Live Review: Damnation Festival 2025 - Saturday
8th November 2025
Words: Dan Barnes and Matthew Williams
Photos: Tim Finch
Damnation festival has certainly come a long way since that first show at Jilly’s Rock World on 16th October 2005, but it feels like there are a great number of things that haven’t changed in the intervening twenty-years. Damnation still caters for a wide range of the extreme musical spectrum; the atmosphere is ever-cordial, despite having some of the most abrasive-sounding bands playing; and has always been an end-of-the-year festival to bring us all together one last time before the worst of the winter arrives to ruin everyone’s days.
This year’s twentieth anniversary celebrations mark the fourth show at the Bowler’s Exhibition Centre and, much as we miss the labyrinthine confines of Leeds University, Damnation needed to relocate in order to further grow.
The introduction of A Night of Salvation in 2021 showed there was punter appetite for an extended, multi-day festival, so why not go the whole hog and go for two full days, with NoS still happening, but at the town’s Bread Shed venue. See Cat’s eyewitness account of how that went down elsewhere on the site.
Generally speaking, the two-day bill for 2025 was split between an opening Saturday, mostly featuring bands making their Damnation debuts, and Sunday’s roster made up mostly of old hands and alumni of Damnation’s past. It was twenty-four bands across three stages each day, and while interviews and photography were ongoing, your humble-scribes, Matt and I, were feverishly scratching out the highlights of every one of ’em, to bring you the action as it happened.
The main arena for day one, again sponsored by festival friends, Pins & Knuckles, opens with Dublin instrumental post rock quartet, Overhead, the Albatross who take their name from Pink Floyd’s Echoes, and channel Floyd’s lush melodies and mournful delivery. Creating vast soundscapes and achingly beautiful, yet complex musical structures, the band sporadically use spoken word passages, which serve to unnerve with their seemingly unsettled vocalising at odds with the gentleness of the music. At other times, the band crank out riffs that feel as though they are shaking the very fabric of the building itself. [DB]
I’m not going to lie, I didn’t have a clue what was happening during Castle Rat, but their medieval fantasy doom metal is a spectacle to behold. With The Rat Queen, Riley Pinkerton, taking centre stage, the quartet tell a narrative about defending “The Realm” as the music revolves around them. There’s lots of pre-amble as a skull headed figure wanders onto the stage to add the theatrics and the huge crowd are loving it.
The songs have good pace and rhythm about them, with lots of solos, as a white wolf appears just to add to the drama. They drop tempos, and switch things up, with a powerful doom noise coming through. With all the crowd singing “now is forever, in this realm” the two protagonists have a dramatic sword fight, which sees The Rat Queen seemingly die, before returning to kill off her attacker and save the realm once again. As Dan, my fellow writer stood next to me said, “it’s a bit of a ta do”. [MW]
I’ve heard a buzz around Messa, as they’ve drawn great admiration from their recent support slot with Paradise Lost. The Italian quartet led by singer Sara, were hypnotic from the start, as their dark, hazy stage is illuminated by “Fire on the Roof”. They have an awesome guitar sound and have transitioned well from smaller stages to this big, cavernous room. “Hello Damnation, it’s great to be here” as they continue with songs full of mystery and eeriness, with “At Races” and a stunning rendition of “The Dress”.
With soft pink lighting, they pluck at the heart strings on “Immolation” with the dramatic vocal range and big solos further amplifying their excellence. A bit of cowboy/western style guitars brings in “Reveal” giving yet another example of how good this band are. “Thank you for having us and for your support, this is called Thicker Blood, Grazie” as they enchant us one final time with their gothic hauntings. [MW]
It’s impressive to see what’s happened to Sweden’s Orbit Culture since I saw them 20 months ago in Manchester. With a heavy touring schedule, and brilliant new album, they’ve become a very polished and slick outfit, with an impressive stage/light show. Opening with “Death Above Life” and “The Storm” they show what they are made of, with a brutal double bass sound. Their melodic death metal is on point, and apart from a few moments of dodgy vocal sounds, “Tales of War” and the outstanding “North Star of Nija” really hit their mark hard.
