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 ***
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