FESTIVAL REVIEW: UK Tech-Fest 2019 – Sunday

With Saturday’s frantic schedule now firmly behind us, the final day of this year’s UK Tech-Fest allowed us to slow the pace and enjoy some of this year’s most reputable acts before the post-festival blues set in. Once again Sunday brought us homegrown minnows, local heroes, international giants and UK summer exclusives, ultimately making for an explosive finale. Here’s how it went down.

BORDERS – LINE 6 Stage

Another rising star in the UK scene, Lincoln’s BORDERS took to the main stage early on Sunday to showcase their expansive, amalgamated take on traditional metalcore. With brand new and widely acclaimed record Purify freshly in the arsenal, the local quartet proceeded to unleash devastation upon UK Tech-Fest‘s main room, offering a seemingly unending package of heavy, down-tuned breakdowns and melodic choruses. Like them or loathe them, BORDERS offer the kind of music to summon relentless energy, and this was abundantly clear as we glanced around at the crowd. With this in mind, this was the ideal act to kick off the final day of a festival, with energy levels close to depleting. Moreover, recently appointed frontman JJ Olifent immediately asserted himself as the band’s centrepiece and poster boy, contriving to hold the crowd in the palm of his hand and offering and impressively varied vocal display. However, this arguably stretched too far, with the (admittedly inventive) quick-fire, rap-esq vocals feeling a little displaced, unnecessary and lacking in conviction, ultimately tainting a generally impressive performance. All things considered, this was certainly a display to get the blood flowing early in the day, and one that still came across as tight and professionally executed.

Rating: 8/10 

HYPOPHORA – Fireball Stage

Injecting some groove and grace into the day early on were Cornish math-rock act HYPOPHORA, soothing weary heads and bleary eyes with their delicate fusion of math and alt rock. Taking to the stage with confidence and urgency, master stringsman Karum Cooper lead the charge with his intricate tapping and soloing whilst intermittently offering harsh vocals as a subtle embellishment. Lead vocalist Katie McConnell proved equally talismanic as she dominated the mix with her dazzling singing range and seamlessly blended in with the bright, gentle tonality of a female voice pairing beautifully with the band’s jovial math-rock approach. It could, however, be argued that the vocals appeared somewhat intrusive at times, blanketing and diminishing the intricacy of the instrumentation where they would have perhaps been better suited at more infrequent intervals. However, nothing can take away from the quality and cleanliness of each individual component, proving to be a generally fascinating display of musicianship. Not only was this an accomplished display from another promising, homegrown outfit, but it also represented a significant sonic mood change amongst the lineup, once again epitomising the diversity of this festival.

Rating: 8/10

CARCER CITY – LINE 6 Stage

After a 12-year spell in the UK scene, Liverpudlian metalcore act CARCER CITY came to this year’s UK Tech-Fest to perform for what would be the last time. For many, this prospect was met with a heavy heart, but no such aura resided during the performance, as the quintet stood tall and proud, and delivered their familiarly energetic, charismatic brand of modern metalcore, radiating the same imposing presence and sonic explosiveness that earned them their reputation. Fittingly, the crowd was treated to a diverse selection of favourites from the back-catalogue, in addition to sporadic flavours from latest and final release Silent War -a compilation which effortlessly sparked enjoyment amongst the crowd. However, as much as we’d love to offer unconditional praise to a revered outfit making their final venture, this is simply an unattainable feat. Often bands call it a day due to a lack of enthusiasm and inspiration, and unfortunately this appeared to be the case for CARCER CITY. The instrumentation often appeared sloppy and lackadaisical, with a handful lead sections being backtracked rather than performed live, leaving a broadly underwhelming impression that lacked impact. It’s a shame to pose such criticism to one of the UK metal scene’s modern heroes, however, perhaps this goes to show that they chose the right time to walk away. Either way, one fact still remains: CARCER CITY will always be remembered and revered as one of the acts that helped shape the UK scene as we know it today.

Rating: 6/10

FROM SORROW TO SERENITY – LINE 6 Stage

Making their second main stage UK Tech-Fest performance in consecutive years, Glasgow’s FROM SORROW TO SERENITY offered another characteristically watertight, mercilessly heavy showing. Lead by the imperious presence and ferocious voice of frontman Gaz King, the four-piece effortlessly rattled through a set of crushing riffs, devastating breakdowns and anthemic choruses, very much delivering the full package. The more expansive, airy acoustics of the main stage suited the band’s sound perfectly, as King‘s striking stage presence, brutal growls and melodic pitch screams added the ideal finishing touch. Even more impressive still was the general larger-than-life impression of the sound, conveying as more than heavy enough for a small club and more than epic enough for an arena venue, establishing a deft balance. With barely a foot put wrong, this performance stood FROM SORROW TO SERENITY in good stead for their main support slot on AFTER THE BURIAL‘s forthcoming EU/UK tour, and once again proved them to be one of the UK’s most promising, rising talents.

Rating: 9/10

HARBINGER – Fireball Stage

Back with a vengeance and fresh from the release of fantastic debut album Compelled to Suffer, UK act HARBINGER were met with a brimming second stage as they prepared for a highly anticipated performance. Predictably, they proved to be on shimmering form, with guitar whizzes Ben Sutherland and Charlie Griffiths remaining ultra tight and professional throughout, nailing every techy riff and face-melting solo, with each subtle bend, pinch harmonic and pick scrape cutting through the mix and blending in perfectly. Moreover, the ever-looming but never intrusive presence of frontman Tom Gardner proved once again to be the ideal centrepiece, nailing every growl, squeal and pitch scream to create a complimentary amalgam of brutality and melody, maintaining a dominating but tasteful aura throughout. With the new material slotting into their live show seamlessly, HARBINGER proceeded to rain fire upon the festival’s second stage, creating a dominating but elegant impression throughout, ploughing through song-after-song of their metalcore based, technically astute sound. Moreover, for an act with just one album under their belt, this band proved themselves to be in possession of a strong, almost militaristic following, very much foreshadowing their future potential. As if it were ever in doubt, this was an impressive, established performance from HARBINGER.

Rating 9/10

VALIS ABLAZE – Fireball Stage

The archetype of a homegrown act who have climbed up the ladder, VALIS ABLAZE headlined UK Tech-Fest‘s second stage on Sunday evening in what was undoubtedly one of their most prestigious achievements to date. Freshly armed with new material and not even vaguely afraid to make it known, the Bristolian quintet raced out the gate with Neon Dreaming, the perfect intro song, and the opening track from new album Render. As a result, the band’s performance was immediately characterised by a chunky, full-bodied bass tone and djenty, down-tuned guitars, neatly topped off by the familiarly angelic singing voice of vocalist Phil Owen. Finally in possession of enough material to craft a lengthy, diverse headliner set, VALIS ABLAZE did exactly that, flitting between debut EP Insularity, 2017’s Boundless and new sophomore full-length attempt Render, exploring every sound in their arsenal. From the devastating heaviness of Paradox to the pop-esq hooks of Proxy, fans of all styles were appeased, and the well-rounded, headline set effect was consummately achieved. With a sound growing ever-expansive and an efficient, practical marketing approach, this was a set to match the glistening status of VALIS ABLAZE in 2019, and one that continue in epitomising the lofty heights that this act can surely achieve in the not too distant future.

Rating: 9/10 

VILDHJARTA – LINE 6 Stage

One of the true enigmas of the modern djent scene, legendary act Swedish act VILDHJARTA co-headlined Sunday’s main stage for what would be their one and only UK appearance of the year. To sum up with a single word, there performance was quite simply crushing. With masterclasses in tone, precision and lighting all simultaneously on display, the quartet proceeded to blitz through an hour of eerie, devastatingly heavy, down-tuned and odd-metered breakdowns, sending the awestruck crowd into raptures in the process. Often disregarded and underappreciated is VILDHJARTA‘s vocal content, and to our pleasant surprise this was another outstanding feature during the live performance, with front-man Vilhelm‘s range of screams and baritone clean vocals cutting through the mix and complementing the instrumentation. Though sometimes branded as a gimmick in the online community, VILDHJARTA proved themselves to be anything but during this set, thoroughly and comprehensively showcasing abundant musicianship and technical ability, and truly establishing themselves as a Sunday highlight.  One can only hope that this triumph will kick-start a return to more regular releases and live shows for this ban.

Rating: 10/10

LEPROUS – LINE 6 Stage

History and status aside, LEPROUS are undoubtedly the most in-demand and sought after act on this year’s UK Tech-Fest lineup. With an impressive and broad back-catalogue already behind them, 2017 saw the Norwegian prog act unleash Malina, a true masterpiece, and the album that propelled them into significant international acclaim. With this context established, it’s unsurprising that Sunday’s final event was eagerly anticipated all over the festival site, and though VILDHJARTA were no doubt a tough act to follow, LEPROUS proceeded to do exactly what was expected of them, immediately spellbinding the audience. Their eclectic, expansive sound oozed from the stage as they tore through a 90-minute set spanning each of their studio albums. Every member was on sparkling form, with drummer Baard Kolstaad and frontman Einar Solberg in particular stealing the show, simply radiating class, talent and musicianship every step of the way. Along with all of this came a light-show that would have dazzled a techno or drum and bass audience, with the stage consistently bathed in red, orange or green light, and strobes almost relentlessly penetrating the irises of the onlooking audience, achieving an eerie, distorted and often disorienting effect. This was a performance not only of a calibre to match the celebrated status of this outfit, but also one to foreshadow what is surely set to be a glorious future.

Rating: 10/10

And so, our coverage of this year’s UK Tech-Fest comes to a close. If you haven’t already, check out our coverage of Thursday, Friday and Saturday‘s action of this year’s festival, and we are already counting down the day’s until we return to Newark Showground for another year!