FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Impericon Festival
Impericon Festival has become and staple and much loved edition to the hardcore festival circuit. After remaining in mainland Europe, it branched out to the UK Last year to a sell-out crowd and roaring success. Returning this year with yet another stacked line up with HATEBREED topping it and not one date set but two, with the one dayer landing in both Manchester and London. With big bill featuring a lot of bands, we’re going to give you the low down on each act and why you need to stick around for every single one.
HELLIONS
The fact that two bands on this line up are from down under should tell you everything about how good ‘Oz is for music at the moment. HELLIONS are opening the day and they’re groovy hardcore and solid vocals mean that they are the perfect act to get the crowd bouncing and moving with a setlist that will probably favour the excellent last year release of Indian Summer. If you’re unfamiliar with HELLIONS, get down early and you’ll more that likely leave a fan.
HUNDRETH
The melodic hardcore crew who pack far more bite than they let on, HUNDRETH are sure to deliver an impassioned set seething with emotion and angst. Their latest release Free was fast paced and aggressive so expect a high octane set and big pit to open up.
ESKIMO CALLBOY
Easily the barmiest band on the line up, the dubstep infused mayhem that ESKIMO CALLBOY have become known for will more than likely get a great reaction from the crowd. The drops will be colossal and the bass will probably rattle your bones but the pits will go off and the energy will be huge.
HEART OF A COWARD
Offering a far more refined and methodical sound than the band before then, HEART OF A COWARD are the first band on the bill to truly start delivering the brutality. Deliverance was a behemoth of an album that was stacked with riffs and grooves that take your head off, and they sound even better live!
DESPISED ICON
If you’re at Impericon Festival and haven’t at least heard of DESPISED ICON then perhaps you need to take a step back and shuffle some priorities around. Reaming one of the original progenitors to the deathcore genre, DESPISED ICON championed the duel vocalist delivery and have also written some of the most iconic and monstrous music the genre has see.
CHELSEA GRIN
Another act who have seen the rise and subsequent plateau of the deathcore genre. Having also made the conscious effort to try and broaden their sound, CHELSEA GRIN have come back to their original sound but with a newer, fresher vibe that has elevated their sound into new levels of brutality.
BLESSTHEFALL
Bringing a far more melodic sound than their peers, BLESSTHEFALL could easily bring one of the sets of the day if they can hit their stride and really make the chorus’s soar as high as possible only for one of their numerous breakdowns to bring the house down.
EMMURE
Despite being in the worst possible position earlier in the year EMMURE seem to be back on top form with a brand new line up and some footage of them live that displays a band reinvigorated. Being a band that’s been with the genre for so long and one that often ruffle feathers there is always one guarantee from an EMMURE live show; a colossal wall of sound so heavy you’ll feel your innards wobble.
NORTHLANE
NORTHLANE have seen meteoric rise ever since the rightfully praised Singularity album. Representing a further, more technical development to the metalcore genre, the band is made up of genuinely intelligent musicians. Having a new album and many tours under his belt Marcus Bridge is now fully settled and ready to firmly display his clear ability as the vocalist of a very exciting band.
HATEBREED
Still to this day there isn’t a band that have the ability to compare to the sheer domination that HATEBREED possess when on stage. Their back catalogue Is filled with the most pit worthy, and noteworthy, music to come out of the Hardcore genre. They are also a source of inspiration for not only many bands on this line up but across the globe. With new album The Concrete Confessional preparing to drop on May 13th, it doesn’t look like their reign of supremacy is going to end any time soon.
Impericon Festival takes place in Manchester on May 2nd and in London on May 3rd. Tickets are still available.
