FESTIVAL REVIEW: Damnation Festival 2019

As the nights draw in and the temperatures plummet, Damnation Festival is the saviour to our festival season dreams. Held annually in November, the one day extreme metal extravaganza serves a perfect day of metal before the year draws to a close and 2019’s edition of the festival was no different. With arguably the strongest billing and biggest bands the festival has ever booked, we returned to Leeds once more for Damnation Festival 2019. Let our review begin.

GODEATER – Tone MGMT Stage

Unlike previous editions of Damnation, there is a lacking of technical leaning metal on this year’s lineup so it falls on the shoulders of young outfit GODEATER to bring the tech. Billed as the first band to grace the Tone MGMT Stage might have been too much of a challenge for some as well as being one of the only technical death metal bands on the lineup, but GODEATER hit the challenge square in the mouth and proceed to dispatch a set that just glistens with quality. With a set comprised of material from their brand new album, All Flesh Is Grass, the quintet just keep impressing from the first flurry of technical guitar work of Ross Beagan and Andrew Macdonald to the last roaring guttural from energetic frontman Josh Graham. It’s a performance that is utterly gripping and thoroughly enjoyable, and judging from the rapturous applause that greets every song, expect to see much more of GODEATER in the future.

Rating: 9/10

THE INFERNAL SEA – Cult Never Dies Stage

Having built a solid reputation in the underground, UK black metal horde THE INFERNAL SEA arrive to Damnation in hungry mood and they reward a packed Cult Never Dies Stage with an uncompromisingly vicious set that sets them in good stead to continue to dominate the underground black metal scene. Donning their now trademark plague doctor masks, the band take the visual aesthetics of their genre in their stride but they have the music to match it; they are far from a gimmick. Slick riffing dominates the proceedings, especially when the band bring their more hardcore influences to the table, whilst DL‘s range of shrieks and commanding growls keeps the packed room fixated towards the stage. It’s a confident performance, one in which will surely help the band cement their place as one of the UK’s premier black metal bands.

Rating: 8/10

WHEEL – Eyesore Merch Stage

Offering some of the festivals newer sounds, WHEEL continue to solidify their status as one of the more exciting prog and technical acts on the scene at the moment. Of course, their similarities to bands like TOOL can’t be ignored, but WHEEL throw a far more metallic energy into their blueprint, and the intricate and interwoven rhythms sound as large as they should at Damnation. Vultures opens their set with gusto, and the fire is then carrier from song to song, with rigid basslines acting as the impressive bridge between each track. A self-titled finale impresses the full room, and the knowledge that this four piece are mere months from returning again shows just how hard WHEEL are willing to work to spread their polyrhythmic wares. This is a confident set, and another notch in the bands growing list of accomplishments early in their career, but you can’t look past the fact that a set this complex, this early into the day means that this is lost on a lot of punters seeking out the party early on.

Rating: 7/10

CARNATION – Tone MGMT Stage

Belgium’s CARNATION take to the Tone MGMT Stage and put on what could be regarded as an early contender for the best set of the day. The band have made significant waves with the release of their 2018 debut album, Chapel of Abhorrence, an album with an incredibly impressive and well developed sound that has its foot planted firmly within the classic death metal sound. Thankfully, the band is more than capable of delivering the goods in a live setting as well as on record; the band put on a particular animated and energetic performance that does an excellent job of whipping the crowd into a frenzy, with vocalist Simon Duson commanding the stage and audience alike with the confidence and skill of a seasoned front man. This is the sort of performance that turns good bands into great ones, and they certainly won over anyone who may not have heard of them before with their caustic and aggressive brand of death metal.

Rating: 9/10

DAWN RAY’D – Cult Never Dies Stage

Judging by the size of the crowd forming before black metallers DAWN RAY’D take the stage, it’s clear others recognise the potential of this British troupe. The band only released new album Behold Sedition Plainsong a week ago, but the new material goes down a storm. Frontman Simon Barr stunned the crowd with his flawless transitions between violin aficionado and formidable black metal screamer. It was truly captivating along with the intense riffage and ferocious drumming. The trio filled the room with their mesmerising metal and moved everyone in attendance. DAWN RAY’D united the crowd today, not only with their music, but their passion for equal rights. Barr made a rousing anti-fascism speech which put the fire in their throats to bring the set to a storming close

Rating: 9/10

MGLA – Jagermeister Stage

A packed Jagermeister Stage greets Polish black metal powerhouse MGLA at this year’s Damnation and the band reap the rewards of the faithful gathered with a confident and powerful performance. Having impressed in extreme metal’s underground for some time thanks to consistently solid studio output, the stage at Damnation proves a fitting opportunity to capitalise on their momentum and they do just that. The frost-bitten and intricate riffing of Exercises In Futility I keeps the crowd fixated towards the stage whilst M.‘s masked presence is alluding as it is powerful as his signature howls and barks come across crystal clear. With a bountiful addition of new material from this year’s stellar Age of Excuse thrown into the setlist, MGLA gave a commanding performance on a bill that was very black metal heavy.