“Let’s get that circle pit going Damnation” barks Niklas Karlsson, as the crowd split and go crazy, before my favourite song, “From the Inside”. It takes the intensity levels up further, with fumes of smoke providing a perfect companion to the stunning light show. “Bloodhound”, “While We Serve” and “Hydra” confirm them as one of the rising stars of the death metal scene, as they end with the monstrous and vicious “Vultures of North” wrapping up one hell of a performance. [MW]
Time for one of the highlights of the day, the majestic High on Fire. From the off, it’s hard to take my eyes or ears off bassist Jeff Matz, as he’s mesmerising in the way he plays and the sound he creates. With Matt Pike at the helm, they are a joy to watch, with “Karanlik Yol” opening the set. They set a rambunctious rhythm throughout, and the crowd are fired up for classic songs such as “Rumours of War” and the first class “Fury Whip”.
There’s the relentless pounding from drummer Ben Koller, and the power these three generate is unmatched as they deliver one of the highlights of the weekend, “Snakes for the Divine”. It has that unmistakable opening riff that is heavy as hell before the eruption begins and all hell breaks loose with heads banding and bodies slamming all over the place. They finish with, “Darker Fleece” I think, all slow and brooding in the build-up but intense and heavy, a perfect way to end. [MW]
Emerging from the US scene of the late-noughties, which sought to redefine the parameters of Black Metal to a more acceptable ideological framework, Deafheaven blended emo and post-rock into their take on metal’s darkest genre, to bring forth Blackgaze and the Californian’s genre-defining sophomore album, Sunbather, in 2013. Resisting the urge to go all-in with this festival show, and play that album in its entirety, the band instead opt to showcase this year’s Lonely People with Power record, having it dominating the set. Sunbather’s Dream House and New Bermuda’s Brought to the Water are the set’s only nods to the past, but with material as strong as Magnolia’s stabbing guitar, Revelator’s unsettling atmosphere, and the closing epic sweep of Winona, Deafheaven are far more than mere one-trick ponies. Satan be damned, as Black Metal becomes reborn in a secular society. [DB]
Making his Damnation debut, French synthwave, electronic industrialist Perturbator arrives with positive word of mouth and a spanking new album, in the shape of Age of Aquarius. The solo project of James Kent, the stage is set for the mainman and a drummer, both raised on a platform that can be operated to split and turn. The BEC’s cavernous arena is filled with fog as the human element take the stage, cranking out big, heavy urban beats that can be felt in the press room upstairs.
Huge and hypnotic, complete with searing lights, Perturbator’s music is part Daft Punk soundtrack and park Eighties synthpop, reminiscent Ministry’s debut record, and even comparisons with Skinny Puppy and Nizer Ebb can be heard.
Hard to believe but Perturbator are responsible for some of the heaviest moments from day one of Damnation on the likes of Tainted Empire; while simultaneously tickling the urge to dance along to Excess and New Tokyo, to wonder at what visuals would Future Club accompany, or to simply marvel at the classical majesty of Messalina, Messalina. New material The Glass Staircase, Lunacy and The Art of War feel far more focused on their individual sounds, rather than becoming a platform for a bit of everything from the repertoire. Apocalypse Now’s album version features Ulver and their War of the Roses-era sound very much comes through.
This was a performance I was looking forward to with high expectations, especially after seeing them at Radar a couple of years back, getting the crowd ready for Igorrr - which is quite the combination, as you can imagine – but at Damnation Perturbator made a clear and concise petition to being band of the day. [DB]
With an expectant crowd laying in wait, the 11pm bell was about to toil, for the exclusive 2025 European date of North Carolin’s Corrosion of Conformity. This was the moment I had been waiting for the most, as I hadn’t seen them since 2018. With bassist Bobby Landgraf opening proceedings by himself, the trio walk on to huge cheers as they open with “Bottom Feeder”, before we get a huge roar of “Manchester” as Pepper Keenan takes centre stage blasting out “King of the Rotten” next.
“Do you motherfuckers like heavy shit” he asks, hell yeah, we do Pepper, and the slow and heavy “7 Days” is imperiously delivered, with the drumming from Stanton Moore hitting that sweet spot every time. “Thanks to you folks for hanging around all day” before the next magical song is played, the wondrous “Who’s got the Fire” which has that heavy bluesy rock swagger about it with a solo to die for, as Woody Weatherman is in fine form. “We don’t play this one very often, this is off Deliverance, and it’s called My Grain” as crowd surfers emerge.
It really is a greatest hits set from the band, and I couldn’t be loving it even more if I tried, with “Shake Like You” followed by the stunning “13 Angels”. “We appreciate you’ve been here all day, have you still got some rage in you?” asks Keenan, as they rip the roof off with the raucous “Vote with A Bullet”, which is perfect from start to finish. Such a classic song that needs to be heard live to truly appreciate it.
