FESTIVAL REVIEW: Burn It Down Festival 2023
Tucked away in a comer of the British coastline is a gem of the UK music festival scene: Burn It Down Festival. Starting in 2018 as a small one day event it has grown so much in the five incarnations of the festival since, today boasting a two day event filled to the brim with some of the best in metal and rock, from small local acts like LIQUID STATE to industry veterans like BEING AS AN OCEAN. Distorted Sound headed down to capture the action and maybe also get a tan on the beach as well.
Friday, September 8th
KNIFE BRIDE – The Foundry
First up we have KNIFE BRIDE at The Foundry. It’s their second time at Burn It Down and this year moving up to the festival’s main stage. This really shows how much they impressed everyone first time round and with a larger stage they make full use of it with a ton of movement from all the band. No-one is staying still and they still manage to show off some captivating vocals and strong accompanying harmonies. It’s no question why this band had their big bump up, this is a strong performance which sets the bar high for the rest of the weekend.
Rating: 7/10
ITHACA – The Foundry
With the temperature rising, ITHACA don’t need to work hard to get everyone sweaty, calling the crowd forward while their intro gets everyone ready for the mayhem. The drop in to their death metal riffs is sudden but needed. Djamila Boden Azzouz‘s powerful vocals punch through the riffs to give an ethereal touch to the sound. The stage is an explosion of movement and the band don’t need to work hard getting the sweaty heads moving. However, the change of pace at first sounds a bit jarring between heavy and soft but you soon get into the rhythm and enjoy the softness amongst the chugs.
Rating: 9/10
RXPTRS – Apple & Parrot
Representing the Bristol scene are RXPTRS. A heavy rock outfit with so much energy they could power this festival.
Giving us a fun remix of I Wanna Dance with Somebody to get everyone warmed up and give a little giggle, the band blast in to their set gets the crowd instantly jumping and even a blow up dinosaur is chucked in the rabble of fans. Simon Roach‘s unique vocals go through the songs with ease, the songs are fairly easy listening for the Friday but have a lot of bounce to them. The heat has been turned up in the Apple & Parrot and its thanks to RXPTRS.
Rating: 9/10
HERIOT – The Foundry
HERIOT have been making noise for a while now and becoming a firm favourite in the live music circuit. Continuing to hold the baton for female-led heavy music, they arrive on stage to feedback and distorted guitars. Calling for a pit two seconds in, the crowd obeys and the energy starts to climb. They put on a great performance with so much energy and you can see the crowd are loving them, however the songs are feeling a bit monotonous with each individual song getting slightly lost over the whole set.
Rating: 8/10
HEART OF A COWARD – The Foundry
HEART OF A COWARD are no strangers to the music scene. With a decade long career, they know how to manage the stage. Taking us on a journey through their back catalogue and teasing us with new songs ready for their new album, This Place Only Brings Death, to drop. Frontman Kaan Tasan shows off his range from older tracks like Shade to newest track Decay. The crowd takes his commands as soon as he gives them and the pit is electric. HEART OF A COWARD really show they are here to stay and remain a staple within the music scene.
Rating: 9/10
ANGEL DU$T – The Foundry
With LOATHE dropping out of Burn It Down, there are some big shoes to fill, but ANGEL DU$T are certainly up for giving it a go. With a blend of hardcore and punk ringing through The Foundry, the band literally jump into their set, Opening with Toxic Boombox, there is no time to breath between songs as they plough through their set all while doing some incredible aerobatics. If anyone had any doubt that ANGEL DU$T couldn’t close the Friday was quickly extinguished, with a wonderful diverse setlist, taking the best bits from all their albums like Big Bite and Very Aggressive, even showing off tracks from the new album Brand New Soul, with Born 2 Run and Space Jam. Fans in the audience were in for a treat and the ones who aren’t familiar with them have a wonderful taster of what they have to offer. The sound however does come across a bit weird and can be harsh on the ears if this isn’t really your kind of music, but the performance and energy from the band really beings it together. It was a superb headline set from the band and a great way to sign off the first day of Burn It Down.
Rating: 8/10
Saturday, September 9th
LIZZY FARRALL – The Foundry
Bringing the pop-punk/rock vibes to the festival is LIZZY FARRALL. Starting off the set on the slow side, the crowd is pretty mellow. The songs are played nicely and a nice soft vibe to the day. Lizzy‘s vocals are very good and really bring the songs out. Although she does have to work hard to win over the crowd and get them bobbing their heads. The set did pick up near the end but the slowness of the pacing overall really hindered the performance, the sweat dripping off the crowd wasn’t from their energy but rather from the amount of bodies in 25 degree heat in a building.
Rating: 6/10
LAKE MALICE – The Foundry
In comparison, LAKE MALICE come in guns blazing showing off their unique blend of metalcore, it really brings up the energy and the crowd are loving it instantly. Alice Guala‘s voice really shows off her range from heavy to light in a dynamic way, one of the best vocalists at Burn It Down this year. The place is bouncing, LAKE MALICE take a risk and get everyone to go down and jump up when they say and luckily the crowd obeys and the energy gets turned up even more. They might be new to the scene but LAKE MALICE are very much showing they are here to stay.
