FESTIVAL REVIEW: Damnation Festival 2018
With a consistently strong lineup across the extreme metal spectrum year in, year out, Damnation Festival has grown into one of the highlights in every metal fan’s calendar. And 2018’s edition of the festival is no different as the day’s billing is populated with bands of sheer quality from across the extreme metal umbrella. Distorted Sound was on the ground for the day’s action and with a tall order of bands to enjoy throughout the day, our endurance was about to be pushed to its limits. Let us begin.
LEECHED – Tone MGMT Stage
Whilst the soothing progressive tones of VOLA are easing people into the day at Damnation on the Eyesore Merch Stage, LEECHED go for the complete polar opposite. The rising Mancunian mob have been building quite the momentum ahead of the festival and their opening slab of brutality on the Tone MGMT Stage. Riffs of bludgeoning force hammer home whilst dark and disturbing industrial synths swirl underneath the carnage. The surprising addition of second guitarist Joe Clayton of PIJN adds an extra level of filth and ferocity to the band’s live arsenal and whilst the tone can be deemed as formulaic to some, LEECHED probably don’t care in the slightest. An impressive opening performance and one that kicks Damnation off to the best possible start.
Rating: 8/10
Words: James Weaver
HUNDRED YEAR OLD MAN – Cult Never Dies Stage
You can’t even tell when the post-metal doomsters walk onto the tiny Cult Never Dies Stage at the lowest part of Leeds University Union. Thanks to a hefty overuse of the smoke machine, the tiny stage is enveloped in a blue-tinged mist that suffocates any sight past the barrier. You know when HUNDRED YEAR OLD MAN begin though, because they’re crushing weight comes down with full force on the packed out crowd. The lack of sight makes for an even more impactful set, even if the reduced visuals were accidental. The droning riffs fill the room entirely, and the slow banging heads throughout the basement firmly assures that the crowd are fully involved in the bands performance. Given the length of their songs, this is a slow moving set that only gives light to three songs in their deepening back catalogue, something that certainly plays against the band as they attempt to fill their short set time with as much action as possible.
Rating: 7/10
Words: Eddie Sims
MØL – Cult Never Dies Stage
With the reaction to their debut record, Jord, being nothing short of spectacular there is great anticipation surrounding MØL‘s performance at Damnation. For many, it will be a first glimpse into whether the promising Danish troupe can deliver their emotionally driven blackgaze and for the most part, they deliver the goods. Riffs swirl from sharp and frost-bitten nastiness to delicate tranquil passages that keep the crowd fixated on what is happening in front of them. Frontman Kim Song only enforces this as he continuously gets up close and personal with the crowd, delivering his shrieking rasps to wonderful effect. It isn’t a perfect performance however, as occasional technical gremlins threaten to buckle their impact and the abrupt end to the set thanks to the fire alarm dampens what would be a triumphant conclusion of Bruma. Issues aside, MØL delivered a set that certainly hit the lofty expectations, they can rest assured that the momentum will only continue to build.
Rating: 8/10
Words: James Weaver
LIK – Tone MGMT Stage
After what seemed like an eternity following the mandatory evacuation following the fire alarm, Swedish death metallers LIK intended to reignite the fires of Damnation and that they did. Their brand of death metal is rooted in the iconic style of their homeland and whilst that may be considered unoriginal and just a worship act of what has come before, however, for the duration of their set they deliver an unadulterated and exhilarating performance. Buzz-saw riffing comes thick and fast, packing the trademark hooks of the style which get the crowd moving. Tomas Åkvik’s rasping growls hold their own against the ferocious sound and pack that lurking sense of death one expects from Swedish death metal. A set of relentless energy and one that got Damnation Festival back on track.
Rating: 8/10
Words: James Weaver
OHHMS – Eyesore Merch Stage
It’s sod law that literally just before a band renown for writing ridiculously lengthy songs that the fire alarm will go off right before their set is due to start, but such is the situation with OHHMS as they prepared to bring a socially aware doomy noise to the Eyesore Merch Stage. When things calm down and the punters are allowed back in, OHHMS do the expected thing and start with a 23 minute song that’s not even out for another week. Subject carries the crowd through its numerous passages, with the crowd getting noticeably antsy when the slow mid song break comes. Despite this, the band take the energy to the crowd, as bassist Chainy dives right into the thick of it, bouncing from punter to punter as he grooves along with the rest of the band. Paul Waller’s dancing is always a pleasure to watch given how into his music he becomes, trancing out on occasion, adding to the intensity with which the band play. OHHMS are one of the more quietly consistent bands on the circuit at the moment and today was no different.
