FESTIVAL REVIEW: Damnation Festival 2024

Since moving to the BEC Arena in Manchester two years ago, Damnation Festival has firmly established itself as a genuine staple in the metal festival calendar. Year after year, the festival boasts a lineup that straddles the breadth of the extreme music spectrum and boasts an active and welcoming online community. Damnation Festival 2024, with arguably the boldest lineup to date, is not just an extreme metal feast, it’s the festival’s greatest triumph.

A Night Of Salvation – Friday, November 1st

UNDERDARK – Cult Never Dies Stage

Kicking off proceedings for the stacked pre-show that is clearly far more than a pre-show, in an already bustling Cult Never Dies Stage are Nottingham post-black metallers, UNDERDARK. Their sound is as crisp as it is bleak and despite being the first on as many grab their initial bevs of the evening, heads are turned from the bar to the stage as vocalist Abi Vasquez hypnotises with their emotive blend of post-screamo and black metal influences. With plenty of tracks showcased from their latest album Managed Decline, UNDERDARK are sure to have gained some new fans after a short but sweet example of what’s to come for the rest of the evening.

Rating: 7/10

INSANITY ALERT – Lou’s Brews Stage

Having caused a ruckus when they last graced Damnation back in 2022, two years on, the Austrian reprobates are back for another bout. The tongue-in-cheek nature of the band’s antics sees an inflatable Pikachu two-stepping on stage and crashing in the pit whilst numerous signs with commandments to mosh are launched into the crowd. The ludicrous takes on GUNS N’ ROSES‘ Welcome To The Jungle (aptly named Welcome To The Moshpit) and QUEEN‘s Bohemian Rhapsody (Mohemian Thrashody) are not just some of the silliest moments of the set, but the entire festival. But, the band have energy in spades and thundering covers of S.O.D.‘s Speak English Or Die keep the adrenaline surging. For silly, harmless thrashing fun, INSANITY ALERT tick all the right boxes.

Rating: 7/10

SUGAR HORSE – Pelagic Records Stage

SUGAR HORSE have a beautifully anarchic charm. They call latest record The Grand Scheme of Things their “most accessible” despite finishing it with a 24-minute track, twenty of which is a continuous, piercing drone. Their Instagram handle suggests they are awful, and their Bandcamp describes them as “a decidedly average rock band”. They are, of course, anything but, and for forty minutes today they are on unbelievable form, songs like The Shape Of ASMR To Come and Office Job Simulator sounding colossal. Backed by a screen of moving images that bring to mind a 2024 rendition of the Windows Media Player equaliser – as aesthetically pleasing as it is in line with their sense of humour – SUGAR HORSE lay down the gauntlet to every post-metal and shoegaze band around; if you don’t keep your A Game up, then we’re going to take over the world…and most likely shrug about it afterwards.

Rating: 9/10

DISCHARGE – Lou’s Brews Stage

DISCHARGE were added to the line up at a later date to replace the unfortunate cancellation of SICK OF IT ALL, due to vocalist Lou’s cancer recovery and whilst this left many disappointed, however, they’re a perfect replacement, with their gimmick free, balls out crusty hardcore. They plough through their debut album Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing at a blistering speed from start to finish, whipping up movement from the crowd as to be expected from their punky chaos and it’s truly impressive to witness the impact their forty year lifespan has had on the eclectic crowd they attract as the afternoon rolls on.

Rating: 7/10

EMPLOYED TO SERVE – Lou’s Brews Stage

Until tonight, nobody knew how much they needed EMPLOYED TO SERVE with pyro. The Woking metallic hardcore mob have never been ones to require a full, bells and whistles stage production, instead cementing their reputation as a fearsome live act through the bludgeoning power of their music and frenetic stage energy alone. Tonight, though, as flame jets shoot around their show playing most recent record Conquering in full, there’s no doubt that such an addition is a significant enhancement. The band themselves are on ferocious form, ensuring they sign off before going away to release Album No.5 with fans already anticipating their return. Everything sounds gargantuan, the highlights being a thunderous Sun Up To Sun Down and the savagery of Mark Of The Grave. EMPLOYED TO SERVE may be evolving musically with each album cycle, but their reputation as one of the UK’s best heavy outfits remains consistent and intact.

Rating: 9/10

MIZMOR – Cult Never Dies Stage

Helmed by band leader A.L.N., American outfit MIZMOR have been rumbling in the extreme metal underground for some time now. On their first jaunt to our shores, a packed crowd awaits the band at the Cult Never Dies Stage and what follows is a near perfect masterclass in primal and raw aural devastation. A cacophony of black metal, sludge and funeral doom swirls like a violent maelstrom as the band expertly captivate the crowd with their craft and the atmosphere they conjure is rarely broken. A magnificent performance from a band that will have won an army of new followers.

