Out of step volume 3

This issue has been harder than most to get together. With the stress of a new job and four kids I took a bit longer pulling it all together. As a result some of the interviews featured have been hanging around my inbox for awhile and so the content may be slightly out of date. I hope know one notices. That being said I'm so happy to finally bring our Damnation Festival review to you all as well as some great interviews from some truly fantastic artists. I thank you all for your continued support. Right I'm off the buy tickets for next year's Damnation. See you down the front.

D. Gilmore Out of Step UK

Guitar virtuoso, YouTuber and gifted songwriter Bernth has just penned one of the most beautiful tracks I’ve heard in a long time his single “Waterworks” brought me towards the music of one very talented chap. BERNTH. Your latest single "Waterworks" is a beautiful track.

Could you tell me about the concept of the song?

Thank you very much! It all revolves around the simple idea of filling an acoustic guitar with water - I wanted to try this out for a video for a long time.

Instead of just playing something random, I felt like it would be a great idea to write a full song. I wrote it in just a couple of hours and recorded the video on the same day - I would have never guessed that it would reach millions of people in just one week! The video on Facebook has 4,4 million views already, that's crazy.

Do you have any favourite pedals and effects to use?

I recently got a signature pedal from KHDK, the SHRED. This is my all-time favourite piece of gear at the moment, mainly because I was so involved with designing it! It's sold out already sadly, but I hope I get to do more like this soon.

Will you release any new music as CueStack any time soon?

Yes, we are currently working on a couple of things. Since the music video productions always get out of hand with this project, it takes quite a while until we are ready to release new material, but there's something on the way!

Putting water inside the guitar is an interesting idea!

Was this single the first time you've done something like that for a record?

Yes, this is the first single with any kind of 'gimmick'. It's something that all guitar players probably thought about at one point, but I personally never tried it and I have also never seen it online so far. I have plenty of other ideas like this and I can't wait to make more videos like it - as long as the song always has substance and is the main focus, I don't want to make it just about the wacky ideas!

From what I've heard "Waterworks" is quite a different song from your other work. Can we expect a new record more along these lines?

I am usually known as a Metal/Shred guitar player from my work on YouTube, but I love a lot of different music styles. Recently, I've been exploring more melodic and emotional approaches with my playing and songwriting, and it seems to connect very well with my audience online. So I would definitely like to explore this direction some more!

What was your first guitar?

I had a very cheap guitar that I borrowed from my teacher. The first one I actually owned was a B.C. Rich Warlock, like most of the Metal players of my generation!

Thank you for your time! Lastly, I have to ask, what was David Hasselhoff like to work with?

He was a real professional and very openminded. I never thought he was actually into Metal and he could name a lot of bands! We only had 2 days with him to record both the song 'Through the Night' and the music video and he absolutely delivered.

Thank you for the great questions! I am actually just released my next single so if you enjoyed 'Waterworks' you will probably also like this one!

Describing themselves as a "parody metal band" Evil Scarecrow are being extremely modest. The band have been blazing their trail for the last twenty years and have left with new fans everywhere they have touched down. Resident mentalist Kraven Morrdeth left this transmission for the faithful:

Hi guys, Thank you for taking the time to talk to me, how’s everything in Evil Scarecrow right now?

Thank you for asking! Everything is rather splendid in the dark towers of Scarecrow-ville.

We’ve managed to get to the beige belt in karate thanks to our resident ninjas and plenty of practice from the last set of live shows.

Cöunt Grävedigger managed to hit his 5th dan with his shovel technique… Dan isn’t doing so well though.

Evil Scarecrow is clearly a very visual band.

How do you translate that into your records?

Through the magic of sound-o-vision (patent pending) like all great audio dramas we focus our eye power purely through our ear holes, that’s how you get the best results. You can even smell through your ears, did you know that? You probably didn’t, every day's a school day with Evil Scarecrow.

The band seems to have a special relationship with the Bloodstock crowds. How did that come about?