Rating: 9/10

BIRDS IN ROW – Tone MGMT Stage

One of the most genuinely refreshing things about Damnation Festival is its willingness to embrace extremity in every form. From the extreme tranquillity of Jo Quail to the extreme emotions and musical explosions from BIRDS IN ROW. Indeed they have in common with bands likes LA DISPUTE than any band on this line up, but the French trio bring an awful lot of raw emotion and dish it out in droves for the active audience. As the set progresses, shining a deep spotlight on last years excellent release, songs like Remember Us Better Than We Were turning bobbing heads into colliding bodies, and creates a tangible connection between the band and crowd. It is a shame, because at the end of the day, BIRDS IN ROW are deeply overshadowed by other bands on the line up, but for those who attended, they were treated to perhaps the best kept secret Damnation Festival had to offer.

Rating: 7/10

A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH – Eyesore Merch Stage

Cramming into the packed and boiling hall that houses the Eyesore Merch Stage, it’s time for A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH to put on a fantastic set. Bathed in a dark green hue, the band set a very good atmosphere before they’ve even played a note. And when the band finally launch into To Die In Your Arms, they immediately draw the audience into what proves to be one of the better performances of the day. Tying haunting Gothic flourishes into a heady and robust, doom laden sound, the band put on a show that is equal parts bleak and powerful, with many of the songs off their latest record, When the World Becomes Undone, sitting well alongside many of their established fan favourites. As a band with a sound and style that differs prominently from the glut of mostly extreme metal bands on the bill today, they manage to put on one of the most captivating and memorable shows of this year’s edition of Damnation.

Rating: 9/10

ALCEST – Jagermeister Stage

ALCEST have had an incredible year as they brought out arguably one of the best albums of their entire career in Spiritual Instinct. With such a short time, the french pioneers choose for a broad selection of songs, with no more than two songs from any one album making an appearance. Sapphire and Protection sound as transcendent as one would expect, with the latter easily stealing the entire set with its delicate yet powerful riffing offering a different dimension to ALCEST’s live rituals. Autre Temps is as beautiful as ever, and the final, winding finale of Là où naissent les couleurs nouvelles provides the perfect closing moments for a set that would have likely enticed most of the people to the entire festival. ALCEST did not disappoint, and as always their music proves that a tangible beauty can come from a genre that, even across today, shows itself to be savagely violent at times, and oppressive at others. Now, the thought of another dose of what they just delivered next year sounds all the more enticing.

Rating: 9/10

MORK – Cult Never Dies Stage

The black metal-heavy line-up this year is stellar, but MORK bring the underground filth to proceedings. With corpse paint galore and a menacing air, MORK and co bring the old school black metal sounds to Damnation. Fans were graced with the presence of another black legend in the form of drummer Asgeir Mickelson, much to the delight of fans of BORKNAGAR and Ihsahn in the room. MORK ploughed through the set with eyes ablaze and riffs aflame. The accompanying musicians were adorned in the gnarliest corpse paint, making the aesthetic one of the most striking of the night. Songs from latest album Det Svarte Juv sounded colossal live and tightly fitted amongst older material.

Rating: 7/10

THE VINTAGE CARAVAN – Eyesore Merch Stage

With a bill that is top-heavy extreme year in, year out, a band like THE VINTAGE CARAVAN are the perfect pick me up to carry you through until the finish line and billed between MORK and MAYHEM, the Icelandic trio inject a heavy dose of feel good factor into their set on the Eyesore Merch Stage. The band wear their vintage hard rock influences on their collective sleeves and what follows is a positive nostalgia trip to days gone by. Hard swinging riffs come thick and fast from vocalist/guitarist Óskar Logi Ágústsson and bassist Alexander Örn Númason whilst drummer Stefán Ari Stefánsson keeps the beat flowing at a lovely place and the crowd respond enthusiastically, keeping the energy at a mighty high. In a set comprised mostly of material from last year’s Gateways, the band push their newer material to great effect and upon their conclusion, the trio can rest assured that they gave a performance that inject a serious bout of adrenaline for a crowd struggling to hit the final hurdle.

Rating: 8/10

GAAHL’S WYRD – Tone MGMT Stage

GAAHL’S WYRD prove to be one of the most surprising highlights of the festival. For those who are unfamiliar with this band, and their style, two things become immediately apparent; firstly, the band that Gaahl has assembled are all amazing performers and musicians with a considerable level of talent and a knack for showmanship, and secondly, Gaahl really knows how to carry himself as a frontman, two facts that makes for a mesmerising and atmospheric live experience. He dives between dense gutturals, hellish shrieks, sonorous spoken passages and eerie whispers, with every single part of it not feeling out of place or unnecessary even for a second. Combine this with his domineering stage presence, and the energetic performance from the rest of the band, and you have a a set that proves to be incredibly hard to follow.