Rating: 9/10

THE OCEAN – Lou’s Brews Stage

Bands of a similar ilk to THE OCEAN have always been the bread and butter of Damnation Festival and they themselves have played the bill several times but the pull of their sixth album Pelagial in full is a fresh take that has the Lou’s Brews Stage near full. The sound, the songs and the lighting all wash you away perfectly as they work through their post-metal masterpiece and when its all over, you find yourself having to shake yourself back to reality before going to find out who’s on next.

Rating: 8/10

CULT OF FIRE – Cult Never Dies Stage

It’s fitting that the Hindu festival of lights, Diwali, falls when Czechian black metallers CULT OF FIRE grace the Damnation stage. For over 14 years, the band have forged a unique fusion of black metal with Hindu mysticism and live in the flesh, their ritual is utterly spellbinding. Visually, they are incredibly striking whether it is the massive horns rising out of Vojtěch Holub‘s head or him being flanked by guitarist Vladimír Pavelka and Marek Opatrný who sit motionless atop two epic structures. But, the band aren’t just a visual trick or treat, they have the music to back up their immersive atmosphere. Whether they opt for a black metal-led onslaught or swing with hypnotic and meditative rhythm, CULT OF FIRE give, in every sense of the word, a captivating ritual that will live long in the memory.

Rating: 9/10

LLNN – Pelagic Records Stage

As the saying goes, save the best for last, and whilst they’re not officially the final band of the evening, LLNN’s position atop the bill on the Pelagic Records Stage is wholly justified. The Danish outfit, whose music traverses genres and styles, have been growing in stature for many a year in the UK and tonight they are, quite simply, spellbinding. The horrible clash with CULT OF FIRE means they don’t have the biggest crowd, but those who plump for them bear witness to nearly an hour of sheer music perfection, with virtually all of 2021’s brilliant Unmaker album performed, HEXIS vocalist Filip Andersen popping up to guest on Desecrator and Viktor Kass flying solo on most recent single The Horror. At the climax, people are walking out with slightly stunned expressions, as if they knew they were going to experience something brilliant, but still had their expectations significantly exceeded.

Rating: 10/10

DECAPITATED – Lou’s Brews Stage

In another exclusive billing, Polish tech death juggernauts are not only headlining A Night Of Salvation, they are blowing off the cobwebs and giving 2004’s The Negation a rare and exclusive live album playthrough. Bolstered by the returning OG vocalist Wojciech ‘Sauron’ Wąsowicz is a nice touch, with his larynx-shredding vocals on the likes of Three-Dimensional Defect and Lying And Weak sounding explosive, and new vocalist Eemeli Bodde makes a strong first impression on his live debut at the DECAPITATED helm.

A thundering cover of DEICIDE‘s Lunatic Of Gods Creation is a set highlight, before an ensemble blitz across their decorated back catalogue with Spheres Of Madness and Day 69 retaining their status as extreme metal staples, and newer cuts from 2022’s Cancer Culture sitting comfortably alongside their esteemed heavy hitters. A thundering and triumphant end to A Night Of Salvation.

Rating: 9/10

Damnation Festival – Saturday, November 2nd

ENFORCED – Holy Goat Brewing Stage

With many a heavy head from the previous day’s antics, Richmond, Virginia-wrecking crew ENFORCED have the tough job of blowing off the cobwebs and igniting Damnation Festival‘s main day. Fortunately, for these crossover thrashers, they pack an almighty punch and tasty riffs aplenty. Despite the early start, with the likes of Curtain Fire, War Remains and Hanged By My Hand in their lockers, the band never let the intensity drop with the groovy mid-tempo chugs sees heads nodding approvingly and their more energetic passages sees early body counts rise as the pit erupts. ENFORCED inject a welcome-shot of adrenaline and set the platform for the day’s action to truly explode.

Rating: 8/10

PIJN – Eyesore Merch Stage

When the hangover hits, instrumental, progressive post-metal is the way forward. There are definitely a few sore heads arriving at the B.E.C Arena this afternoon, so what better way than to ease into the main course of Damnation Festival with a band who thrive on creating immersive, audible experiences? Fans of Manchester sextet PIJN have had to wait nearly six years for a follow up to 2018’s excellent Loss album, but whilst the material on sophomore release Low Beams Of Hope was excellent enough on record, live it takes on a whole new dimension, washing over a still and mesmerised audience like the most therapeutic of oceans. Without saying a single word, PIJN walk on stage, captivate a full room for half an hour with their craft while obscured by the stage lights, raise their arms in appreciation at the conclusion of their set and leave. Job done.

