FESTIVAL REVIEW: Mammothfest 2018
Over 50 of the biggest local and international bands from across the extreme metal spectrum. Four venues. One weekend. That’s right folks, Mammothfest is back for its 2018 edition and Distorted Sound is on hand to give you the scoop on everything that happens over the next three days. And with headliners BLEED FROM WITHIN, DECAPITATED and KING LEVIATHAN on the stacked bill, we are expecting nothing less than complete aural carnage, so let’s get into it.
Friday
The weather gods are absolutely smiling down upon hordes arriving at The Arch this evening. One could be forgiven for believing its late summer as opposed to October, as multiple retinas are scorched by the stunning sunset that’s drenching the venue’s beachfront entrance. There’s little time to wax lyrical on such meteorological anomalies however, as Brighton’s own MAGNA CARTA (7) have been given the illustrious – and daunting – task of opening the main stage. The turnout is undeniably modest, but that does not prevent the four-piece (including beaming festival director Steve Dickson on bass) from turning the cross-genre party. “This is not a shit sandwich!” announces vocalist James Hayball as he leads his brethren into a thirty-minute ragga-meets-rumbling thrash rampage that sounds like the bastard lovechild of SKINDRED and GALLOWS, with PENDULUM on babysitting duty. Heads bounce along in time alongside throbbing dub wobbles and electronica spliced breakdowns; songs like the hilariously titled Dick Punch and a Godzilla-inspired jam all make for a set bursting with equal parts energy and entertainment value.
There’s no mistaking DIVINE CHAOS‘ (7) appreciation for both the horns being held aloft below them, and the opportunity that’s allowed the London quintet to even witness them. Proving to be the epitome of technical brutality, classic Angel of Death-era SLAYER riffs and guttural rasps wrestle with chaotic grooves and whilst this band of brothers may deny any need for acceptance, this performance has certainly earnt them some new fans. The bar – and we’re not referring to the one flogging overpriced booze here – may have been raised just two acts in, but the award for filthiest intensity belongs to Germany’s CYTOTOXIN (8). Their arrival heralded by the nightmarish howl of nuclear sirens and flanked by biohazard flags, quickly gives way to their so-called “Chernobyl death metal” – imagine enamel-peeling gutturals, rabid slams and a mid-set bass drop so unspeakably colossal it could displace internal organs and you’re on the right track. Bodies smash into one another during a cranium rattling Frontier of Perception which also encourages a ripped and wild-eyed Sebastian “Grimo” Grihm to hurl himself into the spinning circle pit.
Word on the street is that a dodgy PA system upstairs at the Rikstock Stage has delayed FORGOTTEN REMAINS (7) slot and unfortunately this means a direct clash with the headliners. It also results in a depleted turnout, which is a massive shame as their old-school thrash meets death metal is explosive. And that fire is ultimately wasted when there are few souls to be ignited. BLEED FROM WITHIN (9) made a triumphant return to UK metal earlier this year with the release of fourth full-length Era and a shedload of sold-out dates including London. Even before one solitary note is uttered, you just know something special is about to take place. And what is displayed on the main stage tonight is nothing less than unbridled and unrivalled sonic destruction. Clarity’s ferocious barrage of potent riffery and abrasive drum fills devastates in a live capacity whilst Scott Kennedy’s innate ability to segue from full-throttle screams to searing cleans produces a sound packed with equal parts brutality and anthemic clout – particularly on tracks like Alive and the chest-pounding sensibilities of Afterlife. It’s also disarming to watch Kennedy interact with fans in between songs; the frontman’s demeanour indicative of someone who remains humbled by the batshit reaction to the Glaswegian quintet’s punishing technicality and grooves. The stoner-fuzz soaked stomp of DEAD WITCHES (7) is suitably intoxicating. Harnessing the doom majesty of ELECTRIC WIZARD and an atmospheric darkness akin to a Dario Argento flick, the quartet stir souls as new vocalist Soozi Chameleone’s evocative howls take the incense-filled coven of Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar on an immersive journey. It’s a supercharged end to day one.
Saturday
Night owls may balk at the distinctly earlier kick-off time but if anyone can blow away the festering cobwebs of a lingering bangover, it’s ASCARIS (7) whose refined brutality has enticed an impressive number of punters into the odorous confines of The Arch. Serving up blackened death metal in excess, there’s an almost feral grandeur at play. Sins of the Flesh’s venomous vocal weaves around swathes of unsettling melodies whilst elsewhere frantic guitars intermingle with percussive blasts and thunderous blast beats that are as intricate as they are relentless. Hailing from Finland (despite many an advertisement claiming otherwise) PROJECT SILENCE (6) began life as an aggrotech collective with a penchant for creating dark and oppressive soundscapes. The industrial blasts of yesteryear however, are nowhere to be seen today as the five-piece meander through a hulking blend of filth-encrusted death metal and bludgeoning tech-death.
Midlands juggernauts HOSTILE (7) are next to take centre-stage with their personal take on “new world disorder” – which when translated in musical terms, equates to battering ram riffs, abrasive gang chants and the kind of pulverising grooves that send bodies hurtling willingly towards the nearest pit. If you’ve got a hankering for filthy, fast paced riffs and speedy bursts of thrash-laden metalcore, PERPETUA (7) are just what the doctor ordered, and the Edinburgh shredders’ wall of sound proceeds to rattle the Rikstock Stage to its very foundations.