Bloodstock is our second home, It was written on some ancient standing stones in what is now called The Midlands, so in all honesty its fate really. We’re there every year regardless because we’re afraid what might happen if we didn’t show up. Has anyone checked the Mayan calendar recently? We love Bloodstock and all of its fuzzy minions. We’ll keep turning up to run our improv aerobics classes as long as they’re happy to have us.

Your music has its tongue firmly planted in its cheek. Your music videos and live shows always leave people with a smile on their faces. Was that always the intention?

It’s more a by-product of who we are as people really, If we find something funny, we run with it. Its just a happy accident others find it funny too! Oh damn that broke the 4th wall. But in all honesty we’re glad others find humour in the same things as us. Smiles all round. Rejoice in the dad level humour and lunacy, We’re all richer for it.

Your live shows are legendary. What’s the strangest thing you ve seen happen at a show?

Strangest thing. Hmm that’s a tricky one. All our shows tend to verge on some kind of rabid fever dream at various points. I suppose strange is a matter of perspective, I once clambered into the crowd during a show and someone licked my arm. Not just a little lick either. It was a warm one too so I was well “seasoned”. You meat bags never cease to amaze and horrify me.

With your track “Crabulon” being one of the greatest songs ever put through a mixing desk, I have to ask, where do you get inspiration for your songs?

Life in this mortal realm, that is the most inspiring thing. Its all an amazing coincidence we even exist at all and we’re all just bumbling through trying to make the best of it. The least we can do is have a laugh along the way. That and the fact everything is so god damn hilarious. What is roller-skates for the spider, is stepping in dog shit for the fly, or however that saying goes.

Are there any plans to record a follow up to 2018 Chapter IV Antarctica?

Absolutely! We have plans for a new album whether you want it or not! No take backsies! We have a few songs in the bag along with the rest of the body parts. It’s either going to be a lovely album or an equally lovely pie. It may take some time to put together but it’ll be a nice pie full of parts and songs. You’ll be able to taste it with your ears, also you can taste through your ears too. If you’ve been really good and tidied your room. I just need to point these things out, you’re all really underutilising your ears.

Finally guys: Shag, Marry, Kill = Dave Mustaine, kerry King and Dani Filth?

Love isn’t a game so I wouldn’t marry any of them, but spite compels me to shag and then kill them all in succession, I rather fancied being a praying mantis for non-uniform day at school when I was 6, Besides its nice to see how the other half live, don’t you think?

Enforced are a collective sledgehammer of a band the are a combination of hardcore, thrash and pure force. The band have a reputation as being an awesome live band as well as producing consistently high level records. The lads took a break from destroying crowds eardrums to have a chat with me.

Regarding your influences coming up as a band, which artists do you take most influence from and why do you think they resonated so much with you?

Sepultura and Demolition Hammer, to name two.

They have the best and hardest riffs and execution. We played with Cavalera at Maryland Deathfest a few months ago and they are insanely good.

We're still blown away by them.

I’ve heard it said that a band has all there live to record their first record but such a short time to come up with their second. Did you feel that pressure when writing “Kill Grid”?

Nope, not at all. We had plenty of time to record it, we had already written most of it before going into the studio so there wasn't any rush. Some of those songs were already pretty old, like Haemorrhage.

Hi guys, how are things going in Enforced at the moment?

Excellent. We just finished a tour with At The Gates and Municipal Waste which was a blast. We're stepping into the studio this month.

Do you consider yourselves a hardcode band a thrash band or something inbetween?

Hardcore, thrash, crossover, I don't care.

It's just hard, aggressive music that pulls influence from wherever we find it.

Are we likely to hear a follow up to last year’s “Kill Grid” anytime soon or will the band be more focused on touring for the foreseeable future?

Both. We're recording now, I'm not sure when the record will be out but I'll assume spring next year. Regardless, we'll be touring again at the end of Fall, and probably another around the record.

What is the best thing about being in “Enforced”?

Getting to travel and tour the world with my best friends.

Scene veterans Solitary have been thrashing since 1994 and are just as powerful as ever. The band have just released their Live at Bloodstock record and will soon be recording the follow up to their acclaimed album "The Truth Behind the Lies" the band shared their thoughts on the best live records and the new album.

