Damnation Festival - BEC Arena, Manchester (8/11/25)

For the 20th anniversary of Damnation Festival, it has expanded to two days, with today being largely bands making their debut whilst tomorrow is mostly returning bands. When the line ups were first revealed, there weren't many bands that made me think 'oh my god, yes' but when I sit down and look at the line up, there are a lot of bands I want to see with very little space for breaks (which my ageing body and ravenous appetite for food absolutely needs).

Oryx are one of the bands which when they were first announced I knew nothing about, but having listened to their 'Primordial Sky' album they have quickly become a must see band. They crush from the very first note. The bass tone sounds colossal. The vocals switch from a high pitched screech to a cavernous growl which adds both blackened and deathly elements to their funeral doom. It's very slow but there is a definite groove to what they do. Even the quieter moments have that building levelling bass lurking ominously in the background, which means that they are always heavy. The drummer, Abbey, looks like she's having a ball behind the kit. The longer they play, the more hypnotic it is. They are often funereal in pace but their mastery of dynamics is such that it never gets boring. In fact, it is downright compelling. Musically, they remind me of Ahab although the vocals often bring Burning Witch to mind. A damn fine combination if you ask me and a fantastic way to start the day.

Overhead, The Albatross open with 'Your Last Breath'; picked post-rock guitar lines backed by flickering, stabbing electronics and strings which builds and builds to something expansive and heavy yet touching and emotional. The final spoken word coda is devastating. The big screen visuals are much more striking and affecting than they were when I saw them in a tiny room five months ago. 'At Sea' adds more electronics to the mix but is equally effective. The 'begging the pain to stay' lyrics on the big screen really get you in the feels. The rhythmic vocals of 'Hibakusha' are jarring yet hypnotic and the Enola Gay visuals are still powerful. The guitars get really heavy and just as they threaten to crush, they explode into a much more expansive passage which is mindblowing. The lyrics are incredible and Luke Daly delivers the spoken word parts with utter conviction. The bhangra infused 'This Is Like Love' sounds years ahead of its time. The onscreen message of 'this is for the ones you've lost' (including Damnation's Brian Fitzpatrick) during Paul Lynch is too much and I shed a few tears. The final singalong is something else. Absolutely otherworldly.

The second stage seems really busy for Necrot and I'm not really feeling it from the steps right at the back so I decide to go and watch Zeruel on the third stage instead. That is the beauty of Damnation's stacked line up. If one band isn't doing it for you, you can go and watch another band, take a short break or go and get a good spot for the next band you want to watch. Zeruel's brand of shoegaze is pretty good; dreamy and hypnotic like it should be but the bass tone adds an element of heaviness in the background. The vocals are almost inaudible and don't really add much. The sound is pretty muddy with quite a bit of feedback which doesn't help them too much. The track with the screamed vocals fares much better as the heavier sound seems better suited to the event.

I quickly pop into the main room to check out Castle Rat's fantasy doom but decide that my time would be better spent having a drink and a sit down before Deadguy. The key to lasting the day at Damnation is taking breaks and sitting down whenever and wherever you can. 

Deadguy open with 'Kill Fee', with it's dense hardcore grooves reminiscent of an extreme Rollins Band before it gets heavier and more discordant. 'John Dear' has a groove which reminds me of Helmet. The transition between the fast and slow parts on the classic 'Pins And Needles' sounds a bit off but it still has impact. The slower, moshier parts are definitely more potent than the faster parts. The bassist, Jim Baglino, joins the circle pit for 'Die With Your Mask On'. Maybe it's being in a large room but it doesn't feel as intense as it should. 'Barn Burner' is chaotic but still isn't wild enough. I'm still enjoying them but I just know how good this band can be and it's a few levels below that. The second half of the set is where it suddenly clicks. I've been watching the band members and could see how much they were putting into their performance but it finally begins to translate into what I'm hearing as the volume and intensity suddenly seems to ramp up. The rolling, spiralling riffage of 'New Best Friend' is suitably anarchic. The high pitched guitars of 'Makeshift Atomsmasher' aren't loud enough but the bottom end is dense and punishing. Enjoyable but still a little bit disappointing.

The mix doesn't seem quite right for Messa on the main stage. The guitars need turning down a little to allow Sara's stunning voice to shine. The gothic rock of 'At Races' is fun but lacks the impact it has on record. The occult doom of 'The Dress' is good but still doesn't shine as it should because of the mix. Alberto's little jazzy flourishes are pretty cool though. He is an exceptional guitar player and you absolutely need to be able to hear him too but it doesn't seem like the sound engineers have managed to successfully balance the two elements. The sparser 'Immolation' is much more successful as Sara's voice is much clearer whilst not diminishing Alberto's guitar heroics.

