What you have below are past issues of Metal Horde Zine and some spare copies of other zines that I've traded with. As you can see there are very small quantities of pretty much everything. Prices vary between 2 and 3 Pounds each. We can work some deal in case you want more than one item. Postage will be around 2 Pounds for every 3 copies within the UK (Outside of the UK hit me up and we can figure something out). If interested hit us up at metalhordezine@gmail.com
Day 3- The night of the Screaming Warriors!!! And bands, don’t forget the bands!!!
Final day of Barroselas, and this year, with a bit more responsibility on our shoulders, as the guys from the fest asked us to close the night with a DJ set, something we never had done before. But we will get there!! The day started with the usual SWR/Metal Horde quiz hosted by Ines and with a great adherence by the crowd, we had 10 teams (the most we have ever had) inclusive one team with the guys from Hellripper in it (I helped on the translation of the few questions in Portuguese and gave they some hints on the Portuguese bands eheh)!! Lots of fun and always a highlight from the festival's last day!! We were running a tight ship because the first band to hit the stages was our friends in Jade, and we didn't want to miss that!! We only missed the first track and then were there to witness their powerful Death/Doom Metal. They had in the backpack their newest album "Mysteries of a Flowery Dream" (so new that it wasn't yet out by the label, although J. had some copies and we bought one, alongside a copy of their split release with Sanctuarium)!! After them came Utopium, a band which returned to the stages after a very big hiatus!! I think we hadn't seen them since 2013, when they won the WOA Metal Battle here in Barroselas!! They returned with almost their original line-up and for half an hour destroyed Barroselas!! First band to open the inside stage was the veterans Sacred Sin, back to Barroselas after a long absence. They are still one of the most ferocious Portuguese bands and the fact they have a career with more than 3 decades says it all!! They brought newer tracks but also classic ones like “Darkside” or “Eye M God” and delivered a powerful Death/Thrash session to us all!! Then back to the outside and we were hit by this massive wall of sound which was coming out with the compliments of Spain's heaviest trio Totengott!!! Their influences of Celtic Frost are still very raw, especially when things get slower, but I don’t see that as a bad thing!! Black Curse continued the ravage on the inside, with a set which had as much of chaos as of destruction. What a freaking racket these guys deliver. For me, it’s a bit of too chaotic but maybe the three days of festival was showing up!! D-Beat, Grind and Punk met all together for the next band on stage: Industrial Puke from Sweden. They were showcasing their second album: “Alive To No Avail”, and did an excellent job on that, bringing some heavy riffing and fast d-Beat to the festival. Things went on a weirder path when Norwegians Ved Buens Ende arrived in Barroselas!! Their only album "Written in Waters" is a cult album for all those into no-borders, groundbreaking music, but I have to say, it hurts my brain when I listen to too much of it!! Nevertheless, I spoke with some friends which are fans, and they freaking loved it!! A more primitive, but also more to my taste, sound invaded the outside stage!! Veterans Avulsed (they were the headliners of the first ever Steel Warriors Rebellion festival) came out swinging in full force with founding member, and the only remaining one, Dave Rotten, showing why he is one of the most powerful growlers out there!! They drove through their career not forgetting a couple of songs from “Phoenix Cryptobiosis”, their newest album and the first with this new line-up!! All hail the goat!! That's the saying when Hellripper goes on stage and man, did they bring even more energy into the fest!!! Mosh pits, stage diving and lots of headbanging, were the main ingredient, all very spiced by the great music coming out of the stage!! It’s a pleasure to see these guys on stage, and the way they connect with the audience!! They went back in time with songs like “Hells Rock’n’Roll” or “Nekroslut” but also played stuff from later albums, so a good mix!! More destruction, chaos and savagery arrived when the Finns Concrete Winds took over the outside stage!! Would love to know how much is planned and how much is improvisation, and even if they know in what song they are, among all that cacophony. Next was time for a legend of the Death Metal scene: Unleashed!! And the Swedes did not disappoint all that gathered in hall of the gods (ok, maybe not a hall but still a big place, and it was packed!)!! They arrived on the long-ships, pillaged the village, sworn allegiance to the gods and brought victory to Death Metal. And finished with “Before the Creation of Time”, nothing more needs to be said!! Test finally had the chance to play in a normal stage on this last day, as they had the pleasure of closing the fest. I only saw a little bit as we had to prepare everything for our DJ set which would happen just after they were finished. We didn't think we would make it after four days of partying, 40 bands, more than 40 hours of music but all that vanished when we started putting out the first tunes!! We were the screaming warriors and we brought to Barroselas a night of Heavy Metal!! Starter was "Emergency" on the Motorhead version, although we had some Girlschooll later on!! Then it was hit after hit from Judas Priest to High Spirits, Motorhead to Witch Hazel, Manowar to Enforcer, Manilla Road to Danzig. We also dabbled a bit in Thrash, Death, Punk, and traditional Rock, in a night that lasted until 7.30am. Five and half hours of fun and tunes!!! We ended with "White Rabbit" on the original Jefferson Airplane version, which was bold, but it felt as the right thing to play at that time!!! And with that, another SWR Barroselas came to end!! A blast as always and we will see you all again next year!!!! Stay safe!!!
Day 2 – In battle there is no law!!
So, the sun rose in the east, another Spring day was upon us, and we got out of our tents, and headed to our usual hunting ground!! There we met some fellow hunters and gathered in a feast of meat and fish, always with some beer and red wine to wash it down (there’s also some Coca-Cola (if I put the English term, people will have funny ideas) and water in there, we are not plain old alcoholics!!). After staying for around 3-hours (yes, we Portuguese people like to have our time when eating and drinking), we strolled back to the festival grounds for another evening of fun and ear-splitting music!!
Things started with Idle Hand, a young band from Porto, which we only saw a couple of songs because we stayed outside talking with some mates we hadn’t seen in a while. War stories were told about spending a lot of money to go see Ved Buens Ende far away from Portugal, and now, having them here!! As for the band, the songs we heard, looked ok but I need a next time to really hear them. Next came Dokuga, a veteran band from the Portuguese Punk scene, and even if I’m not a huge fan of Punk music, I like some of it, and they were really good!! Just the enough, “in your face” attitude, songs spitted in Portuguese and good old riffs. They felt just at home, and the crowd loved them!!! Then time to open the hostilities in the main stage, with a young French horde by the name of Profanation!! So young, they only have one EP out, but they showed no fear and delivered a set of a very furious and heavy Death Metal. They showcased the EP plus a couple of tracks which probably will be featured in a new record. A band to keep an eye on!! Back to the outside for some Doom/Stoner with Black Pyramid, which suited very well this end of afternoon in Barroselas!! Long-reptilian songs where the riff is master but also very well supported by the very thick bass lines and the pounding drums!! Time to roll one, if you are into that eheh!!! Things then went a bit faster, with the band that played more often in Barroselas, Portuguese Black Metal veterans Corpus Christii. They promised a very old-school set, and they delivered. From “Saeculum Domini” from 2000 to “Rising”, seven years and another three albums exist, and they played songs from all these five albums. The band is quite in a good shape, especially their frontman, and founding member, N.H., spewing furiously songs like “Throne of the Proud” and “The Fire God”. The sound didn’t help some times but it was a hell of a throw back in time, to a time where Black Metal was fearless and unapologetically. Then time to chow, so we had to skip a band, and we chose Nashgul as we have seen them a few times!! I saw the video from their performance later on, and as always it was bang on!!! Grind in your face!!! We were back in action to see the forefathers of Black/ Thrash Metal aka Aura Noir!! And were they fucking good or what?? “Black Thrash Attack” opened and just threw the hammer down, after that it was riff after riff and blasts like “Conqueror” or “Hell’s Fire”, ending in fire with “Condor”!! The riff godz were satisfied, and also the crowd in Barroselas, with plenty of mosh and stage dive!! Outside it was time for some technical brutality, more known as the Italians Vulvectomy!! Their Death Metal is freaking technical but also very brutal and slammy!! Not my favourite kind of music but they were tight and heavy as fuck!! People into it, seemed to have enjoyed it!! Back inside, and now it was time for some weirdness courtesy of Dødheimsgard!! Honestly, this is not my cup of tea, but they were enjoyable from time to time, although sometimes there was stuff happening, which was way over my head eheh!! Watching the show, you felt you were watching a theatrical performance, more than just a regular Metal show. I saw pretty much the entire show, and I think they did not finish their expected set!! There was only one cancellation in this year’s festival, and that was Escuela Grind, as they had some issues with their booking agency. They were replaced by the awesome Sijjin, which came to the rescue!! In the day they were releasing their second album “Helljjin Combat, the trio delivered one of the best shows in the festival!! An offering of barbaric, occult and fast Death/Thrash Metal, which violently possessed all those in the crowd!! They balanced the show between their two albums but it was the novelties like “Fear Not the Tormentor” or “Five Blades”, that for me had an extra flavour!! Decaying riffs, powerful drumming and hellish vocals made of this gig, one to remember!! I felt drained after Sijjin, so needed a bit of rest, and some more fuel (not just beer but also some food) and when we went inside Gut was grinding their way through Barroselas!! The mythical German band seemed to be in great form and delivered a fun set with tracks as “Anal Sushi”, “Anus Anubi” or “Sperminator”. So, you should know what to expect from them, if you are a fan of the more porno grind, you probably loved it, if you aren’t, you probably did not see it!! Final band of the day was the Belgians Bütcher and my Lord, what a freaking energetic bunch are these guys!! Especially the singer!! Yeah, they mix Judas Priest, Manowar, Iron Maiden and so on, but they do it with energy, catchy songs, good riffs and powerful drumming, so powerful that he broke his snare drum!! There were songs, lots of stage dive, mosh, Jack Daniels, man, they had everything and left everything in stage!!! Impossible not to enjoy these guys!!! The night wouldn’t end without two things: DJ set from Chaotic Steel, doing a set based on the 25 editions of SWR, so bands that played there, and although it seemed nice, I was a bit tired and left around 4.30am, and of course, Test, playing in some place in the festival ahah!! Like in 2017, they played every day of the festival!!!! Priceless!!! See you tomorrow!!!
