We go again. Damnation’s third instalment in its new Mancunian home is mere weeks away. The excruciating labyrinths of Leeds University seems a lifetime ago and we are ready to be plunged back into the euphoria of extreme metal in an arena setting. Gav, Paul and their underlings in many ways have nothing left to prove. They have shown that Damnation can move to much bigger premises but retain its unique atmosphere and allure. But they also have everything to prove as we strive to retain all the gains from last year (which frankly a joy to behold) with an extra 2,000 people in the building. But Damnation is the festival that cares, Damnation is the festival that treats its attendees as consenting adults as opposed to commodities. Let's have faith that this year will be as immaculately curated as it was in 2023 because the bill they have managed to purloin for their 19th edition is simply extraordinary.

The Night of Salvation is now baked in as an essential part of the Damnation experience. Definitely not Damnation night one, it is a separate but intrinsically connected evening of ultra-special sets. The Lou’s Brews (hot sauce proprietor to the stars) stage is an extraordinary list of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Insanity Alert bring party thrash to the people with their own “Moshemian Thrashody” and a track-by-track recreation of SOD’s seminal “Speak English or Die”. Then you’ve got Discharge during most of “Hear nothing See nothing Say nothing”, the crust punk “Sgt Peppers”. Then its Employed to Serve doing the whole of “Conquering” (our 2021 album of the year), The Ocean providing the final ever performance of “Pelagial” and Decapitated doing the entire “The Negation” for the first and last time anywhere. And this is only the booming warmup.

The main event itself is equally astonishing in its parade of musical riches. Dool, Gillian Carter, 200 Stab Wounds and Piljn are all young chancers proving that their particular corners of metal’s vast extreme oceans are full of enticing and interesting morsels. ABAB and Lord Dying will bring the doom, whilst Dragged Into Sunlight and Nails bring the nihilism. AA Williams fills the lunchtime Nordic Giants "you could hear a pin drop” slot, whilst Gatecreeper and Memoriam will remind us just how wonderful life-affirming old school death metal really is.

Every booking is an utter gem, but two appearances promise to up the ante and be simply extraordinary. It is a complete travesty that post-metal geniuses Russian circles have never played before. But Gav and co-have fixed this and we will get the opportunity to stand (or in my case sit) in wonder as their sonic tapestries unfurl in front of us. And then we have The Ruins of Beverast. This is black metal bathed in emotional nuance. Their 2021 album “The Thule Grimoires” was an extraordinary journey into the confines of the soul, it used the malignant turmoil of black metal in order to explore the insecurities of the human condition. The reports of the live experience are simply reverential and has lovers of the more atmospheric side of black metal waiting in heightened anticipation.

We haven't even mentioned the two biggest hitters on the bill. Namely metal core survivors Bleeding Through providing a European exclusive run through of “This is love, This is Murderous”. And then there is a small matter of the enigma that is Cradle of Filth. It is very rare that a band from the extremities of our world becomes a household name, but even my mum has heard of Dani Filth’s outfit. For Christ sake he is best mates with Ed Sheeran. At Damnation they will show us how they ended up in such lofty contours as they go back to basics with a never to be repeated old school set. You don’t want FOMO so I hear there might even be still some tickets left so hurry and join us next month.