Dimscûa are the band who came out of nowhere to be here. A group of friends who put out a self released album in the Summer. The release was pretty low key but they caught the attention of Damnation promoter Gavin McInally who raved them on the '2 Promoters, 1 Pod' podcast he does. A couple of hundred listeners on Spotify soon became a few thousand and an acclaimed performance at Arctangent Festival followed. They are a late replacement for Crippling Alcoholism who dropped out with only a couple of week's notice. They play post-metal with a frighteningly heavy groove which builds and builds. However, it's the majestic, shimmering guitar lines which add an extra dimension and makes Dimscûa so special. As they only have one release to their name, we essentially get their 'Dust Eater' album in full. 'The Dusteater' starts off with a clean, fragile post-rock guitar line and throbbing rhythm section which shifts in tone to super heavy, crawling post-metal with roared vocals. Again, the melodic guitars are striking. 'Existence (Futility)' starts off pretty dynamic and then they lock into a groove which just gets heavier and heavier. The guitarist Adam dedicates the set to his late daughter which is really touching. Amenra and Cult Of Luna are major influences but at no point does it feel derivative as they are excellent at what they do.

Afsky play frostbitten, tremelo guitar driven black metal which manages to conjure an icy, foreboding atmosphere. The melodic guitars on both 'Flaggelanternes Sang' and 'Natmaskinen' have an epic, almost anthemic quality. There's plenty of blasting too, only they're better when they don't, having more of an impact at a more measured pace. Torches burning either side of the drumkit also evoke a time gone by. 'Den Der Ingenting Ved Tvivler Aldrig' has plenty of galloping, foot on the monitor, machine gunning the crowd, trad metal parts and is great. 'Vættekongen' has a dark folk opening but then becomes more windswept, with icy cold blasting which reeks of misanthropy. 'Tak For Alt' features razor sharp riffs played at a galloping pace and is great fun. The longer the set goes on, the more I'm drawn into their world and the more I enjoy it.

Over on the main stage, the ever dependable High On Fire immediately rip out some mighty Sabbathian riffs with a biker metal attitude on the colossal opener 'Burning Down'. 'Hung, Drawn And Quartered' has a big fat stoner groove and a rhythm so insistent that it doesn't give you any space to breathe. The bulldozing 'Rumours Of War' is terrific. Ben Koller of Converge does a fantastic job on the drums, keeping up a pounding, insistent beat throughout. 'Fury Whip' is an inspired Sabbath influenced boogie. The bassist, Jeff Matz, provides a rock solid base for the band whilst the legend that is the shirtless Matt Pike brings the riffs. Matt's guitar work on 'Snakes For The Divine' is phenomenal, whilst the slow and grinding part before the climax is amazing. High On Fire are a band whose riffs never let you down.

Panzerfaust play furious black metal which has quite a bit of substance and heft to it. They add in quite a few different elements to separate them from the pack; a little percussive section in 'The Day After Trinity' which adds a slight 'Roots Bloody Roots' feel, and a post metal build during the second half of 'Stalingrad, Massengrab'. The post-metal influence carries on throughout their set and reminds me of The Sun's Journey Through The Night's take on black metal. The singer, Goliath, is a terrifying presence in his mask as he glares out over the crowd. Every track is epic and grim which is appropriate seeing as they are all about the horrors of war. Their weighty sound is beefier than a lot of black metal but it is very satisfying.

The new Deafheaven album is excellent (number six on my albums of the year) but I'm not really feeling it when they play in the main room. Even the genius breakdown in 'Doberman' with those sick bass drops isn't enough to persuade me to stick around and I take another opportunity to sit down before Wormrot.

Singaporean grinders Wormrot are back with their original recording line up and there is a lot of excitement for their performance. Every song is a short, hyperfast blast but every song has something that differentiates it from the previous ones. It's an absolutely glorious racket and it's amazing that they get such a full sound from just a guitar and drums. Arif is a versatile vocalist, deftly switching from deathly growls to stuck pig squeals to high pitched screams. When Arif says they are going to play a slow song, the crowd boos so they play the rapid 'Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Grind' instead. They do eventually play the chunkier 'Left To Rot' but it is heavy as hell and still has a couple of parts that are a blur. Grindcore can be a fairly restrictive genre but how they manage to make every song sound different but equally as good as the last is amazing. There are thrash parts, punk sections and some chunky chugging riffs all wrapped up with lightning fast blasts. It's all incredible agile and dynamic, and is infused with enough energy to power an entire continent.