Day 1 – And the battle lays before you!!!
After a well-deserved rest, we were up and ready to go to lunch to usual haunt, a Casa dos Rojões, with our usual crowd. We were also waiting for our friend Mauricio from London, which was debuting at SWR, and he was camping near us!! After a very decent meal, we went back to the festival grounds, to mingle some more, drink some more and await the festivities to start!!
As this is the actual first day of the festival, bands started at five pm and the first band to do the honours was travelling from very far away. Godless arrived from India and unleashed a whirlwind of Death Metal, that took many for surprise, yours narrator included!! I’d heard some of their stuff but wasn’t expecting the fearsome set these guys delivered. Old school style but with plenty of groove and chunkiness, and a hell of a growler. After them, and also debuting in the festival, was something very different, not just from the previous band, but pretty much from the rest of the fest. Our friends in Dolmen Gate, dwell in the world of traditional epic Heavy Metal, which is quite different from the extremer bands showing up in the fest. But they draw their swords and brought their epicness which conquered the ones that were already at the fest. Big riffs, plenty of lyrics, a very good female voice, and the stamp of quality these guys have been showing with their works. Hope, they conquered a few more souls!!! Then time to open the big tent and stage, and again the task was to a band which we consider friends!! Phenocryst, fronted by DS from Caverna Abismal Recs, unleashed a hell of a set, with a very cavernous (no pun intended) Dead Metal, in the vein of Dead Congregation and so on!! They brought to Barroselas “Cremation Pyre”, their debut album from last year, and they delivered the goods, with a wall of sound to make the village tremble!!! They have a bright future, that’s what I want to say!! We were still shaken from that storm, when we got to the outside stage and Razorvoid from Sweden was already agitating the place!! They have a very addictive Crust Punk which made the bodies move and fly!! Good d-beat, fast riffs, a blast of a vocalist and hearable bass lines!! First time seeing them and became a fan!! Had the chance to talk with quite a bit in the next few days and they are awesome people!! Next was one of my favourite bands: Ahab!! And the German quartet did not disappoint all that were present. Their sound has evolved from the early days of Funeral Doom to a Death/Doom, which has as much heaviness as melody. They played 4 songs in the 45 minutes they were in Barroselas and went through pretty much all their albums with exception of “The Giant” but my favourite piece was “The Maelstrom” from their latest record “The Coral Tombs”. What majestic riffs, the melody of the clean vocals, the thickness of the rhythm section, in one word: perfect!!! Next would be Malphas but we needed a space time to have dinner, so we chose them as we had seen them a few months back in London. So, when we got back to the venue it was time for the Kings of the Sidewalk: Gehennah!! And it was what I expected!! Debauchery and rock’n’roll from start to finish!! From “Hardrocker” to “Metal Police”, they delivered a set of Black/Thrash Metal that made the audience frenzy and mosh!! And has they say, “Piss Off, I’m Drinking”!!! Next from Greece arrived one of the bands I had quite high expectations to see, Kawir. And they delivered a very heartful, atmospheric and pace varied Black Metal. It’s one of those bands, that when you listen to the music, you say “they are from Greece”, especially in the mix between brutality and atmosphere. The only thing I missed was the live keyboards as it did seem to me they were sampled. Next was the living legend known as Repulsion, or how you create a band, disband, release a groundbreaking album and then just play it live once in a while. “Horrified” is as simple and primitive as original and ground breaking and it was excellent to see the duo Matt Olivo and Scott Carlson on stage going full speed ahead. They played a couple of covers from Slaughter and Venom, almost the entire Horrified album in order (I think they didn’t play “The Lurking Fear”, but can be wrong) and told stories about the old days, like for example, when they were both in Death in 1985 and wrote some of the stuff would be used in the album. Fucking legend!!! Next back to the outside stage and some more Black Metal, courtesy of the French horde Merrimack!! They leaned heavily on the new album “Of Grace and Gravity” but did not forget some old jewels like “Horns Defeat Thorns” from their debut album from 2002!! They brought to the table a fairly standard Black Metal with no gimmicks or bullshit!! Back to the main stage for a performance from the Steelharmonics, which is an orchestra playing some heavy tracks like “Fear of the Dark”, “War Pigs” or “Agent Orange”!! It was quite fun and nice to see the interaction between audience and the orchestra. There was singing, mosh pits and lots of cheering. They ended playing more than one hour which was a reward for their dedication and hard work. Last band of the day (at least playing on a stage) was the Italian Golpe!! Because of the encore on the Steelharmonics show, this one started a little later than expected. Then between that and the anti-fascist speech the frontman gave on stage, they ended only playing around twenty minutes of a very fast and chaotic Punk/Hardcore, just what the doctor had ordered for the end of the night!! A shame it was so short as their music is quite energetic!!! Then we moved to the SWR Café for the Rebellious Delirium after party and it was quite interesting 2/3 of the time with plenty of old school tunes and some good Hard Rock, unfortunately in the end there was some Hip Hop and shit, and you know what I think about that in Metal festivals!!! While the DJ set was happening the Brazilian Test played in the roof of the ticket booth but we didn’t see it as we were in the café!! Around 5am we departed to our mansion in the woods for a bit of rest!!!
25 editions of SWR, what a freaking landmark!! And always with the spirit of “we are not the best or the worst, we are just different”!! Some other places call themselves the capital of Metal in Portugal, if you need to advertise that, then you are not but I’m not here for that!!!
So, day 0 and me, Inês,
Diogo and Bea, gathered in Lisbon to do the always fun, but tiring journey to
the North of Portugal for our beloved festival!! Fast forward to a few hours
later, and there we were within sight of a place we so much love, the woods of
Barroselas, which would be our home for the next four days!! This year, Inês,
tired of sleeping in very close quarters with me, bought us a mansion, a freaking
big tent which has enough space for us and for all our shit!! What a delight!!!
After raising our quarters, we headed to the supermarket to get some money and
some fuel aka as beer and this year some nice bottles of Sangria!!! Bad thing
was, we didn’t have any ice!!
Then the usual meet and greet, hugs, kisses, with fellow friends, which since we moved to London, is sometimes the only time of the year that we see them, so there’s never enough time to talk!! For me, this is the biggest difference when compared with other festivals, is almost like returning home and to a place we feel comfortable and warm (only 5 minutes of rain this year, very sad!!).
Then the Wacken Metal Battle started and the first band to go on stage was Music In Low Frequencies!! They have a very strong visual set with a kind of gorish performance, where a girl is hoisted above the band by using hooks which are attached to her body, not for the faint hearted. The only thing not so positive for me, is that it takes a bit of attention from the music, and the band, as people are in shock or awe, watching that performance. And, I must say, music wise, they delivered quite a strong set, with emphasis on the excellent vocals of Mariana Faísca, and the atmosphere the band creates. It reminded me a bit of Wolvennest here and there, and that for me, is not a bad thing. After the warm sangria and beers, it was nice to go to the bar and have some fresh Super Bock’s, it’s Portugal so don’t expect a lot of variety on the beer ahah!! And then it was time for the mighty Namek!! A veteran band, well known in the scene, they came to SWR, they saw, and they conquered (major spoiler: they won the battle and will be Portugal’s next contestant to perform on the Wacken Open Air. Always powered by the maniac vocals, and bassist skills of Simão, and the powerful drumming of Rolando, Namek showed that Grind/Death Metal is well represented in Portugal and will try to convince the Wacken jury, that maybe it is time for the old school sets to win, instead of Metalcore and shits like that. Last band to perform is also a veteran band in the Portuguese scene: Humanart, which has been spreading the wrath of Satan since 1998. They delivered a strong set of straight-forward Black Metal with no bullshit and no compromise. The riffs of founding member JJ pierced the calm night of Barroselas, like a thunderstorm of hail, always supported by the demonic vocals of Sathronus and the constant beating of the drums, courtesy of Noctvs!! Three excellent performances, that gave the jury (yours included) fruit for thought!! Unfortunately, due to those jury duties, I missed pretty much ¾ of Pitch Black performance, which was a shame as I haven’t seen them in a while. They are one of the most veteran Thrash Metal bands in Portugal and for the little I saw/heard it showed them in great form, with some thick Thrash Metal tunes. They ended the set with Slayer’s “Mandatory Suicide”, which can never be a bad thing!!!
