DAMNATION FESTIVAL 2007
This was my first venture to the Damnation Festival since its inception in 2005 and the size of the queue indicated how its popularity had risen since then. Once the doors opened slightly later than expected a quick inspection of the stages and the timetable raised both my eyebrows as I predicted that the smaller stage would be absolutely rammed solid by the time Aborted and Kataklysm came on. A fact proven right by the time 1349 hit the stage prior to those bands. Timetable arrangements indicated very little overlap of stages during the day but inevitably this faltered as the day went on.
Dead Beyond Buried had the unenviable task of getting the fest underway on the Terrorizer stage as they battered the crowd with some semi technical death metal with high velocity blasting. The alternating guttural and screamed vocals added variation to each track as “Organic Dementia” slipped into a Morbid Angel style groove with its sludgy riffing. “Innocence Erased” was a meaty death metal feast and despite the slightly muddy sound Damnation 2007 was off to a flying start as I made my way to the Jagermeister stage to catch Malefice, who were knew to me. The guitar acrobatics hinted at metalcore from the off as the combination of short tech riffing combined with a death metal rhythm made Malefice very aggressive and exceptionally heavy. “Bringer Of War” had an essentially modern death metal rhythm punctuated with thrash breaks and a variety in pace. The expected breakdowns, beatdowns or whatever down you want to call them were brutally heavy yet very similar in each tune played. “Dreams Without Courage” had an element of groove, as did “As Skies Turn Black” which I found appealing and with the incorporation of some clean vocals Malefice got the main stage off to an encouraging start.
I seem to have seen Soulfracture quite a few times recently and their expertise and professionalism seem to show a positive correlation to the number of times I’ve seen them. Arriving just as “Silence Falls” was slamming the crowd with a mix of modern metal spliced with some rapid fire blasts, the band were firing on most cylinders. Glen (Vocals) announced a new song which I think was called “Leader Of The Exploited” as the first indications of metalcore witnessed at previous gigs was now evident. Another new song was aired, to appear on an EP later this year, and was a decent enough metal tune but I feel the band have a lot better material up their sleeves in future yet.
I decided to make my way to catch Romeo Must Die, consisting of Adam and Ben from the sadly now defunct Stampin’ Ground. Anyone who has seen Adam on stage will testify that he is one hell of a front man and today held that testimony correct. His ability to draw in the crowd and enthral them with his energy is astounding. Musically RMD had a thrashy approach even though Adam’s vocals have that hardcore edge giving each song menace and unpredictability. The presence on stage was huge as Ben (Bass) flailed around dangerously and Adam stoked the crowd into some pit action, even if it was the kung fu metalcore style shite. The thrash riffing in all the songs was aggressive, yet melodic and packed a hefty punch as they covered Pantera’s “A New Level” with brutal effectiveness. With the “Forever Defiant EP” due for release early next year RMD should be on everyone’s check out list.
Traipsing between the stages was becoming ever more hazardous as I slid through the spilt beer, etc. As I rounded the corner to watch Lazarus Blackstar the monumental sound that this band was creating was unbelievable such was the crushing heaviness of it. With virtually no song announcements the colossal distortion submerged the audience in a doom metal bombardment. The manically tortured screams and demented contortions of the singer witnessed a band seemingly in the throes of death as each member played as though they were fighting for life, especially the drummer with his sticks reversed pulverising the kit to oblivion. This performance was not for the faint of ear.
I decided to await Man Must Die, on after Lazarus Blackstar, and treat myself to a well earned pint. Having caught the bands performance earlier this year on the Zyklon tour the band seemed to have a point to prove here. The detonating viciousness that was “Silent Observer” mixed short grind carnage with highly brutal yet catchy death metal instigating plenty of pit action as I was launched into the speaker stack with my ribs complaining frantically. Working the crowd with ease “Cardboard Gangster” hurtled along seemingly uncontrollably with an effective mix of highly charged and melodic death metal. The guitar seemed to get lost in the mix at times but was a minor flaw by one of the most brutal bands of the whole day.
The sizeable crowd watching Man Must Die was at the sacrifice of Panic Cell where the main stage area appeared relatively sparse as they unleashed “Calm”, a fine mix of catchy modern metal splashed with the inevitable bounce factor seemingly required for today’s metal crowd. The professionalism was obvious as their tight musicianship delivered a nice balance between aggression and power. Indulging in a few short swigs of Jagermeister with the crowd added a bit of fun to proceedings but this was short lived as “Dead to Me” proved that Panic Cell have the ability to pen tunes with melody and aggression without pandering too much to the younger metal masses.