Having recently released a live album (XXV: live at Bloodstock) what are some of your favourite live records?

I think live albums can be hit and miss there's some that really capture the vibe of a show and others that don't seem to work that well, I'd say that my top three would be Slayer's Decade of Aggression, the opening two songs are just incredible when Hell Awaits kicks in I feel as though I'm back at the NEC in 1990. I really like Testament Live at Eindhoven. They put out the full show a few years ago on CD, I've also got the DVD bootleg of the club show they did the same weekend in 87 l. Metallica’s Live Shit Binge and Purge is superb back in the 80's there was loads of vinyl bootlegs of their shows which were all great but this is the pinnacle as it has all the studio magic to make it sound huge. Anthrax have a number of good live albums and I thought Overkill's live version of Horoscope was a decent as well.

As a band do you have any pre-show rituals before you play a show?

Not really we just tend to warm up before we go on, I try to avoid eating for a couple of hours before we're due to play and I drink a lot of water just so that everything is nice lubricated well vocal wise, which generally means I have to have a few pisses before hand. Gaz seems to spend forever messing with his bass sound but apart from that it's just a case of tuning and getting ready for metal!

Whom do you see as being the next “Big four” in the Thrash scene?

I don't think there will ever be another Big Four, they got christened with that accolade because they took the step from clubs to filling arenas, I can't see anyone else achieving that given the state of the industry today, the fact that Metallica are still one of the biggest bands in the world proves that there's no one to replace them.

The band has been around for over two decades now, in that time have you seen a change in the way Thrash/metal is received by the community?

Worryingly it's nearly three decades, yeah there's been lots of changes when we started Black and Death Metal where the big genres, Thrash had already peaked and wasn't considered acceptable thankfully Machine Head and Fear Factory exploded so we kind of fell under that umbrella in terms of how we sounded. In the early days there was a lot more people watching bands, like all bands we started locally and had a decent following of mates and their mates.

We when we took the plunge to travel and play in other North West towns, on the whole there would be a decent turn outs, but that's not because we were playing, it was just a case that people used to spend a lot more time in the pub!

Things started to get difficult in the late 90's but as we were branching out nationally we sort of expected it to be tough for us, as you only had magazines, fanzines and teletext to promote gigs back then and we were competing with everyone else on that circuit. To be fair we always went down well as we used sneak in some covers (Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth etc) and that used to loosen everyone up.

Post the pandemic everything is really challenging there was a initial frenzy for live music but that seems to have dissipated its probably due to inflation and everything looking very bleak but it's impacting the whole of industry nothing is selling like it used too. The lock downs have changed people's outlooks, but in terms of peoples love of Thrash they are definitely still into the music, although most people have moved from physical products to streaming now which is great for the consumer but not so much for the bands.

What’s next for Solidarity, are there any plans for the next record or tour?

We are writing the follow up to "The Truth Behind the Lies" we're due to start recording towards the end of the year most of music is written we're just in the process of getting to grips with it ready to start pre production with Simon Efemey when he returns from touring with Napalm Death he's doing Front of House for them. We've got some plans for next year but nothing is concrete yet hopefully we'll get to go back to Europe as well as playing some show over here fingers crossed we get invited to a couple of decent festivals as well.

New Orleans sludge metallers Eyehategod exist to shine a light down an alleyway of grime, depression and loneliness, one that we've all been down at some point.

Frontman Mike IX spoke to me about the bands influences and future.

Hi Mike how’s everything at the moment?

Everything is fantastic right now, just finished two, three-week European tours and concluded that with a few gigs on the west coast of Amerikkka and finally ending up at a weekend gathering known as Psychofest. We are on tour right now for a full USA tour with headline gigs now, then culminating with us teaming up with some bizarre combinations. That should be interesting…

Who came up with the name Eyehategod?

You’d have to do some serious investigative research for that answer, but it was basically a guy named Chris who originally did vox for the group in our earliest years. He only did a couple rehearsals, nothing live, but he came up with the name directly before he went mad and we dropped him off at a local psychiatric ward. He’s now a born again Christian and wants nothing to do with the band. All of this is absolutely true. As far as the band name, he had an entire concept of “seeing things you hate and those things are “god” as well as your vices and addictions, which try and control you…”. He had written up a whole blessed manifesto on the concept, but only he knows for sure. At first the band was called THE EyeHateGod, as in THE Pink Floyd.

