Revenge – Behold Total Rejection

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Steve Tovey

Behold Total Rejection (Season Of Mist). Until now, Revenge’s three word album titles have always read like the results of a free association exercise at a Fascist support group – Victory Intolerance Mastery, Scum Collapse Eradication, Triumph Genocide Antichrist (all Osmose). Their new release breaks the pattern by not only being an actual sentence, but sounding like it might have more to do with getting dumped than watching a legion of Demon Nazis drown the earth in hatred. Does this represent a subtle shift in the style for the band, then? Er… no.

A dissonant, ugly chord drenched in distortion repeats two or three times before giving way to guitar playing so crude and primitive that even “riff” seems too sophisticated a concept. The drummer appears to be trying to hit every drum as many times as he can simultaneously, and doesn’t really care what anyone else is doing. Solos that are seemingly unrelated to the rest of the music howl out of nowhere like masturbating ponies and then vanish as quickly. The vocals jump from throat-ripping yelps and what sounds like someone gargling cough-medicine, often at the same time – at least once, he will go “Oooh!” and effects will make it echo mechanically for a few seconds like Tom G. Warrior’s cyborg ghost. At some point they’ll attempt to lock into a groove or Doom passage, then give up after a few seconds as the music collapses back into roaring chaos as if nothing happened. There’ll be a moment where the music seems to wobble for a moment, as if about to collapse under the weight of its own completely ridiculous fury.

Every song on every album that Revenge have ever written sounds exactly like that. They are brilliant.

There’s something very distinctive, even unique, about Revenge. They’re normally considered alongside bands like Black Witchery or Diocletian, but they have as much in common with sloppy Grind or Watchmaker as their more conventionally Black Metal peers, and their composition and delivery is frequently related more to harsh Noise than anything in Rock or Metal. Like Noise, there’s something compelling or even addictive about them – when you’re in the mood for it nothing else will hit the spot. Even the nastiest and rawest of Black Metal sounds far too structured and melodic in comparison.

Evaluating a Revenge album is, ultimately, pointless. People who think they might enjoy the musical equivalent of rolling downhill in a washing machine full of rocks will find Behold Total Rejection as good a place to get on board as any other album. Established fans will find exactly what they’re looking for. Everyone else… well… it’s not for them. They’ll find something else, don’t worry.

8.0/10

RICHIE HR

Maryland Deathfest 13 Part III: Various Venues, Baltimore Maryland

Posted on June 3, 2015 by News Team

Crowd shot, by Hillarie Jason Photography Twilight of the Gods, by Hillarie Jason Photography

The next morning was upon us, which meant more breakfast food from the diner down the street. While we mapped our days out, I determined that I would spend most of my day at Edison once again (not that this was a problem). Prior to heading out, my roommate and I gathered cheap beer, ice, and turned our bathtub into our own little fridge. Happy with our work, we applied sunscreen, threw on our denim vests, and headed out to Edison. By the time we got to the lot and got inside, Twilight of the Gods was a little over half way through their set. Personally, the entire day revolved around Triptykon, so naturally I had a lot of built up adrenaline and found myself walking around and meeting new people. To release some more energy (after buying more patches of course) I slammed in the pit for most of Blood Red Throne. As if I was rewarded for my efforts, one of the guitarists threw me a Blood Red Throne lighter! After a set by Einherjer, I took a quick bio break, filled up my water bottle, and ran straight for the barricade where Triptykon guitar and drum techs were hard at work. Fortunately, I was still able to watch Bulldozer from a distance, but was just too anxious for Tom G. Warrior to hit the stage. The time did finally arrive as I fought off crowd surfers while screaming lyrics to old Celtic Frost songs with security. Yes, security. Specifically two of them right in the middle were headbanging and screaming lyrics with all of us crazies in the front row. During ‘Circle of Tyrants’ the two security guys even jumped the barricade and crowd surfed! I spent the next set drinking water and grabbing dinner as I really gassed myself. After my quick break, I met up with my roommate for the week to watch Arcturus play a great set and then join the mass exodus over to the headliners for the day, Razor. The Canadian thrashers brought forward an amazing set (first US set since 1992 according to many) which left fans begging for more. Some of the biggest pits all weekend were during Razor’s performance which made my inner thrash fan oh so happy. Even with Edison Lot closing for the night, there was still a set to be a part of over at the Soundstage. However, a few of us took a detour to the hotel to pre-game so we could avoid the bar lines. After a brisk walk across town, we were inside Soundstage and awaiting the first ever live appearance of Massachusetts’s own grindcore legends, Agoraphobic Nosebleed. Song after song after song flew by, as did an inflatable phallus, which brought fans to hysterics and joy at the same time. Unfortunately with the shortness in song lengths, as well as the shock of seeing Anb live, I had a hard time following along all of the songs being played. If I had to guess, we may have received around 30 songs. This was probably the largest crowd of the entire festival and it seemed more than reasonable that it was for this set. After stumbling back to the hotel, sing-a-longs, shot gunning beers, and other hilarities ensued in the hotel room to close out one of the best days of the festival.

