Live Review: Incineration Festival - London
2nd May 2024
Words: Oli Gonzalez
With every year that passes, Incineration Festival upholds its reputation for delivering the finest of extreme metal bands from across the globe, all descending upon the deepest darkest corner of London for a day of black, thrash, death, and everything and anything in between. This year would be no exception, with the likes of Internal Bleeding, Hypocrisy, Grave, and a rare Dragged Into Sunlight appearance taking rightful places high up the card. Whilst topping the bill would be a special set from Blood Fire Death; A tribute to Quorthon and Bathory.
Some residual anxieties from the year prior still could not be shaken off, especially with the memories of watching Spectral Wound in an uncomfortably crowded Electric Ballroom (EBR) still fresh. Though it seemed that issues like this were taken on board by the venue as venue specific tickets had not been available, and an earlier opening for the Roundhouse main stage had been confirmed. Two measures to manage the nearly sold out crowd. Still, some tough decisions would have to be made in order to navigate the five venues and a ridiculously stacked line up.
After acquiring wristbands, we would compare thoughts and schedules over a pint. Then it was time to make our way to the EBR to catch Afsk…oh, hold that thought! Afsky unfortunately had to withdraw due to medical reasons; a very late withdrawal! So late that the festival had no time to source a replacement (very much understandable). Instead, this meant our day started in the darkened depths of the Underworld…
The Underworld was packed. Very packed. Whether Afsky pulling out late meant that more people chose to pile in here or they were on many people’s lists anyway. Judging by the fact that the pits erupted merely seconds into Mutagenic Host's set suggests the latter. It’s no wonder! Their bruising brand of death metal was guaranteed to get bodies moving no matter what stage they were on. Circle pits, crowd surfers and spilled pints; all before 2pm! Clearly the Incineration collective had no intention of taking it easy, or trying to pace themselves! It’s often said that the opening band is the most important of the day and sets the tone for the day. Mutagenic Host understood this and set a high standard for the festival.
A quick turn around and dart towards the EBR for a change of scenery and replacing death metal for avant-garde black metal. The year prior, the queues for the EBR seemed to be poorly managed with painfully slow admissions. To the credit of the door staff, things were much quicker now whilst ensuring nobody piled in like a herd of elephants and making things unsafe. This meant more time for the first EBR band of the day…
Having seen Der Weg Einer Freiheit perform in Belgium four weeks prior, this provided an interesting frame of reference. With the intricate atmospheric elements and the savagely complex mix, one note out of place or a slightly sub-par mix can turn the band into a puddle of atmospheric gloop. Though they were tight. Mechanically tight, with vocalist Nikita pouring every ounce of emotion into this set. A set almost entirely comprised of tracks from their latest release “Innern”. A set that sadly meant was watched from the fringes of the EBR due to the sheer quantity of bodies amassed for a rare UK appearance for the German’s. Though some understood that in order to see their next band, an early exit was necessary. This meant getting inside for arguably the band’s magnum opus. Slayer has ‘Reigning Blood’. Metallica has ‘Enter Sandman’. Der Weg Einer Freiheit has ‘Aufbruch’. A blistering emotional rollercoaster dragging through all ends of the blackened atmospheric continuum of metal. A gripping emotional ride and ending to a set that felt too short and had only just begun.
Choices. You’re always going to have them. Wrestling through the Camden crowds for nearly quarter of an hour to get to see 20 minutes of Grave Miasma’s set, at best? Then having to do the same to get a sub-par spot to see the next band in the EBR? It didn’t seem worth it. Which feels like a disservice to a band like Grave Miasma. Surely scheduling in 10 minute gaps throughout the day would seem like a more logical decision? A point to return to later. Until then, more drinks consumed and a prime spot assumed for a bit of Sognametal…
The eerie and haunting soundtrack to the movie ‘Kraken’ opened up proceedings, a soundtrack Vreid had written as part of their latest album released a few weeks prior. As such, we knew we were going to be in for one of the more unique acts of the day. An act so unique that no black metal cliches could possibly exist within expansive genre-fluid sound, blending everything from psychedelic progressive rock to classic heavy metal. All of which was built on that solid black metal spine. As this was Vreid’s final show on a gruelling tour across Europe, you could forgive the band for showing a bit of fatigue. Though it may not have satiated those who wish for more blunt force extreme metal, this felt like a professional and robust performance.
Fuming Mouth are no strangers to the UK after an appearance at Damnation Festival 2024 that appeased many. They represent a fresh modern twist on death metal that incorporates hardcore elements. Unfortunately, competition from the other venues resulted in a much thinner yet still respectable crowd. Though it felt awkward asking for the band to demand a pit with only a small handful engaging. This made you think they would be have been more at home at a smaller more intimate venue that day.
All heads are gonna roll! Heads did roll. Vomitory was carnage. Unmitigated carnage! It’s rare I ever get into the pit but with a few pints in me now, this meant I watched the majority of this set whist crashing into strangers like a dodgems. Not sure if I REALLY should be admitting this, plus the word ‘watched’ seems a bit lose too. In either case, this just sums the impact the death metal veterans had. No need to ask nor plea for a pit. It was an inevitability even before the first note had been struck! Another inevitability was the set being packed full of bangers from their critically acclaimed “In Death Throes” album that landed only a few weeks prior. No gimmicks, bells nor whistles. Just good old fashioned death metal from the 1980s, a sound and movement Vomitory had a hand in starting. A genuine privileges to see one of the genre’s unsung yet seminal acts.