Who would you say are some of your earliest musical influences?

For me personally I grew up in the early punk scene.., so groups such as Fuck Ups, Germs, Fang, Sick Pleasure, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Screamers, Lewd, Laughing Hyenas, Necros, Black Flag, Crass, Pagans, Poison Idea, Dead Boys, the Fix, Weirdos, Void, Birthday Party etc.., and as a younger boy it was Alice Cooper, the Who, Rolling Stones, early Aerosmith... All forms of music are dear to my soul however… A few of the influences on the band as a whole are St. Vitus, Melvins, Trouble, Son House, Roky Erickson, Bad Brains, Swans, John Lee Hooker, Sabbath and many more. EHG is ultimately inspired by many things besides music: bus fumes, sidewalks, food stamps, cigarettes, old buildings, beaches and mountains…

I understand that during the recording of your last record, you decided to re-record songs and add some new tracks. How do you all decide when an album is finished?

Things change and need to be tweaked. So when it sounds good to us; being the people who made the music, it’s done… I’m pretty sure that’s the same process with most every band who records and releases albums.

Your lyrical process is very visual, oftentimes pulling words for their sounds or aesthetic rather than meaning. Can you elaborate a little more on how you compose your songs from a lyrical point of view?

Yeah I do like the way words look and sound when combined with other words, and I’m really interested in languages and arrangements of letters and forms. At the same time, one of my favourite vocalists is Darby Crash, so as important as words are, sometimes they really don’t matter. I’m not a person who sits down and says “I’m gonna write a song about blah blah (a certain subject), the songs for me all begin with a feeling and things I’ve written before, or on the spot, may fit that feeling.

You’ve also stated that you consider EHG to be more of a live band than an album band. How do you feel that EHG’s music hits differently in an active vs. passive listening experience?

We just love to play live, especially in a small tight punk rock dive bar with sweaty drunk chaos happening all around us. Energy and excitement top the studio by far for me. Recording is fun too, but if we’re comparing the two; broken glass, spilled beer and loud feedback wins every single time.

Have the influences on your lyrics changed from the start of your career till now? What are you drawing from at this stage in your career?

Nothings changed, the world is full of worse people than ever, if that’s possible... Misery, anxiety, mental illness, isolation, knives, cutting, ADHD, relationships, liars, stealing, addiction, shitty humanity, legal problems, thieving lawyers, corrupt cops, asshole rednecks, daily survival….

What relationship do you have with your older music now? do you engage with it the same way that you used to?

We still play old EHG stuff cos people want to hear it, so it’s all good to me…

It’s part of our history, it’d be hard to not engage with it. The songs hold up and are still fun.

Do you have any favourite bands that have emulated that process of evolving their sound like EHG but staying true to their original ethos?

EHG never purposely changed our music in any way, we just evolved naturally and maybe (but I doubt it) “matured”?

We just make EyeHateGod music.

Ramones, AC/DC and Motörhead all did what they wanted despite people wanting them to change.

I am a big fan of your second record “Take as needed for pain” What’s your personal favourite EHG album?

I don’t have a favourite EHG record, from a selfish outlook it’s all good to me.., they are all snapshots in various places of time and all have different personalities and their own high and low points. The song writing and playing got better as time goes on, but each has its own weird

characteristics.

From a tough working class upbringing in the heart of the East End of London, the Cockney Rejects were the embodiment of their environment from football to fighting, boxing to music they were in the thick of it. I recently had a chance to catch up with the band after the release of their latest record "Powergrab".

Having been a band for 40 plus years how do you feel the group has changed since your inception?

Can still 100 percent relate to the early songs. It’s nice to perform newer songs but it’s tough to integrate them into a live set which predominantly features the early stuff.

Being on the road for so long I'm sure you have some interesting stories. Is there a moment that’s happened whilst touring that stands out for you?