I just love the attempts that some metallers make to cover themselves in corpse paint, especially the younger ones who must have raided their mums or sisters make up bag. The number of punters stood waiting for 1349 was vast as it took me some time to get to the front for a few snaps. As Ravn (Vocals) appeared on stage and did his fire breathing act, the poor bloke at the side of me caught some of it on his face to which I hope he is OK now as he had to leave to sort it out. The band was without one guitarist and a different drummer (Kobro from Carpathian Forest apparently had stepped in) as they kicked off with “Legion”. The guitar sound seemed very muffled making the additional guitarist a necessity. However the crowd relished the ferocious riffing of “I Am Abomination” and “Beyond The Apocalypse”. Black metal bands aren’t known for much stage banter but Ravn did a fine job of menacingly stalking the stage as though conjuring spirits of the dead with his outreached arms. Tearing into “To Rottendom” then “Satanic Propaganda” 1349 was savagely graceful as they sliced and diced the crowd in a riff frenzy. However time was upon me as 1349’s late start meant an early end to their set for me to catch a few songs of Orange Goblin. The number of people watching seemed less again for the main stage area and wasn’t helped by the bass infested sound which all but drowned out the guitar sound unfortunately. Orange Goblin belted out a series of lead heavy metal tunes as I stood and watched from a distance. Clearly enjoying themselves, and despite the thin guitar sound there was no denying the heaviness of the bands music, but it was time to move again.
Aborted have played these shores a few times but in the last year or so the band has been propelled from relative obscurity to being at the forefront of death metal judging by the number of people waiting to see them today. Their early Carcass worship has been superseded by a far more slick death metal approach. With some bloke handing out surgical masks for effect and his girlfriend (she didn’t look like his sister) dishing out fake blood for added effect the intro was greeted with a roar. The masked entourage that was the crowd erupted into sheer violence once “Meticulous Invagination” first chords were struck. Writing notes in this was not easy I can tell you. The band had very little time and wasted none of it with back and forth banter as they tore into “The Saw And The Carnage Done”. The balance between all out blast assaults and melody is a fine one yet Aborted do it effortlessly in tracks like “The Inertia” and “Hecatomb” as they battered the crowd into oblivion. At this point a prior engagement forced me to leave the gig where I heard that Kataklysm ground the audience to a pulp, Kreator had a good return to form and Anaal Nathrakh were brutal, vicious and downright nasty. (MH)
Following hot on the heels of Aborted were Kataklysm who seemed a little out of place on such a small stage. However they made the most of it as what blasted forth from the speakers made being rammed into sardine tin size area worth it more and more. They proceeded to batter the crowd with tracks culled mostly from their latter three releases. The audience was battered with “Let Them Burn”, bludgeoned with “The Resurrected” and pounded with “Face The Face Of War”. The groove laden intro to “Crippled And Broken” saw the front dozen rows descend into a riot. You didn’t go into the pit unless you were up for it. The calls for “Ambassador Of Pain” and “As I Slither” were granted as we were treated to the early classic of “1999:6661:2000” from “The Prophecy”. Before long it was time for the set closer “In Shadows And Dust” which utterly bludgeoned the crowd ready for the main stage headliners Kreator.
Having witnessed a less than spectacular performance at this years Party San festival, I was hoping that their Damnation Festival debut would be somewhat a return to blistering live form that these thrash veterans are capable of. But as set opener “Violent Revolution” gave way to “Pleasure To Kill” the muddy sound rendered both guitars virtually inaudible making for a somewhat inauspicious beginning to their set. Having come directly from the thorough battering courtesy of Kataklysm, Kreator were always going to struggle for power by comparison. However to their credit and once the sound was ironed out, Mile and his troops began to hit their stride. “Enemy Of God” saw normal service resumed in the thrashing guitar stakes with much pit action to boot as the band found a happy medium between pleasing older and younger fans alike. “People Of The Lie” was well received, as was the shredding rendition of the anti-Nazi anthem “Europe After The Rain”. By the time “Awakening Of The Gods” was unleashed my faith in one of the stalwarts of 80s thrash was pretty much restored. “Betrayer”, “Extreme Aggression” and “Reconquering the Throne” were barbed wire statements of intent, as Mille struck a chord with masses and praised the UK metal scene.
This was a stripped, no frills performance typified by “Impossible Brutality” in the first encore, followed by the inevitable “Flag of Hate”, though I could have done without Mille’s tedious antics of repeatedly asking the crowd to say “hate”. The track was a bona fide classic, so he’s excused for now, as the final song “Tormentor” sent the crowd suitably mental and a fitting end to a fine day of metal. Damnation Festival 2007 was a great success and I look forward to next year’s event immensely. (AW)
Martin Harris and Adrian Wheeler
LEEDS METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY - 20/10/07