Post by markwj on Jun 28, 2012 18:58:53 GMT
Confounding medical science/running on Jager fumes once again we are back in first thing in the morning. The options here are two two piece bands. First Jesus Crost, Dutch extreme grinders with a nice early Carcass guitar tone, ultra short and guttural outbursts of sickness from a young bespectacled fellow who turns up on stage still wearing his rucksack. And Dyse (pronounced “doozer”), Germans who have an arty vibe to their noise rock but without pretension, it is just really interesting music that reminds me of Nomeansno despite them not even having a bass player. They are obviously having a great time on stage too and the happiness is shared in the early crowd. Over at The Altar I’d been intrigued to see Glorior Belli after hearing their odd but working mix of southern blues rock and black metal. And while it was ok if a bit underpowered they also had a bit too much posturing and a really annoying photographer on stage obscuring the view. No worries, next we have the hilarity of the “groovy goregrind” of Rompeprop at the opposite Altar. Blood spattered medical gowns, skeleton suits, basses in the shape of a woman’s parts, an avalanche of inflatables into the pit, and songs like “Embyoyo”, this is the recipe for success. It’s top up time at the tent after our early start and I have to leave the slackers to return alone in the hope of Haemorrhage only to find in the suspiciously quiet tent they have cancelled. Bah, like an autopsy without anaesthetic ;)This gives the opportunity to enjoy the reverberations of the churning heaviness of Amenra from the valley before considering the spectacle of Steel Panther. Now I wouldn’t touch glam metal with someone else’s bargepole but with the sun streaming and the tits oot on a regular basis my attention was somehow grabbed. And I have to say it was absolutely hilarious, not only with their self depreciating/aggrandising banter but sheer genius pisstake lyrics. A welcome tonic for all the genre rubbish of old! Appropriate consolation for the previous cancellation came in the form of Avulsed, fellow Spanish Death metallers blast through a vicious set, the singer a force of nature still able to deliver his roars while windmilling his head a foot of the ground. Whether it’s the heat or a bit of thirst ( ) but my legs are giving way before long so I resolve to catch up with the latter half of a clash and chill out at the back watching US thrashers Death Angel on the main stage. As enjoyable with 10,000 as they were with a 100 in Wrexham they are playing their debut album “The Ultraviolence” in full. “Mistress of Pain” that I had on the Speed Kills 3 compilation cures all ill and I head down to the front to discover the rest of the party posse in full effect.
We then have fun in the sun for a while, classic festival craic, while waiting for the next of a triple thrash treat with Sacred Reich. And as a similarly aged 80’s band they gave Megadeth a lesson on how to do it, (and with their “War Pigs” cover, Ozzy too) ok they did have a break in their existence, but they played with energy, fire and enjoyment and that is always evident and appreciated by those in attendance. As were the random breasts that were delivered unto us, by the Reverend Graham. I head over to The Valley for one of my must-see opportunities with Unsane, after my last chance in Manchester had been bizarrely lost due to changes of venue/date. They unleash raw, ground out noise rock with that innate toughness that seems endemic to residents of New York, the same vibe seen recently with Tombs who undoubtedly tip their hats to this seminal act. I am satisfied enough to head back over to join up with the folks at the main stage for the end of Exodus, who continue that solid heavy thrash attack, the dust is rising now from fierce pit action. Not quite the same for Sebastian Bach maybe, next on the adjacent stage but I give him a little time of day for the humorous sake of it and because I appreciated his appearance in Trailer Park Boys. Not long though, as I weave myself into the heart of the Valley for another beating by Yob. Had only enjoyed a partial set at Roadburn (and now meeting other survivors from there in here) due to clashes but had the full monty here and it was glorious exercise in distorted doom and groove from the three-piece. Time flew by as you were rocked by the build up and break down of riffs and drones, a definite highlight. Probably one of the killer clashes of the weekend next was St Vitus where I started in the Valley, but their droning, bare proto-doom didn’t have the same entrancing impact as when they’d been on the main stage a couple of years back, and so it was with Napalm Death I ended up at the Altar. Unfortunately this was not their best set seen, either because of the general sound weakness or the blown amp head interruption, but even Barney seeming a little subdued compared to normal. Didn’t stop us getting down to the old school classics like “Scum” though. Out into the open for a foretaste of Machinehead and their nu-thrash, soon to be headlining Bloodstock. I’d succeeded in not bothering a couple of times here previously and to be honest my mood wasn’t greatly shifted, for every good riff there was a lot of not so good, and accompanied by the rawk bull. This left us lined up next for the day’s headliners and the legendary rock force/farce that is Guns n Roses. The last and only time I saw them people died, and they were second on the bill of a six band alldayer. Soon after I taped over my copy of “Appetite for Destruction” with “Reek of Putrefaction”. But there was still a morbid interest to see just what kind of diva monster Axl and his session musicians had become. No justification for them charging 35 euros for a tshirt when