There’s been so many that it’s hard to single out any one memory!

The band was signed to EMI after just four gigs.

They must have been an incredible time for you.

How did you cope with the attention and expectations that went along with that?

At the time we didn’t bat an eye lid at getting lots of attention, we welcomed it and coped with it like water off a ducks back. Looking back at the situation now it probably was a case of too much too soon.

You played Rebellion festival not to long ago. How was the show? The festival has a great community around it. What would you attribute that to?

Rebellion was great, think the great community around it is vastly helped by the many fans from around the world who attend. It’s a fantastic mixture of so many different nationalities.

If given the option of a number one album or West ham winning the Premier league.

Which are you going for?

A number one album for sure ! !

There has been alot of positive feedback online regarding your new single "Same ol same ol" how do you find inspiration to continue making music at the consistent level that you do?

I think inspiration comes and goes at this stage of our career. Was great to make a new album during lockdown times. I’m my opinion it’s best to record when your really up for it and not to just push out albums for business sake.

Lastly guys, is punk dead or just standing at the back?

Very good question! I wouldn’t say it’s dead but so many of the early punk bands ( including us ) are getting very old now. It’s tough for any new band of the genre to get maximum exposure and push through into the mainstream which would help keep it alive and inspire a new generation of young bands to follow. Punk will always be around in some shape or form .

Playing heartfelt anarchistic punk since 1995 The Restarts are one of the country's best examples of a traditional punk band whom practice what they preach and mean every word. Living the DIY ethics at the heart of the punk movement The Restarts are one of today's true punk heroes.

How is the band doing at the moment? I understand you are recovering from some injuries?

Yes we have been blighted with bad luck since covid hit. Our Drummer Jeremy injured his ulnar nerve in his elbow (usually associated with terms like “Golfers” or “Tennis” elbow) It’s a real bugger as it’s the largest exposed nerve in the human body. After two years we are making some headway in that department. To make matters worse I then fell off my bicycle and smashed MY elbow breaking it in April 2022 which set us even further back.

They fracture clinic thought it would heal naturally without a cast but 6 weeks later the broken bone became displaced and then they realised I needed surgery (metal plate and screws). So now with physio I am slowly returning to bass playing. We will be playing our first gig in 2.5 years on Oct 14th at New Cross Inn as part of “Til the Festival”.

Are there any plans to get back on the road once you have healed?

Yes indeed. We have gigs booked (some from 2 years ago) that we are hoping to still honour, recovery permitting. Before Covid we had plans to tour the USA promoting what WAS our New Album Uprising (released Oct 2019 on Pirates Press Records).

So we will endeavour to pick up where we left off, hopefully in 2023.

It’s been a few years now since we have heard any new music from the band is that something you will be addressing soon?

Covid has robbed us of our newest release “Uprising” as now it is 3 years old? We had just started promoting with our Euro Tour (Feb/Mar 2020) and then the world stopped. We are talking about making some videos to re introduce the album, as we put a ton of work into it.

We are also thinking about perhaps a new single release to get back in the current game. The beginning of 2023 we will be re releasing a lot of our old catalogue on vinyl (via Pirates Press). We will keep you updated on our social media.

To me at least, your records seem to be getting heavier with each subsequent release. What do you attribute that to?

I guess we are understanding our process more and getting a bit better at figuring out how to sound and play heavier and with better production. The last two albums we have worked with recording engineer Andy Brook as he understands our sound now which is a huge contributing factor.

A lot has changed in the world since the bands inception in 1995 yet some things (unfortunately ) have stayed the same. Do you still identify with your older material the same way you did when it was recorded?

I think for the most part yes. A lot of the same topics still need addressing but now we are conflicted with the online social media war of opinion. It seems impossible to have political discourse online as it is so rife with distraction and what-about-ism from every angle, that not a lot gets resolved. People get duped into misinformation or end up debating freedom of expression about someone’s divine right to wear a swastika or some other ridiculous shit. Sadly our 2008 song No Escape (from Global Warming) is still a pressing issue.

Lastly, how do you feel about the state of the UK punk scene at the moment? Are there any bands people should be checking out?