Rating: 9/10

A.A. WILLIAMS – Pins & Knuckles Stage

Although she’s opening Damnation‘s Pins & Knuckles Stage, it feels like there’s a sharp juxtaposition in gothic songstress A.A. WILLIAMS follow the high-octane thrash of ENFORCED. But her sombre, reflective and spine-tingling atmosphere is as ethereal as it is jaw-dropping to experience. New single Splinter sounds absolutely enormous whilst the likes of Evaporate and Melt shimmer with aurally gorgeous fragility. In a wider context, A.A. WILLIAMS at Damnation is not just a simple curveball to purely offer musical nuance across the lineup, but it is infact reflective of just how diverse the UK’s heavy music scene is. And what could be considered a risk is masterfully executed in one of the standout performances of the entire festival.

Rating: 10/10

GILLIAN CARTER – Holy Goat Brewing Stage

The screamo, post-hardcore element of Damnation Festival is always a slightly smaller percentage of the festival’s pie chart and it’s great to see the promoters pick GILLIAN CARTER as part of it, especially at this will be their UK debut. For those already aware of the Floridian outlet, its incredibly satisfying to see their raging energy and intensity on record translate in a live setting, Unfortunately, there are tech issues that eat into their already very short set, but hopefully highlights like Borrowed Time and Fragments of a Eulogy were still enough to convert the Brits once they were able to get back into it, first impressions are important after all.

Rating: 7/10

HIGH PARASITE – Eyesore Merch Stage

As an opening band on the headliner’s (CRADLE OF FILTH) UK tour, it’s unsurprising that new goth rock outfit HIGH PARASITE have made their way onto the Damnation bill. Fronted by longstanding MY DYING BRIDE frontman Aaron Stainthorpe, they stick out a bit with a sound more in line with the synth-drenched 80’s darkness of THE SISTERS OF MERCY than the more abrasive, extreme metal found elsewhere, yet they draw a sizeable crowd and make a good account of themselves, tracks played from debut record Forever We Burn providing a feel-good party vibe. Resplendent in an all-white suit, Stainthorpe is an accomplished vocalist and performer, keeping all engaged without the need to say a huge amount through the allotted half an hour. His desire is to have HIGH PARASITE be a full-time project running in parallel with his more famous outfit; on the strength of this, they’ve set off on the right foot.

Rating: 7/10

HEXIS – Holy Goat Brewing Stage

The calibre of bands over on the second stage is proven throughout the day with just how packed it is and Danes HEXIS are no exception. Their blackened hardcore is full of the aggression and menace you’d expect from such a combo, vocalist Filip fully owning the stage and captivating everyone that can see through the flashing lights. Every song hits with the same harshness as the last and latest EP Relictus / Umbrae is a promising tease for what we can only hope is a new full length coming next year – HEXIS being just before CELESTE on a line up is a perfect warm up to even more harrowing ferocity.

Rating: 8/10

CELESTE – Pins & Knuckles Stage

Back over at the main stage and the lights have been dimmed for CELESTE and if there’s one thing this band will always bring live its atmosphere, regardless of how big the room may be. From the first half of the set where the only light on stage comes from ominous red head torches worn by the band, to the trigger-inducing intense backdrop of video footage behind them for part two, the whole experience is one of the most emotive of the day. Their blend of post-metal with a blackened death edge is harrowing and confronting in a way that gives you goosebumps with tracks such as Des Torrents de Coups and Le Cœur Noir Charbon proving this perfectly.

Rating: 9/10

GATECREEPER – Pins & Knuckles Stage

American death metallers GATECREEPER have been at the forefront of the death metal revival and the crowd that awaits them at Damnation is packed to the rafters. And the band channel this adoration into a set that is surging with energy. Cuts from this year’s Dark Superstition heavily populate the set but the crowd lap up every moment and every sick riff with the likes of Caught In The Treads and The Black Curtain being standout moments of the performance. But when the band unleash the likes of Craving Flesh, Flamethrower or From The Ashes, the crowd proceed to lose their collective shit and it is glorious to witness. A performance from a band that looks set to dominate the death metal world for years to come.

