Live Review: Damnation Festival 2011, Leeds University

//Live Review: Damnation Festival 2011, Leeds University

Grand Magus Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

 

Damnation Festival – Saturday, 5th November 2011.

Leeds University

By Gary Lukes

Photos by Antony Roberts

When vocalist Som was unable to make her plane from the Netherlands, death metal miscreants Cerebral Bore were faced with two of the most primeval reactions known to man; fight or flight. Like true Glaswegians, they chose the former.

Unable to shift their set to a later slot, the ‘Bore opted instead to play a short instrumental set, offering their apologies and bounding straight into the brutality of “The Bald Cadaver”. Credit where credit’s due; lesser bands would have taken the easy route and pulled out of the event. But Cerebral Bore have rightly earned their status as one of the hardest working bands in the underground today, managing to incite a bigger pit than most bands could muster all day.

Cerebral Bore Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Cerebral Bore Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Cerebral Bore Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Cerebral Bore Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Cerebral Bore Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

The delay for Cerebral Bore means that I arrive late for A Forest of Stars, who are already leading through “God“. Judging by the throng packing the smaller stages so far, it’s hard to believe there were any fears about the festival underselling.

The band were breathtaking, one of my favourites of the day. Traditional black metal instruments were augmented by melancholic bursts of violin. Meanwhile, Mister Curse’s vocals alternated between grandiose and hysterical, although unfortunately buried at times underneath the divine and densely layered instrumentation. They were both sophisticated and psychedelic. Like the houseband for a Victorian opium den, providing the sinister soundtrack to the most terrifying of trips.

Not previously being a fan of Medulla Nocte meant I was unable to mainline the rabid excitement of the crowd for A Man Called Catten. However, any fear that age may have mellowed the eponymous vocalist were quickly dispensed by his frenetic and frantic performance; flailing across the stage, and even falling over in all the furore. But what I saw of the set seemed to concentrate on Medulla Nocte material. Seeing as my love for Paul Catten mainly extends to early Lazarus Blackstar, my attendance was brief.

A Man Called Catten Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

A Man Called Catten Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

A Man Called Catten Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Attempting to pre-empt the crowd, we arrive at the third stage in earnest for Liverpool fuzz-sludge barbarians, Conan. Opening with “Krull“, it immediately appeared apparent that the engines of the Black Fortress weren’t firing on all cylinders, with the band falling foul to a weakened mix; a common festival infliction. On record, the song echoes and drones as huge as the cosmos, but on the night, it lacked that elephantine stomp in the sound stakes.

But the band rectified this during their next piece, with “Satsumo” benefiting from being a fuller, busier composition. And the brilliantly bruising “Sea Lord” closed the set, beckoning the tide of sludge to tsunami-like stature before crushing us all as it breaks upon the brim. A special shoutout to the drummer; adorned entirely in hooded tracksuit and single-handedly reinforcing Scouse stereotypes around the world. Somewhere out there, Pa Boswell is beaming with pride.

Conan Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Conan Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Conan Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Conan Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Conan Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

An obvious downside to all festivals overflowing with talent are the clashes. It’s inevitable, especially when so many quality acts are wedged into only one day. The organisers this year did a stellar job in minimising any clashes, but sacrifices still had to made. This sadly led me to missing Shining, as well as Astrohenge and Doom.

I did, however, manage to catch a couple of Turisas songs. Although predictably preposterous, I can‘t deny there‘s a lot to enjoy in the marauding, folky metal of those Finnish fiends. Bombastic, rousing anthems bounce from the speakers, punctuated by furious fiddles and washes of keyboard. The crowd was packed with painted faces and plastic swords, proving that the appeal of the band is far from a passing fad.

Turisas Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Turisas Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Turisas Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Turisas Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Turisas Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Next up was a rare live manifestation from Dragged into Sunlight. Attracting a large crowd, many of whom were unfamiliar but intrigued. One punter in front asks his mate what the band sounds like; “evil as bollocks” was the amusing and abrupt rejoinder.

Opening with a prolonged and sinister intro track, the band don’t so much emerge from the dry-ice as slither out of the fog; the ambiance only slightly sullied by fire-regulations extinguishing the many candles littered around the stage. Unrepentant, they crash into “Boiled Angel”, which in turn bleeds into the turmoil of “Buried with Leeches”. Hunched over, with their backs to the crowd as if concealing some hideous visage from humanity, the band writhe amongst the miasma; their outlines traced by the relentless chatter of strobe-lighting.

Dragged into Sunlight seem to summon the shadows that circle the stage, causing them to churn and curl, consuming the congregation behind them with their concoction of black, death and sludge metal. They recede back into crepuscular cover following a furious rendition of “I, Aurora”, their blasphemies still reverberating amongst the eaves. Evil as bollocks and awesome as all hell.

Dragged Into Sunlight Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Dragged Into Sunlight Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Dragged Into Sunlight Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

I stumbled briefly across Chthonic on the second stage, playing passive voyeur for a couple of songs. I’ve never given their melodic black metal too much of my time. Judging by the large crowd, that may be my loss. And under a less hectic schedule, I might have rectified that situation.

