Post by markwj on Jun 30, 2010 22:51:54 GMT
So, three times before the dawn we have now denied ourselves common sense, sobriety and the prospect of long term hearing. Our return to our holiday home in the vineyards of the Loire valley was more convoluted this year. After attempting a sensible early night at 2am after the Power is Poison gig in the Bay, I was rudely awakened by a paranoid El ringing at 5am (a whole 20 minutes before my alarm was due to go off) as I had everyone’s plane tickets. On the train for me then, to meet Flames and El in Wrexham, then another couple of hour drive to East Midlands Airport. There we met a whole load more regular faces among the metal fraternity, a portion like me drawn in particular to the (alleged) one-off reformation of the seminal industrial metal Godflesh at this event, although I’d already booked my ticket on the strength of the wealth of earlier announcements before they were added. What a giggly fanboy treat then to discover that the ‘flesh are here in the flesh on the same plane. Full on stalker mode ensued, emboldened by dutch courage of our own beer that we sneaked on the plane, and when they were trapped at baggage reclaim I was able to pounce and pay homage as well as plug them for lots of exclusives. Happy Mark.
With the usual efficiency we were whisked down to the site and our earlier, afternoon arrival meant for prime camping site and a leisurely trip to the supermarche as opposed to our usual blundering about in the dark. It also meant we could get in the camp site “metal corner” bar and entertainments section far too early than was good for us and met with other travellers drawn from Europe and the world for the event, while watching the majority French heartily express their own chagrin as Mexico battered them on the big screen. There were bands on as well but it all became a bit of blur of an extra evenings warm up session.
Not so bright but still early I accompanied my Aussie mate who was sharing my tent down to the supermarket for more supplies, to be welcomed by some scene from Dawn of the Dead as hundreds of other metal zombies pawed at the windows of the mall awaiting opening time, cries of “Booze” not “Brains” dominating. The staff inside were more amused than terrified, and once the hordes gained entry it was hilarious to be wandering past bewildered grannies and their trolleys while massive roars were emitted from various parts of the store, probably when the Jager aisle was discovered.
Speaking of which, we had stocked up ourselves and our morning ritual was a generous group blast before we headed of hunting into the arena. The first day had seemed especially busy at the entry queue and some people will have missed the first bands they wanted to see through this delay but as we left it a bit we had no great problems. Passing the main stage, I stopped to see the Scandinavian melodic death of Swallow the Sun but it was a bit too polished for my tastes, not only musically but in their own presentation. Much more satisfying to get to the underground of the Terrorizer tent, for Magrudergrind from Washington D.C. Blistering grindcore consisting of just vocals, guitar and drums, god knows how many 1-2minute epics they flew through in their 20-odd minute set but it was just the wake up call needed. Main stage again for the heavy weight NOLA sludge of Crowbar, last seen by me gracing the Buckley Tiv in the early 90’s but evidently having lost none of their earth shaking power, Kirk a fierce vocalist through it all. I was even tempted to say there was too much bass at the start but then I saw sense. Thought I would have missed out with the timing clash but still managed to see the end of the Japanese mental metallists Sigh back at Terrorizer. Their cover of Venom’s “Black Metal” was excellent, well, at least in the cheesy way of the original, including the lady saxophonist/vocalist indulging in a load of firebreathing. I gave Negura Bunget another chance here after not catching on to them despite rave reviews at Deathfest in Leeds, but again, the folk/black metal mix just washed over me.
Airport delays meant line-up rejig but while I could appreciate the thrashing heaviness of Finntroll and their Viking stylings in passing I was more interested in seeing KMFDM for the first time on the adjacent stage. They far exceeded expectations too, with some real heavy Ministry style industrial thrashing supplementing their techno beats and vibes, the somewhat cheesy electronics of some recordings I’ve heard taking a back seat. Having a dominant lady vocalist cavorting on stage always helps keep the attention too.
Presumably coming straight from their shuttle taxi onto the stage Walls of Jericho ramped things up to another level of heaviness. Hardcore with a huge crunchy metal edge, fronted by the simultaneously engaging and scary powerhouse vocalist that is Candace, they really stir up some great reaction in the main stages crowd.