Rating: 9/10

200 STAB WOUNDS – Holy Goat Brewing Stage

Music doesn’t have to be complicated – sometimes, less is more and bringing a genre down to its purest form can generate terrifyingly brutal results. Step forward 200 STAB WOUNDS, who follow up the intensity of HEXIS and GATECREEPER by destroying the Holy Goat Brewing Stage at Damnation Festival in brutal fashion with their no-frills death metal. Tighter than the nuts on the Bullet Train, they throw out riff after riff without any hint of a second thought and those in attendance lap up every note with a hunger like they hadn’t eaten in days. Whether it’s the unbridled power of Skin Milk or the destruction of Tow Rope Around The Neck, nothing is going to stand in 200 STAB WOUNDS’ way while they’re playing. They arrived with only one aim in mind – to make like their penultimate song and leave Damnation in Itty Bitty Pieces. In case you hadn’t guessed, they resoundly succeeded.

Rating: 8/10

BLACK TUSK – Eyesore Merch Stage

American sludge metallers BLACK TUSK have the unfortunate placement in clashing with death metal darlings 200 STAB WOUNDS in the next room, but despite pulling a thinned crowd, the Georgia-based band give a highly energetic and entertaining outing at Damnation Festival. Balancing the mirky sludge with snarling passages of ferocious hardcore, BLACK TUSK rarely let the intensity dip with the band exuding buckets of sweat as they give every inch of themselves into their performance. Reciprocated warmly by the crowd throughout, it’s superb to witness and is one of the day’s hidden gems.

Rating: 8/10

NE OBLIVISCARIS – Pins & Knuckles Stage

Australian progressive death metallers NE OBLIVISCARIS first graced the Damnation Festival stage back in 2016 when they had exploded onto the scene on the back of 2014’s staggering Citadel. Eight years later and the band are back to celebrate the album in its entirety. The three part epic Painters Of The Tempest demonstrates the vast scope of the NE OBLIVISCARIS soundscape with thundering explosive metal led by stand-in vocalist James Dorton [BLACK CROWN INITIATE] and gorgeous serene soundscapes led by Tim Charles‘ work on the violin. These serene moments, whether it’s the stunning conclusion to Pyrrhic or the gorgeous interplay between guitars and violin on the expansive Devour Me, Colossus Part I: Blacholes, are simply jaw-dropping and stand as some of the most memorable moments of the set. Although the NE OBLIVISCARIS star isn’t burning as intensely as it once did ten years ago at Citadel‘s initial release, their performance ten years later at Damnation Festival reaffirms just what a special band they are within the context of extreme music.

Rating: 9/10

FUMING MOUTH – Holy Goat Brewing Stage

FUMING MOUTH have been growing in popularity lately and after supporting the likes of THE ACACIA STRAIN and UNEARTH, their live shows are a prime example as to why. There may be plenty of death metal on display today, but the trio stand out with unapologetically hard riffs alongside a sense of power and life. This is amplified by vocalist and frontman Mark Whelan announcing he recently survived battling with leukaemia, which adds to the prior statement and solidifies the level of community here at Damnation Festival today.

Rating: 8/10

HANGMAN’S CHAIR – Eyesore Merch Stage

With an unfortunate clash with death metal wrecking crew FUMING MOUTH, the crowd is notably thinned for Paris doom outfit HANGMAN’S CHAIR. Not that this deters the Parisians, as they proceed to give a measured, calculated and booming performance on the Eye Sore Merch Stage at Damnation Festival. Arriving as they prepare to close the book on 2021’s A Loner and prepare to birth new Saddiction in the new year, those present are treated to a masterclass in solemn and crushing doom. The likes of Cold & Distant and An Ode To Breakdown hit like a freight train whilst material from the band’s upcoming album (2 AM Thoughts, Kowloon Lights and The Worst Is Yet To Come) all sound more magnificently epic in the live environment. It’s a highly engrossing set from one of doom metal’s hidden gems.

Rating: 9/10

NAILS – Pins & Knuckles Stage

It’s been seven years since NAILS were last at Damnation and many wondered how they or many others could top that set back in 2017. The fact they haven’t even been back in the UK since then means the main stage is absolutely rammed before they even grace it and for everyone honoured enough to get a good spot, what they’re about to witness could definitely top that set. From the moment they unleash into You Will Never Be One Of Us, it’s apparent how needed the hiatus was for the band, with frontman Todd Jones looking uncharacteristically thrilled to be there and the sound is impeccable. As they hurl through 20 songs in 45 minutes, there’s no room for breath with pits relentlessly opening and bodies continung to flurry over the crowd. New bangers from this year’s album such as Imposing Will and Give Me The Painkiller slot seamlessly into the ferocity of fan favourites like the crushing chunk of Wide Open Wound and as they finish off with Unsilent Death, you start to wonder how you will survive so many more stellar sets this evening after that.