Synthwave act Perturbator are one of the wildcards today amongst all the extremity. However, they are a band with crossover appeal and they draw a big crowd on the main stage. They start off with a drumbeat not dissimilar to Cozy Powell's 'Dance With The Devil' before the electronics kick in for 'Lunacy' with its pounding beat, and James Kent shouts 'let's go' as a signal to let our hair down. A warning alarm at the beginning of 'Excess' signals a journey deep into the kind of clubs frequented by the likes of Hatari. The relentless beat drags you along whether you want it to or not. Kristoffer Rygg's recorded vocals are added to the electronics for 'Apocalypse Now' which is a compelling mix of Depeche Mode and modern Ulver. When the bass and beats hit hard, it is incredible and it's great to see James windmilling behind his bank of electronics. The light show is incredible and the risers splitting apart to create two separate islands for the drumkit and electronics is an impressive trick. At their danciest, they're similar to Carpenter Brut's style of synthwave. At other times, it's towering electronic soundscapes powered by a hard, incessant beat. It's as hard and heavy as much of today's bill, only in a different way. Midway through the set, the pit starts to move and it becomes one big dance party. It's a joy seeing metallers of all persuasions getting their freak on. This is the sound of a dystopian future made fun. Heck, if the world's going to hell then we might as well have a party.

Often at festivals, I reach a point where I have seen a band so good that I feel satisfied with my day and am happy to call it a night. After Perturbator, I am at that point even though I do want to watch both Gaerea and the headliners Corrosion Of Conformity. I still pop into the second stage to check out Gaerea. They seem to be one of the few bands making full use of the big screen with the films they have playing behind them. Their brand of black metal manages to create a certain atosphere and ambiance. It also has an air of commerciality, almost making it stadium black metal which may put purists off but I like their widescreen vision. I only manage a few songs because I feel like I've had enough for today and I need to have a decent amount of rest in preparation for another full day tomorrow. This was probably the best single day day of Damnation I've been to though.

Gaerea ****

Perturbator *****

Wormrot *****

Panzerfaust ****

High On Fire ****

Afsky ****

Dimscûa ****

Messa ***

Deadguy ****

Zeruel ***

Overhead, The Albatross *****

Oryx ****

Night Of Salvation - Bread Shed, Manchester (7/11/25)

Night Of Salvation is the pre-show for Damnation Festival. In the last few years, it has been held in the same arena as the festival with large scale production and exclusive sets from decent sized bands. As Damnation has expanded to two days this year for the 20th anniversary, Night Of Salvation has been scaled back to a smaller show closer to what it used to be when the festival was held in Leeds. As demand was always likely to be high for tonight, the tickets were sold blind with no indication which bands were playing, and people arrive at the venue still unsure of who they would be watching.

Deadguy were the one band who everyone knew would be playing due to them inadvertently leaking the date on a tour poster a couple of months ago. Due to working later than I was meant to, I miss the beginning of their set, arriving midway through 'New Best Friend'. It's rammed so I can only get a spot right at the back near the merch. It sounds heavy enough from where I am stood and it is bludgeoning but it lacks definition and it is difficult to feel involved. They are playing the new album 'Near-Death Travel Services' in full but I'm finding it hard to distinguish one song from another despite it being the album I have listened to the most this year (according to Spotify). It is not until 'The Forever People' that the heavy, discordant grooves start to grab a hold of me. From where I am it's hard to get a true measure of the chaos onstage but I can see the band members attacking their instruments and they are channelling the discordant fury that they pioneered on their classic 'Fixation On A Co-Worker' admirably. They drop in a surprising 'Running With Scissors' which sounds awesome; the beginning is fast and punishing whilst the undulating, slower groove of the rest of the track is dense and disorientating. The bassist, Jim Baglino, walks past me and plays from the back of the venue for this final track. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I was nearer the front though.