Representing the progressive death side of metal, Tomb Mold took a rightful place on the Roundhouse ‘main’ stage as a major draw for many this year. Combining straight up brutal death metal with technically proficient progressive rock with a psychedelic spice demonstrates the fluid and unique approach Tomb Mold offer to the world of extreme metal. Speaking of unique, how many extreme metal drummers can hold down a blistering blast beat whilst knocking out consistently fierce and gnarly gutturals vocals from behind the kit? Max Klebanoff did on this night, even if his vocals seemed to get drowned out in the mix sometimes! Whether you were marvelling at the beard-stroking progressive patches or banging your head violently to a mercilessly heavy breakdown, Tomb Mold’s set had it all. Our only regret? Having to miss the start due to travel time from the end of Vomitory’s set.
Time for Dragged Into Sunlight ? Unfortunately not. Aching bodies and a need to feed meant missing out on one of the hottest draws for this year’s festival! After seeing the reaction on social media, it seemed like we missed out on something special. Having seen the band tear the Manchester Club Academy apart two nights prior, I can understand this sentiment. So it never really felt like missing out. Plus the idea of seeing this in what would surely be a painfully packed out EBR didn’t seem appealing. Refuelling at a kebab house conveniently located across the street from the Roundhouse whilst getting the weight of our feet and comparing thoughts from the day’s event up until now seemed necessary (hey, this happens in your mid 30s!).
“There’s too many bands”
“It should be two days”
“It feels more relaxed than last year”
This seemed to be the common consensus amongst us and also other festival attendees up until now. The reaction on social media seemed much more positive than the year prior, when complaints about overcrowding in smaller venues that were rife a year prior had seemingly disappeared this year. Which suggests the festival had taken this on board. After being fed, hydrated, it was time to make the pilgrimage to the Roundhouse once again for a special set.
“Is it really that empty for Grave?”
It was. Surprisingly. At least early on. There was a scheduled ten minute gap between the end of Dragged Into Sunlight’s set, due to end at 19:35, and the start of Grave. Though the Swedish death metal icons started ten minutes early at dead-on 19:35. Why, we’ll never know.
Fellow Swede’s Vomitory had set a very high bar as they had laid waste to the EBR stage a few hours prior. Grave were not going to be outshone and right from the first note, we knew they weren’t hear to play games! Every crushing note and sinister lick of the guitar was designed to deliver maximum pain and carnage, sending the Roundhouse collective into a frenzy mere seconds into the set. More and more piled into the venue and the pit got even bigger, with Fuming Mouth vocalist Mark Whelan right at the heart of it! With my stomach full of cider and kebab meat, this meant that any visit to the pit for me would have resulted in said stomach contents being emptied; and nobody wanted that! Instead, I watched and admired from a safe distance. The added addition of pyrotechnics added to the visual spectacle, building upon this already savage sonic foundation. We learnt that this was the first the original line up had ever played in England, making this feel even more special! The Swede’s clearly know how to deliver death metal, clearly!
Now, some special sets have graced the Roundhouse in the festival’s history. Emperor, Blood Incantation, Triptykon. Just to name a few. Though none really felt as special as Blood Fire Death; a tribute to the life of Thomas ‘Quorthon’ Forsberg. The man and creative force behind Bathory, and arguably the reason why we have black metal in the first place. Should a tribute band be headlining Incineration festival? If it’s amateur musicians your dad plays with in tiny pubs, then no. If said tribute band includes current and ex members of Waitain, Emperor, Mayhem, Enslaved and even original members of Bathory in a who’s who of extreme metal, then that’s a resounding hell yes! This had star power written all over it, with members changing between songs to constantly switch the focus and keep things fresh. Though those who were launching themselves into the pits (pits – plural) would happily crash into one another regardless of what iteration of the act was on stage. Everyone in the Roundhouse witnessed genuine metal history though, whether in the pit, fringes, or the balcony. This is what Bathory would have been if it had ever made it to arenas. The sound raw and primitive yet crystal clear, being pumped out through a good old fashioned wall of tube amplifiers. This is what evil should sound like! No stoned was left unturned in providing the blazing pyro and high end stage production to add the underline for this. Quorthon would have been proud. What a finale!
There’s no doubt that the festival delivers incredible lineups always! Having it across one day also means that it’s less of a commitment financially for some, and often means no booking precious time off work is needed. Though there really needs to be a better solution to manage the changeovers between stages, especially the EBR and Roundhouse. Surely just having one less band on the EBR and/or an earlier Roundhouse opening to facilitate a ten or fifteen minute between every set – like they did between Hypocrisy and Blood Fire Death – would make more sense? Rather than forcing less mobile and able attendees from making tough decisions. Nonetheless, these seem like fixable issues and so long as the festival keeps delivering lineups like this, then people will still descend on the capital to begin festival season.
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