Live Review: Damnation Festival 2024
2nd November 2022
Words: Dan Barnes, Matthew Williams
Photos: Tim Finch
With the last notes of Decapitated’s set still ringing in the ears it’s an early start for the actual Damantion event and there’s a queue snaking away from the entrance well before the doors are scheduled to be opened. By all accounts todays is going to be a busy one, and with the quality of the bands on offer, that’s hardly surprising. The early hour and last night’s revelry hasn’t dissuaded many from getting right back on it and indulging in those two-pint pots before the sun is even over the yardarm.
The Pins & Knuckles mainstage is opened by the dark mournful stylings of A.A. Williams who is making her Damnation debut, admitting during the set that she’s wanted to play this show for ages. Her’s is a very different presentation from many this stage will see today, build around the juxtaposition of harsh chords and haunting refrains. The heart-breaking lament of Melt sits easily with the soaring progression of Evaporate. Red and amber light reflects the season and, in many ways, the sorrowful, yet enchanting, nature of Ms Williams’ performance. Damnation is privy to a new tune, one that seems a trifle heavier but without loosening its grip on the introspective and melancholic. I’ve been an A.A. fan for many years now and was interested to she how her dark sombre tunes would play-out amid such a display of extremity; the general consensus was that Ms W performed a spectacular beginning to the day. [DB]
French post metal outfit Celeste return to the Bowlers after pulling double duties back in 2022. No strangers to the festival prior to that year, the Lyon four-piece have nearly twenty years under their belts and blend sludge, black and doom elements into their post- stylings. Adorned with red laser headsets, the band play through some of the most captivatingly heavy music on offer anywhere today; the Galic mob have riffs akin to fellow-countrymen, Gojira, and their delivery, as silhouettes lends the performance a post-humanistic feel. The rear screen offers a content warning before the scenes of what appears to be an assault plays out behind the band. It’s a controversial moment, but one that is not out of place in Celeste’s abrasive and confrontational style. [DB]
Texans Gatecreeper have attracted a massive crowd and are not in the mood to be letting any one of them down this afternoon. A sci-fi intro tape gives way to Oblivion’s blasting riffs and huge breakdown, the slow, sludgy and yet totally uncompromising Ruthless comes with a call for much headbanging, and the more recent A Chilling Aura is wild, furious and features more death metal elements.
The obvious point of comparison here is with the band’s show at Bloodstock 2023, where the open air setting and brilliant sunshine seemed to rob Gatecreeper of some of their intensity. Here, in the cavernous confines of the Bowlers, in autumnal Manchester, the Texans really find their groove and devastate from start to finish. New album, Dark Superstition dominates the set, with Caught in the Threads’ grooving rhythms, the circle pit fodder of Mistaken for Dead and the accelerated My Dying Bride riff of The Black Curtain.
Sweat-soaked bodies are being ejected from the pit, only to be replaced by eager recruits; a mass of writhing bodies populate the front of the stage and it doesn’t seem to matter whether it’s new material or more established tunes From the Ashes, Rusted Gold or the concluding Flamethrower, Gatecreeper are making a play for the title Band-of-the-Festival and, on this form, who can honestly compete? [DB]
In contrast, Australian progressive extremists, Ne Obiviscaris have come to kill with kindness. Here is a play through their 2014 album, Citadel. A lone violin stands at the lip of the stage acting as the introduction to the opening three-movement suite that is Painters of the Tempest. What follows is a
glorious banquet of sound, ranging from the epically symphonic to the passively lilting; no stone is left unturned by this recital and the faithful at the front of the crowd are no less enthusiastic than they were for Gatecreeper’s set, though the source of their passion is far more cerebral. Having seen the band supporting today’s headliner back in 2015, their inclusion here is warranted and something of a sorbet to cleanse the palate of the harsher extremities. [DB]
In years to come Nails set will be talked about as one of those “I was there” moments, as I don’t think I’ve seen the Pins and Knuckles stage as rammed as this since Damantion returned to Manchester in 2022. It was heaving. The intro music ramps up the intensity and then BOOM, we are off with “You Will Never be One of Us”. It’s fast, it’s brutal, it’s dangerous, and I love it. They are a relentless, well-oiled machine, with crowd surfers galore, flames all over the place, as they tear through their set with “Punishment Map”, “Violence is Forever” and “Scum Will Rise”.