I can't really function without food and because I have come straight from work I decide to go out and get something to eat, missing most of Stampin' Ground's set. What I do catch sounds pretty good. This is punchy metallic hardcore with the emphasis on metal. 'By Whatever Means Necessary...' grooves like a metallic 'Set It Off'. I'm still not that keen on Adam's vocals. They are too gruff for my liking and it seems like he wants to emulate Freddy Cricien a little too much. I was always a Heath guy (their first singer) and found it difficult to accept Adam. The inevitable closing track 'Officer Down' seems to create a sizable pit from what I can tell, and Damnation organiser Gav Macinally can be seen crowdsurfing. Its heavier, thrashier feel is like Slayer meets Morning Again and is pretty good. This was more enjoyable than I expected.

For the first time this evening, I manage to get down the front for Conjurer who will be playing their 'Mire' album in full. It definitely sounds better down the front (although it may not just be this as Damnation's production manager, Marios, is doing the sound tonight and he just so happens to be Conjurers regular sound technician). They open with 'Choke', with the slow, sludge opening giving way to some furious death metal blasting. Their balance of the contrasting parts is expertly done. The slower, cleaner part where Dan steps away from the mic to scream into the crowd is fantastic. 'Thankless' follows a similar pattern, only this time starting off fast and furious before slowing to a sludgy, mid placed chug before engaging hyperspeed again. The use of clean vocals adds some welcome relief. The use of light and shade is a key part of the Conjurer experience. The frantic opening to 'Retch' sees the start of a circle pit which then just becomes one big mosh pit. The heavy bass tone during the slow part is delicious. The snappy, rousing climax to 'The Mire' is amazing. The progressive opening to 'Of Flesh Weaker Than Ash' (which very reminiscent of the middle section of 'Rime Of The Ancient Mariner') gives way to some monstrous, cast iron riffs. The crushing doom of the closing 'Hadal' is incredibly intense and sees the bassist Conor (who heroically headbangs and windmills throughout the set) play the closing moments in the middle of the pit. Excellent as always.

Raging Speedhorn are the final band tonight but seeing as though I'm facing two full days at the festival, I decide it would be better to go home and get a good nights sleep.

Conjurer ****

Stampin' Ground ***

Deadguy ***

Fat Dog, Working Men's Club, Mount Palomar, Silverwingkiller & Just For Fun - Aviva Studios Warehouse, Manchester (1/11/25)

Tonight is billed as Day Of The Dog, the biggest headline show to date for Fat Dog, who have had a fairly rapid ascent over the past 18 months. They played the 500 capacity Band On The Wall this time last year but now they are in a venue ten times bigger.

Just For Fun open the proceedings. They are a duo who play bouncy dance pop but the singer doesn't quite seem strong enough. The instrumental introduction definitely seems more interesting than the first couple of proper songs. The spoken parts are probably more successful because she has quite an alluring, sexy speaking voice. This is what I imagine Charli XCX sounds like. The singer dresses and acts like she is at the club, with a high energy performance. 'Paris' is decent Ibiza style dance music with a nice squelchy bassline but it is soon forgotten afterwards. 'Blue Mascara' is catchy with a great chorus. A dancier Tegan And Sara isn't a terrible comparison, and the reverb laden vocals are reminiscent of them too. The singer's voice doesn't seem strong enough to carry the chorus of the closing 'Catch Me If You Can'. Just For Fun aren't without promise but they're not consistent enough at the moment.

Silverwingkiller are discomfiting right from the off, as the bass heavy electronics exist at the very limit of what's tolerable. The vocals give it a Melt-Banana gone dance feel. The second track is thumping techno. The third track is glitchy, heavy electronica and the drummer leaves his kit and runs out into the crowd to start a moshpit (they use both live drumming and electronic beats). 'People's Square' starts as a dour dirge with vocals to match before it becomes much more anarchic with clattering drums and screamed vocals. Another track sounds like 'Check Your Head' era Beastie Boys if they were fronted by a diminutive Asian woman rather than three New Yorkers. There are a lot of ideas here and it's a bit chaotic how it all fits together. Not everything works but it is more good than bad, and it is certainly interesting. The closing 'Hold Up (All The Firearms In The United Kingdom)' has a bubbling Josh Wink techno feel, especially at the climax.

Mount Palomar's first track is Prodigy style techno with live drumming supplementing the beats. The bass is super heavy which always helps with this style of music. The second track is similar in style, with a dynamic groove just made to make you shake your ass. Their 'slower' track is still driving although it has an indie band gone electronic feel to it. One track is more like Underworld although the propulsive drumming really makes it feel more uptempo than it naturally would be in a studio setting. It is thrilling. The old indie dance act Shy Child used to do a similar thing with the drumming as well (and I loved them as a live act too). Neil Kerr, the man behind the electronics, seems very personable. He keeps threatening to get someone thrown out but it all seems to be in jest rather than anything bad natured. They are stopped from playing their final track due to time constraints which is met with a chorus of boos. This is especially a shame considering the earlier bands kicked off their sets late. I certainly would have liked to have heard more as they were excellent.

