Live Review: UK Tech Fest 2022
30th June - 4th July 2022
Words & Photos: Patrick O'Reilly
I have been to many festivals before, but this was my first time at Tech-Fest. I don’t think I was prepared for how good this festival is in terms of atmosphere, friendship and all round feel good factor. I was blown away by the set up, the location, the staff, everything about it was perfectly done. Bands and fans alike have an amazing experience, this is what a festival should be like in my mind and huge thanks and appreciation for everybody involved in making this event happen.
I arrived on Friday and having founding a spot to camp and quickly setting up I wandered down to the hangars in which the main and second stages are housed.
The first band I managed to see was Harbinger who brought an intense deathcore experience to the second stage. Betraying the Martyrs were up next and had a similar sort of vibe, deathcore with a bit more melody and they really got the crowd moving. Scar Symmetry closed the night with an accomplished display of modern progressive metal with many nods to trad metal. Catchy melodic choruses abounded, and everybody went into the night in a euphoric state.
Saturday opened with the youthful enthusiasm and energy of Only the Righteous who combined melody, complex riffage with huge breakdowns courtesy of the heavy influence in the band, guitarist Charlie Heavy in all senses of the word! [Don’t be mad at me Charlie! James told me to write that!]
Next up for me were He Knows whose chilled positive vibes fitted perfectly with the atmosphere of the festival. They reminded me of the lighter moments of the band Cynic and managed to perfectly meld soaring soulful vocals with technical prog riffs.
Krysthla on the main stage turned things heavy again with an aggressive display of metalcore that pounded and crushed the packed audience.
I was really impressed by The Hirsch Effekt on the main stage who crafted an impassioned mixture of hardcore, kraut rock and American Emotional Hardcore. This three piece made a sound simultaneously alluring and harsh, with heavy thumping bass tones fighting against clean guitar tones wrapped around pounding drum sections. They were unique in what they did compared to the other bands on the bill, and I enjoyed their set immensely.
Monasteries brought a more traditional deathcore sound to the second stage and got the crowd pumped. Heavy with many leanings towards traditional death metal they were well received and by the show of merch over the weekend had many fans. Whilst Vexed brought more hard hitting death metal to the second stage again with more than a nod to hardcore too. They had a harsh and abrasive sound that differed from many of the bands over the weekend.
Over to the main stage again for Slam titans Vulvodynia who had flown in all the way from South Africa to play this festival and also a mini-UK tour. These guys stole the show on the Saturday and possibly the whole weekend. Insanely heavy and relentless they absolutely crushed, at one point during one of their many breakdowns it felt like the solid concrete floor was moving in time with the breakdown which felt exhilarating! Technically amazing, in particular guitarist Lwandile Prusent whose shredding and soloing was incredible to behold. They left the stage as heroes, having laid waste to Techfest 2022 and I am sure they will be just as devastating on the UK tour they are currently undertaking.
Sunday started for me with Arcaeon and their melodic brand of metalcore. Precise and in sync this was an enjoyable set to watch. Project Mishram from Bangalore were my next adventure on the main stage and were one of my picks for best bands of the festival. Mixing traditional Indian music with prog, metal, jazz and even some rapping these guys were groovy, technical and had an awesome vibe. Always interesting and always funky I was reminded of the great band Fishbone and their mixing of genres. A band I really would like to see live again.
Being from a background of more traditional death metal and doom I really appreciated a band like OHHMS being on the bill. Extreme in terms of their volume and also the musical content they absolutely pummelled the second stage audience. Mixing huge doom riffs with aggressive hardcore jams they sounded immense and really shook the room to the core. With a new album coming out early next year and plenty of live dates promised this is a band I will be paying close attention to.
Many an eyebrow was raised when Scottish slam Merchants Party Cannon were added to the bill. The poster children for dumb caveman riffs and slams you would be forgiven to think they would be a bad fit for Tech Fest, however listening carefully to their music reveals a technicality and command of their instruments that belies their attitude, so I guess that warrants a place here at this festival. They truly cemented their place on the line up though with an awesome display of powerful, fun slam metal which completely turned the second stage room into a beach party complete with myriad inflatable beach balls and a giant inflatable killer whale. The whole place was rocking for these guys, and everybody had a huge grin on their faces as beatdown after beatdown rained down on the dancing, delirious audience. A triumph of a booking and a treat for the fans, they are fast becoming an institution of British Metal.
Pupil Slicer were the final band of the festival for me and they were probably the most aggressive and chaotic of the weekend. Their fusion of death/grind/tech/math core made for an exhilarating and frenetic set with plenty of riffs to bang your head to as well as supreme musicianship and stage persona. Pupil Slicer are only going to get bigger and bigger make sure you see them now!
So that was that Tech Fest2022, wow what an experience. I left with a sore head, a sore neck and a massive grin, what better way to spend a weekend though?