Time for a break back at the tent as pacing yourself is important when aiming for complete annihilation. Back in time for a must-see for many and a first opportunity for me, the funk/punk madness that is Infectious Grooves. An off-shoot of Suicidal Tendencies they are fantastic fun entertainment in their own right, with Cyco Mike’s motormouth rants, and an incredible slap bassist who would bring a tear of joy to my eye if I was into that style. Probably from having a sprained finger from the speed and dexterity! They are joined by the ST guitarist and the last song turns out to be another airing of “Pledge Your Allegiance” inspiring the already bouncing crowd into another mass stage invasion. It seems strange to say that the thundering NYHC of Sick Of It All is almost an anticlimax after, but good as it is I don’t think it’s on a par with their show here a couple of years back, but also I am foolishly ignorant of their more recent material. A turn to the dark side now for a first visit to the Rock Hard 3rd stage, and the consistently lauded black metal onslaught of Watain. As with two years ago, it’s a completely atmospheric performance, from the permanently burning logo trident, smoke and candles on stage, to the explosive structures of their churning riffs. I do feel they’ve changed down a gear from the filth mayhem of the previous show, but maybe that is a reflection of their latest material which I have yet to hear. The main pull is drawing me magnetically now and I circle off to Terrorizer via Sepultura on the main stage, with true karmic timing to hear “Troops of Doom”. Again! I find that there has almost been a disaster for Godflesh with all the power blowing up in this tent during the prior Young Gods set, with the knock on effect of an incredibly long set up that tests even the deepest Avalanche addicts patience. We are even running out of obscure memes to shout.
Eventually though there is the swelling roar that heralds the sheer brutality of “Like Rats”, and things kick off. This still isn’t sounding right but gradually finds the right punishment levels through two more pounding monsters of “Streetcleaner”, the title track inspiring a crowd-surf of all of 3 seconds for me. Technical issues remain, but the glorious grinding bass of Benny Green, last seen by me in Wrexham Memo 1990 is pure joy. Pummelling Machine rhythms, and the instruments and vocals reinforcing this sledgehammer industrial. We are treated to a selection of the first four albums, ending with the groovesome destruction of “Crush my Soul” before they have to cut things short. For all the problems there is genuine post show euphoria, a special moment for the gathering of fans.
Could have had the come down with the dark ambient experimentalism Ulver but elected to keep the tempo with another long neglected band, Fear Factory. I had lost interest from the early 90’s with their more accessible (read pop) direction, and recently there has been all sorts of line-up shenanigans that have been hard to keep track off. Anyway, singer Burton reunited with guitarist Dino is the core of the band, and if you are going to replace the machine drummer that was Raymond then who else but the monster Gene Hoglan can fill that (and any) space. The early part of the set is unfamiliar to me but then they stick to some old school classics of Soul of a New Machine and Demanufacture, and the combination of the staccato rhythms and the soaring/growling vocals in their refined industrial metal brings the memories back well. These are the protest songs for those living in the Skynet generation! Things aren’t over yet so there’s a stagger to see the blackened deathsters of Marduk, who while being proficient if basic do seem to lack the impact of some of their contemporaries. Final port of call is a broadside of Biohazard as we head out, someone else who has visited North Wales in their time but the US metal/hardcore crossover is a little dated to me, though I pick out “Shades of Grey” as a good tune. They also throw in a cool cover of Bad Religion’s “We only gonna die…” which can still be enjoyed from the campsite before coma sets in.
It’s a grey morning the next day, but the smell of rain doesn’t put us of an early entry, to see Dew Scented. These Euro deathsters are a pleasant surprise, and get a good reaction in the drizzle from the early risers. We get to see more of them than expected as the punk/hardcore line up in the Terroizer tent has been a bit spazzed up (as we are informed by the scrolling bulb display behind the stage). This also means we heed Guru Graham’s recommendation to go see Tamtrum on the main stage. Now, their heavy EBM and stylised stage show may have been deemed quite cheesy but was raised to a whole new level of art by the addition of fire breathing strippers. Sure, we had to get past the sight of the drummers mangina to get there but jeez, it’s not even 12 and we have breast overload. Can you tell I’m a little deprived?
