Archive for damnation festival

Five new additions announced for Damnation Festival

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , , , on 25th June 2014 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Germanic titans of doom Ahab and Icelandic progressive metal unit Solstafir are amongst the latest names to be added to the tenth edition of Damnation, which already is boasting the likes of Bolt Thrower, Saint Vitus and Cannibal Corpse.

The headline set will be an exclusive UK performance by Ahab and the first the band have played outside London, while Solstafir arrive in for their debut UK festival show in support of their stunning new album Otta.

They will be joined at Leeds University Union on Saturday, November 1, by Welsh heavy-rock trio H A R K, Dutch post-metallers Atlantis and London’s blackened doom three piece Bast. Ahab said:

We’re delighted to celebrate our 10-year anniversary with the only Ahab UK Show 2014 at Damnation Festival. Headlining the doom stage is an honour and a great birthday present for us!

Solstafir revealed they are "stoked" to be part of Damnation’s tenth anniversary show:

We picked Damnation Festival for our debut UK festival performance, after countless offers from other UK festival promoters, so what better way to celebrate Damnation’s 10th anniversary than joining us in Leeds? And you even get to see Bolt Thrower. We’re stoked!

JimBob of H A R K added:

Damnation has to be one the UK’s best festivals, so we’re over the moon to be added to such a great lineup. We’ve been taking Crystalline out all across Europe since its release, and can’t wait to show the amazing Damnation crowd what we’ve got. This will be a great day.

And Glison Hetinga of Atlantis said:

Playing Damnation Festival is something that we as a band always wanted to do. So being invited for this year’s edition is an great honour.

Bast are also looking forward to playing Leeds for the first time. The band said:

As patrons and fans of Damnation in previous years, it’s with particular honour and excitement that our inaugural performance in Leeds be at the festival’s 10th anniversary – being part of a line-up that’s already promising to be one of the most memorable in recent times.

With ticket sales going at a rate not witnessed since 2008, Damnation Festival’s tenth anniversary promises to be an event to remember. Tickets for Damnation Festival are priced £36 and on sale NOW from Damnation’s official website and Facebook page and Leeds Tickets.

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Cannibal Corpse confirmed for Damnation 2014

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , on 1st April 2014 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

America’s most vulgar death metal band Cannibal Corpse have been confirmed as the Terrorizer stage headliners at this year’s Damnation Festival on 1st November at Leeds University Union. They will be joining the likes of Bolt Thrower, Saint Vitus and Raging Speedhorn for what is looking to be the heaviest and most extreme line-up in Damnation’s ten year history. This will also be the first time the band play Damnation Festival. The band comments:

We’ve been hearing about the Damnation festival from our fans for a while now, so we’re really excited we’re going to get the chance to play it this year. It’s clearly a killer festival and we’re stoked to be a part of it. See you all this fall!

Terrorizer publisher Miranda Yardley is also delighted to see death metal royalty top the stage the magazine has endorsed for the past decade. She added:

Terrorizer is thrilled to be supporting Damnation Festival for the tenth year, and to host a stage headlined by Cannibal Corpse truly is an honour.

Tickets are available for the low price of £36 from this location.

Cannibal Corpse online:

http://cannibalcorpse.net
http://facebook.com/cannibalcorpse

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Doom legends Saint Vitus confirmed to celebrate 35th anniversary at Damnation

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , , on 27th March 2014 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

This year, 1st November will be a very special date as it’s the 10th anniversary of the UK’s darkest festival Damnation which brings us onto the second reason why it will be such a special date. The legendary doom metallers Saint Vitus have been confirmed to not only celebrate their 35th anniversay at Damnation Festival in Leeds, but they’ll also be playing their entire album Born Too Late in full.

The Los Angeles-based doom quartet will air the seminal album with other classic tracks on the Jagermeister stage at Leeds University on 1st November, later this year. Saint Vitus join headliners Bolt Thrower and the recently reformed sludge unit Raging Speedhorn on the bill with another 24 bands to be confirmed across four differing stages. Saint Vitus’ guitarist Dave Chandler said:

We are very excited to be performing at the Damnation Festival for the first time and it’s even cooler because we are doing it on our 35th Anniversary tour. Two very kick ass things.