He informs us that they have new album out in April next year, and the backdrop is the album cover, before Keenan jokingly mentions that “Back in the day, we used to argue with High on Fire over who was stealing whose riffs” ahead of introducing the awesome ”Albatross” a true classic in every sense of the word. My throat hurt from singing the words, as it hits the spot every time. “We’ve never been here before, so we’d like to thank the people at Damnation for having us”, as they finish off with the monstrous “Clean My Wounds” to end what has been a simply breath-taking and phenomenal performance to end Day One of the festival. [MW]
Entering the Holy Goat Brewing Stage carrying a scythe is one way to get the action started, and as the band all face the drummer, Devastator kick us off in fine style with the excellent “Black Witchery”. There are a few vocal issues, but they rip into “Liar in Wait” and the good size crowd are clearly enjoying their blackened speed metal. Vocalist Thomas Collings moves between the 3 stage mics, announcing that “it’s time to wake up” before “Worship The Goat”.
They are a potent force on stage and are loving this moment and have the energy to match the crowd. “Spiritual Warfare” comes before they dedicate “Death Forever” to “our bros in Hellripper” and it’s blisteringly fast. They end with the brilliant “Baptised in Blasphemy” and round off with the return of the scythe, all facing the drummer. A great start to the weekend. [MW]
These were one of the bands I was most excited about seeing this weekend and Necrot did not disappoint. “What’s up Damnation? Are you ready for this shit or not” asks Luca Indrio as they plough into the bludgeoning “Cut the Cord”, which sets the tempo for the set. The fast and heavy “Lifeless Birth” was next, and with relentless drumming, the pit kicks off in some style. There’s more madness throughout “Stench of Decay” and “Your Hell” with the riffs coming thick and fast.
“This is our first time in Manchester, and it’s a great day for metal” which got a huge cheer as the frontman introduces the devastatingly evil and menacing “Drill the Skull”. The slowness rips away at your soul, before the heavy tears you apart, leaving you wanting more. He offers a kiss to the first crowd surfer, also mentioning that it’s the last show with High on Fire, and end with the ferocious “Sinister Will”. This was what I needed, and I got what I came for. [MW]
Fresh from their Night of Salvation stint at the Bread Shed yester-evening, New Jersey metalcore legends Deadguy make a welcome – and incredibly popular – return to the festival after their shows in 2023. Last time out we got the whole of the then-only full-length album by the band, Fixation on a Co-Worker. The two intervening years has seen the band getting their heads together and issuing the sophomore record, Near-Death Travel Service back in June. Fixation tracks Doom Patrol, Extremist and classics Pins and Needles, the filthy riff of Die with Your Mask On, and stomping Baby Arm, sit comfortably with newbies, Kill Fee, New Best Friend and War with Strangers. There’s even time for John Dear, from the debut Work Ethic single back in 1994. Front-man Tim admits to having a day job that keeps him tethered to a screen, and the whole band seem genuinely excited not only to be playing Damnation again but at the positive reception they receive. [DB]
Texan trio Portrayal of Guilt approach black metal as the starting point upon which they can build, incorporating post hardcore and grind into the mix with hardly any evidence of the seams. Alex Stanfield’s bass rumbles throughout, holding the disparate drums and guitars in check. Played in front of projected images that could have been straight off a Cradle of Filth video shoot, PoG heavily concentrate on their 2020s output. Book-ending the set with Christfucker material, they open with the atmospheric Possession’s slow and deliberate build-up, before heading into the twisting The Sixth Circle. Matt King’s vocals rasp like a demon, yet there are times when the band take on a more melodic tone. There’s no denying PoG’s intent when looking at their newest material: One Last Taste of Heaven, Where Angels Come to Die and Devil Music’s title tune, all signify an alignment closer to the original black metal ethos than some on the bill this weekend. The Christfucker closing trio of …where the suffering never ends, Fall from Grace and The Crucifixion have a slimy and oozing quality through which a different sort of extremity can be heard. Similar in some ways to Domination-era Morbid Angel, Portrayal of Guilt make the most of their first time here. [DB]
Named after a particularly nasty medieval torture device, Knoxville brutalists Brodequin deliver a lesson in extremity straight out of the Dying Fetus playbook on this, their debut UK show. Playing a set culled from their whole discography, from Infested with Worms, The Virgin of Nuremberg and Soothsayer off the Instruments of Torture debut, to Diabolical Edict, VII Nails and Of Pillars and Trees from last year’s comeback album, Harbinger of Woe. Flow of Maggots is taken from 2001’s Festival of Death record, attracting crowd surfers through its sheer rampant attack. Uncompromising from the outset, these Tennessee terrors strike fear into the hearts of all assembled, stripping paint from the walls with an unbridled intensity even a minor technical issue cannot derail. Hopefully Brodequin will return to these shores before too long. [DB]