With broad smiles we head back to the tent in the hope that London’s Knuckledust can knock a bit of sense into us. They have bouncy rap hardcore and are very chatty but I’m a bit indifferent really. So we’re next back out to German thrashing/drinking legends Tankard, who do what it says on the tin/stein. Fun, fast tunes, straightforward enough but the front man gets a good reaction going. He shows us his reduced flabby beer belly a bit much though, we don’t need adverts for the dangers of stopping drinking. We had hoped to see the uncanny Sabbath clones of Count Raven next but they had gone AWOL, replaced by some French hardcore band. So back to Terrorizer for more US hardcore in the form of Wisdom in Chains. Again, it’s solid and energetic enough, could be perceived as somewhat generic to me but when the genre is that hard hitting its no bad thing. We’re feeling withdrawal symptoms from death and get a fine dose from Asphyx from Holland. As El said, they were like a faster Bolt Thrower, very impressive, although we were a bit wierded out by the singer Martin’s brummie accent, until we cottoned on to the fact he had spent a couple of years with the Coventry war masters so it must have rubbed off a bit. Finally some hardcore that punched its weight with more Nederlanders, Born from Pain. They’d been very good on the main stage a couple of years back but in the more confined environment of the tent they seemed even more brutal, the harshest delivery of a metal edge to their hardcore rhythms. Wasn’t sure if they had a new vocalist or not but it didn’t matter as they were a ferocious prospect all round.
Teatime break followed by the evening sesh, headed in to see the end of renowned old-school Canadian thrashers Annihilator, but was ultimately reminded by the shrieky vocals why I really hadn’t got into them the first time around. I was more confident of what I was getting with Discharge. Yes it may only be a version of the band, the same as I had last seen in a barn in Bangor a few years back, but they have the songs, they have the speed, they have the standing. And even more so than the previous encounter with the big show setup they were superb, really ripping through the classics. The misguided (feeble bastards) amongst us who had forsaken them for Twisted Sister (I might have checked them myself if there was no clash!) soon turned up and admitted their mistake. An already top set had a further cherry on top with the encore of “The Possibility of Life’s Destruction”. Legends from another direction or maybe tangent now, with the Norwegian/Blashyrkh black metal overlords that are Immortal. To be fair, they are regarded with as much amusement as seriousness for their completely over the top commitment to the trve grym kvlt scene ways and yet when it comes down to a live performance they demonstrate the power that resides beneath all the posturing and corpsepaint. As ably demonstrated on their latest release, they are kings of the raw and relentless, underpinned by Horgh’s seemingly effortless hyperblasting. There’s a cold clarity to their hateful onslaught that creates a great atmosphere as the sun goes down. It’s clash central at this moment though so I take a side step to see My Dying Bride “Turn Loose the Swans” in all it’s aching doom splendour, another mesmeric performance, before heading to catch the last blast of hardcore with the seminal Agnostic Front. Unfortunately, there’s been further disruption with the hospitalisation of their drummer so they have a fill-in for a truncated set from the Born in Pain drummer. Still, they are well practiced at satisfying their fervent fans and put on a great show, including a mad collective mass sing a long with the vocalists from the other hardcore bands of previous in the day
There’s the opportunity then to at least say I’ve seen Alice Cooper, as I head back to the tent to lighten my load for the nights closers. Sure, there’s “School’s Out” and “No More Mr Nice Guy” but a bit like Marilyn Manson last year I am underwhelmed by the cult of personality. Apparently I missed the “scary” spider man stage show, but ultimately this classic rock is so far removed from “my thing”. I was back though for another (heart-string plucking) clash with just a brief taste (in the back of the throat) of the awesome sickness that is the death metal surgeons Carcass, with their huge back projection of diseased genitals and live autopsies to the tune of the bulk of their “Necroticism” album played. Instead I elected for a spell with Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine in the Terrorizer. And was suitably rewarded with the man himself (clad in stars and stripes) on great educational rant (and mime) form, the new tunes blending well with the limited selection of Dead Kenedy’s classics with their energetic and quirky punk style. As he says himself, it would be very easy to trade on the back catalogue but as a politician of the best sort his dealing with the contemporary is a vital now as it ever was. Still, no-one complains when they end with “Police Truck” and he achieves the only stage dive of the day (he must have had a leg up!), into appreciative arms. We then get an encore of “Too Drunk to Fuck”, that is not so much of a problem to me as being too drunk too stand. And so to bed.