Festival director Gavin McInally added:

Saint Vitus playing Born Too Late, Bolt Thrower playing their only UK show, Raging Speedhorn back with the original singers to play tracks from their two best albums and record ticket sales with only a fraction of the bill announced… To say our 10th birthday bash preparations are coming along nicely would be a massive understatement!

And with one of the planet’s biggest death metal bands and another 23 acts to announce, I think it’s safe to say that Damnation Festival 2014 will not only be the best line-up of the year, but overshadow our previous efforts too.

With the continued support of the fans, we’re going to sell this year out and mark our tenth Damnation in style.

Tickets are available from the following locations for a mere £36 which is an absolute bargain:

http://damnationfestival.co.uk
http://facebook.com/damnationfestival
http://leedstickets.com

Saint Vitus online:

http://saintvitusband.com
http://facebook.com/saintvitusofficial

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Bolt Thrower confirmed for one-off 2014 UK show at Damnation Festival

Posted in News with tags , , , , on 4th February 2014 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Death metal titans Bolt Thrower have been confirmed for their only show of 2014 at Damnation Festival. The Coventry quintet, who haven’t performed on home soil since selling out London’s Forum in 2012, will play the Leeds event on Saturday 1st November, in their only UK appearance for the “foreseeable future”.

The one-off UK show also marks the first time that Bolt Thrower appear at a UK festival, making it one of many highlights at Damnation’s 10 Year Anniversary. At least another 26 bands will be added to the line-up. Vocalist Karl Willetts said

Well, we always knew if we were ever going to play a festival in the UK, it would be Damnation Festival; as we’ve only heard good things about it from mates who’ve been, and other bands who’ve played it.

So we’re chuffed our only UK show of 2014 – and the foreseeable future – will be Damnation’s 10th Anniversary Bash… Grind on.

Damnation Festival director Gavin McInally added:

In 2005 we asked Bolt Thrower to play Damnation Festival and there hasn’t been a year that’s passed since that we haven’t sent a hopeful enquiry their way so it’s with massive relief and delight that we’re able to announce our absolute first-choice headliner for Damnation Festival. The band are by far and away the most requested group for Damnation Festival so there could not be a more fitting start to out 10th anniversary preparations than to have Bolt Thrower topping the bill.

Tickets for Damnation 2014 are now on sale for the low price of £36 and can be purchased from this location.

Bolt Thrower online:

http://boltthrower.com/

 

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Damnation 2013: Bands you must see!

Posted in Editorial/Opinionated, Featured with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 11th October 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

The days are counting down until Damnation Festival once again lays waste to the city of Leeds with a truly heavy, dark and spectacular line-up. Here’s our list of bands you must go see at this year’s Damnation…

Rotting Christ

Chosen by Iza Raittila.

For those who are fed up with all the gimmicks present in today’s black and death metal scenes, be sure to check out Rotting Christ at this year’s Damnation Festival. These guys prove once and for all that there’s really no need for corpse-paint or fancy, “evil” looking stage-props to put on a great show. They rely solely on their energy and skills as musicians to win over the crowds. You won’t be disappointed.

Carcass

Chosen by Alex Cook.

The legendary Carcass are due to headline this year’s Damnation festival and I have heard from many people that they are the ONLY band that they are bothered about seeing. This in many ways is a shame, but such is the power of a band that so many metal fans grew up listening to. Carcass are easily one of the more accessibly Death metal bands, although suitably graphic in their lyrics, their real strength lies in the accessibility of their riffs and the urge they produce in us to bang our heads with complete abandon. I was listening to my copy of Heartwork recently (on cassette no less) and was struck by the fact that despite it being 10 years old, it still sounds fresh and heavy without being over-bearing. It is an album that leaves on imprint on your musical memory, so that when anyone mentions the band or you hear a snippet of No Love Lost, Embodiment or Doctrinal Expletives to name but a few, you are reminded why you first fell in love with the genre in the first place. That, and Carcass’s new album Surgical Steel is something of a quiet masterpiece. Unpretentious and all-encompassing, it delivers on everything we expect from Carcass which is solid, accessible and memorable material. If you’re still not sure about the merits of Carcass, let them entertain you at Damnation festival. I am certain that even if you just stick your head around the door, you will be enchanted and undoubtedly end up in the pit that ensues whenever Carcass play live.