Hailing from Ontario, Canada, Black Metal berserkers, Panzerfaust bring their more thrashy version of metal’s darkest genre to the Bowler’s in front of a packed second stage. Taking obvious cues from Marduk and Darkthrone, theirs’ is a blend of war-torn black metal and philosophical mediations on the state of the world. The band’s ongoing The Suns of Perdition string of albums dominate the set tonight: The Day After Trinity baptises in nuclear fire, as fellow Chapter 1 tune, Stalingrad, Massengrab goes full Panzer Division Marduk. Elsewhere, it’s proven you don’t need speed when you have intensity and The Lucifer Principal’s Axis Mundi demonstrates this fact using atmosphere and ambience – as well as a hint of punk attitude to get their point across. [DB]
When this next band were announced, it brought tears of joy to my face, as the original Wormrot were gracing the Holy Goat Brewing Stage, and judging by the size of the crowd, this was set to be one of those “I was there” moments. “Here we go Damnation, are you ready for this?” shouts Arif Suhaimi, and the anarchy begins. They kick off with “No One Gives A Shit” and what follows is just pure out and out hysteria for forty tumultuous minutes. This is grindcore at it’s very best and they bring joy to so many people.
With drummer Fitri back, I watched closely as he somehow maintained a frantic pace with machine gun accuracy, as they tore through songs such as “Buried The Sun”, “Forced Siege” and of course the iconic “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Grind”, which was introduced by Arif as “we are going to play a slow one” which the crowd booed jokingly. “This is a slow song, I promise” but the pit goes bigger and crazier with “Left to Rot”.
There’s not many who can match the intensity of the trio from Singapore, however, even they are humbled by Pig Destroyer watching from the sidelines. The rhythm and tempo they produce is so impressive, and with a few guest vocalists, no idea who, we are treated to “Grieve”, “Seizures” and “Pale Moonlight”. “Thanks to Damnation for having us and to you for being here, this is Glass Shards” and madness levels go through the roof. “It means the world to us, one more song” and they go out in fine style playing “Fix your Broken Mind”. WOW! [MW]
Portuguese post black metal band, Gaerea have the daunting prospect of following Wormrot on stage, but such is the majesty of this Damnation line-up, every band is having to bring their A game to the show. But where the Singaporeans bring blunt force trauma, Gaerea have an innate theatricality to their performance, occasionally bordering on the melodramatic. Clad completely in black and masked as to maintain anonymity, the band make the unorthodox decision to open a festival performance with advance tracks from an as-yet unreleased record. Both Hellbound and Submerged will feature on next year’s Loss album, giving everyone a change to whet their whistle in anticipation for that release. Current record – barely more than a year old itself – Coma dominates the bulk of the set: Hope Shatters, World Ablaze, Unknown and Wilted Flowers all play with Gaerea’s ability to blend the harsh with the mellow, taking the listener on an emotional journey through the possibilities of extremity in music, delivering us back just in time for Corrosion of Conformity’s main stage headline appearance. [DB]
US Doom-Death Sludge-meisters Oryx have the co-honour of opening Damnation 2025 and set about making sure no matter who follows them this weekend, they won’t be having an easy time of it. Sharing the same template as Primitive Man and Thou, Oryx are all about the huge, heavy riffs and grinding sludge passages. In many ways they remind me of early Neurosis as post metal moments can be heard throughout. Weighty waves of intensity gush from the speakers, and it must be remembered it’s barely passed midday, as we submit to such a brutal beating. The Primordial Sky album has been out about a year now and the bludgeoning rhythms shake the Bowler’s to its foundations. What a way to start! [DB]
Atmospheric dark ambient collective, Zeruel match traditional black metal tropes, such as raw vocals and rapid triplets, with post-BM lushness and dreamy passages. When the slabs of heaviness hit they do so with a startling shock, disturbing the ethereal and emotionally wrought serenity; a combination of chaos and beauty. [DB]
There’s a rumbling which proceeds the opening monologue before Meryl Streek appears, wearing a hat and thick hoodie as he embarks upon 40mins of political and societal commentary. As “Gambling Death” bounces around the rammed Eyesore Merch Stage, he’s like a whirlwind up there, with excellent stage presence, bouncing everywhere, whilst encouraging the crowd to “get the fuck up” repeatedly.