Working Men's Club start off with the heavy, moody electronica of '19'. The bass (provided by an actual bass guitar which is a novelty for this evening, so far) sounds dark and ominous. 'John Cooper Clarke' has a groove which sounds like Michael Jackson's 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' given a post punk makeover whilst the vocals add a Depeche Mode influence. It all comes together in an excellent fashion. 'Valleys' also has a Depeche Mode influence but the keyboards are very reminiscent of New Order whilst the excellent bassline also brings a sleazy Kajagoogoo feel too. Despite the old time influences, it feels fresh and contemporary. 'Ploys' is New Order meets late '80s house music. Everything they play is dark, heavy and very danceable. Frontman Sydney Minsky-Sargeant has some great moves and seems very invested in what they are playing. The rest of the band are pretty static but that isn't unusual for this style of music. 'Money Is Mine' has an acid house feel which wouldn't been have out of place across town at The Hacienda. The closing track 'The Last One' has an utterly hypnotic groove and I find myself closing my eyes and letting it carry me away. Absolutely fantastic.

Fat Dog open with the atmospheric 'Vigilante' with it's hellfire and brimstone sermonising before they turn the entire venue into a party. Despite Halloween being yesterday, many of the crowd are in fancy dress, and the band have gotten into the spirit too with every member dressed as a Scooby Doo character. The bassist has drawn the short straw with his Daphne outfit. 'Boomtown' continues the bouncy, dance vibe. The heavy, sleazy fetish club vibe of 'All The Same' is incredibly intense before they lighten up with a fanfare which they use to kinda show off and say 'how fucking good are we?' It has an air of arrogance about it but is amazing. 'King Of The Slugs' keeps it down and dirty but the bombastic, ethnic chorus is euphoric, and the ska climax backed with a thumping dance beat is unbelievable. 'Clowns' slows it down but is still incredibly intense and that bass tone is bowel shaking. Frontman Joe Love is very charismatic and knows how to play to a crowd, and he sings multiple songs on the barrier where he can be closest to those at the front. 'Bad Dog' is another crowd pleaser even though it is currently unreleased. 'Fuck Urself' has a memorable, bouncy chorus which is perfect to dance to, like most of their tracks are. The keyboard player and saxophonist do a funny choreographed dance during an incredible 'Wither' which sends the crowd wild. An insane 'Running' closes the show with the whole venue bouncing up and down. They'll probably be playing arenas next time around, which would be thoroughly deserved.

Fat Dog *****

Working Men's Club ****

Mount Palomar ****

Silverwingkiller ***

Just For Fun ***

King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard - Aviva Studios Warehouse, Manchester (31/10/25)

Tonight is billed as a special rave set by Australia's kings of psych, King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard. As such, there is no support, just a DJ. Even so, I am surprised to find that it is Kit Sebastian on the decks spinning a set of funky '60s psych. It really gets me in the mood for the main event but I'm not sure everyone else feels the same way though. Some people are bopping along but their set mainly serves as background noise for conversations.

It is weird to see five of the members of King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard hunched over a bank of electronics in the middle of the stage. They open with 'Theia' which builds upon a motorik groove for a slice of psychedelic krautrock similar to Fujiya & Miyagi. It's a cool but understated opening until midway through the track when the tempo is pitched up and it becomes a thumping dance track in the vein of Underworld. A bouncy electronic psych section elicits a roar from the crowd. Even though it is all electronics, their experimental nature is undimmed and they have a number of extended jams. A flute is brought out early but it is so effect laden it sounds nothing like a flute, instead sounding like a homing signal sent across the galaxy to alien lifeforms. They play pretty much continuously with one track merging into another. One section is a baggy jam which The Stone Roses would have been proud of, complete with a John Squire-esque guitar solo. It does get a little too experimental and self indulgent at times though. Even 'Flamethrower (Outro) gets a dance makeover although those crunchy, metallic guitars are still present. The images on the big screen are suitably psychedelic although the visual effects make it seem like an early '80s episode of Top Of The Pops. The easy soul-funk of 'Slow Jam 1' is more concise despite it's length, although it does take an ominous turn midway through. The band are very invested in what they are doing and there is little interaction with the crowd. One moody, atmospheric track reminds me of Massive Attack although it morphs into something completely different towards the end with a lovely Santana-esque guitar solo and some Miami Vice synths, before heading into Gary Numan territory. The easy soul of 'Hell's Itch' is given a jazzy feel by the freeform drumming, and the dual vocals positively soar. It even cheekily steals a verse of All Saints' 'Pure Shores' towards the end. Every track is sprawling and progressive. When they go pure techno it is euphoric and the crowd reacts accordingly, The extended techno barrage of the final hour is more like what we were promised and it gets increasingly intense. The terrifying lyrics on the big screen for the closing 'Murder Of The Universe' are an incredible visual. At two and a half hours long they lose my attention in a few places but, overall, their versatility and mastery of their craft regardless of genre is  hugely impressive.