God Seed

Chosen by Hannah O’Flanagan.

If you’re asking me why you should go and see God Seed, I’ll ask you why you’re attending Damnation at all. Made from the fall out of the Gorgoroth name dispute saga, God Seed is Gaahl and King ov Hell‘s new project that delivers insanely atmospheric black metal as only Gaahl and KoH can. They’ve triumphantly appeared at Wacken and supported Cradle of Filth on their Manticore tour, and I can guarantee the experience of watching God Seed perform will be like no other. Their 2012 debut I Begin is a good place to start if you still don’t believe me. But stand before the infernal glory of God Seed and I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Vallenfyre

Chosen by Alex Cook.

Vallenfyre are also a band to look out for at Damnation. They are something of a super-group for those whose hearts belong to early 90’s Doom and Death metal, and they do not disappoint. Featuring Gregor Mackintosh from Paradise Lost, Hamish Glencross from My Dying Bride and Adrian Erlandsson of At the Gates, you get the impression from their releases that it is just a bit of fun and that the members are stretching their wings and proving they have a capacity for a genre separate from how they have made their names. Their album A Fragile King’is engrossing and infectious and just pure, crushing, dirty death metal. Tracks such as Desecration, Cathedrals of Dread and A Thousand Martyrs reek of the infamous Boss HM2 pedal which makes any Entombed fan salivate at the mouth and it is used to spectacular effect. Expect nothing but great things if you catch them at Damnation and be sure to pick up a copy of A Fragile King beforehand so your appetite for the old school is suitably whetted.

Dyscarnate

Chosen by Nico Davidson.

No Damnation line-up would be complete without a slab of face-crushing, ear-splitting death metal and that’s exactly what Dyscarnate offer. Be it recorded or live, Dyscarnate‘s crushing use of riffs will utterly abuse you and leaving you begging for more like a glutton for punishment. Having already devastated venues across the UK and toured with bands like Fleshgod Apocalypse and most recently Psycroptic and Hour Of Penance, Dyscarnate are at the front of the UK’s death metal and represent everything good about it!

Katatonia

Chosen by Lauren Gowdy.

Although their songs aren’t as fast as a majority of the bands playing Damnation Festival, Katatonia is one band that everyone should check out. Their playing is heavy and slow but filled with so much emotion that it literally will suck you into their set. Not to mention that their stage presence is captivating, and you may either find yourself headbanging slowly along with the riffs or just standing and observing the sheer awesomeness of their set. Anyone who is a fan of Opeth should definitely check out Katatonia because both bands are very similar only difference being that Katatonia does not have as many heavy songs as Opeth. They will be worth sticking around to see towards the end of the day, and I guarantee you will remember their set!

Iron Witch

Chosen by Nico Davidson.

Liverpudlian doom noise mongers Iron Witch are definitely one to keep an eye out for at Damnation this year. Straying from the classic doom sound, the Scouser quintet incorporate hardcore punk vibes and gritty riffs with their doomesque connoction that has helped put themselves on a map. Being relatively young compared to the vast majority of the Damnation line-up and other bands on the British doom scene, Iron Witch have had their fair share of success and I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t reach the same level as Liverpudlian doom overlords Anathema.

Twilight Of The Gods

Chosen by Ian Foster.

One of the many band who will be appearing at the Damnation Festival 2013 are Twilight Of The Gods, a five piece band who were initially formed with the intent of paying tribute to the legendary Bathory and writing music inspired by them. The band have just released their debut album Fire On The Mountain. The band includes members of Primordial, Lock Up, Einherjer, Thyrfing and Aura Noir so there’s some real pedigree involved here and there’s far more than Bathory worship going on. You can definitely hear a lot of influence from the classic metal bands on the Fire On The Mountain album, but after all it’s what the band set out to do. Definitely a band for fans of old school heavy metal to check out at the festival.