Then we headed to the SWR Café for the after hours brought to us by Drunks on Drugs, and in the beginning, it was ok with some interesting choices but midway turned into a dance/electro party, which I have to say, is not the way I like to close a night!! Luckily, there was beer, there was new and old friends, and the night lasted way over 5am!! Then, me and Inês, fuelled by alcohol got lost trying to find our new tent, which was an adventure that could be narrated by Sir David Attenborough ehehe!!! And finally, rest!!!
Sunday afternoon a bit different as we went out to go and
see the London leg of the Paganfest!! I’m not usually too much into this
sub-genre but there were a couple of bands I wanted to re-watch and after not
having a great impression of Alestorm’s music, I wanted to see their show!!
So we got to Brixton (me, Ines and the rest of the warrior
sisters), had a beer in the box park and then headed to the Academy, which I
have to say, I missed going there as the place usually is quite good (more on
that ahead)!! Queue was huge, so when we got inside, Elvenking was already
playing!! They were, besides Alestorm the only band I hadn’t seen before, so I
was curious to see what they were all about. With a new album coming out in
April (they played at least one song from it: “Luna”) the Italian sextet showed
plenty of energy in stage with the singer running quite a lot but never losing
his breath. They brought a mix of Power and Folk Metal, with some crazy solos,
heavy riffing and a damn good violinist!! They ended the show with “Elvenlegions”,
which I’m assuming it’s their gathering song, and they were fun to watch and
opened the day quite good!!
Next, would be one of the bands I really wanted to see: Heidevolk!! I had seen them in Sheffield on the HRH Vikings and they left me
with a good impression!! And again, they were really good to watch!! This time
I knew a couple of more songs from them, so identified some like “A Wolf in my
Heart”, “Winter Woede”, plus the enormous, and fun, to try to sing, “Vulgaris
Magistralis”!!! They released their seventh album in 2023, so there was no
surprise that half of the songs in the set were from “Wederkeer”!! They are a
very well oiled machine, with every riff hitting the spot, and a bunch of
different vocals, as besides the two main vocalists (great harmonies coming
from them), Rowan, the bassist, also shows up to growl in quite a few songs!! The
fact they sing most songs in Dutch for me is even a plus as I think the
harshness of that language fits very well their music!! Top-notch and for me it
would be the show of the night!!!
We had time for a couple of more beers and now time for me
to complain about the venue!! It was so cold inside the place, that at some
point I thought we were watching an outdoor show in freezing cold London!! Don’t
know what happened but man I think for the first time in an indoor concert, I
didn’t take my jacket off!!
Used to the cold must be Tyr, the next band in stage, as
they are from the Faroe Islands, and after seeing them opening for Sabaton in
2014 in Portugal, I was looking forward to see them again!! Some people said
they looked a bit tired but I must say it was quite enjoyable to see them and
sing songs like “By the Sword in my Hand” (opening things in a high note), “Hail
to the Hammer” (many Manowar fans were doing the sign of the hammer eheh) and
closing with “Hold the Heathen Hammer High (again some Manowar influence with a
lot of songs about axes, hammers (their newest guitarist surname is Hammer so
better than that, impossible!!) and swords eheh)!! They also played a couple of
songs from their newest album “Battle Ballads”, which contrary to the title is
quite fast/mid-tempo!! They have a lot of melody in their music (something very
noticeable this evening, with exception of the last band) with some very
gripping riffs, a very dynamic rhythm section and vocals very well balanced
between grit and melody. Very good show!!!
Ensiferum was next, and the only time I’ve seen them was in
2010 in a Portuguese festival where they played in the same day as My Dying
Bride (got love the internet to remind you of these things ahah)!! So 15 years
later, they showed up, played a hell of a concert and left with the feeling of
a job well done. Another band with a very recent album, so no surprise to
listen to a couple of songs from it and they weren’t that bad!! Opener “Fatherland”
can become a song which will stay in their set lists in the future!! They
surprised me when the guy playing keyboards all of the sudden delivers some Rob
Halford type of vocals which I wasn’t expecting that much!! I’m still as of
today deciding if I liked them or not ahah!! It sounds weird in their music but
well, they just trying something different, maybe it’s just a phase ahah!! Things
got interesting when they delivered some of their old material like “Victory
Song”, “Iron” or “Lai Lai Hei” (a song with a bit of Finnish Iskelma) which
made some heat return to the Academy. Good show although for me a couple of
notches below the previous bands!!
Ok so let’s go to the
last band!! I wasn’t a fan before their show and didn’t become one now, but
honestly, this wasn’t the worst concert that I’ve ever seen!! But come on man,
they had three huge, inflated ducks on stage, and then no songs about ducks?? Not
even Drunk Duck, Zombie Duck or Pirate Duck? Was too much to ask for a song
about ducks when they had those three yellow monsters on stage? Pretty lame if
you ask me!! Am I not being serious?? Well don’t blame me, Alestorm started
it!! There are songs about drinking, pirates, zombies, more drinking, geography
(it seems there were songs about “Mexico” and “Uzbekistan” (a country that
deserved a song long ago), some guys trying to steel a beer (at the price you
pay for them at the O2, I promise you, there’ll be a big fight for it) and some
sexual gratification with an anchor (don’t ask me why)!! The songs are funny,
people were having fun and singing, so I’m not going to rain on their parade!!
Kudos for Patty Gurdy, with the Hurdy Gurdy (I promise I’m not making it up),
which was very fun to watch and she has a hell of a voice, let her sing more
for drunks sake!!!
Night came to an end, it was interesting, it was also a
Sunday, so it was time to take the tube and get back home because as Alestorm
said, their fans have no jobs, but unfortunately I’m no fan, so I needed to
work Monday morning!!!
January started slowly for us, a good way to recover from
the holiday season and also a way to gather some energy for what comes ahead!!
So, our first night out with concerts was on the 18th when Alan delivered one more night of Retribution Alive!! This time it was in the Underworld and there were new and old names to see and revisit.
We lost a bit of time on shenanigans so when we got to the
venue Lethal Evil was already thrashing their way around. Before heading to the
floor, we stop by the bar because you need to keep hydrated and this time, I
chose Deya as my choice of beverage for the night!!! The London trio have a
sound that drinks from the Thrash godz like Kreator or Sepultura and opened
with a lot of energy this evening. We only caught a couple of songs from them
included their new single “We Fight” and must say we will keep an eye for
future appearances in the city by these guys!!
Next was Drones from Margate, Kent, a young quartet that
delivered an interesting alternative Metal sound with plenty of different influences
very well mashed!! They brought a ton of positive energy to the Underworld,
which I think infected everyone present!! Great vocals (excellent range and a
great stage presence), some excellent riffs, and a thick sound on the rhythm
section, makes of this new horde, one to watch out for the future!! A couple of
songs got stuck in my head like “Glass Houses”, “I’m Dying to Survive” or the
very catchy “Love Me/Hate Me”, so that’s always a good sign!!!
Back to the bar for one more Deya, and next on stage was Die Kur, a veteran band from the London scene, which we had the chance to see already
a couple of times!! Their music is quite challenging with a lot happening in
stage, from the theremin and keyboards played by the singer, to the violin
pieces or the very technical bass lines, they have a very unique sound. I can’t
say is my usual choice of music but being honest, it was quite a good
performance with some strong songs, and you can see the band was enjoying themselves
on stage, which then usually transmits to the audience.
Back up to the bar, toilet and then another beer (honestly
sometimes I don’t know why I work as the intermediary for the beer as it always
ends in the same place but well, still looking for the meaning of life)!!! And
last band to go on stage was Kill II This, a quartet which delivers a Thrash
Metal with plenty of modern influences (in the 00’s that is). My history with
these guys goes around almost 30 years earlier, when I saw them opening for
Megadeth in Cascais, Portugal, on the Cryptic Writings tour!!! At the time,
they only had one demo and their debut album, and it was cool that on this
night they played pretty much the entire demo with songs like “Crucified” or “The
Flood” sounding very catchy after those three decades. They also have a new
album (which is their first with the new singer) and of course they had to show
some of those songs like “Deus” or “ComaKarma”, which must say, sounded very good.