Triptykon, by Hillarie Jason Photography

Security crowdsurfing during Triptykon, by Hillarie Jason Photography Arcturus, by Hillarie Jason Photography Tsjuder, by Hillarie Jason Photography Razor, by Hillarie Jason Photography Agoraphobic Nosebleed, by Hillarie Jason Photography

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WORDS BY TIM LEDIN

PHOTOS BY HILLARIE JASON PHOTOGRAPHY

Liturgy – The Ark Work

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Steve Tovey

If you pay any attention to internet forums or social media venues concerning Black Metal, strap yourself in and get ready for the waterworks. Liturgy’s 2011 album Aesthetica (Thrill Jockey) practically set those parts of the internet where panda-paint and studded armbands are still the law on fire with howling and recriminations – they were hipsters who didn’t understand Metal; they were disrespecting or even betraying Metal; anyone who liked them was a poser and personally responsible for the death of Cliff Burton.

The internet being what it is, of course, the other side were as bad, gleefully throwing around hyperbole about “transcending” Metal’s limitations and the death of the caveman headbanger. Four years later, the follow-up to this divisive album has been released, and in terms of honouring Black Metal’s traditions and aesthetics, it makes Aesthetica look like A Blaze In The Northern Sky (Peaceville). There will be tears.

Liturgy, of course, are entirely aware of this reputation. Setting out their stall from the very beginning, The Ark Work (Thrill Jockey Records) opens with that most Black Metal of clichés – the portentous synth intro – and turns it on its head. Fanfare opens with the parpiest keyboards we’ve heard since Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk (Candlelight), but uses repetitions, discord and glitches to turn it into something resembling Bal-Sagoth having a stroke – both triumphant and broken, familiar yet challenging. Aesthetically, the rest of the album takes its cues from this, blending glitchy electronics, parpy synths, jingly bells and programmed drums in with Liturgy’s usual guitars and… ahem… “burst beats” to create a dense, shifting wall of sound. It’s the vocals, however, which are likely be the biggest sticking point – the more traditional screams of Aesthetica making way for a withdrawn, chant-like mumble, clean yet muddied, and unusually passive and withdrawn for a Metal band of any kind. The internet has already had a massive coronary over ‘Vitriol’, in which vocalist Hunter Hunt-Hendricks “raps” – though in truth it’s more like Middle-Class Spoken Word than anything you’d find on a Hip-Hop album.

Musically, this is a much more varied collection than we’d normally expect from a “Black Metal” band – ranging from triumphant fanfares and surprisingly ferocious blasts through to languid, contemplative passages and shuffling, trance-like electronica – but Liturgy succeed in retaining a feeling of identity and purpose throughout. Even on the afore-mentioned ‘Vitriol’, it never feels like they’re throwing all their cool new influences against a wall to see what sticks – there’s a sense of purpose and intent here that separates them from the aimless hipsterish mess they’ve been accused of being. This is an ALBUM, not just a collection of point-scoring references, and it unfolds with an arrogance and forcefulness that is entirely Metal

That’s the most surprising thing about The Ark Work, as much as both fans and detractors alike would argue otherwise – it is absolutely Metal As Fuck. The Ark Work doesn’t always sound like Heavy Metal, let alone Black Metal, but it couldn’t have come from any other genre. Whereas their equally-controversial peers Deafheaven take fairly conservative Black Metal music and play it with a completely different attitude and aesthetic, Liturgy do almost the opposite, drawing on musical elements quite far from genre traditions, but always investing it with the arrogance, power and sense of sheer unashamed ludicrousness that has always marked the best Metal. Even the vocals make sense once you realise how utterly un-self-conscious they are, and what a massive middle finger to genre conventions they represent. You spluttered in disbelief when you first heard Hunter droning away on Quetzlcoatl? How do you think 80’s Trad Metal fans felt when they first heard Tom G Warrior?