In response to the crowd frontman Todd Jones simply replies, “I’m doing great, how are you?” before he shouts “I wanna see you slay to this” as they smash through “I will not Follow”. We get a full band introduction, and a little drum solo to boot, just before “Lacking the Ability to Process Empathy”. With the security earning their pennies, “This is awesome, 6 songs left, this is an early one” as they play “Endless Resistance”. Circle pits galore for “Dehumanized as the seriously fast and crushing set comes to an end with Jones commenting that “it’s great to be back in the Uk, especially Manchester” as they end with “Suffering Soul” and “Unsilent Death”. In years to come I will be able to say, “I was there”. Phew! [MW]
Probably not a band I would have put on a Damnation bill, but Bleeding Through prove themselves to be great value for money and a hell of a good time. The band take the stage and the intro tape of Willem Defoe’s Boondock Saints crime-scene explanation is met with many adjoining voices. By the time the concluding “…there was a fire fight…” is screamed, anticipation is at fever-pitch and the opening bombast of Love Lost in a Hail of Gun Fire is like a release.
Even back in the day I always thought there was something about this band that set them apart from the other metalcore artists of the early noughties; perhaps it was the inclusion of Martha Peterson’s keyboards, which add a rich supplement to the songs. Brandon even makes mention of Martha’s leading the way to the wider inclusion and participation of females in the extreme metal community. Shadow Walker is designated a ladies-only pit, while the likes of Sweet Vampirous and On Wings of Lead are as though Bleeding Through have lit the touchpaper on a box of fireworks a few days before Bonfire Night.
Whatever the intervening years have found Bleeding Through up to, there’s no denying they are still a potent force of punk energy and metalcore virtuosity, who’s importance and position within the genre needs to be re-evaluated as soon as possible. [DB]
With an expectant crowd in place Russian Circles saunter on with the stage bathed in red lights, creating an atmosphere prepared for what turned out to be one of my favourite sets of the weekend. With “309” bouncing off the walls, they set a superb tempo, with excellent drumming and a rumbling bass sound. I was a bit spell bound watching them, as I arrived with little expectations, but they surprised me with just how superb they are.
I was transfixed for all of their set as it was laced with mystery and intrigue, with “Harper Lewis” and “Conduit” going down an absolute storm with the crowd. The lighting helped them create what was quite a spectacle, but with no pause or crowd interaction, it was just pure music all the way, and heads are banging all over the arena. They end with the immense power of “Gnosis” and end what was a scintillating set of instrumental genius. [MW]
And so it comes to this year’s headliner: Cradle of Filth, a British – nay, musical institution – who are making their Damantion debut tonight, offering an Old School Ritual set, not heard on the surrounding tour. A divisive band, most people have an opinion on Cradle, one way or another, which is better than meeting with ambivalence, I suppose. You don’t get to thirty-years without having a core of dedicated fans and the massive room is filled with those of us eager to revisit the band’s dark past.
The Humana Inspired to Nightmare introduction gives way to Heaven Torn Asunder, where Cradle of Filth show what they’re about. There is something of a blueprint to the band’s work which has been utilised to magnificent affect across their career. The blending of coruscating extremity with classic riffs, the storm and calm of the way the tune flows, offering respite and Gothic theatrics, all contribute to the creation of satisfying compositions.
The blitzkrieg opening shots of Summer Dying Fast indicates the youthful exuberance of a band early in its journey; the Principle of Evil Made Flesh comes with the bemusing fact that it’s thirty-years old and Dani confesses to being only twenty-five. The symphonic elements of those Emperor-influences and the grinding death metal aspects all contribute to a welcome nostalgia trip. Damnation contributes to the spoken word intro of Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids and, while a common feature in the day-to-day Cradle sets, its place in this Old School set is both welcome and warranted. Less frequently aired are the mid-set triptych of Malice Through the Looking Glass, A Forest Whispers My Name and Scorched Earth Erotica, all of which really should be on wider rotation.