[Editor’s note: If you didn’t see Primordial at last year’s Damnation, TOTG are the next best thing]

Damnation Festival will take palce on 2nd November at Leeds University Union. Tickets are available from this location.

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Five reasons why you must go to Damnation 2013!

Posted in Editorial/Opinionated with tags , , , , , , , , , , on 3rd October 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

It’s under a month now until 2013’s edition of the UK’s darkest festival Damnation tears Leeds a new one, so Valkyrian Music editor and general Yorkshire patriot Nico Davidson has listed five reasons why you must attend Damnation 2013.

5. Yorkshire!

As you already know, Damnation is hosted in Leeds, West Yorkshire which is another reason that Yorkshire is the best county in all of the UK and of course, Yorkshire has contributed a bit to the history of metal, which pioneering bands such as My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost hailing from Yorkshire, as well as NWOBHM Saxon. Throw in Damnation into the mix and Yorkshire is definitely one of the most metal places in the UK.

If you’re unsure why Yorkshire is great or metal as fuck, then you’re probably a Lancastrian.

4. Value For Money

Given the epic line-up that is gracing this year’s Damnation, which festival director Gavin McInally described as “the best line-up so far”, the event offers a damn lot more for your money than a lot of UK events – Especially at £34 a ticket!

3. The Fourth Stage

So, unless you’ve been living in a hole or under a rock in the middle of Lancashire, you’ll be aware that this year, Damnation has added a fourth stage, which will be a blasphemous temple dedicated to doom and sludge, which means more kick ass bands to go see. Or less bands if doom and sludge aren’t your cup of tea, but they’re mostly likely are.

2. Probably The Heaviest Festival In The UK

Yeah, I said it. Damnation is probably the heaviest festival in the UK, as well as being the darkest. Anyone who’s ever been to Damnation before knows exactly what to expect but if a Damnation virgin and love your music heavy and dark, then this year’s edition is not one to miss! Plus, with it being held in Yorkshire, what more could you ask for… Aside from…

1. Carcass!

So, Carcass recently released their new album, Surgical Steel via Nuclear Blast. So, that means there’ll be a lot of new material as classic tunes that they’ll be blasting out as they lay unholy waste to the Jagermeister stage this year. Of course, if Carcass aren’t your thing then there’s other bands you can get hyped up about, but we’ll discuss that in another article.

Damnation Festival will take place on 2nd November at Leeds University Union. Tickets are priced at the low price of £34 and are available at this location.

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Final bands announced for Damnation 2013

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , on 25th September 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Doom and sludge lords Conan, Black Magician and Iron Witch are just three of the final lot of bands announced for this year’s Damnation Festival and are cast of the newly added fourth stage. The Liverpudlian trio cement the newly added doom worshiping stage with the likes of Moss, Mourning Beloveth, Slabdragger and Palehorse in the bunker-like venue which is aptly named Mine.

Death metallers Dyscarnate and Diamanthian complete the extreme orientated Terrorizer stage, with Rotting Christ, Voices, Vallenfyre, Negura Bunget and The Afternoon Gentlemen. These lot will no doubt test the integrity and structure of the Riley Smith Hall where as Polish post-rockers Tides From Nebula add the finishing touches to the eclectic Eyesore Merch stage which will also be graced by the legendary Cult Of Luna, as well as Crippled Black Phoenix, The Ocean, Rosetta, Year of No Light and finally Dirge.

Of course, Damnation wouldn’t be complete without its premier Jagermeister Stage that boasts as its headliners Carcass, with the likes of Katatonia, Twilight Of The Gods, God Seed, Shining and SSS. Festival director Gavin McInally said:

Not only is this by far the best line-up we’ve ever put on, but it is also the most pleasing as we’ve been able to add a fourth stage with the support of fans who’ve bought so many tickets so early in the year while reducing the number of our much-hated clashes too.