Very tight sound, great stage presence, good riffs (courtesy of the man which
has been always there, Mark Mynett) and again one other band which seemed to be
enjoying the evening very much. I think this concert also marked the return of
Caroline Campbell on bass (she spent a couple of years in the band in the late
90’s) and it seemed she’s been there all her life!! Our friend Trigger was ecstatic with their show, so it had to be great!!! An excellent way to end this
night!! As we had another concert the next day, we did an early exit, with a mandatory stop at Woody's for a nice meat and chips!!
So congratz to Alan for one more Retribution Alive, and to a million more to happen in the future!!!
Throughout 3 days and 2 venues, we were able to taste a bit
of what is been done worldwide in the Death Metal scene!! From the slums of
London to the far away Japan passing through the States, Finland or Austria!!!
And for extra fun we had Ricardo Veiga from our beloved SWR Barroselas Metalfest making us company for the weekend!!
First day was completely done at the DATD (I still thing
Under the Dome would be a better name, go Stephen King fans) and after we got
our bracelets for the weekend, we went in and already Fessus was
destroying the place!! The Austrian quartet is quite young (they released a
demo last year and a split will come out next month) but their sound is old,
stenchy and just with the enough power I like in Death Metal. What an excellent
beginning!! A band to keep an eye out (we bought their demo)!! Next came the London’s
enforcers of the angel, Vaticinal Rites!! With a new album just out this
year (“Cascading Memories of Immortality”), they crashed through the stage as a
hurricane, leaving few standing up!! Chunky riffs, excellent drumming and a good
impression left by these guys playing at home!! Also from the UK, Abyssal,
delivered a very different type of destruction!! Their Death Metal has an aura
of intimidation which was felt in the room!! Long, claustrophobic, dissonant
tunes, invaded the DATD, taking our minds on a journey into darkness!! Freaking
good!!! To close the day, we had Concrete Winds from Finland!! And I
don’t think I can put into words the cataclysm which was their show!! It’s more
than a concert, it’s a freaking experience!! They unleash riff after riff, on a
whirlwind of chaos, destruction and mosh pit!! I got tired, and I was only
watching!! What an excellent way to close this day!!
Second day took us to the DATD, older brother, The Dome, a
bigger venue and after me and Ricardo went tour the outside of the Tower of
London, we got there with plenty of time to see the start of the beginning of Slimelord's set!! The English band, which just released their debut album,
“Chytridiomycosis Relinquished”, came out of the gate, delivering riff after
riff, with plenty of chunkiness and putridity. Good way to start the day!!!
Beers were flowing, conversation was good and next came Killing Addiction,
a Floridan band, which released their debut album in 1993 and its successor
28-years later. They delivered a good
set of Death Metal, with plenty of good riffs, balance and some very good
ideas!! Druid Lord were the next guests, and I must say I was more
impressed with their set (we bought “Relics of the Dead” their 2022 album)!!
They are also from Florida (one of their guitarists also plays in Killing
Addiction) but their sound goes more into the Death/Doom side, with a great
balance between slower and faster tunes, excellent musicianship and some Heavy
powerful growling!! Next band to hit the stage was one of the bands I was more
looking forward to watch in this festival: Rippikoulu!! Although they
only released a couple of demos in the early 90’s, “Musta Seremonia”, is seen
as one of the most important records in the Finnish Death Metal scene, and it’s
a blast to have the chance to see those songs being played live!! You could
feel the grittiness and the murkiness of their songs falling on a crowd which
drank every riff, every growl, as it was their last meal of their lives!!
Fucking excellent!! Last band in stage came from the far awa Peru and goes by
the name of Mortem!! Being active since the late 80’s, these veterans
are one of the most respected and cherished bands from South America and they
showed why, performing their blasphemous and evil Death Metal for all the
maniacs at the Dome!! The atmosphere was thick, the chants were high, and all
was set for a great Death Metal gig!! They rambled through time with no mercy
to posers, no time for prisoners and no slack for lazy bastards!!! I remember
buying their debut album “Demon Tales”, when it was re-issued in Europe by
Merciless Records, and having the chance to see them performing almost 30 years
later, was a dream come true!! What a way to end this day!! Well not end,
because we went for the after-party at the Black Heart and got properly
hammered as the night demanded!!!
Waking up on Saturday was a pain but Metal is in our veins,
and we can’t stop!! So, wake up, order some food and head to the Dome because
this day, we had 11 bands performing between both venues and I wanted to catch
them all!! Cryptworm were the first to rise on the stage of the Dome,
and with my first beer of the day in my hand, I saw the trio from Bristol
destroy the Dome!! Their music is fucking contagious, with that tupa-tupa which
makes you want to run on the mosh pit (and then you remember you are almost
fifty and a bit (cough cough) out of shape)!! With “Oozing Radioactive
Vomition” (their 2nd album) on their backs, Tibor and company just
smashed it!! The deepest growls you can imagine, vicious drumbeats and neck
breaking riffs!! What a hell of a beginning!! Would be difficult for any band
to come after this beating but Mortuary Spawn gave their best and it was
quite interesting as well!! The Leeds quintet unleashed their relentless Death
Metal and showed people that the genre is being well take care of here in the
island!! Next band was one that I had quite a bit of interest to see as I’ve
never saw them before!! Adversarial arrived from Canada and their Death
Metal is very obscure and destructive!! Thick riffs, speeded but freaking
powerful drumming, sick growling, this was a show that grinded everyone to
dust!! With their newest offer, “Solitude with the Eternal...” just out a
couple of months ago, the Canadians blasted the crowd and left few standing
up!! More than a show, it’s an experience to survive one of their mowings!!! I
got so soul tired that I needed a couple of beers and to chat with people so I
pretty much lost Coffin Mulch, as every time I thought I would go down
to see them someone else would start a conversation. So, at the Dome I got to
see Phobocosm, which also came from Canada, and must say they didn’t
impress me as much as their fellow countrymates. Not that they were bad, but
something wasn’t clicking for me, which maybe was my fault. So, I went
downstairs because next band was one of my favourite from the entire fest!! Aberration
is their name, and the show was exactly what I expected!! Their debut album,
“Refracture”, which came out in March (and one copy came to my home) is a beast
of a record, and live, these guys are a beast as well. The dark atmosphere at
the DATD could be cut by a knife, we could feel the oozing of their murky sound
dripping from the ceiling!! Dissonant riffs, pounding drums, deep growling,
bass lines that made our world trembling, all this and more was offered to us
in this ritual of Death and obscurity!! I was drained but not enough to not go
and watch Ossuary!! The Wisconsin band which made heads turn with a
couple of demos and one EP, rumbled through the Dome, like a bull in a china
shop. Their music has a bit of Bolt Thrower mixed with the excellent Finnish
sound, and I love that the vocalist doesn’t go for the obvious growling but
more of a shrieking harsh grunt. Very good and a band to keep an eye on!! Next
band was supposed to be the US Left Cross but due to some unforeseen
circumstances they couldn’t make it to Europe and they were replaced here by CrypticShift, which made sense as some of the guys in this band had performed with
Slimelord and Cryptworm!! For me was an excellent replacement because these
guys have a very interesting sound, a Thrash/Death Metal very technical which
reminds me of Death or Nocturnus!! I thought the gig was maybe a bit less tight
than usual but still it was very good and makes us salivate for their next
record!! Back to the Dome and to witness for the first time the destructive
power of Anatomia!!! And the Japanese horde didn’t leave their weapons
at home!! What a fucking whirlwind of violence, riffing and pounding came from
the stage, infecting everyone down in the mosh pit!! Their Death Metal which at
times has this punkish attitude, felt like a kick in the teeth and a punch in the
gut!! Last band downstairs came from Italy and went by the name of Fuoco Fatuo!! We had seen them a while ago when they played with Grave Miasma and
Ruins of Beverast, and got impressed with their murky sound, so it wasn’t a
surprise when their show at the KTDF was a massive wall of sound which crushed
to pieces the remaining survivors of the steamroll Anatomia!! Never did the
DATD felt as claustrophobic as when these guys were unleashing their Death/Doom
Metal full of sick slow riffs and extra deep growling!! The last band to close
KTDF in London was the mighty Cancer, which were playing back on their
birth country!! We had seen them on the XXIV SWR Barroselas Metalfest in April
but I don’t know if it was because of being back to the UK, this one seemed a
blast, a hell of a good performance with time for a new song, old classics and
ending with the amazing “Cancer Fucking Cancer”!!! What could we ask more for
the end of Kill Town Death Fest in London???
