FESTIVAL REVIEW: UK Tech-Fest 2018 – Friday
With UK Tech-Fest now underway it was time for the ‘big guns’ to flex their muscles. With a few new introductions as well as the highly anticipated return of previous artists, Friday’s lineup looked to be quite the prospect. The heat showed no inclination of toning down so plenty of hydration between beers was required. Distorted Sound continues our coverage (check out the review of Thursday’s action here) with the Friday of UK Tech-Fest 2018!
THE DALI THUNDERING CONCEPT – Winspear Stage
Another act that has experienced a significant upward trajectory in the European tech scene of late, Parisian prog-metal outfit THE DALI THUNDERING CONCEPT certainly had a point to prove with their main-stage slot. A fresh, exciting new string to the DALI bow, this act came armed to the teeth with a series of delights from April’s triumphant, hour-long release Savages, the majestic final mix translating flawlessly to a live setting, bassist Steve Treguier’s live rig in particular coming across as truly crushing. Unfortunate as it may be, the performance as a whole was ultimately let down by a series of technical issues (primarily concerning their in-ears and backing tracks) throughout the first two songs, effectively preventing the full half-hour slot from being near-perfect. Nevertheless, the band powered on through, each member displaying true professionalism in doing so, the signature djenty DALI tone cutting through the room like a knife, and eventually instilling a new lease of life in the sweltering main-stage crowd.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Sam Alberti
YOU WIN AGAIN GRAVITY – Waghorn Guitars Stage
After a string of downtuned bombardment on Thursday, YOU WIN AGAIN GRAVITY were a welcoming change of pace. Showcasing material from their latest release Anonymity their upbeat, ambient rock was soothing and revitalising. They may not have been the heaviest band of the weekend at UK Tech-Fest but they acquired a commendable crowd and were ideal to help ease everyone into proceedings after the lethal combination of sun and alcohol most attendees had partaken in the previous evening.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Dan McHugh
CHRIS SCHIERMANN – Winspear Stage
Sometimes solely instrumental bands can be an acquired taste but it was helpless to abstain from becoming instantly enamoured with the sheer positive energy pouring from Chris Schiermann. Clearly a musician who loves what he does and probably would have played all day long if given the opportunity. Never falling into the trap of being too overzealous, his guitar work was tastefully executed and provided enough variation to keep the crowd entertained.
Rating: 7/10
Words: Dan McHugh
MISCREANT – Waghorn Guitars Stage
Following straight on from YOU WIN AGAIN GRAVITY you probably couldn’t have found two more polar opposites. MISCREANT were the personification of demonic. Rewarding the attendees who were brave enough to tolerate the searing heat to crowd around the Waghorn Guitars Stage by ripping their ears clean off with earth shakingly potent riffing. The eerie melodic twinges mixed amongst the carnage made their offering sound even more ominous. After treating us to their latest single Let Tomorrow Die the reception MISCREANT received will hopefully spur them on to furnish us with some new material to further continue their ascension.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Dan McHugh
FROM SORROW TO SERENITY – Winspear Stage
Since the release of 2016’s Remnant For Humanity, FROM SORROW TO SERENITY have been ascending up the ranks of Scotland’s metal elite and since the introduction of former NEXILVA vocalist Gaz King, the band have elevated themselves to a whole new level. Teasing us with a release next year the quintet showed their wares with a blistering rendition of Supremacy which was soaked in headbang inducing groove. Guitarist Steven Jones was pulling double duty at UK Tech-Fest (with BLEED FROM WITHIN making an appearance later in the day) and he showed no signs of holding back, unleashing riff after riff. The vocal range that Gaz has in his arsenal is frightening and it will give FROM SORROW TO SERENITY that extra edge that will set themselves aside from the pack in what is turning out to be a competitive genre.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Dan McHugh
DESPITE EXILE – Waghorn Guitars Stage
With fragile heads still ringing from the events of the night prior, Italian deathcore outfit DESPITE EXILE wasted no time in laying waste to the second-stage, rendering the hangovers and the prevailing aridity as entirely innocuous. Despite being a fresh, young act, and thus failing to draw substantial crowd, the quintet shrugged this aside and proceeded to power through a thirty-minute myriad of blast beats, gnarly death-metal esq. riffs, crushing breakdowns, and ambient soundscapes. Rifling through a diverse selection from 2017’s outstanding full-length effort Relics, this act quite simply brought energy and professionalism in abundance; each component remained locked in a truly unwavering synchronicity, with the silky-smooth warmth of ambient tremolo leads soaring atop the mix, and frontman Jacopo Durisotti’s range of demonic death-metal vocals topping the equation off in style. In a nutshell, this performance served to ooze aggression, technicality, and musicianship in equal measure, and could hardly have been a greater success.