Dani is Cradle of Filth and his role as curator and guide through the strange and mysterious comes with his unique form of showmanship. He refers to it being nice to be back “Oop north” in Malice’s intro and explains one of the difficulties of doing an Old School set is forgetting which song comes next, as he surreptitiously attempts to consult the setlist. There was also the concern of how Dani’s voice would have held up after all those years of vocal abuse. Pretty well, truth be told.
Born in a Burial Gown was the next song Dani was looking for and the set draw to its conclusion with Her Ghost in the Fog – could you imagine a CoF show without? Unthinkable! – and the 1999 EP’s title track, From the Cradle to Enslave.
Like all of the other acts considered to be ‘National Treasures’ this is a band who do not perform bad shows, regardless of the transient nature of the personnel, Dani always surrounds himself with the best and the brightest musicians to weave that Cradle magic.
Cannot understand how it’s taken Cradle of Filth nineteen shows to finally make it to the Damnation stage but now that it’s happened let’s hope they become regular visitors to the festival. [DB]
Running concurrently from noon both the Holy Goat Brewing and Eyesore Merchandise stages offer an embarrassment of riches, meaning the real issue is the choice between two quality bands. The Holy Goat Brewing stage’s eight acts tick all manner of extreme music boxes, providing a treat no matter what your taste may be.
This was a full-on thrash assault from Richmond, Virgina’s favourite sons, Enforced. From the opening salvo of “Betting on the End”, all the way through to the final headbanger “War Remains” they whip the crowd up into a bit of a frenzy. Once again from my vantage point, there appeared to be a few issues with the microphone, but they ripped through their early slot on the Holy Goat Stage like they were on a mission to destroy all around them, with singer Knox Colby encouraging the audience to “show me what you got Damnation” in between asking them to go “side to side” and “spin cycle” during songs “Hanged by my Hand” and “Nation of Fear”. [MW]
On a bill that leans heavily into the black and death side to metal, Gillian Carter is something of a outrider. Making their UK debut, and closer in style to previous Damnation headliners the Dillinger Escape Plan or Converge, Gillian C’s performance has the feel of a loose jam session as much as a concert; chaotic and disjointed, it’s full of crazy mathcore passages, all folding into each other, but all saved from collapse by the band’s seeming to have complete mastery over the material. Strangely, when the band play in a more traditional manner it unnerves and offsets to a greater extent than when they are in full excentric flow. [DB]
Constructed on a huge foundation, the complex rhythms and erratic guitars of Hexis perfectly exemplify their blackened hardcore. As nihilistic as this stage’s headliners, the Danes offer no solution to the inevitable apocalypse, only that the end is nigh. Retina-scorching lights suggest an approaching conflagration, and each of Hexis’ beatdowns land like bombs. An unexpectedly devastating performance. [DB]
When the lights go down, a huge cheer goes around the Holy Goat Brewing stage as 200 Stab Wounds are set to demolish the place. This is what death metal is all about and they waste no time getting down to action with the explosive “Hands of Eternity” and “Masters of Morbidity”. The 4 piece are slaying all before them and the crowd are getting fully involved in the madness and chaos. With blinding flashing lights accentuating their speed, we are treated to “Tow Rope Around the Throat”, “Drilling your Head” and the superb “Defiled Gestation”. This is one of those sets that you don’t want to end, but their brief blast ends with “Itty Bitty Pieces” and then “Fatal Reality” giving the audience time to recover from what they’ve just been exposed to. [MW]
In from Milford, MA, Fuming Mouth are making their first UK appearance, bringing their crust-infused death metal to Manchester and making a number of new friends in the process. Showcasing their capabilities with highlights from across their career, Fuming Mouth dip into their entire history to give a rounded set. Razor-sharp guitars and punishing drums accentuate the likes of Out of Time, I’ll Find You and Kill the Disease, all from the band’s most recent album, Last Day of Sun. [DB]