The Sabbath arrives with undue haste and we’re in from the very start for the German experimental atmospheric doom of Omega Massif to lull us into the day with their gentle melodies giving way to colossal steamroller riffs, true emotional epic journeys. Then a dip into an early morning bloodbath with General Surgery. In their medical robes and drenched in blood they come close to out-Carcassing their acknowledged inspiration, especially as their sound is based on the raging goregrind of their early stuff that is my preference. Just what the doctor ordered for the sick among us. Repeated slabs of US sludge for us now over at the Terrorizer, we content ourselves with building a little Stonehenge in tribute. First, Black Cobra. Only a two piece of guitar/vocals and drums, they get some rolling rhythms going among their chronic breakdowns but the absence of that certain something provided by four stringers of doom is only highlighted by the massive hit of Weedeater next. With their full line up lurking in dense onstage smoke they grind out some huge reverberations of stoner sludge, filthy and beautiful. With another late cancellation of Dying Fetus preventing us from having some techgrind relief, there is no let up from Rwake, with their girl keyboardist providing some counterpoint harsh vocals, and a bit more brooding experimentalism among their sprawling heavy battery.
Back out into the blazing sunshine that is not necessarily appropriate for the harsh blackened death of Behemoth. First opportunity for me to see the Poles, and to agree that they do live up to their name in terms of the grandeur in technical ability, stage image and sheer unstoppable fury. The iconography of their stage show and the conviction of their delivery is impressive all round, and they are rightly held in high esteem among the extreme metal world in my opinion. Last chance for a quick break before the final rounds of this knock-out bout, then a welcome revisit to Suffocation. Frank remains one the most charismatic frontmen I’ve seen, though he does admit to his failings in writing love songs. “I’d like to rip out your entrails and rub my face in them”. They were one of the originators of the brutal death subgenre with its guttural vocals and crushing breakdowns and fair play to them they remain at its forefront decades later.
It’s a thrash blast from the past next with Exodus, who raise some of the most dust of the whole weekend with giant pits. To be fair they have been coming and going a lot over the last 3 decades, with guitarist Gary Holt remaining the mainstay and creator of top notch riffs. I enjoy them much more now than their original incarnations as they no longer have a shrieky vocalist which detracted in my tastes.
After this warm up in the sun we’re back into the shade of Terrorizer for another mouthwatering reformation. Crust punk legends Doom were cruelly interrupted some 7 years back with the sudden death of singer Wayne but they’ve got things back together again with Swede Dennis filling that role, just for a few festivals at first but definitely with the prospect of more to come. Me and El had hoped to go see them at Scumfest in London but as that didn’t happen our excitement was palpable to be up front at this one. Initially though it looked like they were going to suffer in terms of attendance from the mighty competition of Motorhead and Nile on the other stages but soon things got going and it was just glorious d-beat chaos, gems like “Bury the Debt” and “Life Lock” being unleashed with ferocity, “Exploitation” even saw me so carried away I offered El a leg up to crowd surf! It was pure exhilaration. After I’d hoped to catch the end of Nile I’d been robbed off in Wolverhampton last year but as that had already finished, and we could also hear the closing barrage of “Overkill” in the distance we instead did a crafty backstage blag to get some merch off Doom and plant the seeds of getting them over to North Wales whenever they tour next. Them and George Formby.
Strange as it may seem it was a comparative relaxation to see Slayer from a distance next. Having just seen them in Manchester I had a satisfaction of up close and personal thrash battering then so the slightly mixed up set on the main stage was enjoyable just for the huge atmosphere, Tom again leaving big chunks of the singing of “Angel of Death” to the crowd. Maybe my focus was wavering at this point too as the end was in sight, but not before another great tick list bonus. My previous attempt to see Kyuss in the early 90’s had ended in a failed hitch to Derby and then my mate telling me how good it was afterwards. So even though this time it was (singer John) Garcia Plays Kyuss, him and session musicians, as soon as they kicked into the massive driven stoner grooves of the likes of “Hurricane”, “One Inch Man” and “El Rodeo” it was spot on. In fact, it didn’t make any difference having the guest spots/reunion with the original bass and drums who had played with their own bands earlier in the day, the songs ruled all. A great ending to the festival for me and the rest of the rammed tent, though slightly gutting (and near riot!) that they were refused the opportunity by the organisers to do their encore which more than likely would have been “Demon Cleaner”. Presumably they wanted to force us to catch the end of ultimate mainstage headliner Kiss. Now I have enough vague memories of Donington in ’88 to feel that I need no more Kiss in my life but my cynicism gives up in the face of a stupendously over the top stage show, it is the epitome of rawk’n’roll excess. The songs are the clean cut pop rock that you all know and love anyway, and I leave to this soundtrack and fireworks with a smile on my face and a stagger in my step.