Despite what you may have heard, The Ark Work is neither the ultimate transformation of stupid music into art nor the final betrayal of Metal’s values by the poser hordes. It is, however, one of the boldest, most distinctive and utterly unflinching Metal albums you’ll hear all year, and the perfect example of a band with a strong vision and a determination to walk their own path until the end.

9.0/10

Liturgy on Facebook

RICHIE HR

Brothers of the Sonic Cloth – Brothers of the Sonic Cloth

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Steve Tovey

Come on, admit it: how many of us believed that man-mountain and Grunge legend Tad Doyle was no longer with us?! The most unhealthy-looking of the colossi who bestrode Seattle in the early 90s was nevertheless a commanding figure of the scene, and one of the most quietly admired. Though away for some considerable while, it seems his present outfit Brothers of the Sonic Cloth has been gently simmering for eight years, and this eponymously titled debut album (Neurot) is the first substantial harvest.

The sheer depth and fulminating power of the huge riffs and rhythm section through opener ‘Lava’ is nerve-shredding and, despite a middling pace exposing some old Grunge tendencies, the harsh growls paint a murkier picture. This is reinforced by the funereal rate of the sinister ‘Empires of Dust’; a delightfully morose crawl through the swamps of Sludge, shot-through with a mournful lead which enhances Doyle’s evil croak wonderfully. The opening few minutes of ‘Unnamed’ take us on a varied journey, evocative keys giving way to a monstrous pounding and a nasty, Deathly Doom, Doyle’s growl occasionally evoking Tom G. Warrior. Indeed the overall feel of the track is Triptykon-esque: a swelling, reverberating Stoner groove sandwiched between pulsating, slashing verses and a brutal, industrial coda.

With such a broad range of sub-genres hit already, the only issue here is that the album can’t seem to make its mind up where to go. ‘La Mano Poderosa’ is an at times ponderous bundle through Crowbar country, powerful and crunching yet uneventful; while the emotive, ominous, gently throbbing ‘I Am’ is a crushing depiction of Pearl Jam‘s more subtle moments, Doyle retching and screaming in anguish. The bonus track ‘The Immutable Path’ is an Om-style incantation, quietly rumbling drums and atmospheres combatting the threatening vocal, intoned like a spectral Orson Welles – it’s a spooky sound as Doyle has grown to bear more than a passing resemblance to the acting titan.

Overall this is an intense experience, an album full of resonating weight and passion, and more direction would have turned it into an utter rip-snorter. Welcome back Tad.

7.5/10

Brothers of the Sonic Cloth on Facebook

PAUL QUINN

The Darkness Within Part II- Thomas Gabriel Fischer of Triptykon

Posted on January 7, 2015 by News Team

Outside of all his musical achievements, Triptykon’s Thomas Gabriel Fischer has managed to forge a more stable life for himself. Following a tricky divorce in 2004 the front man has formed a new group, got engaged to girlfriend Corinne Kühne and seems more at peace with himself than ever. The calm yet driven figure is certainly a world away from the demon with the kohl smeared eyes and rasping vocals which is unleashed upon the stage. In spite of all this positivity, Fischer experienced a tragedy in the death of his mentor, the great artist H.R. Giger, famed for his work inspiring the Alien movies. Visibly moved by the mention of Giger’s name, he recounts the influence the artist had upon him. “I am now assisting his widow who is managing his estate. I am still working for the museum, his sculptures are being manufactured and there was a documentary film which was released about him recently. His death was a great tragedy and I miss him very much. I am close to his circle of friends and I was honoured when they asked me to stay on after his passing. His absence is felt every day and I feel his presence even though I know he is gone. A lot of people know him for Alien, but that was just a fraction of his personality. He was a very generous and warm hearted person and you could talk about him about any topic. He was a very inspiring person. He was very shy and uncomfortable with the honours people bestowed upon him. I had to tell him what he meant to me and what he did for Celtic Frost and Triptykon.”