Rating: 10/10

DOOL – Eyesore Merch Stage

Forming out of the ruins of THE DEVIL’S BLOOD and ELLA BANDITA, Dutch dark rockers DOOL are placed beautifully in the early evening of Damnation Festival; after the barrage of the last few bands, here is a group that won’t pummel or pulverise so much as entice and encapsulate. The bulk of the set comes from latest record The Shape Of Fluidity, with the odd track from the rest of their catalogue here and there, but one constant prevails, and that is they sound exquisite. Their compositions float across from the Eyesore Merch Stage with silky smoothness, rising and falling with grace as those who watch on are enraptured by the dexterity and beauty of the songs. On the one hand, DOOL’s more melodic tones aren’t exactly the traditional blueprint for a band that would fit at Damnation Festival; on the other, however, is one of the defining performances of the weekend.

Rating: 9/10

BLEEDING THROUGH – Pins & Knuckles Stage

Its time to give out a big sigh, as you realise BLEEDING THROUGH’s iconic album, This Is Love, This Is Murderous over twenty years old but guess what? That same pop that opener Love Lost In A Hail Of Gunfire would’ve gathered back in the early 2000s was felt throughout the Pins & Knuckles Stage as the metalcore martyrs celebrated the full-length as the majority of the set. Favourites such as Sweet Vampirous haven’t lost their fire, and the nostalgia through the room is rife, as open pits spotlight fans, hand on chest, belting every word. With a little room to showcase slightly newer tracks along side the singalong, every element of the band from the synths to Brendan’s powerful vocals are evidence that metalcore’s not dead.

Rating: 8/10

INTER ARMA – Eyesore Merch Stage

Despite being billed against the stellar THE RUINS OF BEVERAST, judging by the huge draw to the Eyesore Merch Stage for Richmond, Virginia’s INTER ARMA, it’s clear that this band are one of the biggest draws for extreme music aficionados. And the band reward those congregated with a thumping and brutal set. The likes of Citadel (taken from 2019’s astonishing Sulphur English) hits like an atomic bomb, whilst a jaw-dropping double hit of new material New Heaven and Violet Seizures ignites with the utmost ferocity to kick the set off. For any struggling this late in the day, just five minutes of INTER ARMA will inject the adrenaline ready for the final stretch.

Rating: 8/10

DRAGGED INTO SUNLIGHT – Holy Goat Brewing Stage

As soon as the DRAGGED INTO SUNLIGHT merch table was set up the night prior, the queues for limited goods were huge and the hype throughout the day has been real. Its not a surprise, considering the Liverpool-based blackened death four piece have been completely off grid for five years and debut full-length Hatred For Mankind left an impact for so many back in 2009 but maybe what is a surprise is that they weren’t put in the bigger room. With candelabras, fire, incense and serial killer samples aplenty, some may find this too many gimmicks, but, as soon as Boiled Angel kicks in, it all feels like the perfect set up. The band play backs turned, not that you can see them anyway through the smoke and strobes and their blistering blend of extremities makes for an unnerving combination to get hearts racing (no, really people were posting their FitBits on social media). Lets just hope they don’t just disappear again after this.

Rating: 10/10

AHAB – Eyesore Merch Stage

Having had to unfortunately withdraw at the eleventh hour for 2023’s event, not even the spectacle of DRAGGED INTO SUNLIGHT can impact the hugely anticipated return of German nautical funeral doom metallers AHAB to the Damnation stage. Their hour long jaunt is slow, measured but obtusely heavy, akin to being struck by the biggest of waves. O Father Sea might possibly have the heaviest tones we have heard all day whilst Old Thunder is as anthemic as it is epic, and showcases the band flying at the highest of heights. The wait has been more than worth it.

Rating: 9/10

CRADLE OF FILTH – Pins & Knuckles Stage

“Our debut album is 30 years old, which is very strange given I’m only 25” quips Dani Filth. Comedy moments are rare at Damnation Festival, but the CRADLE OF FILTH frontman gets a lot of chuckles from a receptive audience. Taking a detour from the set every other UK show is getting, main festival headliners pull out an ‘Old School Ritual’ where the most recent songs are Born In A Burial Gown and Scorched Earth Erotica from their Bitter Suites to Succubi EP…and that was released in 2001. They’re up against it, from what’s come before to a dodgy sound and the limited travel options from the venue causing a thinning crowd as the set progresses, but they are galvanised and full of energy, The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh and Her Ghost In The Fog reminding people just why they’re the UK’s premier black metal band in virtually every aspect.

Rating: 8/10

Words: James Weaver, Lily Randall, Elliot Leaver

Check out our photo gallery of the day’s action at Damnation Festival 2024 from Sarah Tsang here: 

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