Live Review: A Night of Salvation 2025 : The Razor's Edge

Live Review: A Night of Salvation 2025

7th November 2025
Words & Photos: Tim Finch

It's the eve of Damnation Festivals's 20th anniversary, and four hundred lucky souls have gathered at The Bread Shed in Manchester for a very special evening.

A Night of Salvation, the traditional prelude to Damnation Festival, has moved to a smaller venue this year, mainly due to the main festival expanding to two full days. So for this evening the almighty Gav has treated us to something special. Four hundred tickets sold out in just sixteen minutes, with no line up announced and still as we stand here at 18:00 all four hundred of us don't really know what is about to happen.

If anyone hasn’t spotted Raging Speedhorn and Conjurer sat in vans outside the venue, then the merch stand gave aways tonight’s four band line up, completed by Deadguy and reunited UK hardcore legends Stampin’ Ground.

Kicking things off, Deadguy stormed the stage like a wrecking ball, instantly detonating the room with their signature chaos. From the first guttural roar to the last dissonant chord, the band’s presence was pure controlled violence. The crowd didn’t so much watch as endure, caught in the melee of riffs that hit like blunt trauma and a rhythm section that refused to let up for breath.

There was no easing into it, no warm-up, just Deadguy doing what they do best. The band a volatile mix of fury and finesse that reminded everyone why their name still commands reverence in hardcore circles. As openers, they set the bar absurdly high, but we had no clue what would follow.

Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography

Following on, the reformed Stampin’ Ground hit the Manchester stage like they’d never been away. With the classic lineup locked in and firing on all cylinders, they tore straight into it. ‘Mid-Death Crisis’ was a brutal reminder of just how vital their brand of hardcore still sounds decades on. The pit exploded instantly and we have the first stage divers of the evening, a flow that never stopped until their final note. ‘Bathe My Wounds’ and ‘By Whatever Means Necessary’ reignited that trademark mix of fury and groove.

As the set nears its end Adam thanks the crowd for buying tickets without knowing the line up, then quips “Thank you for not turning away when you saw it was us cunts playing”

There was a real sense of that this moment had been a long time coming as the band closed with ‘Officer Down’. The floor turned into chaos, fists pumping bodies flying and Damnation head honcho, Gav, throwing himself off the stage, his white trainers surviving the ordeal intact.

Next up were Conjurer, taking the night in a darker, heavier direction with a full performance of their colossal debut ‘Mire’. From the first crushing notes of ‘Choke’ the band submerged Manchester in a dense fog of intensity. Their blend of heavy riffs and raw emotion filled every corner of the venue.

Hearing ‘Mire’ front to back was a rare gift; each track evolved from the original recording into with the maturity of a band taking it to the next level. Guttural vocals tearing through layered riffs were magnificent. By the end, Conjurer had transformed the small, packed room into a cathedral of noise, proving why ‘Mire’ remains one of the most powerful statements in modern British metal.

Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography

Closing out the night with sheer force, Raging Speedhorn reminded everyone exactly why they’re one of Britain’s most ferocious live acts. Charging through a 45-minute barrage of old-school anthems from their first two albums, the Corby wrecking crew delivered a masterclass. Fan favourites ‘Superscud’ and ‘Thumper’ featured early on, whilst Frank declared his plans for tomorrow includes “checking out Corrosion of Conformity and having a little wank in his hotel room.”

This was Speedhorn at their most raw and unapologetic. The crowd fed off every drop of energy as the pit became a blur of limbs and grins.

“We’d like to give a big shout out to Gav for putting on the best Scottish festival in England” Frank quipped as the band launched into ‘Voodoo Man’. Closing out with ‘The Gush’ saw them round out the night in style, we can only hope their set on Sunday is equal to this one.