Rating: 7/10
Words: Eddie Sims
NE OBLIVISCARIS – Jagermeister Stage
NE OBLIVISCARIS’ brand of progressive death metal has been welcomed on our shores with open arms. Frequent touring, including a previous appearance at 2016’s Damnation Festival, has seen their stock rise meteorically and performing to a packed out Jagermeister Stage, the Aussie sextet deliver a performance of precision once again. With a strong mix allowing each component of their sound to thrive, the band waste no time in showboating their quality. Intricate riffing from guitarists Matt Klavin and Benjamin Baret ebb and flow from speedy segments to delicate leads that demonstrate skill and help the momentum flow naturally. Tim Charles’ sporadic use of the violin across the set adds a new range of melody and his clean vocals soar across the crowd, especially on the chorus of Intra Venus, and acts as a perfect counter to Xenoyr’s barrage of growls. And whilst the precision and calculated nature of their live performance did lack an air of organic flair, there is no doubting that the band are experts in their craft and in that regard, they were impressive in their outing at Damnation.
Rating: 7/10
Words: James Weaver
INSANITY ALERT – Cult Never Dies Stage
Thrash is a weird genre now, as most of it isn’t taken as half as seriously as it was when it first erupted from the punk scene wayback when. Nowadays it’s just silliness like INSANITY ALERT, and whilst that may not be a compelling thing on record, when you translate it to a sweaty basement filled with keen and eager metalheads, it becomes a time of such unadulterated fun it really cannot be understated. The Austrian quartet come equipped with signs that literally demand the crowd to mosh, and mosh they do, as songs like Life’s Too Short For Longboards and Why Is David Guetta Still Alive stir up the front rows into a blind flurry. It all comes to a head when the band end on a ridiculous and frankly excellent rendition of Run To The Pit, a thrash take on the classic IRON MAIDEN banger that goes down such a treat these levels of fun are never achieved again throughout the festival.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Eddie Sims
SAOR – Tone MGMT Stage
SAOR have been rumbling away in the black metal underground for some time now. Their melodic-driven atmospheric black metal has won many plaudits in the scene and gracing the Tone MGMT Stage at Damnation, the delivered one of the best performances of the day. Emotions ran heavy throughout thanks to the subtle use of the violin, adding an extra dimension to their almighty sound, and the low rumbling growls from Andy Marshall only enforced this. His passion clearly evident, giving it all on stage, Marshall was captivating to watch and helped to secure the band’s movements through the set as they powered through four songs that clearly demonstrated their expansive and multi-dimensional nature. It all felt totally natural in the live setting. Tranquillity subsided into a razor-sharp beast, and no component felt alien, it all clicked together in a performance that washed over the crowd effortlessly.
Rating: 9/10
Words: James Weaver
ANAAL NATHRAKH – Jagermeister Stage
Despite their utterly disgusting sounds, ANAAL NATHRAKH have become a cult band thanks to their regular and consistent output that stands head and shoulders above their contemporaries in terms of out right putridity. Releasing a fresh album this year, the midlands noise racket come face to face with a crowd beyond ready for them, and it becomes a crushing shame when their sound never recovers from the opening songs. The drums are so loud it becomes all you can hear, and as such the sloppy blast beats become inescapable and drags things back to reality all to often. When the band should be laying waste to the crowd, they instead sound muffled and muzzled, relying on the energy from the rowdy pit to keep their set up to speed. Even classic tracks like In The Constellation of The Black Widow suffer because of the intense sound and clear mixing requirements to allow for such a sound to resonate. It is actually the simplest offering the band have, Forward!, that hits home the hardest, but this is probably because when compared to classic ANAAL NATHRAKH fodder, it is painfully simple and straightforward.
Rating: 6/10
Words: Eddie Sims
CELESTE – Tone MGMT Stage
The French quartet boast a deeply unique stage presence thanks to their miner hats and red light backdrop, enhanced by the blacking of the house lights. Where CELESTE begin to show the cracks is in their lack of any movement, save only for the odd headbang from the guitarists, as they spew out some of the most unpleasant and evil sounding post-black metal you’ll ever hear live. There is a desperate need for some energy to be thrown from either the crowd or the band, but there isn’t anything, resulting in an aural assault that whilst unique, suffers from the lack of engagement that one finds when listening to CELESTE on record. It’s clear to see how a band like this would really show their worth in a tiny venue with even less light than the Tone MGMT Stage, but here there is definitely a urging for something more from the band rather than what was delivered.
Rating: 5/10
Words: Eddie Sims
A FOREST OF STARS – Cult Never Dies Stage
A band seemingly born for a stage like the Cult Never Dies Stage, A FOREST OF STARS suffer the same problems that befell ANAAL NATHRAKH earlier in the day. Resulting in the same effect as earlier, the band’s multifaceted sound is overpowered by the backing track, as guitars and bass are drowned out by the rest of the mix. With such a unique and difficult sound to get right, this does severely hinder the band’s attempt to get traction with the crowd, instead trudging on with their theatrically tinged black metal musings. Given the band released an excellent album this year, this is a disappointing performance from A FOREST OF STARS, and one that is but a blip on their track record. This does highlight a need for bands to form connections with their audience in more ways than just their music, as when moments like today happen, there isn’t just a reliance on the music to deliver a strong performance.