At some points the vocal wasn’t very clear, but Streek is very much a man for now, an energised, opinionated one-man punk band, and with several tracks off “Songs for the Deceased” he’s engaged the crowd from the off. They have hypnotic basslines and real-life messages, “Matter of Fact” and “Paddy” are expertly done, as “False Apologies” and “Death to the Landlord” draw huge appreciation from the gathered masses. [MW]
I entered a packed room for the beginning of Dimscua’s set. The opening feel is that of dark overhanging clouds, all moody and atmospheric as the captivating bass sound sparks “Elder Bairn” into life. Their brand of doom, black metal, post hardcore and sludge is slow and menacing, with elements of melancholy as it meanders and builds up tension. “Hello Damnation, this is The Dusteater” and the sombreness continues before they erupt.
For a band who stepped in only recently, their presence is welcomed, and they have an array of impressive compositions spread cross their four songs. “Existence/Futility” moves along rapidly, with a guttural vocal, yet had a sublime melody to it. They finish with another powerful number, “On Being and Nothingness” which completes an absorbing set. [MW]
It was time for a bit of brutal black metal in the form of Danish band Afsky. I didn’t know too much about them beforehand, but their music hints at evil intent, which a wide range of pleasing harmonies before the cacophony of noise explodes into bedlam. With a stunning lightshow, I was impressed by the blast beats that helped shape the show into something atmospheric. They have that sweet blend of tempos, but when they go heavy and fast, boy do they go heavy and fast, and they gave many people’s neck muscles a good workout with their freakishly fast riffs. [MW]
Another new band to me was American industrial two-piece Gost, but they certainly left a lasting impression. I was a bit in awe watching them as they mixed high energy EDM with metal riffs and my feet couldn’t stop moving along!!! Its highly infectious and intoxicating what the duo perform, with the synths/keyboards creating loads of crazy hardcore techno beats and I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn’t back in the 90’s at a rave. They created one of the best atmospheres of the weekend, and I could see most people dancing and jumping along to the pulsating rhythms, reacting to the monstrous sounds being pumped out of the PA. One band I’m going to be investing further time in. [MW]
I’m going to be honest here, but Swedish post-rock band, Ef attract a far bigger crowd than I imagined they would when billed directly against Singapore grinders Wormrot in the room next door. Theirs’ is a mournful medication on the world, with rear projections displaying images of times passed, when the world moved at a slower pace and we were not bombarded from all sides with noise. Mixing haunting lullabies with lilting melodies, Ef offer the antidote to the raging fury, staying mostly instrumental, but with a soft female voice heard through the mix. Damnation has always quietly included ambient post rock into its core values, allowing it to rub shoulders with extremity and giving we punters the chance to enjoy all the meats of this particular cultural stew. [DB]
And so, to the Eyesore Merch Stage headliners, American rockers The World is a Beautiful Place & I am no Longer Afraid to Die, who win the longest band name at the festival award. I was unfamiliar with their music, but they possess a great mix of styles of tempos, alongside the range of voices assembled on the stage. The sextet settle in quickly and have that ambient post rock feel to them, with injections of pace here and there.
They have a mix of heart rendering and enchanting moments, that see the crowd adopt that notable sway and soft head nodding movement. The four vocalists work well across the songs, each adding something different, and they incorporate a bit of hardcore into one of the tracks. With the crowd starting to thin out, they continue with their atmospheric musings and finish to decent applause. [MW]
Photo credits:
Pins & Knuckles/Holy Goat Stages: Tim Finch Photography
Check out the rest of our Damnation Festival coverage!
Reviews
A Night of Salvation
Damnation Festival Saturday
Damnation Festival Sunday
Galleries
Damnation Festival Saturday
Damnation Festival Sunday
Interviews
Gavin McInally - Festival Director
Band Interviews
Pre-Festival Coverage
Damnation Festival Preview
20 Years of Damnation - The First Decade
20 Years of Damnation - The Second Decade