Looking to the future, while Fischer seems very comfortable with his own mortality, he intends to forge ahead with Triptykon’s work. “I see us all as perishing goods. I don’t feel it is so important that I make my mark on the world before I go. Should I live long enough I will make many more albums. I am writing the new material now and have a very definite idea of how I want it to sound. I started writing it six months ago and H.R. Giger and I worked on the album cover when he was still alive. I am honoured that this album will be the last to feature a cover by H.R. Giger! The new album will be more straightforward than Melana…. more raw and crunchy. I have always wanted to make the album that Hellhammer have never done. I am not sure if that is possible with Triptykon but let’s see what we can do!”

Tom is often portrayed by the media as being a shadowy, bleak figure yet behind this façade lurks a sense of black humour which has clearly seen him through the dark times. When describing his future plans, Fischer is keen to point out he has achieved all he could dream of in music but it is clear that the dark riff lord’s work is far from over. “Spring will be spent rehearsing in earnest. If I die before the next albums are released then my fellow young musicians will get rich beyond their wildest dreams! Century Media are always asking me to promote the record but my death would be perfect! We could put out a boxset with my ashes inside! We could pulverize the remainder of my diabetes medicine and include that too. Sooner or later it will end but if I am here we will do more albums. I detest the capitalist culture and greed that has harmed this planet. I am grateful I have got to make thirteen albums and tour the world. To want more would be egotistical.”

Triptykon on Facebook

WORDS BY ROSS BAKER

The Darkness Within – Thomas Gabriel Fischer of Triptykon

Posted on January 6, 2015 by News Team

“It was an extremely difficult album to make. Melana Chasmata (Century Media) is a much more personal, sombre and intimate album than our debut. Several drastic changes in our private lives all happened during its conception.” Thomas Gabriel Fischer is a polite and charming gentleman with no air of pretention. Countless musicians have waxed lyrical on their personal demons, yet when Thomas does so; it is with disarming sincerity and conviction. Continue reading →

Eindhoven Metal Meeting 2014:- Part I: Live at The Effenaar, Eindhoven, NL

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Susanne. A. Maathuis

In the dark days of December, the end of the year is approaching for us all. When families are getting siked up for Christmas and new years eve. Us Metalheads were looking forward to a weekend full of awesomely brutally bands. Metal and Eindhoven go together as the nice juicy cherry on a chocolate cake.Continue reading →

Ghost Cult Magazine Albums Of The Year 2014 Countdown! #10 to #6

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Steve Tovey

In amongst the big boys now, with the Official Ghost Cult Top 10 Albums of 2014. Kicking off with albums 10 to 6, these were the attention and headline grabbing albums that provided the soundtrack to the year…

10. DEVIN TOWNSEND – Z2 (HevyDevy/InsideOut)

Not one but two aural explosions from everyone’s favourite Canadian ADD sufferer. Disk 1 showcases the epic pop-Metal melodies expounded on Epicloud, in a vibrant collection of melodies, twists and simply great tunes, while Disk 2 is the long awaited Ziltoid sequel, a more symphonic and aggressive take on the original. Devin has shown, once again, that no matter what project fills his head, he is a pure musical genius, with 3 albums (technically) in our Top 50.

“Double albums are notoriously difficult beasts to grapple with. If there’s a suspicion of ‘all filler, no killer’, that’s perhaps understandable given some of rock music’s recent inglorious past when it comes to musical heft. The common consensus on this sort of exercise ranges from how to edit Use Your Illusion (Geffen) into one digestible chunk; realising that, yes, Fleetwood Mac really did do ALL of the drugs when recording Tusk (Warner Bros) and, frankly, even Corey Taylor must think that there is way too much padding on House of Gold and Bones (Roadrunner). Breathe easier, then, as this is not a sprawling, indulgent mess. Z2 is indulgent and there is a LOT to get through but Z2 is two records being issued simultaneously rather than some attempt at a single, 23 song epic.”

Read MAT DAVIES’ 9/10 review here

9. AT THE GATES – At War With Reality (Century Media)

After a gap of 19 (NINETEEN!) years the Fathers of the Gothenburg sound released the follow up to one of the greatest extreme albums of time, the genuine legend that was Slaughter of the Soul (Earache). That they didn’t embarrass themselves is one thing, that they were able to ignite the flame of excitement in older fans and pick up newer ones, whose favourite bands swore by the altar of ATG is testament to their quality.