Memorium, led by Karl Willetts who wonders onto the Holy Goat Brewing stage with a simple message, “Hello Damantion, we are Memorium and here to play some old school death metal” and play it very, very well they do. From “Undefeated” and “Surrounded (By Death) they demonstrate just how brilliant they are. With Willetts prowling around, hands raised, they seem to be loving their time on stage. “This is what it’s all about” he beams from the front as they tear the place up with “All is Lost” and the excellent “Total War”. “Here we are in 2024, all we can do is take care of each other and respect one another” before the classic “To The End” is blasting across the PA. We are then treated to a bit of, in his own words, “sexy time” as Willetts rips off his t shirt and chucks it into the crowd to fight over as they end with the mesmerising “As Bridges Burn” to conclude a stunning set of old school death metal. [MW]
Following on from the rites of Cult of Fire last night, comes one-man black metal project, fleshed out to a live band, Ruins of Beverast with a Saturday night ritual. Taking the black metal model and stretching it as far as it can go before it ruptures and splits apart, main man Alexander von Meilenwald incorporates doomy industrial parts, ambient sections and the most raw black metal triplets heard from one without corpse paint. Ruins… performance is one of spectacle where the searing lights plays as much of a role as the musical content. [DB]
Much like last year’s Holy Goat headliner Anaal Nathrakh, the final band this year, Dragged into Sunlight revel in misanthropy and pain. So much so that for this show, it’s a full rendition of the 2011 Hatred for Mankind album in all its nihilistic distain. The stage is bathed in blood red illumination and an inhuman buzz vomits forth opener Boiled Angel Buried with Leeches in eleven-minutes of anguished hatred and undisguised loathing. Evil guitar tones bleed dirty riffs into the PA, the blackest of doom loops through the speakers to sprays its repugnance across the capacity crowd.
No respite is offered as the band ooze their way through Volcanic Birth, the brief To Hieron and Lashed to the Grinder and Stoned to Death, the band, identities disguised like medieval executioners go about their unholy business with the ruthless efficiency of Inquisitors, showing much the same disregard for human life. By the time Totem of Skulls draws to a close, all present in the Holy Goat stage will be able to recognise each other as survivors; there might be a support group set up at some point. [DB]
Alternately, on the Eyesore Merch stage are eight bands ready to mess with your mind as well as moving your body.
I started the day off watching the utterly brilliant and mesmerising sounds of Manchester’s Pijn. With the room filling up, they headed straight into “Our Endless Hours” and so began 30 mins of quality, quality music. They transported the crowd to another dimension, with the orangey/yellow backlights helping to create to a wonderful atmosphere, that allowed their dramatic music to take over your body and flow inside you.
With only a short of amount of time, and their songs being significantly lengthy, they continued with “On the Far Side of Morning” which showcases the talents of the musicians at their disposal. Sadly, without their violin player, we don’t get the full cast, but they still demonstrate what can be achieved with a performance that captivated their crowd, finishing off with the stunning “A Thousand Tired Lives” that was met with huge applause from an appreciative audience. [MW]
Not much was known about High Parasite until a month or so, but the five piece band have now announced themselves to the world and played a seven song set early on the Eyesore Merch Stage. With singer Aaron Stainthorpe, looking resplendent in his white suit, they kicked off with “Parasite” which has a great tempo and got good applause from the crowd. As the room fills up, we get a song “about nightmares” which has a spooky feel to it, before Stainthorpe, who is clearly enjoying himself as a re-invented frontman, leads into the excellent “Grave Intentions”
The heavy but melodic “Wasn’t Human” is up next, and with bassist Tombs adding his mighty vocal weight, they combine well to give the fans a full taste of what High Parasite are all about. “Let it Fail” sees the band in full force, with a room shaking grunt from the frontman before we get “down to the final song, thanks for coming along” as they finish with the strong “Forever”. [MW]