Another day and a half of gradual rehabilitation afterwards until we get our flight back, it has been another hugely satisfying expedition. Probably saw more bands than ever before and even if other years have had more headliners of interest Hellfest comes up trumps in its eclectic mix of bands and giving you the opportunity to discover new stuff, if you are open to that! It was disappointing to get a lot of cancellations this year, up to and during the festival itself, but there was still so much quality there, you could see an endless stream of good bands and pretty much completely ignore or move on from anything that didn’t do the trick. We are considering other festival options next year for fresh adventure but it’s as likely this tried and tested sonic Armageddon will switch on the tractor beam next June and draw us in again.
With the usual efficiency we were whisked down to the site and our earlier, afternoon arrival meant for prime camping site and a leisurely trip to the supermarche as opposed to our usual blundering about in the dark. It also meant we could get in the camp site “metal corner” bar and entertainments section far too early than was good for us and met with other travellers drawn from Europe and the world for the event, while watching the majority French heartily express their own chagrin as Mexico battered them on the big screen. There were bands on as well but it all became a bit of blur of an extra evenings warm up session.
Not so bright but still early I accompanied my Aussie mate who was sharing my tent down to the supermarket for more supplies, to be welcomed by some scene from Dawn of the Dead as hundreds of other metal zombies pawed at the windows of the mall awaiting opening time, cries of “Booze” not “Brains” dominating. The staff inside were more amused than terrified, and once the hordes gained entry it was hilarious to be wandering past bewildered grannies and their trolleys while massive roars were emitted from various parts of the store, probably when the Jager aisle was discovered.
Speaking of which, we had stocked up ourselves and our morning ritual was a generous group blast before we headed of hunting into the arena. The first day had seemed especially busy at the entry queue and some people will have missed the first bands they wanted to see through this delay but as we left it a bit we had no great problems. Passing the main stage, I stopped to see the Scandinavian melodic death of Swallow the Sun but it was a bit too polished for my tastes, not only musically but in their own presentation. Much more satisfying to get to the underground of the Terrorizer tent, for Magrudergrind from Washington D.C. Blistering grindcore consisting of just vocals, guitar and drums, god knows how many 1-2minute epics they flew through in their 20-odd minute set but it was just the wake up call needed. Main stage again for the heavy weight NOLA sludge of Crowbar, last seen by me gracing the Buckley Tiv in the early 90’s but evidently having lost none of their earth shaking power, Kirk a fierce vocalist through it all. I was even tempted to say there was too much bass at the start but then I saw sense. Thought I would have missed out with the timing clash but still managed to see the end of the Japanese mental metallists Sigh back at Terrorizer. Their cover of Venom’s “Black Metal” was excellent, well, at least in the cheesy way of the original, including the lady saxophonist/vocalist indulging in a load of firebreathing. I gave Negura Bunget another chance here after not catching on to them despite rave reviews at Deathfest in Leeds, but again, the folk/black metal mix just washed over me.
Airport delays meant line-up rejig but while I could appreciate the thrashing heaviness of Finntroll and their Viking stylings in passing I was more interested in seeing KMFDM for the first time on the adjacent stage. They far exceeded expectations too, with some real heavy Ministry style industrial thrashing supplementing their techno beats and vibes, the somewhat cheesy electronics of some recordings I’ve heard taking a back seat. Having a dominant lady vocalist cavorting on stage always helps keep the attention too.
Presumably coming straight from their shuttle taxi onto the stage Walls of Jericho ramped things up to another level of heaviness. Hardcore with a huge crunchy metal edge, fronted by the simultaneously engaging and scary powerhouse vocalist that is Candace, they really stir up some great reaction in the main stages crowd.
Time for a break back at the tent as pacing yourself is important when aiming for complete annihilation. Back in time for a must-see for many and a first opportunity for me, the funk/punk madness that is Infectious Grooves. An off-shoot of Suicidal Tendencies they are fantastic fun entertainment in their own right, with Cyco Mike’s motormouth rants, and an incredible slap bassist who would bring a tear of joy to my eye if I was into that style. Probably from having a sprained finger from the speed and dexterity! They are joined by the ST guitarist and the last song turns out to be another airing of “Pledge Your Allegiance” inspiring the already bouncing crowd into another mass stage invasion. It seems strange to say that the thundering NYHC of Sick Of It All is almost an anticlimax after, but good as it is I don’t think it’s on a par with their show here a couple of years back, but also I am foolishly ignorant of their more recent material. A turn to the dark side now for a first visit to the Rock Hard 3rd stage, and the consistently lauded black metal onslaught of Watain. As with two years ago, it’s a completely atmospheric performance, from the permanently burning logo trident, smoke and candles on stage, to the explosive structures of their churning riffs. I do feel they’ve changed down a gear from the filth mayhem of the previous show, but maybe that is a reflection of their latest material which I have yet to hear. The main pull is drawing me magnetically now and I circle off to Terrorizer via Sepultura on the main stage, with true karmic timing to hear “Troops of Doom”. Again! I find that there has almost been a disaster for Godflesh with all the power blowing up in this tent during the prior Young Gods set, with the knock on effect of an incredibly long set up that tests even the deepest Avalanche addicts patience. We are even running out of obscure memes to shout.
