going so mad, I felt like I was in danger of having a heart attack but this is music to totally invest yourself in, regardless of the consequences. 'The Cloak' is beautiful and emotional. It also features a stellar solo introduction by Einar. 'The Valley' mixes the sweetest harmonies and the catchiest chorus with head scratching timing. Imagine the pop sensibilities of the Bee Gees if they were mixed with Meshuggah. I normally decide on my star ratings during the set. All the way through this one, I was thinking 'I'd give this six stars if I could'. It is absolutely magical. 'Salt' and 'Echo' showcase their more prog side (I'd probably describe the rest of 'Coal' as post-black metal). From where I am stood, towards the front, I can see the Church Road stage, and the late start means I can see Deadguy starting before Leprous have even started their final track, the epic 'Contaminate Me'. Torn between the two, I decide to watch all of Leprous seeing as though I'm enjoying myself so much. 'Contaminate Me' is an absolute juggernaut, steamrollering all before it. An epic, once in a lifetime set.
As soon as they are finished, I run over to catch as much Deadguy as I can.
Deadguy are a band that I've loved since the mid 90s. They are synonymous with my early hardcore days, when I was still finding my feet. I had gone from the bands which I would read about in Kerrang! and were on majors or independent metal labels (such as Roadrunner or Century Media) to the larger hardcore labels such as Victory or New Age. I hadn't quite discovered Revelation Records at this time. Victory was mainly my label of choice. This started in early '95 when I went to watch Sick Of It All in Bradford. They were supported by Strife, and this show truly changed my life. Strife were incredible (as were the always great Sick Of It All) and this show marked the point at which I changed from being a metal kid who liked hardcore into a hardcore kid. This was also the point at which I first became aware of straightedge as there were loads of kids with X's drawn on their hands going crazy to Strife. I soon bought Strife's 'One Truth' album and it blew me away. Wanting to find more like this, I started checking out other bands on the Victory label, starting with Snapcase and Earth Crisis before diving into Integrity and the more metallic bands on the label, such as Deadguy, Bloodlet and Guilt.
Back in those days, you only heard stuff if you physically owned it yourself, or someone you knew had it. The record shops in Manchester weren't exactly hotbeds of hardcore so finding good stuff was a bit of an adventure. Cities like Birmingham or Liverpool had much better record shops but I only went there on rare occasions for shows. Distros were the best place to find records but unless you went to a good show where the distros were allowed to set up, this meant gambling with mail order (and Royal Mail). One of the best distros was Simba and for a while Vique Simba who ran it, lived in Manchester.
One Saturday, my friend Mark called me to say that he was going to Vique's to buy some records and wanted to know if I wanted to come too. This was the first time I'd heard of Deadguy and Mark (or maybe his brother, Gavin) bought 'Fixation On A Co-Worker'. I bought a Sparkmarker album, Mouthpiece's 'Face Tomorrow' EP and Integrity's 'Humanity Is The Devil' (all great, by the way). When he played it to me, I loved the twisted metallic grooves which satisfied my growing need for heavier and harder hardcore.
I have long championed the band. Back in the mid to late 90s, I wrote a hardcore fanzine called '5 Deadly Venoms'. It only lasted a couple of issues before it imploded. One of the articles I wrote was imploring metallers to give hardcore a chance, as there was the potential for crossover with some of the heavier metallic hardcore bands. I said in that article that 'if you like Pantera then you'll like Deadguy'. It sounds ludicrous now, looking back on it, but I can still see a bit of a similarity between 'Fixation' and some of the weirder stuff on 'Far Beyond Driven'. The inclusion of Deadguy this weekend kinda vindicates me, just twenty-five years too late!
Tonight sees Deadguy playing the 'Fixation On A Co-Worker' album in full and they are already midway through 'Die With Your Mask On' by the time I get to the stage. 'Baby Arm' is gnarly, twisted metallic hardcore not unlike a metallic Rollins Band. 'Makeshift Atomsmasher' is discordant and intense, yet still has plenty of groove. 'Riot Stairs' starts off slow and intense and then goes fucking crazy. The band are excellent but it is Tim Singer's vocals which impress the most and hold all of this craziness together. They haven't lost anything at all, still sounding as powerful and intense as they ever did. 'Fixation' isn't a particularly long album so there is still time for another couple of songs. I decide to take my chance and scream for 'Running With Scissors'. I'm normally loathe to shout for songs at gigs but figuring that I'll probably never see them again (clashes tomorrow mean I'll probably watch Sigh instead), I request probably my favourite Deadguy song. Tim hears me and the band oblige with a really tight version. This was everything I hoped it would be.
Katatonia are the final band tonight but I've had enough at this point, and the promise of a lift is too good to pass up. They are playing their 'Dead End Kings' album in full but this was probably the point where I started to lose interest in them anyway ('Tonight's Decision' is the peak for me).
A terrific start to the Damnation weekend.
Deadguy ****
Leprous *****
Heriot ****
Enslaved *****
Din Of Celestial Birds ***
Bossk ****
Inhuman Nature ****
The Sun's Journey Through The Night ****
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