A really heavy opening riff greets the masses as Chicago’s Rezn hit the stage and open with “Instinct”. Another new band to me, but I really enjoyed their psychedelic doom-laden songs, and the added saxophone parts make the sound different and unique. They move into “Chasm” and “Optic Echo” with ease and mention that “It’s our first time here”. They combine so many elements into their music, whether its slow and moody, quiet soft vocals, but when that bass hits, it’s like a sonic explosion. They finish off with “Indigo” and the excellent “Scarab” bringing the heavy to Damnation once again. [MW]
Out of Georgia, USA, sludge merchants Black Tusk have something of a Mastodon sound at times, their riffs molasses-thick and oozing with weight. Embrace the Madness drive through a huge bottom-end, Closed Eye grooves away and God’s on Vacation, for all its primal stylings, isn’t half catchy. You can hear the punk influences throughout, with a fast and furious pedal to the metal sensibility on Out of Grasp and Bushfire. The temptation to build the set around newest record, The Way Forward has been rejected and, instead, they spread their attention across the half-a-dozen albums of their catalogue. [DB]
French sludgers, Hangman’s Chair’s set is one of psychedelic exploration. Previously a sludge band, the Swedes began to explore post and dark metal modes on their last record, 2022’s A Loner, from which four of tonight’s tunes are taken. Opener Cold & Distant fizzes with heartaches while An Ode to a Breakdown follows, driving with a distinct post metal intent. The band is spellbinding at times, their psychedelic approach colouring their song choices and lending the whole set an ethereal feel. [DB]
Dutch supergroup, Dool, are light and airy, incorporating eastern motifs into their sound. Hypnotic and enchanting, the band owe much to the dark romanticism of the Sisters of Mercy. Dool’s ostensibly post rock performance centres around lead singer Raven van Dorst, ex-of The Devil’s Blood, haunting voice and her progressive exploration of seemingly esoteric themes. Not to say the band don’t get angry when the situation demands it, with some heavy rhythm sounds supporting the other players. The majority of the set is culled from this year’s The Shape of Fluidity album, but Dool do manage to feature their cover of Killing Joke’s Love Like Blood; which is always good value. [DB]
Next up are Inter Arma, the American bad who combine elements of black metal, doom, sludge and psychedelic rock. Starting off by raising a toast to themselves and the crowd they neck the drink and kick off with “New Heaven” with the excellent double bass sound coming through loud and clear. It feels like a mish mash of styles at times, but they draw in a decent size crowd. The singer, Mike Paparo is a bit of a nutter
on stage, and with very little crowd interaction, they rely on their music to do their talking. I enjoyed the slow and melodic elements of their music, but it was “Citadel” that was the standout for me on the night. They certainly like to bring some chaos to their performances and end the set with the bruising “An Armchair in the Emptiness”. [MW]
Headlining the stage was Germany’s AHAB, who had to pull out of last year’s festival, so it was great to see them up there this year. With some exquisite double bass work, they crack on with opening track “Mobilis in Mobili” and we are treated to some proper doom, as it’s dark and miserable, slow and heavy, with the power to crush your neck at a moment’s notice. With a bit more room to watch, they greet us with a “Good evening, we are AHAB” and plough into “O Father Sea”, with the vocal style intriguing me but it’s the power that hits hard with each tempo change. Some might say that it’s a bit long winded at times, but they rumble through their set, with monumental riffs and a bone rattling bass sound. The slow and ambling sound progresses further with the final few songs, as they end with “Antarctica the Polymorphess” to bring a fabulous end to the second stage. [MW]
So ends another successful and thoroughly enjoyable Damnation weekend. Special things are being predicted for next year’s event, happening on the weekend of 8 and 9 November – so a Saturday and Sunday. Promising a host of great bands from festivals past and ones that have nor appeared before, so we wait with bated breath to see who’ll be announced.
Keep this under your hat and don’t tell anyone, but I’ve heard they’ve got…
Check out the rest of our Damnation Festival coverage!
Reviews
A Night of Salvation
Damnation Festival
Galleries
A Night of Salvation
Damnation Festival
Interviews
Gavin McInally - Festival Director
Band Interviews
Pre-Festival Coverage
All Photo Credits: Tim Finch Photography