So overall, a great first edition of Kill Town Death Fest in London, big and good crowd on the three days, great bands, excellent sound, lots of beer drinking and hell raising, and the hope the fest will return next year!!!!
The 2nd day started at the Underworld, really early (like 12ish), because it also has to end early, but the first band which was supposed to go (EDENFALL) had some problems and didn’t show up!! I’ve heard something about flat tyres but I’m not 100% sure!
So next was a band we were enticed to see, as we didn’t much
know about them. Of Wonders & Sorrow arrived from Mexico, and it was a bit
of a disappointment. When we got there, there was one guy and one girl on
stage, both with guitars, and nothing else (drums were recorded). Everything
started a bit messy with her guitar being like non-existent and his vocals very
low. Things got a bit better throughout their set (we saw 3 or 4 songs) and
they brought this Bauhaus kind of vibe to their music. Not impressed must say,
but it’s not easy to open a festival, and doing it very early.
Moving on to the Electric Ballroom and time for The Infernal Sea to go on stage. They weren’t supposed to be in the fest, but Schammasch had
some issues, and they came to replace them. And must say, after seeing them 3
times in one month, that this was the one I enjoyed the most. They opened with “Lord
Abhorrent” from their new album “Hellfenlic”, and they grabbed the crowd at
once with their Black Metal. At some points, they sound more like a Thrash band,
but I’m not saying that’s bad eheh!! Great stage presence, and a thumbs up from
me!!
Next was Ad Nauseam from Italy with their Avant-Garde and
very technical Death Metal. It seems has been exporting lately some sick Death
Metal (Hour of Penance, Hideous Divinity), and these guys don’t slack on the
virtuoso department. Sick solos, big dissonant riffs, vocals, which seem to be
more like invocations than growls, and a good set, although a bit out of our
field!!
We went back to the Electric Ballroom because it was time
for Isole, which in case you don’t know, has like three members of Ereb Altor,
but here performing a more doomish sound. Sometimes their music brings to mind Candlemass,
with great epic moments that the band knows how to sue to build the momentum
and grab the audience. They brought to London their new album “Anesidora” but not
forgetting older gems like “Beyond the Horizon”, which is a beast of a song.
One more round, and time for one of the best shows of the
weekend. The Germans Heavy/Prog Death Metal lords, that go by the name of Chapel Of Disease!! With a new album in their bag, they came, saw, and
conquered London, with heavy riffs, Death Metal hints and a great stage
presence!! Their mix of the several genres is a genius play (although I can see some people hating it ahah), and even a band like Hallas came to my mind when they
were playing. It’s not a band you can fit in a box so go for it if you are into
bands that don’t mind bending the fences that separate genres!! We ended the
night talking with Laurent and realized that he’s the sole member left from the
three, that recorded “Echoes of Light”!!
Time to run to the Electric Ballroom because Vreid was next,
and I really wanted to see them, mostly because I’m a huge Windir fan, and
thought they were doing more of a homage to that band. But no, they were
playing music created by them throughout the ages. They played a couple of
Windir songs like “Saknet” and the enormous “Journey to the End” (a very nice
way of ending the show), a bit of their career with Vreid and one song from
Ulcus (a project they had around the time of Windir). Overall, it was a very
good concert, their music is excellent, full of melody and atmosphere, but I
was expecting a bit more Windir songs!! But at least the two they played were amazing
to hear!!
Swedish October Tide were next with their Doom/Death Metal
quite melodic and catchy. They brought their most recent album “The Cancer Pledge”,
from which they played a couple of songs, and they conquered the audience. The
guitar leads flowed through the Underworld, some Katatonia came to mind (I know
I’m being unfair as both the Norman brothers played there) but the new songs
also showed a more varied material with some fast tempos being introduced.
I didn’t finish to see them because next was a band I really
wanted to see: Aura Noir!!! And they were amazing!! The trio of Aggressor,
Apollyon and Blasphemer, ripped through the Electric Ballroom, and through the
records of their career!! The riffs were blazing, the drums were pounded, and
Aggressor vocals were manic!! It was time to headbang to tunes like “Iron
Night/Tormentor Storm” or “Fighting for Hell”!! Is for this kind of concerts
that it is worth getting out of the bed!!! My soul was satisfied, and my neck
was hurting, so a good one for sure!!!
To calm things down came Saturnalia Temple and their slowish
Doom Metal. Their music is slow, ritualistic, and entrancing, putting everyone
under their spell!! I endured for a couple of songs like “Aion of Drakon” or “To
the Other” but then my mind said beer was necessary, and I went to the bar, and
listened to the rest of their show in there. Need to see them on a different
mood, and not after an amazing show from Aura Noir!!
Last band to watch was one I never thought I would see them
live!! I remember buying their debut album, “A Wintersunset…” in the mid 90’s,
and being blown away by the quality of this German band!! Almost thirty years
later I finally saw Empyrium live, and it was quite good!! They were playing a very
old school set which comprised of the amazing “Songs of Moors & Misty
Fields” album in its entirety plus “Under Dreamskies” from their debut and surprisingly
“My Nocturnal Queen” from their only demo, released in 1995. It was a night for
remembering, to feel the beautiful melodies of this dark Folk created by Markus
Stock, and to close your eyes, and getting lost in a timeless journey!!!
Priceless and something I believe a lot of people never thought it would
witness it!!! A very good way to finish this second day of Celestial Darkness!!
Well, over, over it wasn’t because we still had some energy
to go to the Black Heart for the after party, for some beers, chat, and annoy
people eheh!!! The night was young and it belonged to us!!!
The good people of Cult of Parthenope, the guys behind Cosmic Void, decided to do a fest a bit more eclectic, and not so as much focused on Black Metal as the aforementioned, but much in the same vein (venue and system wise) as Cosmic Void system has been functioning very well.
My first impression was of a very good line-up with quite a
far range of bands hitting London, but maybe we are too eclectic because the
only down note of the weekend was the lack of public, especially noticed in
the Electric Ballroom. But that’s something, that not us, or the organizer, can
control, so let’s move on!!!
First day was on the Islington Academy and as usual, due to
work duties, we lost the first band. Vehement, from the UK, was its name
and unfortunately, we can’t say nothing about it!! So, for us, the first band
was the Romanian horde Dordeduh, and they were a nice surprise. Formed
by Sol Fau and Hupogrammos after they left Negura Bunget in 2009, Dordeduh
delivers a sound close to what they were creating with Negura around the time
of the mighty “Om”. They released a very good album in 2012 but then waited almost
a decade to deliver their second effort. “Har” is its name, and not
surprisingly was the main focus on their show. Great melodies, a lot of
atmospheric ambiance, varied vocals, folkish elements, all were unleashed by
the four guys on stage with a very precise and calm performance. They gained
for sure more fans after this excellent show, yours here included!!
Next was Ereb Altor, which we only saw a decade ago,
when they played in Portugal. Their show was good, maybe not as captivating as
I was expecting, but it was good. If you are a fan of Bathory (“Hammerheart or
“Blood Fire Death” age) you will probably like them as their music is much
inspired by Quorthon’s creation. Again here, atmosphere is the main word, as
their music is built with plenty of it. They have a new album out called
“Vargtimman”, and it was with its opener “I Have the Sky”, that they started
their show. Epic riffs, great presence, thick bass lines, the Swedes have it
all, and caught the attention of the crowd with their songs. I think they
closed (if they didn’t, I’m sure they played it) with “With Fire In My Heart”
which is one of my favourite songs from them. Fists in the air and sing “With
fire in my heart and blood on my hands, Blood and Fire”!!!
To close the night, we had Primordial, a band I was
lucky enough to see quite a few times!! And I must say, this was one of the
best I’ve seen from the Irish horde!! Tight as ever but with the more
enthusiastic Alan that I’ve ever seen, the man was all over the place, seemed
happy, and even traded a bit of friendly banter with the audience. The veteran
band (amazing that 30 years have passed since their inception) brought the new
offer “How It Ends” (which I bought in the merch table in double CD for a tenner,
crazy innit?) to London, and like I already said, it was amazing!! They opened
with “As Rome Burns” and closed with “Empire Falls” and in the between they
left a trail of corpses, riffs, songs, and a freaking excellent show. They also
had time, of course, for the new album, a couple of songs, if I’m not mistaken,
including the title track, but went through most of their career, which
nowadays encompasses ten albums. It’s cathartic to see Primordial, you feel
like you want to scream when Alan is screaming, to headbang when Ciaran
delivers some nasty riff, to stomp alongside the drums!! What a fucking
beginning of a festival!!!
After that, we were looking for something to eat (great Greek
place close to the O2, Holy Pitta), then lost ourselves a bit in the area, found the pub
where some of our friends were, the queue was big and so we said, fuck it, let’s go home as the long
weekend was just starting!!!!