“At War With Reality is a genuinely worthwhile listen and worth the 19 year wait. It still sounds like At The Gates, not the razor-focused Slayer-worship of Slaughter of the Soul, although those moments are still present, but an all-encompassing At The Gates that draws from the band’s entire back catalogue. At The Gates have shown the world that they’re still the most powerful force in melodic death metal. At War With Reality does more than just prop up the band’s legacy, it enhances it.”

Read DAN SWINHOE’s 9/10 review here

8. PALLBEARER – Foundations of Burden (Profound Lore)

Doooooooooooooom, beautiful doooooooooooom! Melancholy, poignant, mournful and emotive, the second album from Arkansas’ Pallbearer set new standards in textured 70’s styled doom, twining haunting, reflective leads, heart-felt impassioned lyrics and vocals, and down-tuned crashes.

“Superlatives and panegyrics are thrown around like confetti these days, and mostly for albums that just don’t deserve them. Here is an entity beyond words. The blend of crushing weight and sadness that twines with an almost paradoxical ascension to light throughout this quite magnificent set is sublime and inspirational. This willingness to puncture doom’s boundaries and travel outside them surely hails Pallbearer as the most important band of their genre right now.”

Read PAUL QUINN’s 10/10 review here

7. TRIPTYKON – Melana Chasmata (Century Media / Prowling Death)

The sound of decomposition in thick, gloopy, stained riffage, the darkest end of despair in musical format, the sound of utter personal devastation hammered relentlessly into your ears as Tom G Warrior continues the styling first unveiled on Celtic Frost’s swansong, Monotheist. Beyond the gloom, beyond the end of the universe, lurks Triptykon’s second opus magnificum.

“Still gloriously innovative at 50, the enigmatic and death-obsessed Thomas Gabriel Fischer returns with his latest and possibly most enigmatic incarnation. The darkly expansive Eparistera Daimones, the first Triptykon album, displayed a panoply of musical styles. Remarkably, sophomore suite Melana Chasmata sees a deeper mining of that creativity, reaffirming the band’s reluctance to be confined by any musical barrier and confirming the triumphant second coming of Gabriel’s most inventive, diverse and impressive guise.”

Read PAUL QUINN’s 8.5/10 review here

6. DECAPITATED – Blood Mantra (Nuclear Blast)

Perhaps the most hotly anticipated “pure” Death Metal release of the second half of the year, this Polish hate machine did not disappoint, with a career and genre defining masterpiece, adding to their impressive canon with an absolute killer of cemtex-infused vocal growls, blistering drumming, colossal grooves and excessive riffs. But this was no old school rehash, the Krosno krew enhance their wares with industrial touches, and an insinuation of Slipknot showing this is a thoroughly modern and quite exceptional Death Metal band.

“With this much skill at their disposal, looking back it almost seems embarrassing that they were ever doubted. To use a lazy comparison, Decapitated are like (Marvel Comics anti-hero) Blade; they possess all of the strengths of Death Metal and none of its weaknesses. And it’s increasingly evident they cannot be killed. Quite simply Blood Mantra is one of the finest Death Metal albums to be released now or ever and it’s difficult to see how it can be topped. One thing is for sure; Vitek would be proud.”

Read JAMES CONWAY’s 9.5/10 review here

Compiled and additional words by Steve Tovey

Bloodstock Open Air Festival 2014: Part II, South Derbyshire, UK

Posted on August 18, 2014 by News Team

Saturday

Bright sunshine and lots of happy greet Evil Scarecrow who have become something of the house band at Bloodstock. What is there not to love about watching 15,000 metal heads moving crab-like across a field during the brilliant ‘Crabulon’? ‘Robototron’ is equally brilliant with two robots appearing out of fake Marshall stacks at the rear of the stage. Gloriously silly.

Over on the second stage, Essex’s The King is Blind are throwing down the proverbial gauntlet with their delicious blend of doom and black metal underpinned by a groove and drive that recalls Corrosion of Conformity. Lead singer Steve Tovey cuts an imposing, belligerent presence, driving his band mates on. The drive and ambition is self-evident as is the quality of the songs from start to over far too sudden end.

Back at the main stage, transport problems means that half of the gear belonging to Shining is still in Frankfurt. They still put in an infectious and beguiling show of their self-monikered black jazz shtick that, in the wrong hands would be arch and hard work but with these guys it seems the most natural thing in the world.