If doom, sludge and post-metal is your thing, you’ll be able to watch every band from Iron Witch to Cult of Luna without wandering more than 20 yards while fans more interested in the Terrorizer and Jager stages will be able to catch the likes of Shining, Negura Bunget, God Seed, Vallenfyre, Katatonia, Rotting Christ and Carcass in one relentless day of music.

At just £34 a ticket, we believe this line-up deserves a ‘Sold Out’ plaster across it and with five weeks of sales to go, that’s our target, so please keep up the support.

Damnation will take place on 2nd November at Leeds University Union. Tickets are available for £34 from LeedsTickets, the official Damnation website or the official Damnation Festival Facebook page.

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Seven new bands announced for Damnation 2013 plus additional fourth stage

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , , on 23rd August 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Greek extreme metal tyrants Rotting Christ and Yankee post-metallers Rosetta will head the seven new additions for this year’s Damnation Festival. Joining them are two servings sludge and doom in the form of Palehorse and Slabdagger who join hail from the south of England.

Fifth on the list are French maestros of all things progressive; Dirge. Local grind merchants The Afternoon Gentleman are sixth on the list and making one of their live appearances, featuring the likes of Primordial‘s Alan Averill, Aura Noir‘s Rune Erikson, Lock Up‘s drummer Nick Barker, Einherjer‘s Frode Glesnes and Patrick Lindgren from Thyrfing, will be Twilight Of The Gods.

These seven will join the likes of quality metal acts such as Carcass, Cult Of Luna, God Seed, Vallenfyre, The Ocean and Crippled Black Phoenix who are all ready to lay waste to Leeds University Union on 2nd November. Rotting Christ‘s vocalist Sakis Tolis commented on Rotting Christ‘s return to the event since their last appearance in 2009:

Our damned souls could not find a better and suitable shelter than Damnation Festival.

Let’s make the hell metal brothers and sisters.

With their pending appearance, Alan Averill stated:

I had a great show at Damnation with Primordial last year, and this year Twilight of the Gods arrives to bring Leeds some true epic heavy metal. Our album will be out in September so it’s perfect timing for our first set of original songs in the UK. We promise you blood and heavy metal thunder.

The guys from Palehorse added:

We’re really pleased to have been asked to play with such an impressive array of quality bands.

Thanks to everyone at Damnation for choosing us in the ‘odd ones out’ category.

Damnation are also delighted to confirm the addition of a fourth stage, which will consist purely of doom and sludge. Festival Director Gavin McInally said:

The support we have been shown by the fans over the year, and in particular over the last month since we mooted the idea of a fourth stage, has been phenomenal. They have put us in a great position for this year’s event and afforded us the opportunity to grow to our biggest event yet. With our newly proposed timetable, fans will be able to see more bands in a day than at any other year.

Tickets for Damnation Festival 2013 are on sale now, priced £34, available from Leeds Tickets, the official Damnation Festival website or Damnation’s official Facebook page.

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Carcass post Part 1 of Track-By-Track Videos

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , , on 21st August 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

British extreme legends Carcass have made their first track-by-track video available, which breaks down every song on their upcoming album Surgical Steel. You can watch guitarist Bill Steer and drummer Dan Wilding, below, explain the songwriting process for songs like 1985, Thrasher’s Abattoir, Cadaver Pouch Conveyor System and A Congealed Clot Of Blood down below.

Surgical Steel is scheduled for release on 16th September in the UK via Nuclear Blast, 17th September in North America and 13th September in the rest of Europe. Surgical Steel is Carcass‘s first release since the release of Swansong in 1996, almost 20 years ago.

Carcass are also headlining the main stage at this year’s Damnation Festival in Leeds on 2nd November. Tickets are available from this location.

Carcass online:

http://facebook.com/OfficialCarcass

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Six new additions announced for Damnation Festival

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , on 25th July 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Swedish doom lords Katatonia and Norwegian black-metal masters God Seed are the latest international acts to be added to Damnation Festival.

German progressive collective The Ocean, French post-metal standard bearers Year Of No Light, Norwegian avant-garde jazz quartet Shining (not to be confused with Niklas Kvarforth’s Shining) and Irish doom titans Mourning Beloveth will also bolster the stunning bill which will be unleashed on Leeds University Union on Saturday 2nd November.