Once more we were a bit divided on what to do on this specific Saturday but as I had never seen Girlschool before, this was the one, we chose to attend!! Our friend Rui joined us, so before going to the Dome to witness this amazing line-up, we had a bit of cheese, chorizo and a nice bottle of red wine to start the evening!!
When we got to THE DOME (which is a 20-minute walk from our home) AIRFORCE was already midway “Fight”, their opening track as I think they started a bit earlier than it was announced!! They displayed their laidback, NWOBHM influenced music which set the rest of the evening!! Flávio Lino, their Portuguese singer, was in a very nice mood and with a bit of banter here and there kept the crowd on their feet and singing along!! They delivered songs from both their albums, “Judgement Day” from 2016 and “Strike Hard” from 2020, although leaning more on the most recent one, with great tracks as “Band of Brothers” or “Son of the Damned” bringing the first signs of headbanging!! Not too much, as the crowd was a bit already on the veteran side, so must be careful with the neck eheh!! Chop delivered the goods on the guitar, Tony Hatton maintained the beat with the thick bass lines and it’s amazing to see Doug Sampson still kicking the drums like there’s no tomorrow!! They closed with “Sniper” and left the Dome with a couple of more fans in the crowd for sure!!!
Next came RAVEN, which we saw almost a year ago at The Black
Heart (weird, right?) playing the 40 years of “All For One”!! The band of the
Gallagher brothers brought a ton of energy to the stage, and a lot of good
humour as well, especially the faces that Mark does while playing the guitar!!
They opened with “Stay Hard”, followed by “Hell Patrol” and “The Power” showing
that this was going to be a set which would roam through their vast career, not
forgetting their most recent one, “All Hell’s Breaking Loose” which came out in
2023!! John, always pounding the bass while running around, singing with a headset
gave him that freedom, was blasting away through songs which took a lot of the people
in the Dome back in time, mainly when they went for “Rock Until You Drop”, a
song released more than 40 years ago, or their 1982 singe “Crash Bang Wallop”
with which they closed their set!! Can’t go before talking about Mike Heller,
which is been drumming with them since 2018, who is a damn freaking machine,
always putting the tempo up and away!!
The beer was flowing, the mood was very good at The Dome and next we had ALCATRAZZ, which if I'm being honest, were the band I wanted less to see!! But I also didn’t have anything better to do so I watched their show!! Although I came out of it not impressed a lot of other people seemed to have enjoyed it quite a lot, so no harm, no foul!! For what I understand there are a couple of Alcatrazz’s line-ups with this one bringing as sole founding member keyboardist Jimmy Waldo!! They delivered a good set of a Heavy Metal, a lot of show off from their guitarist, good vocal skills by their frontman, who I think used to play with Rainbow, and if I’m not mistaken, they played a couple of cover songs from that band and a bit more melodic that I wanted at that time!! Nevertheless, it was entertaining and fun, and a couple of catchy songs like “Don’t Get Mad.. Get Even’ or “Battlelines”!!
Last band hitting the stage was the one I was more looking
forward to see, GIRLSCHOOL and the ladies did not disappoint!! What a display of energy and
happiness!! They looked really happy to be on stage and that is contagious!!
They opened with “Demolition Boys” from their 1980 album, which is a banger to
start, then flew through their career not forgetting the latest album, “WTFortyFive?”
from which they played “It is What It is” and “Are You Ready” (this one as
encore and with the guitarist from Alcatrazz making an appearance)!! Kim’s
vocals are top notch, Jackie delivered some good riffing and solos, Tracey
delivered the goods in the bass guitar with a lot of energy and Denise kept
everyone tapping the foot!! The concert was a breeze, it passed way faster than
what I was expecting, but that happens when you are having fun!! Of course, I
had a totally fan-boy reaction when they played in a row, “Race With the Devil”,
“Bomber” and “Emergency” (my favourite Girlschool song), it was fun to see the
crowd singing and headbanging with the band, and the Dome was lit with energy
and air guitars!! It took me a while to see them for the first time but man,
did I enjoy it!! Highly recommended if you haven’t seen them yet!!!
Later on, we had Sophie Woodard spinning some records at the
Black Heart, and as we love her choice of music, we headed down to Camden to
drink until the night was young again!! She didn’t disappoint, and I think we
left the pub when it closed but I can be mistaken!! The epilogue of a very enjoyable night!!
The 2nd Saturday of February brought to London quite a few concerts which we would like to go but, in the end, we had to choose one, and we chose this great package that featured four very good bands!! Before heading to the Underworld, we met our friend Galas at the Black Heart for some Lightbulbs (steadily becoming one of my favourite beers) and a bit of warming up!! Then head on to THE UNDERWORLD!!
DEITUS opened the ceremonies, and early on we were being attacked by their fast uncompromised Black Metal. Presenting a new album (which came out in 2023) called “Irreversible”, the London horde did not disappoint all those already gathered in the Underworld when they got on stage. Their Black Metal has a bit of a Thrashy sound which for me fits quite well and makes some of their songs very catchy and headbanging!! There was melody, anger, great riffs, and soaring vocals, which created a very good atmosphere for this first concert of the day!!
Second band in stage, were their labelmates (hell thinking better all the bands tonight are with Candlelight Records) DARKEST ERA, a band which we had seen a couple of months before at The Black Heart, and it was very good to see them again, and this time with a bit more people in the crowd!! They are an awesome bunch, and their music is right down my alley: a mix of Doomish Heavy Metal with their Celtic heritage and a lot of epicness!! They also released an album not long ago: 2022’s “Wither On The Vine” (which I brought home in vinyl format and signed by a couple of them) which they presented a couple of tracks here like “Floodlands” and “The Collapse”. I don’t want to repeat myself too much, but these guys are a great band, and every time I see them, I think I’m more, and more into their music!! Their songs are like a journey into older times, where vocalist Krum serves as guide and troubadour. They play as tight as you could ask, with every riff being thrown at you with all their might and precision, catchy solos, thick bass lines, and drums very steady, with just the right amount of strength. I didn’t want it to end but when it came, I accepted as a grown man and moved to the bar for a pint of cold Camden Pale Ale!!
Another known name to us, and pretty much to everyone in the UK, were the next guests: NECRONAUTICAL!! I don’t think I ever saw a not so good concert from these guys, and today it wasn’t different!! They came, they saw, and they conquered, it’s my final idea!! Their riffs haunt you, hours after they finished their set, the tempo changes are immense, Naut’s vocals are the devil in disguise, there’s so much happening but in a way that seems clear to the listener. You can feel daunted by the images which seem to come out of their music, but you can’t look away from the beauty/horror of it!! I got so immersed in their music, and so tired after it, that when The Infernal Sea came on stage, I was pretty much empty and only saw a couple of their songs and went to the bar to harass the Darkest Era guys ahaha!! The fact I was going to see them twice in the next couple of weeks made me feel a bit less guilty!!
Overall, it was a beast of a
night, with a great packed The Underworld, which is always a great image, and a
lot of good UK bands, giving their best!!!
Second show in January was one of
the Metal 2 the Masses heats!! For those unaware, M2M is a competition which
runs across multiple cities/counties in the UK, where the winner of each city/county
will have the chance to play at Bloodstock Fest. In London usually the heats
happen at The Dev, and this one wasn’t different. This was heat number nine, so
as you can see there’s a lot of interest in it. People buying tickets online
can vote twice, if you buy it in the venue you vote once and then it’s 50/50
between judges and audience vote. One band goes to the next round and one band
goes to the Pit, which is a second chance to go through, a kind of repechage.
So, on this nice Sunday afternoon/evening me and Inês went down to The Dev to
support our friends Steve and Javi on their new project, Chernobyliser, on
their first ever concert. No shame on saying that!! A lot of people when buy
online, support their friends bands, then after the concerts you can make the
decision if they were the one you liked the most. We got to the Dev, had a
couple of beers before the shows started and chit chatted a bit.
First band on stage was SANHEDRIN!
They are a band with a bit of history has they existed between 2009 and 2013
before calling it a day and then returning in 2021. We got to know the Parmahn
(guitar/vocals and only member from the first run) once when we were in
Newcastle and we had seen Sanhedrin a year or something ago at the Black Heart
when they opened for Necronautical and Abduction!! Being honest, I wasn’t very
impressed with them that day but must say that changed at this concert. Very
tight, excellent songwriting, a lot of Chuck vibes coming from Parmahn and all
in all, a great way to start this. They ended with ‘Freezing Moon’, which I
shouldn’t even need to say who plays the original, but it’s Mayhem, and it was
very well executed and spot on, but I don't like in this kind of contests for bands
to play covers, call it a personal opinion!! But as said before they had a very strong performance and were strong candidates for the win!!