Despite being grounded to the confines of the cramped third stage, Altar of Plagues still managed to soar high with their hybrid of black metal and epic post-rock. Guitars drift in and out of focus over howled vocals, while eerie notes float upon hammering percussion before being battered by flurries of melodic, blackened, riffing.

No matter how many times I see this band, they’re a majestic proposition. But this time it was one curtailed by the busy scheduling. Despite having already booked a repeat appointment with Ireland‘s finest at Candlefest next week, I left for the main stage mid-set and with a heavy heart.

By the time I work my way around the venue’s labyrinthine corridors to join the Swedish trio, Grand Magus are already bringing the heavy metal thunder and inducing regicide with the blistering “Kingslayer“. The band certainly aren’t short on fist-pumping anthems, galloping through “Silver into Steel“, pummelling into “Hammer of the North“ and slaughtering us all with “The Shadow Knows”. By the time the last chord is struck for “Iron Will“, hands fill the air and voices echo across the hall.

Grand Magus Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Grand Magus Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Grand Magus Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Grand Magus Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Grand Magus Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Grand Magus Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Grand Magus Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Godflesh open with the monolithic pummel of “Like Rats“. The despair flows thick, as if gushing from an open wound. Never have two men and a drum machine sounded so crushing. GC Green’s bass underpins the structure with thick pulsing rivets, rendering tracks like “Christbait Rising” so relentlessly barren and bruising, that the clotted hammering of sound almost collapse my lungs as it beats against my chest.

The band’s set appeared to be a mildly truncated version of that played months earlier at the London Forum. Concentrating mainly on the bleak, primal bludgeoning of the earlier material. And that’s no criticism. After all, if the machine ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

And so the machine continued, churning out classics such as “Tiny Tears” and “Mothra”, while Justin Broadrick’s guitar wrenches and squalls against the backdrop. The heave and impact of the mechanised drums started to become almost hypnotic. It’s a mercy the dancehall was encircled by sturdy concrete pillars; as they possibly stood as the last bastion against the building crumbling inward upon itself.

Godflesh Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Godflesh Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Godflesh Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Godflesh Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Godflesh Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Godflesh Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Godflesh Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

(Photographers note – unfortunately due to still being a relatively new site we weren’t allowed to shoot the headliners, hence no pictures for the remaining bands, bar a sneaky one or 2 taken from the audience!)

Then it’s time for his dome-headed highness, Devin Townsend; alledgedly presented tonight in “Boobaphonic Stereo”. Introduced by vocoder vocals and the discourteous dialect of Ziltoid The Omniscient blaring from the big screen, berating the audience and informing us that our “balls are pendulous and weak”. Then out comes the ringmaster himself. Devin and his merry men bound onstage, informing us that “if you’re too fuckin’ cool for Vengaboys, ladies, get the fuck out”. With that the band explode into “Truth”, the intro track from Infinity.

Despite being billed as a Devin Townsend Project show, the majority of the material seemed to be culled from solo albums, with a plethora being plundered from “Infinity” and “Ziltoid” especially. But with a back catalogue so strong, it makes little difference.

An army of Ziltoid puppets are thrust aloft to tracks such as “By Your Command“ and the bewildering boogie of “Bad Devil“. Devin Townsend Project ditties such as “Heavensend “ and “Supercrush” are stunning live, even with the use of recorded female vocals. While recent songs such as “Stand” and “Juular” slot amicably amongst more established material, despite being over ten years their junior. Meanwhile, Devin struts around the stage with all the gay abandon you’d expect from a guy who just declared “I would like to celebrate the first solid shit I’ve had in five days”.

Over on the second stage, Ulver were slowly breathing life into their compositions; their tempered brand of Norwegian Gothic a world away from the carnival of Devin Townsend. For some, it was a welcome change of pace from the manic metal of the day; but certain others could be overheard registering their grumbles regarding the more subdued nature of the second and third stage headliners.

But Ulver have earned their status as metal legends. As much as I would like to hear them break out some “Bergtatt“ compositions or howl along to hymns of wolves from “Nattens Madrigal“, those days are gone. What we are left with is a band that carries their weight differently, having shifted and redistributed it when they modified their musical posture.

  

Ulver Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings

Ulver Damnation festival 2011 review metal gigs gig listings
Stood sentient in the shadows, the act prefer instead to force the focus towards the large projector screen forming a backdrop behind them. As they drift through compositions such as “Island”, “Darling Didn’t We Kill You” and “Scars of Cold Kisses“, it could be argued that their arrangements are heavy as they‘ve ever been, relying far more on the substantial emotional heft.

Many have claimed that the band looked bored, and it certainly could be that they’ve grown disinterested in the scene and feel much more comfortable playing festivals celebrating literature than metal. If that’s the case, then it could be argued that the band owed the paying public a little more effort.

But if you closed your eyes, it mattered not a jot whether Garm was wearing a frown when he was weaving such rich musical tapestries. For a band that have always been about the music, that should be all that matters. Ulver have worked for years to unburden themselves from the frostbitten shackles of the black metal elite. What we are left with, is an artist considerably less tr00, but far more transcendental.

Remember, remember the 5th of November. Furthermore, don’t forget to book your tickets next year, for what is surely the UK’s finest indoor metal festival.

By |2011-11-13T00:00:00+00:00November 13th, 2011|Gig Reviews|0 Comments

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