Rating: 4/10
Words: Eddie Sims
BATUSHKA – Tone MGMT Stage
Given that the room is absolutely packed like sardines and the queue snakes up the steps up to the Tone MGMT Stage, the popularity surrounding BATUSHKA is more than evident. Since the release of Litourgiya in 2015, the mysterious black metal collective have become one of the most popular bands in the scene, but rather unfortunately, they did not deliver at Damnation Festival. Thanks to running 20 minutes late into their allotted time and a prolonged entrance to the stage, by the time the band unfolded into their ritualistic black metal, frustration was rife. A guitar-heavy tone extinguished any hope of hearing the more percussive elements to their sound and the resulting performance just felt flat. That’s not to say that it was a total disaster, as there were glimpses of what they are more than capable of. Yekteniya I’s swirling vortex of blistering riffs was infectious and by the time Yekteniya III kicked in, the musical power on display was impressive to say the least. But, despite these glimpses of what we know they are capable of, the disappointment was rife and left much to be desired.
Rating: 5/10
Words: James Weaver
VADER – Tone MGMT Stage
Polish death metal horde VADER are stalwarts of the genre. Led by Piotr Wiwczarek, the band proceed to charge through a adrenaline-fuelled performance that covers a large quantity of their established back catalogue. Leaving little room to breathe between the tracks, VADER let their music do the talking and quite rightly, as the bountiful bout of thrashing riffs and ferocious vocal barks was met with a thunderous reception from the swelling crowd, creating an atmosphere of utter chaos. And it was breathtaking to be a part of. VADER have been one of death metal’s most consistently solid outfits for years now, and judging from both their performance on stage at Damnation, or the legions of fans headbanging like their lives depended on it, they can rest assured that their reputation is more than upheld.
Rating: 8/10
Words: James Weaver
THE OCEAN – Eyesore Merch Stage
Closing out the Eyesore Merch Stage, the prolific sounds of THE OCEAN are some of the best you’ll hear all day. The sound balanced, and every instrument has room to stand out, which is aided by the band’s career spanning set list. Opening with newer songs from their excellent Phanerozoic album, THE OCEAN deliver a heavy set that remains weightlessly effortless, the swelling grooves hitting hard but not oppressively encompassing the audience. The vocals of long time member Loïc Rossetti are clean and stand out as he switches from throat shredding roars to soaring cleans. The tightness of this band cannot go understated as well, which is good considering how sprawling a lot of their music can be. Considering the sound issues and also the intensity that a lot of the day possessed, this was a perfect way to close off proceedings for a lot of people. THE OCEAN ease out the audience from their extreme day and bring them firmly back into the moment, as the performance demands attention, but in return for that attention delivers a set that disappears before you even know it.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Eddie Sims
NAPALM DEATH – Jagermeister Stage
It’s rather fitting that in a day that celebrates everything that extreme metal has to offer that the godfathers of grind, NAPALM DEATH, close proceedings on the Jagermeister Stage for this year’s Damnation and what a celebration it is. Powering through a set of sheer relenting power, the iconic grind outfit wasted no time in setting the bar staggeringly high as their energy transcended from the stage to the mobile crowd effortlessly. Vicious riffs of neck-snapping ferocity came thick and fast, the drumming from Danny Herrera packed a punch and at the heart of their sonic maelstrom, Barney Greenway stood tall. His typical witty banter with the crowd and politically charged commentary acted as a nice buffer between the musical carnage and when it came to this vocal deliveries, his rasping highs and rumbling lows had enough power to match the intensity of his bandmates. In a set where there was little respite, NAPALM DEATH gave it their all and further reinforced why they are one of the most cherished bands in our world.
Rating: 9/10
Words: James Weaver
GHOST BATH – Cult Never Dies Stage
GHOST BATH have had somewhat a mixed reception on our shores. Despite their brand of atmospheric black metal sticking rigidly to the style, an infamous performance at Bloodstock several years ago has rendered the outfit as somewhat a joke. Perhaps it was solely a result of the circumstances of performing on the main stage early in the day of said performance several years ago, because as they closed the Cult Never Dies Stage at Damnation Festival, the band received no mockery in the slightest from those in attendance. What transpired was a performance that held the crowd’s attention firmly as emotionally charged guitar sequences and howling vocals wash across the room as GHOST BATH keep the mood melancholic. Occasional passages of blastbeats and typical black metal riffing demonstrated the more sinister edge to their sound and helped keep the momentum flowing but the biggest issue surrounding their performance however was that by the latter stages of their set, the formula had become incredibly predictable. With repetition becoming the norm, it led to disinterest and their closing moments felt like more of a whimper, rather than a triumphant close to the day.
Rating: 7/10
Words: James Weaver
And that rounds off our coverage from this year’s stellar Damnation Festival. As always, it’s been a pleasure, and we’re already counting down to 2019’s festival! We’ll see you down the front.