After they finished, time for
another beer and it was nice to find Tom Cole, one of the poor souls that endured
an all-day & night Manowar, where I was as well. One day that chronicle
will come out. Lots of chat, made a new friend by the name of Simon and then
outside for some air and more chit chat. In the meantime, HUGGIN & MUNNIN,
was getting ready to go on stage and they had a ton of props. I only saw a
couple of minutes from their show because being honest it’s not my cup of tea
so I had fun for a little bit and then go out for some more chit chat. They are
a Morris dance crew, which I think it’s a traditional English folk dance, and
it’s something I would probably enjoy being out in some fair but not on this
context.
Last band to hit the stage was CHERNOBYLISER!! The band is formed by Javi and Steve (both former Seven Sisters
members, and it was nice to see Graeme from Seven Sisters at The Dev supporting
them as well) and must say they have become known faces to us since Inês and
then me, moved to London. Here they both changed instruments, Javi is playing
the guitar, while doing vocals, and Steve plays the bass while doing back
vocals. Drums are held by Sergio, if I caught is name right!! They delivered a
pissed off Thrash Metal in their first ever concert and it was a nice surprise
as they seemed quite relaxed on stage!! Songs well written, good riffs, plenty
of headbanging moments!! Hope to see them grow and follow what they will do in
the future!!
While the judges conferenced and
people voted, there was a guest band also playing, In this heat was the last
year’s winner in Burnley, THE DEAD XIII which came to entertain us with their
mix of Horror Punk and modern Metal!! It was entertaining, they have nice songs, lots of energy, a nice visual on stage and a very charismatic frontman but between voting, drinking and chatting I did not
see their entire set!!
So, we got to the end: the announcement!!
And as we were guessing by the three performances, Sanhedrin were the winners
and advanced to the next round!! Congratulations to them, well deserved!! Later
in February we got the news that Chernobyliser were chosen to go to the Pit so
congrats to them as well!!
First band to go on was BOREHEAD, a South London instrumental Stoner Doom trio, which started the night with some heavy bass lines! I love when a bass is well heard and, on these guys, the bass is right up on your face!! They played, I think 3 songs that lasted for half-an hour, being the last one the most long one!! Sometimes I struggle to connect with these instrumental bands (I miss some vocals, although bad vocals can ruin the music so, you never know) but these guys were not boring at all and I ended up nodding to their heavy sound!!
After one more Satan’s Juice, it was time to go and watch DUSKWOOD, a four Desert Rock piece from Yeovil, Somerset. They started delivering some groovy fuzzed tunes, with an excellent work by their drummer, and their music had this grungy vibe!! Like I said to Inês, after, it was a bit like a mix of Alice in Chains with Soundgarden and Queens of the Stone Age. They were showcasing their 2023 album “The Last Voyage” and they were a very nice warm-up for what would come next!!!
In the meantime, my friend Rui arrived, just in time to see the main attraction, THE LUNAR EFFECT, but before hitting the concert room, we still had time for one more Satan’s Juice!! First surprise was they were playing as a quintet, with two guitars, which I don’t think I ever saw them playing like that!! Second surprise was that they were playing some tracks from the new album, which is coming out in April through Svart Records. Including the new single “Pulling Daisies”. I love their laidback, fuzzyish Doom with plenty of melody, classic Rock riffs and Blues, and the new songs sounded very good, making from this new album a must buy!! Although, starting to show off their new album, they did not forget some of their early works like my favourite tune from these guys: “Woman”!! After quite a bit of fun and a very good set, they were done but not before unleashing on us their Black Sabbath medley which is always the cherry on top of the cake!! I know that with a new album, probably that will become less and less but at least I was able to see it a couple of times eheh!!! It’s a trip to the 70’s but still with a glimpse of the present!!
With the concerts done, we still had time for a couple of more beers before heading home (by bus which is a long journey) for some rest!!!
Very special night this one, where we for the first time went to the O2 in Shepherd’s Bush to witness Paradise Lost’s 30th anniversary of the release of ‘Icon’, where they would play it in its entirety supported by My Dying Bride. If they had added Anathema, we would have the Yorkshire triumvirate playing like in the early 90’s (although I have no proof that they have ever played live together but at least they did in my stereo). This time besides me, my girlfriend Inês, and our friend Inês (no mistake here, they have both the same name), we had the company of Pedro and Joana, who came from Portugal to witness this historical night. First impression of this O2 wasn’t the best one as we did not get impressed with it, it seems small, especially when you have a sold-out house. To go to the toilet was an adventure, and I had to resign to see the last 2 songs from My Dying Bride in the stairs because we couldn’t move from there to the floor without someone else doing the opposite. Weird, so I did not become a fan of this place. But well, let’s go to the good things: the concerts!! First, we had our main reason to be there: My Dying Bride!! And man, what a beginning!! They opened with ‘The Thrash of Naked Limbs’ followed by ‘The Songless Bird’, both songs also commemorating thirty years of being released!! Followed by ‘Catherine Blake’, ‘Like Gods of the Sun’, and my favourite all time My Dying Bride song: ‘The Cry of Mankind’. The band was as tight as we could ask, everything played on the spot, and Aaron vocals were amazing, bringing back the more growled parts and not missing a note!! Fucking hell, it was awesome!! And they still played ‘She Is the Dark’, ‘Turn Loose the Swans’, which is a massive song when played live, and finished with ‘The Forever People’, which surprisedly enough, at least for me, brought again the mosh to the pit. Yes, there was a lot of mosh during My Dying Bride!! How weird is that???
After them came Paradise Lost, and
we were again in the front, just close to the mosh pit, lovely, innit? As expected,
they played ‘Icon’ in the exact order like it came out in 1993, opening with ‘Embers Fire’ (the
best song from the album) and closing with ‘Christendom’ (which for what I’ve
read was played live for the first time ever just like ‘Poison’ and ‘Weeping
Words’). Just like My Dying Bride, they were tight as hell, with everyone
having a lot of fun on performing this mythical album three decades later. Nick
Holmes, spoke like I never seen him before, although with his Yorkshire accent,
we had some trouble in following him ahaha!! Again, there was quite a bit of a
mosh pit, which at some times was fun to see the moshers reacting to the slower
parts ahah!! Priceless!! In the encore they played some even older stuff like ‘Pity
the Sadness’ (from ‘Shades of God’) and newer stuff like ‘Ghosts’ from ‘Obsidian’.
I’ve missed ‘As I Die’ but well maybe they are a bit tired of playing that
one!! In the end, it was worth the while, the trip from North to West London,
the price of the one beer I had (no cheap beer nowadays but with those toilets
of hell I did not want to risk it), and the price of the ticket!! We ended the
night at the Black Heart for some Lightbulbs, Heavy Metal and to mingle with some familiar
faces!!! And another one bites the dust!!! We will be back!!!
US band Hulder was performing in Europe for the first time, and we were lucky that Cult Of Parthenope arranged for them to come to London, specifically to the Downstairs at the Dome (previously known as Boston Music Room), on this cold autumn night!! Before they showed up, we had quite a nice line-up to see so me and Ines tried to leave the house at some decent hours!! And we made it just in time to see Stahlsarg going through their set!! We had the pleasure of seeing this Suffolk band a couple of years ago on an HRH Viking in Sheffield, so we knew we were up to a good start!! And they did not disappoint! With a new EP, ‘Suicide of God’, which came out in March of ’23 through Cult Never Dies, under their wings, the quintet started fast to unleash their fast Black Metal full of cut-throating frantic riffs and frenzied blasting!! But their music is not just that, as they also deliver some melancholic moments which slowdown things and give you time to breath. They have a very good stage presence with a lot of movement from one of their guitarists and a good pair of lungs in the vocalist. Black Metal with no bullshit!! Just what the doctor had recommended!! Because the next day I needed to be up really soon (around 7am) there were only a couple of pints being chugged and here it was a nice pale ale from Blue Moon to do the trick. Second band on stage was The Infernal Sea a band we had seen a couple of times, one of them opening for Primordial also in London. They have a new album, ‘Hellfenlic’ coming out in January, and I think they played some of the singles which have been coming out like ‘Lord Abhorrent’ or ‘Bastard of the East’. Their music has quite a dark atmosphere which results quite nicely in the live stage, especially with all the visual aids aka robes and masks. Tonight’s wasn’t different and they went through a good set which left people wanting for more. Another good example of the good health in the UK Black Metal scene. After them came the first of the debutants in UK lands, the Germans Groza!! I had read about them before this concert and heard a lot of Mgla comparisons, which for me is not a very bad thing, as I worship them, and after seeing them I can see/hear that comparison makes sense but vocal wise, I think Groza’s ones are somewhat different, as they use a grunter approach!! The German trio focused on their second album ‘The Redemptive End’ from 2021, opening with ‘Sunken in Styx’ (both parts) and continuing with ‘Elegance of Irony’, one of the best tracks from the album. A very emotive (and melancholic in some parts) moment was when they played ‘The Redemptive End’, which was dedicated to their fallen comrade M.S., which sadly passed away a couple of months ago. In the end it was 45 minutes, that didn’t feel too long, and a very good performance by these guys!!! To end the night, we had Hulder, a one-woman project which took the Underground by surprise, first with a couple of demos and then with its debut album, ‘Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry’, which came out in 2021. The band live multiplies into a quartet with Hulder taking care of guitar and vocals. Things started with an atmospheric intro, then the band started ripping out, and man, how surprise was I when she started to growl!! Not expecting that!! Music wise, they unleashed a whirlwind of buzzsaw riffs, chilling atmospheres, and some powerful drumming!! Through the 40-minutes that lasted their show, Hulder delivered a good set of Black Metal, with plenty of variation, and lots of headbanging moments. She isn’t very communicative towards the audience, but that’s pretty much a normal thing with Black Metal bands, so no disappointment there!! Overall, excellent set and I would recommend anyone into Black Metal to watch them, if they are able to!!! After a couple of more minutes, mingling with some familiar faces, we went home as the next day was an early rise one for me!!! See ya the next day!!