KRYSTHLA (8) rarely fail to impress live and today is no exception. Northampton might not be an obvious nirvana when it comes to a breeding ground for extreme metal, but this band’s passion and commitment to delivering skull crushing dissonance never wanes, retaining every ounce of the fire seen during the early GUTWORM days. Heavier than Thor’s bollocks and technically astute to boot, it’s a beautifully belligerent display of power – bring on album number three. Not even a rogue kick-pedal beater flying off mid-track can halt the cerebral prowess of BEYOND GRACE (7) – kudos to drummer Ed Gorrod for keeping calm and carrying the fuck on during an otherwise punishing rendition of Acolytes. Thankfully, unexpected gear issues are kept to a minimum, and the remainder of the well-oiled set highlights the Nottingham natives’ ability to conjure up caustic bursts of aggressive ear candy. Brand-new tracks Barmecide Feast and Dark Forest Doctrine seethe with rage and are a welcome addition alongside material from 2017’s Seekers.
Unfortunately, the goregrind and groove-spliced death metal rumblings of RECTAL SMEGMA (6) fail to fully hit the proverbial mark and the wanton savagery they’re synonymous with on record is lost – in this particular live setting anyway. EMBODIMENT (8) have no such worries as they storm through a setlist with an almost disconcerting clinical precision; their flamboyant, groove-infused tech-death threatening to reduce the entire upstairs space to rubble. The concept of being dragged into hell has never sounded so appealing. There are many reasons why INGESTED (8) have long been referred to as one of Blighty’s most savage death metal acts. The Mancunian slam crew virtually level Mammothfest during a set brimming with feral malevolence; they have pace, zest and sufficient nihilistic verve to initiate an intimidating level of pit frenzy. Ferocious beatdowns dance around machine gun blasts and stomach-churning gutturals whilst bodies writhe deep within grooving pits to a soundtrack of pure burning brutality.
DECAPITATED (9) have long stated that the UK feels like a second home to them and judging by the impenetrable venue come 8.30 pm, the anticult is alive and kicking in The Arch. Holding the rabid masses in the palm of his hand, Rafal Piotrowski stalks every inch of the stage as the Polish tech-death titans rip mercilessly through their exquisite discography, snapping multiple necks along the way. Pummelling drum licks jostle against snarling screams with guitarist Vogg’s (aka Waclaw Kieltyka) riffs sounding nothing less than incendiary as the band begin to build up a glorious wall of chaotic dissonance. Older cuts like Spheres of Madness and Day 69 still burn with the fire of a thousand suns; but it’s the grit-laden swagger of Deathvaluation and lurching menace of Kill the Cult from current opus Anticult that really dial up the frantic celebration. After the trials and tribulations of the past 12 months, tonight’s performance proves to be as emotional as it is energetic – take a bow DECAPITATED. That’s how you finish Saturday night off in style.
Sunday
Sundays at Mammothfest are done a little bit differently with their annual much-anticipated Battle of the Bands final kicking things off from late morning. After an extended respite (read checking our skulls remain intact), Distorted Sound makes the short trip across town to The Green Door Store for what promises to be an electrifying final day of heavy music. And we’re not disappointed. Continuing to stand alone in a scene swarming with also-rans, HARBINGER (8) are flying the flag high for UK tech metal this evening. The London sextet proceed to roll out a blistering arsenal of riff-drenched maelstrom combining intricate technicality and ferocious rhythms punctuated by sporadic bursts of enticing melodies. Darkest Days’ throat-ripping proclivities see Thom Gardener practically turn himself inside out due to the sheer blunt force trauma and the barbarous roar of The Darkness of June doffs its cap to black metal – employing the kind of reverberating riffs plucked straight from the depths of hell.
METASOMA (7) favour the monstrous grooves associated with US heavy rock over bleak low-end brutality but remain a no less passionate force when placed in front of an audience. Occupying a space somewhere between ALTER BRIDGE and DISTURBED, the mid-tempo stomp of ear worm Just Breathe mashes hooky choruses with vocal harmonies. The choice to end on a cover – NIRVANA classic Come As You Are – just seems like a bizarre choice. Greeting the assembled throng with an ever cheery “you’re all cunts”, Adam Sedgwick is the undisputed master of pleasantries. Perhaps the frontman is experiencing an unexpected rush of sentimentality on the eve of Brighton’s premier purveyors of blackened doom’s final festival appearance?
Regardless, KING LEVIATHAN (8) are evidence that misery truly loves company as the four-piece deliver a 45-minute collection of sonic psalms chock-full of melancholic atmosphere, complex arrangements and crisp death metal growls. Filled with twisted riffs and thrashing along at breakneck speeds, an epic Coffin Swallower bleeds with despair and unencumbered rage – if tonight is meant to usher in an age of darkness, everyone here is happy to turn their backs on the light.
The weekend is rapidly reaching a riotous climax, but it ain’t over until Irish racket-makers BAILER (8) roast faces via their love for throat-gargling shouts and riff-heavy hardcore. Heads bang and bodies are jumping as Alex O’Leary’s scathing bellows rip through the dense air – and by this stage it’s difficult to judge who is relishing the moment more. Displaying technical precision and flair through tight, mallet-to-the-skull riffs alongside boundless energy, the band’s progression since the release of their scuzzed-up self-titled EP is obvious. We’re just sad that it seems to be over all too quickly.
Distorted Sound salutes you Mammothfest – we’ll see you back down the front in 2019.
