Yearly Archives: 2012

Trolls, Booze and Videotapes  – Golden Gods Awards 2012 Review

Words by Nicholas Holmes

Photos by Tess Donohoe  www.tessdonohoe.com

After the mud-bath that was 10^th Download Festival 2012, hundreds of crazy metal-heads made the annual pilgrimage down the M1 to top off the weekend at Metal Hammer magazine's infamous Golden Gods Awards, which also celebrated its 10^th event. Held once more at London O2's Indigo2 venue, the ceremony included incredible live performances, occasionally ludicrous acceptance speeches, and lots and lots of booze.

ATP I'll Be Your Mirror with Slayer, Sleep and more, Alexandra Palace, London, 25th May 2012

Words and photos by Antony Roberts

All Tomorrow's Parties festivals are not exactly known for metal line ups.  Sure sometimes they'll get a curator with wide musical tastes and they'll be a few heavier acts doted about on the line up, but generally they are quite a mixed affair.  It was with huge surprise that they announced that Slayer would be headlining one of the days at this year's I'll Be Your Mirror.  The surprise soon turned into general excitement in the UK metal scene when the rest of the support was announced.  Sleep were coming back for ATP, along with a lineup not to far away from the usual suspects to play at Roadburn Festival.

 
For those that didn't make it here's a quick overview of the festival and facilities, followed by a review of each of the bands that played.

Primordial, Hell and Winterfylleth at London Islington 02 Academy, Saturday 5th May 2012

By Gary Lukes

Photos by Antony Roberts

Winterfylleth may have to launch the blistering opening to “Mam Tor” in front of a half-empty hall, but by the time the song’s epic, woozy rhythms have come to a close any remaining pockets of space are rapidly filled by generous applause. Almost two years after the release of “The Mercian Sphere”, a regular presence on the live scene has built their reputation almost as much as their critically acclaimed LP.

Playing an atmospheric style more often associated with Eastern Europe, the Mancunians have recast the mesmeric, eddying riffing into their own mold of “English Heritage black metal”. It’s an embodiment perhaps best epitomised by “The Wayfarer Part I…”, from the imperial swell of the 

Inverloch/Indesinence/Necro Deathmort - London Camden Underworld - Thursday 19th April 2012

By Gary Lukes

Photos by Antony Roberts

Thursday’s aren’t the most metal of days, and tonight London sadly seems more interested in the latest episode of Watchdog than the resurrection of Australian doom legends Disembowelment. Thus, we are greeted into the murky belly of Camden’s Underworld by the sight of Necro Deathmort summoning their spacey, sinister electro-doom in front of a measly crowd of about twenty people. 

And it’s a shame, as AJ Cookson and Matthew Rozeik utilise the unusual guitar/laptop (and occasional bass) set-up to conjure an insidious sound that seethes under the sparse lighting; constantly shifting shape in the shadows and somehow emerging more malevolent than before. 

At times, they can recall Aphex Twin at their most deranged or Axis of Perdition at their most lucid, while the band’s sound as a whole seems to consist of a unique legion of influences that echo genre-freaks as varied as Lustmord, Blut aus Nord and Massive Attack. On tracks such as “Temple of Juno”, dark dubby beats mutate and melt into ethereal effects, off-kilter guitar-lines and menacing screams.