Live Review : Damnation Festival on November 4th 2023 (Part II)

Damnation 2023 is immaculately curated. This is not random bands thrown into some form of inconsistent order. Real thought and consideration has actually gone into who follows who. The entire day works as some sort of cathartic emotional journey, taking you from spiritual highs to desolate lows.

Directly following the astonishing Julie Christmas with Downfall of Gaia is a genius move. Whilst there are real differences between the acts, they share a common DNA strand of emotional resonance. It seems weird to pin this on black metal, but Downfall of Gaia is music to make you cry. Within the harsh intones of the soaring guitars there is a sorrowful refrain. This is beauty personified. The crashes of gesticulating noise regularly abate to allow a more introspective and considered approach. It's like being part of a collective therapy session. There are moments of wild abandonment then it recedes into quiet thoughtful contemplation. An astonishingly reflective and heart-wrenching performance.

Whilst some are quietly sobbing into their two pinters on the Eyesore Merch Stage, across the way Undeath are unleashing hell. They deal in Death Metal at its most primal and brutal and the entire room has become a cauldron of flailing bodies in perpetual motion. This is a pit that has looked the one that Deadguy produced the other night and gone "hold my two-pinter”. 

The bodies rain down as people clamour to hurl themselves from the stage. This is kinetic violent energy at his absolute purest. Undeath’s version of Death Metal is minimal, but utterly corrosive. They have peeled off anything superfluous, leaving a sound that is uncompromising but also uncluttered. It awakens a primal instinct to beat the shit out of the person next to you and the dancefloor soon resembles some form of dystopian fight club. 

The crowd for Amenra is divided into two distinct camps. Those who have seen them before and are therefore bracing themselves for what is to come and those who have yet to witness them in a live setting and are naïvely standing around unaware of the emotional iceberg just around the corner. Having Amenra on an arena-sized stage allows their insular and claustrophobic spectacle to breathe. The music builds at a glacial rate, slowly but surely ratcheting up the pensive pressure. Because of the scale, the assault on your senses is escalated. The size of the room filters and funnels the cascading intensity as opposed to dissipating it.

It is akin to a sound bath in reverse. Instead of soothing your body, it subjects it to continual undulating aural compression, edging it toward full sensory overload. Amenra are utterly majestic. Each of the six tracks aired slowly builds in velocity. They inch with painstaking intricacy towards some form of conclusion and then they explode in a crescendo of sonic oscillation. It is astonishing, it is battering, and it is unlike any other live music experience.

A second Sigh set is not just understandable but also inventible. With twelve studio albums and counting they have so much darn material to mine from that it would be scandalous to drag them over from Japan and not wring every moment out of their rare appearance. Their Saturday show is a no-repeat feast that ignores “Scorn Defeat” (played in its entirety the night before) and instead skits itself across their mid-period output.

All this means is that we get a much more experimental and avant-garde variant of the band. Dr. Mikannibal’s alto sax is in full effect, and they prove the sumptuous beauty of difficult music. Their assimilation of Japanese folk into their sound and performance is much more evident in this second set. But it isn't all happiness and light, a scathing version of Venom’s classic “Black Metal” proves that they can be jagged and angular when they want to.

A second Deadguy set is an altogether more curious proposition, especially given they only ever released one album and they played all of it the night before. Like yesterday the room is not full but also like yesterday Deadguy prove that this is all about quality rather than quantity and there is a healthy contingent up front who are elated to get a second chance to throw themselves around silly to Pins and Needles and Riot Stairs. 

Yes, most of “Fixation on a Co-worker” makes a reappearance but there are also deep cuts in the shape of ‘Angry Dwarf’, an untitled new track, and a well-received cover of Black Flag’s seminal Police Story. For the vast majority of people present yesterday evening (even those who would class themselves as super fans) it was the first time they have got to see Deadguy, so no one is going to begrudge them an elongated encore 12 hours later.

Talking about repeat bookings, it's time for Katatonia part two. Having dispensed with "Dead End Kings" the previous evening, the bands had taken to social media to ask fans what they wanted to hear for their slight return. From the flurry of replies spotlighting obscure relics from their far-flung back catalogue, it looked like we were going to witness a number of raw outings. However, best-laid plans and all that as the set splutters rather than soars when the backline fails moments into the first track. It is also obvious that they are a member down from the previous evening.