Rating: 9/10
SHIELDS – The Foundry
Having made a name for themselves over the 2010s, the tragic passing of guitarist George Christie meant that SHIELDS took a step back for the foreseeable future. Its always hard for a band to continue, however a few years have done them a world of good. Wounds have started to heal and with a new music they come back stronger than ever. Their first show back its a question of do they still have it? The answer is yes. A resounding yes. Coming in strong and showing off their brand of metalcore, they really get the place bouncing. Writhing around the stage like they never left. With a nice set to really show the folks of Burn It Down who the band were and what they have become.
Rating: 8/10
CONTINENTS – The Attic
Another band to rise from the dead are CONTINENTS, coming back to celebrate 10 years of Idle Hands, the Welsh quartet take The Attic stage like a storm. They blast through their brand of hardcore and metalcore with the utmost precision. Not even having to ask the crowd to to open up the pit. Phil Cross has his signature vocals screaming over the chugs creating a wonderful sound rising through The Attic. They are definitely giving the new bands a schooling in how the Welsh do hardcore and even trickling us with new tracks as well as old. Overall, a smashing performance and with new music on the horizon, we need to keep an eye on them.
Rating: 8/10
DREAM STATE – The Foundry
If you were asked what the best bands of this year are, one that is certainly high up our list is DREAM STATE. They have been making leaps and bounds with new frontwomen Jessie Powell. Taking the stage with Comfort In Chaos, they instantly hold the crowd in their gaze. Jessie‘s vocals are on point for the old and new tracks, and she even gets involved and being as close to the crowd as she possible can be. Their whole set is solid from start to finish and we even get a tease of a new track and see what the future of the band is going to be.
Rating: 10/10
HIGHER POWER – The Foundry
The final day of Burn It Down is in full swing and it’s HIGH POWER‘s turn to take to the festival’s main stage. Full of energy, it doesn’t take long for the crowd to respond and with some prompting from vocalist Jimmy Wizard, the crowd was full of movement with an ample number of crowd surfers flying over the barrier to keep security on their toes. Even with some minor issues with the drum mics. it couldn’t slow down or stop their up-tempo performance. With a demanding stage presence and strong music to match, HIGHER POWER were a perfect edition to the Burn It Down lineup.
Rating: 8/10
PINTGLASS – The Attic
PINTGLASS are becoming infamous for rowdy shows. You don’t want to get to near the barrier because you might end up leaving in a body bag. Blasting in to their set, the Geezercore five piece bring the heavy riffs and swagger to Burn It Down. The duel vocalists bounce off each other with ease, calling geezers forward to help out on the mic. The riffs keep on flowing and they are literally bashing through the songs. The main thing to take from a PINTGLASS show is riffs and fists. Nothing is too much for PINTGLASS, they never do anything in halves.
Rating: 10/10
AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS – The Foundry
AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS have been climbing the music scene over the last few years and you can see why. Bringing a wonderful blend of metalcore and alt rock to the scene, they really deserve the main support slot to BEING AS AN OCEAN. Charlie Rolfe‘s vocals are some of the best within modern metal, showing off her whole range which is no easy feat. Going through their back catalogue to really give the people of Burn It Down a show which they won’t forget easily. They are so much fun live and this will be a band to watch because, with fellow bands on the bill such as LAKE MALICE and DREAM STATE, this is the future of modern metal and it is looking very promising indeed.
Rating: 9/10
DESOLATED – The Attic
When you ask someone to name a band from the UK hardcore scene, DESOLATED is usually on the tip of everyone’s tongue. They have been a solid staple in the scene for years and their headline spot in The Attic is more than well deserved. Coming in announcing themselves to the room, the chugs start slow and everyone is egger for the drop. They blast in to their set and the room erupts. Legs and arms are flying as they show off their distinct brand of hardcore, showing they are veterans for a reason. The crowd love them, screaming along and joining in with the gang vocals. The classic hardcore breakdown is such a hype to hear and really makes you feel indestructible and it’s surprising the floor hasn’t caved in yet from all the stomping. Overall this was the perfect way to close The Attic stage for Burn It Down and leave everyone feeling pumped for the rest of the night.
Rating: 9/10
BEING AS AN OCEAN – The Foundry
Headlining a festival isn’t the easiest job in the world but BEING AS AN OCEAN have it in the bag. The Californian outfit aren’t a stranger to UK shores but this is their first time at the festival. Opening with Little Richie, the show starts on a good note. Showcasing their well known blend of heavier vocal style courtesy of Joel Quartuccio and the wonderful melodic tones of Michael Mcgough. The post-hardcore sound has had a few change ups from their first album Dear G-d, which had it 10 year anniversary last year, but the fans have stayed loyal and very excited to be up close to the band and hearing them play their music again.
At times however, some of the set seems to get a bit dull and with it being so late, a bit sleepy, but Joel sees this and does a few laps round the room to make sure everyone is awake and paying attention to them, especially when they blast in to the latter half of the set which includes title track Dear G-D and Swallowed By The Earth. The entertainment isn’t over yet, Joel makes his way up to the balcony and sits over the barrier beckoning the crowd and security to him as he continues you the set, when everything is in place he falls in to the crowd, finishing on the most dramatic of notes. Overall the set was a standard BEING AS AN OCEAN set: solid and intimate with the crowd. It’s not a surprise why they were picked to headline Burn It Down and closed the festival in style.
Rating: 9/10
Check out our extensive photo gallery of Burn It Down Festival 2023 from Serena Hill Photography and Ciara Wilkinson Media here:
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