King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard ****

Barbarian Hermit, 1986 & Under - Bread Shed, Manchester (25/10/25)

Tonight is billed as 'Exit The Hermitage', a farewell show by Manchester's Barbarian Hermit and they have put together a bill of other UK heavyweights to say goodbye in style. Most of the line up sit firmly in doom territory but Rupcha Farms appear to be the outlier. I wasn't really expecting any rap metal tonight but that's what they deliver. I only really catch one full song which isn't really enough to give them a rating. It is one MC rapping over a backing track but it has some decent riffs. They finish off with a cover of The Prodigy's 'Omen' which has extra guitars and is great. I really wish I could have caught more of their set because I was impressed.

The first song of Under's set really confuses me. It starts off with some technical, uptempo guitar riffs which sound suitably heavy but the drumming sounds a bit freeform like a drumkit falling down the stairs. It doesn't really gel and the clean vocals don't really help either. It then moves to a heavy sludge part with pissed vocals which is much more focused and the song continues in a pattern of parts I like and parts I don't like. The second track is faster, sounding like a hardcore High On Fire. However, they can't resist more tomfoolery, with one part sounding like the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. The singer/bassist pulls some ridiculous faces too while they are playing this nonsense. When they get into their groove, they are pretty crushing and intense though. One track has a heavy Melvins influence. The low and slow bassline of the final track is delicious and has a number of bodies rocking back and forth in the audience. The swirling guitars bring Sleep to mind and it is a fine way to end the set. After an inconsistent start, this ends up being really good.

1968 channel the same '70s doom excesses that Cathedral used to although the guitar tone is pure Victor Griffin. Andrew Valient's vocals are a bit off key but he has a good tone and it kinda works. In places he reminds me of John Garcia and in other places he sounds like a less controlled Sebastian Bach, particular when he screeches at the top end of his register. He tries his best to get the crowd involved and is a charismatic presence. 'Bad Trip' is like Kyuss gone '70s rock whilst 'Rail Road Boogie' has a killer, hip shaking classic rock groove. 'Scorched Earth' has some cool spacey guitars and sounds like Steven Brodsky jamming along to very early Pentagram. 'Temple Of The Acidwolf' has more spacey guitars and this allied with the powerful groove puts them firmly in Kyuss territory. Very good indeed.

The Rupcha Farms MC hypes up the crowd before Barbarian Hermit take to the stage for the final time. They summon mammoth Sabbathian grooves right from the start and the guitars sound immense. Dressed all in black apart from a white shirt collar and red scarf, and with his long hair and eyeliner, singer Simon Scarlett looks like a character from 'What We Do In The Shadows'. He conducts the whole performance whilst mainly staying front and centre and his reverb laden vocals sound like they echo across the cosmos. The stoner doom riffs of 'Who Put 50p In You' sound utterly monstrous. There is an accessibility to their sound: a catchy chorus here, some Torche style vocal harmonies there, all of which are married to heavy, well defined riffs to create something akin to stadium doom. Both guitarists and the the bassist all look like they're having a ball. Mike and Adam are a formidable unit on guitars as they work together to pump out titanic riffs and grooves. 'Mean Sugar' is utterly earth-shaking. One track is driving, thrashing doom in the vein of High On Fire. The sweat drenched  drummer Gareth Manning is a super solid presence behind the kit. The final song of the regular set, 'Heal The Tyrant', is soulful southern doom and it is quite emotional knowing that their time together as a band is coming to an end. The encore sees two more stellar tracks of Sabbath worship and the crowd is really starting to move by this point. And then that is it. After eight years and countless shows, Barbarian Hermit are seemingly no more but this was a glorious way to go out.

Barbarian Hermit ****

1968 ****

Under ****