Eventually though there is the swelling roar that heralds the sheer brutality of “Like Rats”, and things kick off. This still isn’t sounding right but gradually finds the right punishment levels through two more pounding monsters of “Streetcleaner”, the title track inspiring a crowd-surf of all of 3 seconds for me. Technical issues remain, but the glorious grinding bass of Benny Green, last seen by me in Wrexham Memo 1990 is pure joy. Pummelling Machine rhythms, and the instruments and vocals reinforcing this sledgehammer industrial. We are treated to a selection of the first four albums, ending with the groovesome destruction of “Crush my Soul” before they have to cut things short. For all the problems there is genuine post show euphoria, a special moment for the gathering of fans.
Could have had the come down with the dark ambient experimentalism Ulver but elected to keep the tempo with another long neglected band, Fear Factory. I had lost interest from the early 90’s with their more accessible (read pop) direction, and recently there has been all sorts of line-up shenanigans that have been hard to keep track off. Anyway, singer Burton reunited with guitarist Dino is the core of the band, and if you are going to replace the machine drummer that was Raymond then who else but the monster Gene Hoglan can fill that (and any) space. The early part of the set is unfamiliar to me but then they stick to some old school classics of Soul of a New Machine and Demanufacture, and the combination of the staccato rhythms and the soaring/growling vocals in their refined industrial metal brings the memories back well. These are the protest songs for those living in the Skynet generation! Things aren’t over yet so there’s a stagger to see the blackened deathsters of Marduk, who while being proficient if basic do seem to lack the impact of some of their contemporaries. Final port of call is a broadside of Biohazard as we head out, someone else who has visited North Wales in their time but the US metal/hardcore crossover is a little dated to me, though I pick out “Shades of Grey” as a good tune. They also throw in a cool cover of Bad Religion’s “We only gonna die…” which can still be enjoyed from the campsite before coma sets in.
It’s a grey morning the next day, but the smell of rain doesn’t put us of an early entry, to see Dew Scented. These Euro deathsters are a pleasant surprise, and get a good reaction in the drizzle from the early risers. We get to see more of them than expected as the punk/hardcore line up in the Terroizer tent has been a bit spazzed up (as we are informed by the scrolling bulb display behind the stage). This also means we heed Guru Graham’s recommendation to go see Tamtrum on the main stage. Now, their heavy EBM and stylised stage show may have been deemed quite cheesy but was raised to a whole new level of art by the addition of fire breathing strippers. Sure, we had to get past the sight of the drummers mangina to get there but jeez, it’s not even 12 and we have breast overload. Can you tell I’m a little deprived?
With broad smiles we head back to the tent in the hope that London’s Knuckledust can knock a bit of sense into us. They have bouncy rap hardcore and are very chatty but I’m a bit indifferent really. So we’re next back out to German thrashing/drinking legends Tankard, who do what it says on the tin/stein. Fun, fast tunes, straightforward enough but the front man gets a good reaction going. He shows us his reduced flabby beer belly a bit much though, we don’t need adverts for the dangers of stopping drinking. We had hoped to see the uncanny Sabbath clones of Count Raven next but they had gone AWOL, replaced by some French hardcore band. So back to Terrorizer for more US hardcore in the form of Wisdom in Chains. Again, it’s solid and energetic enough, could be perceived as somewhat generic to me but when the genre is that hard hitting its no bad thing. We’re feeling withdrawal symptoms from death and get a fine dose from Asphyx from Holland. As El said, they were like a faster Bolt Thrower, very impressive, although we were a bit wierded out by the singer Martin’s brummie accent, until we cottoned on to the fact he had spent a couple of years with the Coventry war masters so it must have rubbed off a bit. Finally some hardcore that punched its weight with more Nederlanders, Born from Pain. They’d been very good on the main stage a couple of years back but in the more confined environment of the tent they seemed even more brutal, the harshest delivery of a metal edge to their hardcore rhythms. Wasn’t sure if they had a new vocalist or not but it didn’t matter as they were a ferocious prospect all round.