After a restful night, time for the second day of the festival which started really soon with Anakim, which I miss as I had some more family issues to take care of!! So, for me first band was at the Black Heart (today was divided between that venue and the Underworld, and must say it went really well with pretty much no clashes between bands) and when I got there Beyond Extinction, a young band from Essex was already unleashing their Deathcore like there was no tomorrow, pun intended!! I struggle quite a bit with this modern way of doing Death Metal so only lasted for a couple of songs and then went to the Underworld because in these festivals the secret is to start drinking when the band is starting and keep up the pace as you are not allowed to take drinks from venue to venue!! So, after my first Camden Pale Ale (those and Lightbulbs at the Black Heart were my go to beers through the day/night) time to see Basement Torture Killings, an habitue of the Death/Grind sessions in London!! I always get fascinated by Millie’s (BTK singer) presence in stage, sometimes it appears she is in some kind of a trance, and I love the dismemberment/autopsy of the Teddy bear (later in the evening I stepped on something hard, and it was its heart)!! They are a very tight band, with everything unleashed at a high speed but with no slack or sloppiness. Always good to watch them!! At the Black Heart it was time for Pathogenic Virulence, a Tech Slam Death all Romanian band based in London. They delivered songs from their debut album ‘Submerged Into Non-Existence’, and I think a couple of new ones, and they brought a bit of science fiction and biology to the fest on the lyrical concept. Full of complex fast riffs, their music is tight as hell and not for weak hearts. So, another trip to the Underworld and this time we had Repulsive Vision going on stage. These boys from Cumbria play the type of Death Metal that I’m a fan: the one where Thrash riffs are all over the place!! I had seen them a couple of times, but this was the first with their new vocals and must say Ryan has a nice pair of lungs, maybe not as brutal as Daryl but delivering a groovier performance which I even think suits a bit better Repulsive Vision’s music. They had a nice set which flowed quite well, with some interesting riffing and some damaging blasts!! As I stayed until the end (and because the next band in the Underworld was one, I really wanted to see) I only saw 1 or 2 songs from To Obey A Tyrant, a Deathcore act from Bournemouth. But as I said above, it’s not my beach as well so what I saw was okey!! The crowd seemed to be enjoying and that’s what you want!! Not everyone has to love the yellow!! So back to the Underworld and time for Seprevation, a band that people saw a lot in London but that disbanded pretty much when I arrived in London. After they have reunited, finally I had time to see them, and man was it worth the while!! They returned with a new demo this year, which I think some of the songs were featured, and their Thrashy Death Metal was just what my ears needed!! Bang on songs, thick riffs, tight drumming, all you need to have a fun afternoon!! Death (the band) it’s what comes to my mind when I hear some of their stuff, especially the maniac solos!! Fucking brilliant and one of the highlights of the day, for me, of course!!! With my neck a bit sore, I went back to the Black Heart for a very special band: Symbtomy. Special because our good friend Dasa plays bass in it and because they play old school Death Metal, another of my top choices. They delivered songs from both their demos and the stench of rotten music was smelled many miles away!! At this time the house was already very full and maybe because Dasa is very well known and liked in the London Metal scene, a lot of people was there to witness her debut in the London stages with Symbtomy. Overall, I would say they delivered what was expected, they did not come to invent the wheel but what they did, it was done with feeling and attitude!! Mithras was the next band and these veterans of the UK Death Metal scene brought to London the most experimental set of the entire day. Their music can be better described as if Morbid Angel and Voivod went to bed and made a child!! It’s freaking weird, spatial, and technical, and you need to be in the right state of mind to properly enjoy it!! Unfortunately, I wasn’t and after 2 or 3 songs I tapped out and went to the back to enjoy a Pale Ale and chat a bit with some known faces!! From the Netherlands came Abrupt Demise, and they were the next guests in the Black Heart stage!! Good, fast and relentless Death Metal is what these guys deliver, and it sounded quite good and a bit of a grind down after the beating in my brain given by Mithras. They came to present their debut album ‘The Pleasure to Kill and Grind’, which came out in 2020, and I would say they left with a couple of more fans. As for me, after a decent number of tunes headed to the Underworld for another Pale Ale (or was it Camden Hells? Not sure, the evening was long!!) and to watch the Italians Hour Of Penance, a band that I had the pleasure of seeing a couple of times back in Portugal. I always get impressed by their ferocity, and technicality in stage!! With more than two decades on their legs, these guys leave no prisoners behind with their top-notch riffing and brutal blast beats!! A lesson in musicality and a pain in the neck in the end, that was their present to all that witnessed their show. I was a bit tired in the end so didn’t have strength to go to the Black Heart to watch Visions of Disfigurement, so I just stayed in the Underworld chatting and waiting for Blood Red Throne!! The Norwegians are always a sign of good old Death Metal, and not always they have a new album almost out, ‘Nonagon’ is expected to come out in early 2024, but also, they were debuting, at least for me, new vocals. It was brutal, sweaty and a hell of a show. I’m pretty sure they played a song from the new album, but I can’t be sure as I never remember to write anything while the bands are playing!! The objective is to have a good time, right? And they kept everyone entertained for sure!! Then, time to finish the beer because on the other side there was Cryptworm to watch!! The Bristol band (which features, at least live, 2 guys from Seprevation in it) delivered the most obscure and dark Death Metal of the weekend!! When I entered the Black Heart, it was like some evil ritual was being performed in stage, with the deep ultra-low growls from Tibor reverberating in the walls of that tiny space. The riffing was putrid, the drumming was tight, and people were in trance being fustigated by Cryptworm’s music!! Fucking awesome!!! So good, that in the end of the night I caught up with Tibor in the merch table and bought their debut album ‘Spewing Mephitic Putridity’ from 2022 in vinyl!! And don’t fall asleep because this month they are releasing its follow up!!! Then a bit of a run to the Underworld because the last band going on stage was one of those, that you should not lose when they play in your area, country, or planet!! Benediction don’t need no introduction nor songs like ‘Vision in the Shroud’, ‘Unfound Mortality’, ‘The Grotesque’ or ‘Subconscious Terror’!! Making noise since 1989, these UK veterans did not let things cool down, and drenched the Underworld in sweat and energy. Dave Ingram is a beast on stage and the perfect master of ceremonies with his powerful growls. Owning albums like ‘The Grand Leveller’ and ‘Transcend the Rubicon’ very close to my heart, it was hard not to headbang to untimely songs that make part of the history of Death Metal!! The band was tight as ever and they were the cherry on top pf the cake to close things at the Underworld!! But.. Yes, there’s a but! That wasn’t the last concert as there was one more band to play at the Black Heart, and one which had some special meaning for me as they are from Portugal!! I’m talking about Serrabulho, the kings of Pimba Grind, that brought some humour (we need as much as we can with all the shit going around the world)!! The place was small for them as they have a bigger than life attitude, but they gave all their best to maintain alive a crowd that had been moving around since 1pm. It was fun to see all that people dancing around with them!! A happy way to end a fantastic weekend for Death Metal fans, with a little bit of everything inside the genre!! Although tired, I stayed at the Black Heart for the after party brought by Sam Loynes (from Akercocke among other things)!! The music was great, the chat as well, end up talking a lot to Bill Steer without annoying him to much (not my fault this time) and changed to Vodka Lemonade as beer was becoming hard to drink ahah!! Ines showed up, we had a couple of more drinks, helped a friend catch a Uber and then Woody’s and home to eat and sleep!!!
Overall, excellent festival, good
bands, excellent organization, and a blast of a time!!! See you all next
year!!!