Rating: 10/10
Words: Sam Alberti
VOLA – Winspear Stage
Following the release of their incredible full-length attempt Inmazes back in 2016, Danish prog-metal collective VOLA have promptly taken the scene by storm, and in turn managed to garner a considerable level of anticipation for their set at UK Tech-Fest. Hitting the stage at 4:30pm, the quartet immediately set about creating a serene, delicate atmosphere inside the hangar, powering through infectious, djenty grooves, exquisitely melodic synth patterns, all neatly topped off by the charmingly baritone chimes of vocalist Asger Mygind. The crowd were instantaneously appeased, as the four-piece gracefully sauntered through such fan-favourites as Stray The Skies, Your Mind Is A Helpless Dreamer, Gutter Moon, and Owls, effortlessly instilling jovial vibes amongst the previously languid, sweltering spectators. In addition, worthy of honourable mention once more is frontman Mygind, who not only succeeded in replicating his wonderfully impassioned vocal performance on Inmazes, but perhaps more remarkably managed to do so whilst flawlessly playing lead guitar; the mark of a truly accomplished frontman.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Sam Alberti
UNPROCESSED – Waghorn Guitars Stage
After forming many years ago UNPROCESSED may have slipped under the radar of even the most avid of tech fanatics but the German outfit propelled themselves into the spotlight with their stunning Covenant release this year. Armed with not one, not two but three guitarists they sounded utterly monstrous and took the crowd at the Waghorn Guitars Stage by storm with their technical mastery. The transitions between melodic vocals and aggressive screams from frontman Manuel Fernandes were a perfect accompaniment to the guitar clinic that unfolded leaving many a jaw left stranded on the floor.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Dan McHugh
BLEED FROM WITHIN – Winspear Stage
2013 was a key landmark in the career of BLEED FROM WITHIN, their third full length release Uprising was received with rapturous applause and was capped off with their Metal Hammer Golden Gods Award for Best New Band. They stepped away from their early deathcore material to create a more potent formula of groove infused death metal and 2018’s Era is the culmination of this transition. An album so fierce it had the fans mouths watering at the prospect of their Winspear Stage slot on the Friday of UK Tech-Fest. BLEED FROM WITHIN generated a sonic blast of devastation with a snare which felt like a shotgun blast echoing through the arena. Pummelling their way through the likes of Afterlife, Clarity and Crown of Misery in an Era-heavy set, their intensity was rarely matched for the entirety of the weekend and provided one of the most impressive performances witnessed at UK Tech-Fest.
Rating: 10/10
Words: Dan McHugh
VOYAGER – Waghorn Guitars Stage
Many people will be surprised at just how long VOYAGER have been on the scene. With six albums under their belt including 2017’s critically acclaimed Ghost Mile, the Aussies were ready to party. From the intoxicating chorus of Hyperventilating to the keytar rendition of Darude‘s Sandstorm slickly incorporated into the middle of Lost the quintet had the crowd in the palm of their hand. The combination of groove and melody was a joy to behold and VOYAGER clearly loved every second they spent on the Waghorn Guitars Stage at UK Tech-Fest. Even when the arena felt like standing inside a blast furnace the set passed in what seemed like mere moments leaving everyone craving more of their flamboyant energy.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Dan McHugh
THE CONTORTIONIST – Winspear Stage
This is an act that need absolutely no introduction. If you’re someone who has been even vaguely conscious of the tech-metal scene throughout the past decade, then THE CONTORTIONIST should just about be a household name for you by now. In addition, we should also bluntly state that two-hundred words simply is not enough to describe this band’s exertions on the Friday night of UK Tech-Fest. The time was 8pm, the smoggy, sultry heat had finally begun to recede, and the stage was set: Michael Lessard and co. sauntered onto the Winspear Stage, and bathed in orange light, launched into one of the most purely flawless performances we have ever had the privilege of witnessing. As the sextet meandered through a remarkably fluid balance of material from their back-catalogue, each member unwaveringly exuded a performance of pure, unbridled musicianship and synchronicity, every component colliding to form what conveyed as a stunningly ethereal torrent of soundscapes, melodies, and harmonies. If you’re from the UK, then you’re probably aware that this band haven’t been hiding anywhere; THE CONTORTIONIST has served to entertain British crowds on numerous occasions before. But, in this instance, they quite simply brought their A-game in utter abundance.
Rating: 10/10
Words: Sam Alberti
SIKTH – Winspear Stage
It was only fitting that one of the most stacked lineups in the history of UK Tech-Fest included a band that could be classified as the spark that lit the fire on the tech movement way back in the early 2000s. SIKTH have been pushing the boundaries of musical progression since their inception and their performance felt like a celebration of how far the genre has come. Despite the evident absence of Graham ‘Pin’ Pinney and his guitars bellowing over the PA via backing track, SIKTH put on a masterclass spanning all stages of their career. Launching out fan favourites like Pussyfoot and Bland Street Bloom had the entire crowd bouncing in a frenzy of energy. It was a shame that the usually spellbinding three way guitar spectacle during Skies Of Millenium Night lost some of it’s wonder with only two members being present but Dan Weller and James Leach deserve all the credit in the world for their meticulous performances throughout. The dual lyrical attack of Mikee Goodman and Joe Rosser is always a pleasure to witness and you would think from the effortless comradery that they both exude that this lineup has always been the norm. No matter how far the tech metal scene grows there will never be another SIKTH.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Dan McHugh
And that rounds off our coverage of the Friday from UK Tech-Fest 2018. Check out our review of Thursday’s action and stay posted to Distorted Sound as we bring you our coverage from the Saturday and Sunday soon!