Teatime break followed by the evening sesh, headed in to see the end of renowned old-school Canadian thrashers Annihilator, but was ultimately reminded by the shrieky vocals why I really hadn’t got into them the first time around. I was more confident of what I was getting with Discharge. Yes it may only be a version of the band, the same as I had last seen in a barn in Bangor a few years back, but they have the songs, they have the speed, they have the standing. And even more so than the previous encounter with the big show setup they were superb, really ripping through the classics. The misguided (feeble bastards) amongst us who had forsaken them for Twisted Sister (I might have checked them myself if there was no clash!) soon turned up and admitted their mistake. An already top set had a further cherry on top with the encore of “The Possibility of Life’s Destruction”. Legends from another direction or maybe tangent now, with the Norwegian/Blashyrkh black metal overlords that are Immortal. To be fair, they are regarded with as much amusement as seriousness for their completely over the top commitment to the trve grym kvlt scene ways and yet when it comes down to a live performance they demonstrate the power that resides beneath all the posturing and corpsepaint. As ably demonstrated on their latest release, they are kings of the raw and relentless, underpinned by Horgh’s seemingly effortless hyperblasting. There’s a cold clarity to their hateful onslaught that creates a great atmosphere as the sun goes down. It’s clash central at this moment though so I take a side step to see My Dying Bride “Turn Loose the Swans” in all it’s aching doom splendour, another mesmeric performance, before heading to catch the last blast of hardcore with the seminal Agnostic Front. Unfortunately, there’s been further disruption with the hospitalisation of their drummer so they have a fill-in for a truncated set from the Born in Pain drummer. Still, they are well practiced at satisfying their fervent fans and put on a great show, including a mad collective mass sing a long with the vocalists from the other hardcore bands of previous in the day
There’s the opportunity then to at least say I’ve seen Alice Cooper, as I head back to the tent to lighten my load for the nights closers. Sure, there’s “School’s Out” and “No More Mr Nice Guy” but a bit like Marilyn Manson last year I am underwhelmed by the cult of personality. Apparently I missed the “scary” spider man stage show, but ultimately this classic rock is so far removed from “my thing”. I was back though for another (heart-string plucking) clash with just a brief taste (in the back of the throat) of the awesome sickness that is the death metal surgeons Carcass, with their huge back projection of diseased genitals and live autopsies to the tune of the bulk of their “Necroticism” album played. Instead I elected for a spell with Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine in the Terrorizer. And was suitably rewarded with the man himself (clad in stars and stripes) on great educational rant (and mime) form, the new tunes blending well with the limited selection of Dead Kenedy’s classics with their energetic and quirky punk style. As he says himself, it would be very easy to trade on the back catalogue but as a politician of the best sort his dealing with the contemporary is a vital now as it ever was. Still, no-one complains when they end with “Police Truck” and he achieves the only stage dive of the day (he must have had a leg up!), into appreciative arms. We then get an encore of “Too Drunk to Fuck”, that is not so much of a problem to me as being too drunk too stand. And so to bed.
The Sabbath arrives with undue haste and we’re in from the very start for the German experimental atmospheric doom of Omega Massif to lull us into the day with their gentle melodies giving way to colossal steamroller riffs, true emotional epic journeys. Then a dip into an early morning bloodbath with General Surgery. In their medical robes and drenched in blood they come close to out-Carcassing their acknowledged inspiration, especially as their sound is based on the raging goregrind of their early stuff that is my preference. Just what the doctor ordered for the sick among us. Repeated slabs of US sludge for us now over at the Terrorizer, we content ourselves with building a little Stonehenge in tribute. First, Black Cobra. Only a two piece of guitar/vocals and drums, they get some rolling rhythms going among their chronic breakdowns but the absence of that certain something provided by four stringers of doom is only highlighted by the massive hit of Weedeater next. With their full line up lurking in dense onstage smoke they grind out some huge reverberations of stoner sludge, filthy and beautiful. With another late cancellation of Dying Fetus preventing us from having some techgrind relief, there is no let up from Rwake, with their girl keyboardist providing some counterpoint harsh vocals, and a bit more brooding experimentalism among their sprawling heavy battery.