For nearly 15 minutes there is an awful lot of scurrying up and down and fevered whispering on stage. Then, almost unheralded, ‘No Beacon to Illuminate Our Fall’ from this year’s “Sky Void of Stars” makes its live debut. Understated and introverted in its approach, its withering beauty is almost lost in the deafening din of 4000 people still discussing whether they catch Bossk or Rotten Sound next. 

A fevered atmosphere does start to ascend as they march straight into the first of the much anticipated “rarities”. ‘Teargas’ from 2001’s “Last Fair Deal Gone Down” is as far back as they go but it is great to have it back in the gravitational pull of their set list. The show begins to really build momentum as we get ‘Foresaker’ and ‘Nephilim’ from the incredible “Night is the New Day” but then inexplicably (and a good 20 minutes before the set’s allotted conclusion) Jonas declares that ‘Behind the Blood’ is the final track.  Wonderful, because Katatonia are unable to be anything else but, but still cruelly truncated. Bizarrely for a band who have played twice in 24 hours, we are still left very much wanting more.

The much-anticipated Ahab are lost somewhat at sea, meaning that we get a second super sub brought in last minute. Din of Celestial Birds have gone home and are refusing to yet again brave the M62, but luckily for us Bossk are not only still on-site but they have found a friend. 

Yes they play other things and they play them very very well, but their entire set revolves around the incredible moment when Johannes Persson of Cult of Luna joins them on stage for ‘Menhir’. It is incendiary, it is emotional and it is a nuclear fusion of penetrating power. It’s like two careering atoms colliding together in a maelstrom potent force. Johannes once more occupies the very edge of the stage (and some poor guy's shoulders) and screams out into the void. It is one of those moments that will stay with you forever and in an unexpected move Bossk managed to snatch the performance of the festival accolade from their very selves.

If we were to draw up a bingo card of extreme metal subgenres then, up until now, Grindcore would be seen to be inexplicably AWOL. It's good then Rotten Sound are on hand to bring the repugnant noise. Proving that not all Finnish metal has to be of the power variety, they scurry through an incendiary set at what seems to be warp speed. The guitars operate at an incessant frequency that probably results in a fair few pacemakers deciding to give up the ghost. It's noise but it is elemental noise full of hurtling power and formidable force. An astonishingly vibrant set.

Enslaved are back and in the intervening 24 hours they seem to have sculpted three enormous luminous Ruuns. They tower over them like mythical beacons spreading their pagan scriptures into the night. “Below the Lights” might have been stunning but this is the big one. This is an ultra-rare and never seen in the UK rendition of their debut record “Vikingligr Veldi”. As they have embraced their progressive pomp, they have seemingly turned their back on their black metal origins and appearances of tracks from their embryonic existence are a rare occurrence.

Tonight, we rollback 29 years and get the sound of four pissed-off teenagers, disenfranchised by Metal’s lurge towards grunge and Christianity’s neutering of the Nordic identity. What is most surprising though is how evocative and widescreen the songs sound. Black metal is characterised as being down-tuned and insular. This is anything but. The songs soar outwards towards Valhalla, bombastic and anthemic. It is a masterclass in how to stay true to your roots but also present it in a way that showcases the virtuoso musicians that you have become.

The crowd absolutely laps it up and the fists that pump during ‘Norvegr’ makes the whole thing feels like a Queen concert as opposed to a celebration of metal's extremities. Of all the bands pulling double duties this weekend, Enslaved seem to the one that best uses the opportunities. Both their appearances feel incredibly special but also fundamentally different. We are watching two different iterations of the same band and this evening they gleefully revisit their wild teenage identities. A staggering performance. 

On paper there should be little crossover between Maybeshewill and Anaal Nathrakh’s fan bases as they exist in fundamentally different musical enclaves. However, it is testament to the varied tastes of the Damnation faithful that it is this particular clash that provides the biggest headache. In the end majority of people seem to have plumped for the latter, though we at ROCKFLESH decide to make a concerted effort to be in two places at once and start our journey with the former.

Up until now the majority of post-metal/rock on offer has been of the pensive and insular type. Maybeshewill dispense with the sadness and go straight for euphoria. The joy of watching them live is witnessing the five of them combine together to build the most positive and optimistic spires of inter-weaving sound. They create a tapestry of noise that is essentially happiness personified. For all the darkness that protrudes into our everyday life, it is a joy to have something that just feels so exuberant and exhilarating.