“We’ve been trying to book these guys for years” snarls the announcer for Poland’s Decapitated. Decapitated might be described as a death metal band but their technical brilliance, creativity and sheer dynamism means that they are much more than just a “death metal band”. Stunning.

Crowbar are just unremitting. There is no light in their darkness, only gloom. Riff after riff this is heavy metal as fine wine. Complex, dark, intense. There is much to admire here just don’t expect there to be any let up in the heaviness delivered by Mr Windstein and co. You will only get one response to any plaintive cries for levity- more riffs.

Children of Bodom have become a staple of Bloodstock but showboating and overt reliance on sweep picking marks them as just a show pony. ‘Hate Me’ and ‘Silent Night, Bodom Night’ are decent, but the later material such the mid tempo ‘Transference’ is truly dire. If these Finns want to reaffirm their place in the scene they need to return to the aggression of their early work and rein in the Yngwie Malmsteen indulgence before they become more indulgent and pretentious.

Suffering from a poor sound mix with more backing tapes filling in for the lack of a second guitarist Lacuna Coil fail to give a great account of themselves. Sure ‘Nothing Stands In Our Way’ from recent Broken Crown Halo (Century Media) opus gets a good response but without the vocal talents and presence of Cristina Scabbia, LC this performance would have been a write off.

Jeff Walker’s sardonic wit has served Carcass well over the years. Walker cracks wise about Emperor Sticksman Faust although while dedicating a song to the late Sophie Lancaster. A fall falling halts proceedings for a new minutes but this does little to derail the grizzly exhumation of cuts like ‘Unfit For Human Consumption’ and a stirring ‘Heartwork’.

Emperor deliver an exemplary performance. Clearly the main draw of the day: the anticipation and sense of this being “a moment” is palpable. They are raw, passionate, terrifying and utterly astonishing. A main set list of ‘In the Nightside Eclipse’ which many will regard as their masterpiece was delivered with an absurd level of dynamism. Despite being twenty years old the material still feel incredibly vital. Some may bemoan the lack of corpsepaint the band employed back in the nineties, but such trappings would be unnecessary. ‘Cosmic Keys to My Creation and Times’ and ‘I Am the Black Wizards’ are awe-inspiring, draped in drama and magnificence. An epic performance few acts could hope to emulate.

Sunday

The magnificent medieval metal of Haerken is cut from a similar cloth to Amon Amarth with Scottish folkloric tradition replacing tales of Viking daring. A cunning and clever trick of throwing two dozen inflatable swords into the audience only warms the audience to the band even more.

Having carved a mean reputation for aural depravity, Aborted are a sadistic lesson in violence. Schizophrenic breakdowns and hyper-speed blastbeats are delivered with ridiculous facial expressions which suggest the Belgians realise how such insane outbursts can be highly entertaining.

Dutch symphonic metallers Revamp begin during torrential rain yet the dynamic performance of front woman Floor Jansen is anything but damp. Demonstrating just why Tuomas Holopainen choose her to front Nightwish, Jansen has an innate charisma not to mention a vocal range many would kill for. ‘Of Wolf And Dog’ brings the set to a triumphant close which even the sun has returned to witness.

Since Evan Seinfeld decided to swap hardcore music for hardcore adult movies there has been something lacking about Biohazard. Billy Graziadei leads the band into battle but much of the danger factor seems to have left the veteran New Yorkers. At least the band can muster response on tracks like ‘Tales From The Hardside’ and ‘Punishment’, the latter of which sees the biggest stage invasion in Bloodstock history.

The unsettling and often disorientating music of Voices. Rising from the ashes of Akercocke this astonishing black metal act pulled off the trick of being deliberately obtuse yet strangely engaging at the same time. Their set veers, often weirdly, from beautiful black metal riffing to obtuse experimentation, often in the same song.

The offer of free beer is clearly too hard for the Bloodstock masses to pass up, so there is a packed tent for the old school thrash metal of Dublin’s Psykosis. This mob clearly fall into the thrash revival camp which is no bad thing and their straightforward, gutsy thrash metal is a veritable tonic in the New Blood tent. Psykosis do exactly what they say on their tin. Echoes of Acid Reign, early Nuclear Assault and Anthrax and you have a very tasty brew, thank you very much.