Back out into the blazing sunshine that is not necessarily appropriate for the harsh blackened death of Behemoth. First opportunity for me to see the Poles, and to agree that they do live up to their name in terms of the grandeur in technical ability, stage image and sheer unstoppable fury. The iconography of their stage show and the conviction of their delivery is impressive all round, and they are rightly held in high esteem among the extreme metal world in my opinion. Last chance for a quick break before the final rounds of this knock-out bout, then a welcome revisit to Suffocation. Frank remains one the most charismatic frontmen I’ve seen, though he does admit to his failings in writing love songs. “I’d like to rip out your entrails and rub my face in them”. They were one of the originators of the brutal death subgenre with its guttural vocals and crushing breakdowns and fair play to them they remain at its forefront decades later.
It’s a thrash blast from the past next with Exodus, who raise some of the most dust of the whole weekend with giant pits. To be fair they have been coming and going a lot over the last 3 decades, with guitarist Gary Holt remaining the mainstay and creator of top notch riffs. I enjoy them much more now than their original incarnations as they no longer have a shrieky vocalist which detracted in my tastes.
After this warm up in the sun we’re back into the shade of Terrorizer for another mouthwatering reformation. Crust punk legends Doom were cruelly interrupted some 7 years back with the sudden death of singer Wayne but they’ve got things back together again with Swede Dennis filling that role, just for a few festivals at first but definitely with the prospect of more to come. Me and El had hoped to go see them at Scumfest in London but as that didn’t happen our excitement was palpable to be up front at this one. Initially though it looked like they were going to suffer in terms of attendance from the mighty competition of Motorhead and Nile on the other stages but soon things got going and it was just glorious d-beat chaos, gems like “Bury the Debt” and “Life Lock” being unleashed with ferocity, “Exploitation” even saw me so carried away I offered El a leg up to crowd surf! It was pure exhilaration. After I’d hoped to catch the end of Nile I’d been robbed off in Wolverhampton last year but as that had already finished, and we could also hear the closing barrage of “Overkill” in the distance we instead did a crafty backstage blag to get some merch off Doom and plant the seeds of getting them over to North Wales whenever they tour next. Them and George Formby.
Strange as it may seem it was a comparative relaxation to see Slayer from a distance next. Having just seen them in Manchester I had a satisfaction of up close and personal thrash battering then so the slightly mixed up set on the main stage was enjoyable just for the huge atmosphere, Tom again leaving big chunks of the singing of “Angel of Death” to the crowd. Maybe my focus was wavering at this point too as the end was in sight, but not before another great tick list bonus. My previous attempt to see Kyuss in the early 90’s had ended in a failed hitch to Derby and then my mate telling me how good it was afterwards. So even though this time it was (singer John) Garcia Plays Kyuss, him and session musicians, as soon as they kicked into the massive driven stoner grooves of the likes of “Hurricane”, “One Inch Man” and “El Rodeo” it was spot on. In fact, it didn’t make any difference having the guest spots/reunion with the original bass and drums who had played with their own bands earlier in the day, the songs ruled all. A great ending to the festival for me and the rest of the rammed tent, though slightly gutting (and near riot!) that they were refused the opportunity by the organisers to do their encore which more than likely would have been “Demon Cleaner”. Presumably they wanted to force us to catch the end of ultimate mainstage headliner Kiss. Now I have enough vague memories of Donington in ’88 to feel that I need no more Kiss in my life but my cynicism gives up in the face of a stupendously over the top stage show, it is the epitome of rawk’n’roll excess. The songs are the clean cut pop rock that you all know and love anyway, and I leave to this soundtrack and fireworks with a smile on my face and a stagger in my step.
Another day and a half of gradual rehabilitation afterwards until we get our flight back, it has been another hugely satisfying expedition. Probably saw more bands than ever before and even if other years have had more headliners of interest Hellfest comes up trumps in its eclectic mix of bands and giving you the opportunity to discover new stuff, if you are open to that! It was disappointing to get a lot of cancellations this year, up to and during the festival itself, but there was still so much quality there, you could see an endless stream of good bands and pretty much completely ignore or move on from anything that didn’t do the trick. We are considering other festival options next year for fresh adventure but it’s as likely this tried and tested sonic Armageddon will switch on the tractor beam next June and draw us in again.