Rating: 9/10

MAYHEM – Jagermeister Stage

With a band of MAYHEM‘s stature, it comes as no surprise that the Jagermeister Stage at Damnation is absolutely heaving for the Norwegian black metal legends. Sure, some may be tired from a day with bountiful pickings of the genre, but MAYHEM are cult legends and despite a shaky start, the band stake a claim to preserve their iconic reputation. A resounding performance of Falsified and Hated, from their brand new album Daemon, kicks the performance off well enough but then the problems arise. For the first half of the set, the band suffer from an abhorrent sound, making their impact falter just as they start to intoxicate the crowd, much to the visible annoyance of Necrobutcher. It’s a massive dampener of a set that should be one of the performances of the day, but things do improve as time progresses and once the issues are resolved, MAYHEM are a forced to be reckoned with. Cuts from the legendary De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas sound colossal and hearing Deathcrush performed with such aggression never gets old. It’s far from a perfect performance and in better circumstances, MAYHEM could have stole the crown for the performance of the day. But it is not to be.

Rating: 7/10

VENOM PRISON – Tone MGMT Stage

VENOM PRISON made it no secret how seriously they were taking their headline slot at Damnation Festival. And with the enlisted help of Jo Quail to create the tense opening atmospheres, the band kick right into Asura’s Realm and the room subsequently erupts into a shocking display of energy. A strobe light on near constant blast creates a disorientating feel that is only bolstered by the intense playing from the band on stage. The guitars are razor sharp and Larissa Stupar sounds the best she has done, growling with clear intent to ensure everyone here remembers precisely who the fuck VENOM PRISON are. Abyssal Agony and a lethal Perpetrator Emasculation represent the Animus album with pride, and every other cut from this years mind-bendingly brilliant Samsara just cuts deeper than the previous. It is a shame that the second round of collaboration with Jo Quail instead reaps nothing but silence, as that could’ve well made this set as timeless as it was on it’s way to being. Still, it doesn’t stop this being an exclamation mark at the end of a colossal 2019 for VENOM PRISON.

Rating: 9/10

IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT – Cult Never Dies Stage

There was a choice of two bands to truly round off Damnation Festival. With both being equally technical and, dare we say it, jazz influenced, it simply depended on whether you wanted a bit of levity with your prog with OPETH, or if you wanted to descend into the truly ridiculous with IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT. Well, for those who selected the latter were gifted an hour of some of the most challenging, mind boggling, and downright impressive music this side of underground free form jazz. IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT utilise the basic skeleton of black metal and then imbue an unhealthy amount of New York oddities to make the eventual outcome an enthralling and captivating time if you can keep up with it all. The three heavily masked members create an atmosphere of hellish enjoyment, spewing out frantic guitars, wildly uncontrollable bass lines, and drums that would make even the most ardent musician drop their jaw. The half empty room speaks volumes to how niche this noise truly is, and the avante garde sounds of IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT really aren’t for everyone. But, sometimes you just need to sacrifice yourself to the chaos.

Rating: 8/10

OPETH – Jagermeister Stage

Arguably the biggest band Damnation has ever booked, Swedish progressive metallers OPETH are very much considered royalty in the heavy metal sphere. Adored for their earlier workings of progressive death metal and even appreciated for their latter sounding prog rock soundscapes, the band feel like a natural fit on a bill packed to the brim with extreme metal, even though they could be the least metal headliner Damnation has ever booked. Across their career-spanning set, OPETH never feel out of place. Largely, this is thanks to a crystal clear sound that makes the band sound absolutely emphatic. Luckily avoiding the technical gremlins that plagued bands earlier in the day, Mikael Åkerfeldt and co. proceed to dispatch songs with ease and it is an absolute treat. Sorceress‘ crunching riffs sound even heavier live than on record, the two tracks from this year’s stellar In Cauda Venenum (Hjärtat Vet Vad Handen Gör and Svekets Prins) sound immense but the real crown jewel in their set comes as they rewind the clocks to days gone by. A stunning rendition of Deliverance acts the perfect climax to a headlining set of sheer quality. If there was any doubters as to whether OPETH could stand firm against much more extreme competition, just look at the sea of adoring fans, and that question is more than answered.

Rating: 9/10

GOST – Tone MGMT Stage

GOST provided the synth-tastic alternative to OPETH and an early night. The stage looked suspiciously empty after the elaborate set-ups of previous bands. What GOST lacked in instruments, they made up for with furiously intense gothic antics. The main man himself strutted with aggression across the backlit stage, almost taking out some eyes in the front row while throwing his mic stand around. GOST croon, scream and stomp their way through the set. Playing songs from newest album Valediction, all the punters who had the stamina to stick around were treated to the filthiest synth beats. The best conclusion for the most experimental and extreme one day festival the UK has to offer.

Rating: 8/10

Words: James Weaver, Eddie Sims, Maria Tricker, Danny Sanderson

And that rounds off our coverage of this year’s Damnation Festival! Relieve the action of this year’s festival with our photo gallery from Hannah Cole here: