For a young band to solidify their status and upgrade themselves from “ones to watch” to “key members of the metal scene” with a solid third album is quite a task. A listen to The Resilient, the third record in six years from French deathcore act Betraying The Martyrs, indicates that they have taken their song-writing to another level from their previous explorations on Breathe in Life and Phantom (all Sumerian). But does this release have the chops to propel them into the metal stratosphere?
If you find yourself seeking a soundtrack to a belligerent, drug fuelled weekend look no further than Songs of Darkness and Despair (Housecore Records), the new collaboration between the iconic Phil Anselmo and horror movie mainstay Bill Moseley.Continue reading
Atmosphere was the key word at Damnation Festival and back over on the Eyesore Merchandise Stage as Portuguese act Sinistro unleashed a sonic tour-de-force. Though a relatively new act its members hold combined decades of performance experience, and there was something of the avant-garde about this set. Vocalist Patricia Andrade was as forceful in her dancing as she was elegant in her singing, and to top it off she was the beneficiary of carefully arranged lighting that ensured she was almost floodlit while her band mates moved behind and around her in relative shadow. Continue reading
An army of metal heads descending upon the University of Leeds Students Union on a freezing, overcast morning can only mean that it’s time again for the annual earthquake of Damnation Festival. Now in its eighth year at the same venue, and a third year of hosting acts on a total of four stages, this cult event is growing. Unfortunately, its expansion coincides with the revamp of the building it has called home for so long, making this one of the more hectic and claustrophobic episodes in the festival’s history. Continue reading