you could pick up an Avulsed one for 12 either. We were doing other stuff but surprisingly they actually came on on time, with a song I didn’t know but then a few of the classics from “Appetite…” and… actually… sounded quite good! I was singing along godddamit! The full spectacle neon stage show added to it and leaving after that small dose before the interminable piano solos etc was probably a good thing. An even better thing was entering the Altar to the tune of “Living Dead” from Entombed, the long reigning kings of Swedish death still majestic. Another example of the old school not to be taken for granted and slaying us in such a welcome fashion. We negotiated the swampy areas not drying out under the canvas to finish having a hoedown to “Left Hand Path” on the dry if not moral high ground. About turn to the Altar and another closer for Bloodstock, Behemoth. Doubts had been cast on their headliner potential but on this showing I think they’ll do fine, but maybe I am biased with a love of their sharp and intense blackened death metal. A good stage show too, can’t beat a 12 foot high burning inverted cross whether you are down with the KKK or not. The later songs and encore slowed the tempo right down to a heavy stomp and took the edge off a touch but if the leukaemia recovering front man Nergal has to pace himself it is understandable. i wish i had learnt that lesson
We then have fun in the sun for a while, classic festival craic, while waiting for the next of a triple thrash treat with Sacred Reich. And as a similarly aged 80’s band they gave Megadeth a lesson on how to do it, (and with their “War Pigs” cover, Ozzy too) ok they did have a break in their existence, but they played with energy, fire and enjoyment and that is always evident and appreciated by those in attendance. As were the random breasts that were delivered unto us, by the Reverend Graham. I head over to The Valley for one of my must-see opportunities with Unsane, after my last chance in Manchester had been bizarrely lost due to changes of venue/date. They unleash raw, ground out noise rock with that innate toughness that seems endemic to residents of New York, the same vibe seen recently with Tombs who undoubtedly tip their hats to this seminal act. I am satisfied enough to head back over to join up with the folks at the main stage for the end of Exodus, who continue that solid heavy thrash attack, the dust is rising now from fierce pit action. Not quite the same for Sebastian Bach maybe, next on the adjacent stage but I give him a little time of day for the humorous sake of it and because I appreciated his appearance in Trailer Park Boys. Not long though, as I weave myself into the heart of the Valley for another beating by Yob. Had only enjoyed a partial set at Roadburn (and now meeting other survivors from there in here) due to clashes but had the full monty here and it was glorious exercise in distorted doom and groove from the three-piece. Time flew by as you were rocked by the build up and break down of riffs and drones, a definite highlight. Probably one of the killer clashes of the weekend next was St Vitus where I started in the Valley, but their droning, bare proto-doom didn’t have the same entrancing impact as when they’d been on the main stage a couple of years back, and so it was with Napalm Death I ended up at the Altar. Unfortunately this was not their best set seen, either because of the general sound weakness or the blown amp head interruption, but even Barney seeming a little subdued compared to normal. Didn’t stop us getting down to the old school classics like “Scum” though. Out into the open for a foretaste of Machinehead and their nu-thrash, soon to be headlining Bloodstock. I’d succeeded in not bothering a couple of times here previously and to be honest my mood wasn’t greatly shifted, for every good riff there was a lot of not so good, and accompanied by the rawk bull. This left us lined up next for the day’s headliners and the legendary rock force/farce that is Guns n Roses. The last and only time I saw them people died, and they were second on the bill of a six band alldayer. Soon after I taped over my copy of “Appetite for Destruction” with “Reek of Putrefaction”. But there was still a morbid interest to see just what kind of diva monster Axl and his session musicians had become. No justification for them charging 35 euros for a tshirt when you could pick up an Avulsed one for 12 either. We were doing other stuff but surprisingly they actually came on on time, with a song I didn’t know but then a few of the classics from “Appetite…” and… actually… sounded quite good! I was singing along godddamit! The full spectacle neon stage show added to it and leaving after that small dose before the interminable piano solos etc was probably a good thing. An even better thing was entering the Altar to the tune of “Living Dead” from Entombed, the long reigning kings of Swedish death still majestic. Another example of the old school not to be taken for granted and slaying us in such a welcome fashion. We negotiated the swampy areas not drying out under the canvas to finish having a hoedown to “Left Hand Path” on the dry if not moral high ground. About turn to the Altar and another closer for Bloodstock, Behemoth. Doubts had been cast on their headliner potential but on this showing I think they’ll do fine, but maybe I am biased with a love of their sharp and intense blackened death metal. A good stage show too, can’t beat a 12 foot high burning inverted cross whether you are down with the KKK or not. The later songs and encore slowed the tempo right down to a heavy stomp and took the edge off a touch but if the leukaemia recovering front man Nergal has to pace himself it is understandable. i wish i had learnt that lesson