I feel it is very healthy and a lot of amazing crews and scenes. Its almost as if the pandemic has made people appreciate live music even more! Crews like TNS (Manchester Pun Festival), Wonk Unit’s Wonkfest in London and Wotsit Called fest folks in Hastings and Til the fest in South London (October 14-16 2022) keep us all untied and give out amazing vibes! Rebellion festival after two years down was a great reunification of loads of folks too.

New bands to check out off the top of my head, Backstreet Abortions (Biff, guitar from Varukers with his wife Jesse on vocals), Cabecas Cortadas (Brazilian style hardcore formed in London 2020).

The punk rock community is one of the most inclusive and excepting group of people you are likely to meet.

What is it that attracts people to this lifestyle?

I think that very title you have outlined is, if anything, a selling point. Inclusivity!

Although I can say the punk scene isn’t without its own problems and has been guilty of falling into “cliques” in the past. I think the scene could be more diverse but we are sometimes bound by our identity which can sometime be ‘off putting’. It ends up being a uniform and if you don’t wear it you are sometimes made to feel unwelcome. I think the punk scene requires a bit more outreach to different groups of people and to collaborate and include different acts.

I am acutely aware of that even though I still partake in the “punk look”. I actually grew a mullet hairstyle during lockdown to specifically look “un punk”. So perhaps that can be the new punk!? Lol, but mostly it makes people laugh which I like, and I feel like I’m taking back the haircut of my aggressors that used to hassle punks back in the 80’s!

Thanks again for the chat!

Thanks for the interview, here’s to onwards and upwards!

Please follow Palestine Action https://www.palestineaction.org/ to support Robin (our guitarist) and 7 others who are on trial for direct action taken against Elbit Systems (Israel’s largest arms company). We will need lots of support on this.

After dealing with significant line-up changes Cobra Spell could have ended their journey but instead band leader and Guitar virtuoso Sonia Anubis continued the group with an even better group of musicians and continue to look towards the future and a new record. She was kind enough the update me on the groups continued march toward world domination.

How would you describe the sound of Cobra Spell?

The sound of COBRA SPELL is 100% inspired by the 80s.

The best decade ever! We base our influences on different rock and metal styles from that time. Such as the hard rock, the heavy and speed metal and the AOR. In a sleazy and glam package.

The band has a great name, how did you come up with it?

I came up with it randomly, to be honest. It doesn’t really have any kind of deep meaning, it just sounded very cool, haha.

What where you musical influences when starting out as musicians and have they changed as times gone on?

My main influences in COBRA SPELL are KISS, W.A.S.P., Whitesnake, Alice Cooper, Dokken, RATT, David Lee Roth, Van Halen and the list goes on! Pretty much 80s hard’n’heavy and AOR bands.

What are you listening to at the moment? Do you stay in the metal genre or are you more eclectic in your music tastes?

I have been listening to a lot of 80s Rock bands, 80s Italo music, 80s Pop/Soul and AOR. On the same note do you have any guilty musical pleasures?

The band has gone through some significant changes since your last release. Do you feel the band has kept its identity or changed into something else with the new line up?

The sound stays the same because the compositions are and always have been in my own hands, and so are the studio recordings, I’ve always composed the instruments and the singing/melody lines myself. So the musical identity of COBRA SPELL does stay the way it is envisioned since the beginning. The image of the band obviously shifts when you have different faces in the band, but the vision and style are still the same.

I don’t believe in that term! I don’t think we need to feel guilty about any kind of music.

Finally, when can fans expect to hear some new music from Cobra Spell?

We recently released a new single titled ‘Flaming Heart’, it has been released along to a very cool music video that is available on YouTube. The track is audible on all streaming platforms. As for an album, we are currently working on it!

Reviews JERRY ONLY – Anti-Hero I must admit I have been quietly looking forward to this, Jerry Onlys debut solo record. Unfortunately I can't help but feel a little disappointed and yet I'm not sure how the record could really be improved. I'm a badge wearing Misfits fan boy so you might have thought I'd be lapping this up. Sadly not the case. It's not a bad record by any stretch but neither is it remarkable either. Much like the often opened tin of pringels, I'll enjoy it whilst listening but once it's over it will quickly leave my mind as I move onto more tasty and memorable treats. A shame.

