Live Review: Incineration Festival - London
11th May 2024
Words: Sam Jones
Photos: Tim Finch
After acquiring our wristbands from The World’s End we went to the Blues Kitchen for the first pints prior to the doors opening, and so one in the afternoon came round and we prepared for Warbringer (well we got in the queue for the Electric Ballroom since it was vast). It’s barely past one but Warbringer play as if bringing a headline performance amidst a rammed Ballroom as riffs and lights assail us. But the drinks are flowing, there are deals on pints and shots as we enter the Dev for Deathcollector are next. It’s a warm one for sure but heat and sweat won’t stop us enjoying their set. That’s the thing with the Dev; once you're in you are committed given the minute crowd space so you have to get there ahead of time.
Kieran, Deathcollector’s frontman, jumps off the stage and breaks that live fourth wall, where he gets right in our faces and brings the full force of the band’s assault to bear. It’s their first show as a five-piece but given their performance you’d have never guessed it and their new drummer, following Andy Whale’s departure, absolutely kills it upon the kit, his torso a strong sheen of sweat yet that doesn’t stop him striking those drums like they owe him money. The roughest pit I’ve seen in sometime breaks out and bodies are flung round like ragdolls as Deathcollector’s old school fury lays low the Dev. The Dev is packed and for a new band, it’s a great sign for Deathcollector. They truly are not a band to be missed:
The queue for Spectral Wound was astonishing. So we ventured to The Black Heart which is busy and chatter breaks out among strangers becoming new friends but it is absolutely rammed. We get ready for Coffin Mulch but it is so packed we choose to come downstairs and outside where we know air is plentiful. However we come to a decision: Blood Incantation and Undergang are a must. After who knows how many pints we go off for food before heading to The Roundhouse.
Blood Incantation are our next stop. The Roundhouse architecture is beautiful, an old turnstile railroad house, my first time inside. There are fifteen minutes to go but the floor fills quickly, we did the right thing getting in early. Following the dropping of lights, and the roar of the crowd, Blood Incantation explode upon the stage as Absolute Elsewhere begins its frenzied, ethereal journey before our eyes. But the record isn’t solely renowned for brutal aggression but also immersive, spacey vibes that capture the crowd in moments. Their sweeping yet incorporeal aesthetic has the crowd eating out of their hands and we haven’t reached the midway point of their set. But we’re already in agreement: Blood Incantation’s performance alone vindicated the ticket price. Paul Riedl is a man who can simultaneously windwill-headbang and perform tapping solos and at last, as Side A to Absolute Elsewhere finishes, Blood incantation finally introduce themselves to us before throwing us right into Side B. Blood Incantation continue to bring the power, the majesty, and as their set draws to its end they leave the stage to an eruption of applause. It’s only May but Blood Incantation might already have a performance of the year to work with.
After leaving the Roundhouse we made for the Underworld and prepared for the venue’s last band of the day: Undergang. We find a decent spot and we are not moving. Undergang’s notoriously crushing tone is here in force as crowd and band feed upon one another; the drinks have flowed, the filth is here. If Blood Incantation was our high-IQ extreme metal, Undergang deliver caveman, unga-bunga, IQ-destroying music where the riffs themselves are seemingly tearing at our synapses. The night is steaming as the temperature climbs but Undergang do not relent. For many it’s the last act of the night and they’re enjoying every moment of it. Soon comes the end of their set and as we mount the stairs we feel the bliss of air once more. We could have made the quick trek back to the Roundhouse for Triptykon but after twelve hours we were shattered. Here’s hoping to another time for Triptykon.
So that was my first Incineration Fest after seeing Warbringer, DeathCollector, Blood Incantation and Undergang. For what it was I had a great time with friends but there are some points to make. Half the acts I wanted to see I couldn’t either because of overly rammed crowd spaces or the sheer queues to get in, especially the Electric Ballroom, where at one point they were apparently turning people away trying to enter for Spectral Wound. Now, I believe that once the Roundhouse opened it was easier to filter the sheer mass of people around better but it still made a difficult time. After DeathCollector we didn’t see another band, being Blood Incantation, for another four and a half hours. Given what the Black Heart’s heavily crowded space was like for Coffin Mulch, we didn’t even attempt it for Bedsore which is a shame as I was very excited for them. I feel something needs tweaking towards the overall organisation to allow for easier, better flow of people across the multiple venues. My friends and I know we had a great time but we’re unsure if we’ll be back again.
All photo credits: Tim Finch Photography