Avatar: I keep wondering whether the world needs another Marilyn Manson tribute act but it is fair to say that there are plenty here who not only think you do but actually have come with their faces made up like the band’s showman vocalist Johannes Eckerstrom who, to give him his due, works the stage like the madman he clearly is.

Belfast’s Stormzone are proper heavy metal. They hark back to a more innocent time of big riffs, big choruses and bigger hair and tales of being out on the highway and all that stuff. Lots of riffs, massive sings to get your teeth stuck into and the most effortlessly entertaining forty minutes of the weekend. It would be really easy to be cynical about Stormzone it would also be wrong. They make music that is life-affirming and music that puts a huge smile on your face. You cannot ask for any more than that.

Florida bruisers Obituary have many crushing numbers in their arsenal. Jon Tardy has a vicious snarl that could strip paint, but with the wind working against him, he is fighting an uphill battle. The ugly and unpretentious likes of Slowly We Rot still generate a more than healthy response from the audience. Over by the VIP bar groovy rockers Ten Foot Wizard put in their second shift of the weekend with a semi acoustic set of 70s inspired riffola which provides a nice foil to the bludgeoning Obituary delivered. Gary Harkin’s gruff yet soulful drawl marks these promising stoner rockers as ones to watch with their distinctly British flavour.

There have been millions of words written about Saxon; you know who they are and what they do. Saxon play heavy metal. Saxon have written a few classic albums and are part of heavy metal’s heritage. Yet tonight their performance was efficient but unspectacular.

The Sophie Lancaster stage has seen many fine performances but the appearance of Collibus was more than a bit special. Gemma Fox has grown into a fantastic front person to match her substantial vocal capabilities. Neither opting for growls nor overloading her performance with vibrato. It is near impossible to take your eyes away from this powerful dynamic performance.

Amon Amarth are just brilliant and should be Bloodstock headliners. A stage set of two smoke breathing twenty-foot high dragon’s heads that double as stage risers for the band, this is one of those laying down a marker for the future sets. Amon Amarth are getting themselves ready for the bigger leagues and the bigger stages and here is evidence of how they are going to do it. Amon Amarth bring fire, explosions, smoke and yet more flames. This is heavy metal at its most theatrical, it’s most absurd: some might argue, it’s most brilliant. What impresses most about Amon Amarth is the supreme effortlessness of it all. They have clearly been preparing for this slot for a while. That they could simply amble on and deliver a superb performance of collective will, artistry and intelligence without losing sight of the fact that they are OUR band, is testimony to their endeavour.

Orderingthe shutdown of all stalls playing music and demanding that second stage headliners Satan postpone their set till after his, it appears Dave Mustaine is on the warpath again. Tonight we see both the best and worst of Megadeth in equal measure. Hangar 18 and Sweating Bullets are killer cuts and we are largely spared material from disappointing Supercollider (Roadrunner) opus but Mega Dave’s voice sure isn’t what it used to be. While he can clearly shred with the best of them it is quite painful to hear him straining to hit certain notes.

Video clips from hit movies such as Wayne’s World are used between songs but while they provide light relief it seems sad Mustaine needs to rely on such gimmicks to improve this presentation.

A touching moment occurs when this Mustaine stops the show to invite a young boy to sit onstage presenting him with a plectrum in a touching fatherly gesture, reminding you that old flame locks can’t be all bad. Classics like ‘A Tout Le Monde’ and ‘Symphony Of Destruction’ are rapturously received which all goes to show that when he sticks to the task of being a musician rather than kicking up controversy old Dave is a good egg but quite how long he can sustain performing live is anyone’s guess.

REVIEW BY MAT DAVIES & ROSS BAKER

PHOTOS BY EMMA STONE PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOS OF EMPEROR AND MEGADETH BY RUDY DE DONCKER (Courtesy of BOA)

READ PART 1 OF OUR BOA COVERAGE

Bloodstock Open Air Festival 2014: Part I, South Derbyshire, UK

Posted on August 15, 2014 by News Team

Bloodstock has pretty much earned its spurs as the UK’s number one metal festival. Set on a lovely compact site at Catton park in South Derbyshire, England, 2014’s Bloodstock has plenty to offer even the most discerning metal die-hard you’d have been hard pushed to find something you didn’t fancy in this year’s line-up, if you like all things heavy and metal.