KANINE - karnage Well well well, this record came out of the ether and punched me in the stomach, sat on my face and queefed the night away. In other, less graphic terminology Kanine’s debut Karnage is gut churningly good. Full of groove and delivered like a pallet of rusty nails and break downs to the face. This record falls somewhere in the deathcore camp with a bucket full of the aforementioned groove to give Kanine a dynamic yet familiar sound that is rounded out with interesting song structures. Great album all round and one if the best I've heard this year.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH- Afterlife Slipping out on release day like a fart in a job interview FFDP's latest record "Afterlife" is out in the wild. Now I understand the general consensus is that FFDP are the band to hate if you are a metalhead much like Nickleback in the early 2000s. I have always had something of a soft spot for the group very much enjoy their first three or four records although have not really heard much from them since then so understand where I'm coming from here. "Afterlife" has some good moments of (admittedly) paint by numbers metal which is fine. Not every band has to sounding Dying Foetus. However many of the lyrics are cringe worthy and have me turning my stereo down lest anyone hear me listening. Overall not the best from the group but one that will likely keep the wheels turning for a few more years.

SLIPKNOT - The End, So Far So I'm one of those people that long for the days of Iowa and the bands self entitled debut to return.

Realistically that time has passed for is and the band. I admit to listening to each new release by slipknot waiting to hear that magic again. This record comes close. DJ Sid Wilson's skills really shine here much like those early days of the band and if I didn't know any better id say Joeys drumming was on point here. Hats of the Jay Weinburg for a truly fantastic performance.

Also I must admit I was sceptical after hearing the first track "Adderall" Slipknot have returned to their roots on "The end, for now" and its great to hear that group make a nod the their past whilst evolving their trademark sound even further. Fingers crossed for a UK tour soon.

POLYPHIA – Remember that you Will Die Even after many repeated listens I have absolutely no idea who this record was made for. To poppy for the majority of metalheads and to niche for the mainstream. The conclusion therefore, must be that RTUWD was created entirely for me. I love this record yet I'd struggle to explain why, which is a shame as its my bloody job. Here goes, the musicianship on display is phenomenal. The way the band creates incredibly complex songs that are catchy and memorable (often) without I vocalist to work as a hook in a track is fantastic. The guests on the record all do their job well and add to the flow of the album greatly. I have heard many people online hating on the group but for me “Remember that you will Die” is probably the most original record I've heard all year. Fight me.

Spiritworld - Deathwestern On "Deathwestern" Spiritworld manage to simultaneously rock like Volbeat, thrash like Slayer and groove like Lamb of God. All this whilst treading their own path. The songwriting on this record is brilliant and a clear improvement over the band last record the great "Pagan Rhythms" this may be the best straight up "Metal" record I've heard all year. There is not a dud track on here and with this record Spiritworld have, in my mind at least, cemented themselves as one of metals finest hopes. Well done boys.

After months of anticipation, line up changes and planning Damnation 2022 is upon us. Though there has been some significant problems along the way on paper this could be one of the best festival line-ups the UK has seen in years. After four and a half hours stuck on a Megabus in Manchester traffic the sight of Bowlers is a welcome one. Regrettably due to the traffic and other logistical nightmares we did not manage to arrive in time to see the opening bands.

We did however catch one of the most anticipated sets of the weekend coming from Aussie natives We lost the Sea.

We lost the sea are an absolute triumph of a band.

Playing some of the best music I've ever heard. The crowd is enthralled from the minute the first note is heard until the last chord rings out. Playing “Departure Songs” in full is a beautiful thing to hear.

Up next are French metallers Celeste. The band are an intense act with some stunning visuals but I struggle to find any memorable hooks or anything that stays with me. Perhaps WLTS have set the bar to high for tonight.

The Night of Salvation was a great prelude of things to come and two pint steins will undoubtedly be the death knell of many a metalhead come tomorrow. The venue looks awesome and the atmosphere is great roll on Damnation!