Holders of the prestigious honour of being Damnation head honcho Gavin McInally’s favourite band, they are by no means strangers to the festival. This however is their first visit since their 2020 resurrection and they seem rather chuffed to have been invited along. They shout out huge thanks to the organisers synchronously just as the other Damnation mastermind, Paul Farrington scarpers onto the accessibility platform and generously accepts the plaudits.

The resurrected Maybeshewill seem much more comfortable in their own skins than their youthful counterparts. The fact that they now do this for pleasure as opposed to any erudite career path shines through. This is a bunch of mates gleefully enjoying making music together. Their happiness invigorates our happiness and all in all, it is a stunning return to form.

Whilst Maybeshewill are bringing the euphoria, Anaal Nathrakh’s are majoring in the nihilism. For a world that is ever more teetering on the brink of the apocalypse, Anaal Nathrakh provide the perfect soundtrack. The pandemic and Mick Kenney burgeoning career as a rap artist seemed to have put a kibosh on future Anaal Nathrakh activity. However, Dave Hunt is nothing if not a survivor and with Mick’s blessing he has resurrected the band by recruiting most of Voices into his backline.

Tonight, they are absolutely extraordinary. They provide a flurry of pent-up aggression that grabs you by the scruff of the neck and leads you helplessly into the pit. Everything is right about the performance. Dave is at his rebel-rousing best, encouraging the madness to unfurl in front of him. He marshals the relentless body count over the barriers and he jests and banters with the crowd like some returning hero.

The set is all over the shop, mining their 20 years of indignant rage to come up with prime cuts of ferocious outrage power. ‘Do Not Speak’ is exquisite with its screened warning of "If you want a picture of the future, Imagine a boot, stamping on a human face, forever” and ‘Forward’ sees the pit descend into an unfathomable level of hellish bedlam.

Anaal Nathrakh shows have always been about participation but this evening it seems to reach an absolute nadir. The entire floor is a crucible of flailing limbs and bruised bodies. Every now and again a face comes up for air (including the one belonging to the aforementioned Gav McInally) but then they are pulled back into the convulsing chaos. By providing a set of pure pandemonium Nathrakh once again prove that whilst there may be pretenders to their crown, they are sovereign when it comes to unrestrained brutality.

And in the blink of an eye, 12 hours have gone past and we reach the final furlong/curtain. The perceived wisdom in some quarters was that Electric Wizard was a not particularly strong headline choice and that the place would be relatively quiet by the time they finally emerged. The truth is, as ever, we were wrong and Damnation booker, our Gav, was completely and utterly right.

The place is heaving and undoubtedly the largest main stage crowd of the day has been reserved for the headliners. We shouldn't have had any doubts about the quality of the final chapter of the day as Electric Wizard headline events of this size and stature all the time over the continent. They are absolutely astounding and the video footage behind them (tits, black masses and satanic orgies; in that order) creates an evocative atmosphere that mercilessly holds the attention of the crowd. 

They are heavy and pendulous, and the riffs are thrown out with malicious intent. It is a veritable masterclass in how you not only enrapt an audience but also how you invigorate a crowd that has been on their feet for an entire day. Uncompromising but also deliciously accessible, they concentrate on what metal does best, namely gargantuan-sized riffs that shake your very foundation. Unexpectedly wonderful.

Damnation 2023 did something that this veritable festival has never previously managed to achieve. That was to produce an event that had no failings or weak points. We have had astonishing performances aplenty over the last eighteen years but there has always been niggles. There have always been irritations that have stopped the day from being 100% perfect.

This year everything was right. There was not a poor performance and the decision to move the event lock stock and barrel to an industrial estate far outside Manchester city centre actually paid off in absolute spades. The venue very much came of age and suddenly we can all see the vision that Gav and Paul had beheld when they first visited the venue. This was extreme metal in an arena and it worked. It not just worked, it flourished and the thousand tickets sold blind for 2024 addition shows that things are just going to get better.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Electric Wizard, Anaal Nathrakh, Maybeshewill, Enslaved, Rotten Sound, Bossk, Katatonia, Sigh, Deadguy, Amenra, Downfall Of Gaia, Undeath,