Friday

Friday’s line up has to blow the hangover cobwebs away and get the masses into the proverbial groove. Caps need to be doffed then for the excellent Bloodshot Dawn and their brilliantly crafted and executed technical death metal extravaganza on the main stage. Brutal, darkened melodies and a sense of urgency and pace that will have earned the band a large number of new fans as well as delighting the passionate throng of existing adherents to their cause as happy as the proverbial Larry. Over on the New Blood stage, No Sin Evades His Gaze are getting us quietly excited about their debut album which coincidentally has its release on the same day of their performance. They fall very neatly into the file marked “promising” and “ones to watch”.

Entombed A.D. deliver a solid, no messing about set of hardened, wizened death n roll metal which is fine as it goes but not exactly the most earth shattering performance from Lars Goran Petrov and his mates. Still they draw a large appreciative crowd.

A quick detour to the New Blood tent again to see Abhorrent Decimation. These guys are the most horrible, brutal and brilliant death metal band you are likely to come across this year. This was, simply put, a masterclass in how to pummel your audience into submission. Tighter than the chuff of a gnat they understand that the audience comes to be entertained as well as beaten up. Pure masochistic pleasure and utter brilliance.

History has not been fair to Flotsam and Jetsam. Unfairly maligned as the band that Jason Newsted used to be in before joining THAT band, the real truth of the matter is that this is a truly excellent thrash metal band and they set about reaffirming this with resilience, gusto and no small amount of flair. If there were medals for writing anthems then Flotsam and Jetsam would have a chest load of them. Enormous, fist pumping fun.

New York City’s Prong arrive on the main stage and it is like the return of a long lost friend. Riffs that James Hetfield would give his tattooed right arm for, a career spanning set list that early fans and newbies alike would have found hard to find anything remotely approaching fault with, Tommy Victor’s outfit grabs Bloodstock by the throat for 40 breathless and effervescent minutes of their blend of hardcore/crossover/industrial/whatever metal that is as joyous as it is heavy: one of the highlights of the day.

Clouds and crowds gather for the arrival of Tom G Warrior and Triptykon. Pretty much everyone knew that this was never going to be a sing-along but today Triptykon are hard work, almost wilfully so. Opening with the nine minute ‘Black Snow’, Triptykon succeed in creating an atmosphere of dark, brooding melancholy that they hold for the entire performance. At one level, you cannot fault the single mindedness but music is as much about the relationship between the artist and their audience and not simply the art itself, something that is lacking in their show today. A disappointment.

It is something of a relief to get to the Sophie Lancaster Stage to catch the black metal brilliance of Winterfylleth. By now the heavens have opened and the rain is pouring down so hard that a man called Noah popped by and asked people if they had any domestic pets wandering around. Winterfylleth might look like the latest recruits to the management training programme at your local bank but, my god, they make an extraordinary racket. A show that balances light and shade in equal, appropriate measure- pounding, venomous riffing, blood curdling howls of rage and sorrow is, almost weirdly, exactly what the day needed.

Hatebreed are never going to win any awards for subtlety but, my goodness, they are on form today. Hatebreed properly understand the phrase “work the crowd”. They are, probably the biggest draw of the day (including the headliner) and they simply nail it. Jamey Jasta is a circus ringmaster of a front man, the driving force of this outfit. He is part showman, part raconteur, and all metal. There are no surprises with Hatebreed; what you see is what you get and today.

There is a heighten sense of expectation surrounding Dimmu Borgir. Which Dimmu Borgir would take to the stage? The brilliant irascible, transcendent one? Or the achingly dull, slightly pompous one? At first, neither one does as technical difficulties abound to delay their arrival much to the band and the audience’s obvious annoyance. A real shame.

And so we come to Down. Phil Anselmo simply owns this stage. Swigging liberally from a bottle of white wine, cracking jokes and telling stories, Down silenced any doubters with a pounding performance. There cannot be man metalheads who do not love ‘Stone the Crow’, ‘Ghosts of Mississippi’ or a spellbinding ‘Bury Me in Smoke’, where the band get joined onstage by Orange Goblin. It’s clear that Down are in party mood and we are all invited to join in their Southern Hospitality. So we do. We even get treated to a little vignette of Pantera’s ‘Walk’ which leads everyone to think about when that damn reunion is going to take place. Go on, Phil, sort it. Just for us, there’s a good chap. Valedictory.