After shaking off some sticky hangovers Damnation proper begins. Opening the festival Deathcore enthusiasts Distant play well to an early crowd that may still need an hour or two to warm up. The band does their best to get people involved. Hopefully next time we see them will be later in the day!

Next are one of my most anticipated bands, Insanity Alert. If I could describe the preceding set by the band in two words it would be fucking brilliant, but I have a word count to think about so ill elaborate. Insanity Alert are fucking brilliant. They play one of the sets of the festival and keep the crowd smiling from ear to ear during their play time.

As the only Trash/crossover band on the bill they stick out but take full advantage of their time. The bands set consisted of the following: A song about the problems of being a crab, a moshing Pikachu, a bastardised version of Run to the Hills, signs displaying swear words and a frontman that could have a career as a stand-up comedian. It is impossible not to get swept away during all this. More of this next year please (Gav)

A set I have been waiting for since it was announced is Pig Destroyer playing Prowler in the Yard in it entirety. After 3/4 years of waiting PD delivered passionate set which sent the crowd wild. The band perform as a very cohesive unit and drummer Adam Jarvis in particular plays like his drum kit owes him money. The set of the festival.

Next up Full of hell draw a massive crowd. Dylan Walkers ungodly shrieking and growls sound like they are coming from the inside of a abattoir and the rest of the band play like the devils house band on a particularly obscene night in hell.

Over on the third stage Green Lung lay down their Sabbath inspired riffs to a packed crowd.

Unfortunately being severely unfit and several pints down nature and the food vendors were calling to me. Special mention must go to the shear amount of quality merchandise on offer I only wish I'd brought some more money!

Over on the second stage scene veterans Incantation perform their atmosphere death metal with the precision of a sniper. The Old school vibe that the band bring to the festival is very welcome and it seems the other festival goers agree with me as the huge crowd are jammed in up to the rafters to get a glimpse of the band. looking like Max Cavalera's grandfather cosplaying as Gandalf the groups ring leader John McEntee seems to be loving every minute of it.

It's clear that whatever issues and frustration Justin Broadrick has in his life he is taking it out on his guitar. Playing like a man channelling his demons through his instrument only to beat the shit out of them. G.C Green's stage presence is understated compared to Justin but his performance might just be all the more intense for it. There are rumblings of bad sound after the set but where I was stood they sounded brilliant. Godflesh's performance takes us on an industrial tour of the 1990s and is a stark reminder of how good it was.

After a quick refresher I'm once again in the thick of things for the (almost) untouchable Misery Index. The band play metal like a Whirlwind full of Razors blades and anger. The band truly are an awesome force to see live and once again, playing double duty today drummer Adam Jarvis lays the smackdown like a man possessed.

Fantastic set that has made a new fan out of me.

Whilst waiting for Godflesh to perform I caught the eerie sounds of 40 Watt Sun creeping through the halls which admittedly soundly lovely. Still more pressing things are happening.....

Godflesh are playing Streetcleaner in full.

Following Streetcleaner was never going to be easy. At the Gates succeed in dragging us out of our hypnosis and play the brutal classic Slaughter the Soul with arguably more intensity then when it was first recorded way back in 1995. Some of this renewed vigour is likely due to the return of founding guitarist Anders Bjorler who’s return to the fold has rejuvenated this classic line up.

After all that we've witnessed today only one set remains. CONVERGE. The band scream, thrash and head bang their way through Jane Doe and short encore after. The album has so many twists and turns and remains a hardcore classic some 21 years after its recording. Just writing that makes me feel old!

Without a doubt Damnation festival has been a massive success. The organisation has been near perfect, the bands have been fantastic and the crowds have been welcoming and great throughout the day. Genuinely can not wait till next year.

All Damnation photography by Kevin Ashburn Photography

This year I thought it would be fun to include several awards for some special moments throughout the festival. Whilst I have no physical awards if you are the recipient or own a record by them feel free to draw a smiley face on the front cover.

Best set of the day: Pig destroyer Biggest surprise: We lost the Sea Unsung hero: John Entree of Incantation Best moment: Pikachu moshing to Insanity Alert