The six additions compliment an extreme and eclectic line-up which already boast Carcass, Cult of Luna, Crippled Black Phoenix, Vallenfyre, Negura Bunget, SSS, Moss and Voices with at least nine more bands to be announced. Gorgoroth re-incarnation God Seed will play Damnation Festival as an exclusive UK show. Katatonia will play 2003’s classic Viva Emptiness in its entirety.  Anders Nystrom, said:

Since it looks like November will bring us Damnation, we’re absolutely certain there’ll be some Swedish export of atmospheric dark metal coming your way with it!

We couldn’t be more psyched to celebrate our Viva Emptiness album anniversary at a festival we never got to play before. So Leeds, join us and be damned!

Brendan from Mourning Beloveth said:

We are delighted to be asked to play a small part in the metal institution that is Damnation Fest. Our recent visits to the shores of the U.K. have unfortunately been limited to stages in the capital. We would like to thank Damnation Fest for giving us the opportunity to at last rectify this grave and indefensible injustice. You guys bring the ale, and we’ll bring the Doom.

Damnation Festival could also become a four-stage event this year, reducing clashes and allowing the return of the much-missed Deathfest stage… with fans’ backing. Organiser Gavin McInally explained:

A change to licensing laws at Leeds University Union has opened up the possibility for us to use the fantastic Riley Smith Hall as a venue which fans can enjoy a pint in, but it comes with a catch.

The festival’s capacity would be pushed above the 4,000 mark and although ticket sales are better right now than at the same point 12 months ago, the venue management, somewhat understandably, don’t want to hand over their entire building, including terracing and bars to Damnation unless there’s a guarantee the numbers will justify it.

This is not a sales pitch, if you don’t believe the confirmed line-up so far doesn’t merit your £34 then don’t buy a ticket BUT if you are fully intending to be at Damnation Festival this year then booking your ticket now will help us land that fourth stage.

And if we do, Carcass and Cult of Luna will not clash for a single minute, the Terrorizer Stage will be reminiscent of our Deathfest event with death and grind from morning until night, a fourth stage will worship doom all day long and we’ll book DJs to perform in the terrace area which has been missing at Damnation since 2008.

Tickets for Damnation Festival 2013 are on sale now, priced £34, available from:Leeds Tickets , the official Damnation Festival website at or the official Damnation Facebook.

 

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Cult of Luna, SSS and Voices added to Damnation 2013, The Sontaran Experiment no longer playing Damnation

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , on 29th May 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Sweden’s masters of post-metal Cult of Luna have promised what they can only describe as a crushing wall of sound and light after being confirmed to headline a stage at Damnation Festival 2013.

They will be joined at the ninth instalment of the UK’s finest day of metal, hosted at Leeds University Union, on Saturday, November 2nd, by Liverpool’s crossover thrashers SSS and London’s black metal quartet Voices.

The trio bolster an eclectic bill which already includes the legendary Carcass, Crippled Black Phoenix and Moss as well as exclusive UK shows by Negura Bunget and Vallenfyre. Cult of Luna said:

Cult of Luna return to the UK after a sell out show at London’s Garage in January. The band will fly in for a standalone performance as they continue promoting the Fritz Lang Metropolis inspired Vertikal, their first album in over 5 years. Expect a heavy, crushing and richly textured wall of sound and light to bring Damnation to a close in spectacular fashion.

SSS front man Foxy is looking forward to taking the Jagermeister Stage for a full thrash assault. He said:

It’s a great honour to be asked back to Damnation Festival. We have a block of new noise to from our forthcoming LP to let loose on the unsuspecting. Take a deep breath… once we start we don’t stop!

And Sam Loynes of Voices added:

We shall be bringing our exhibition of obsession to this year’s Damnation Festival, alongside some truly exceptional bands. We plan to deliver only the most vividly extreme of music for this opportunity we have been offered. It’s an honour to play the UK’s leading extreme music festival.

After announcing their spilt, The Sontaran Experiment will no longer play the festival.

Tickets for Damnation Festival 2013 are on sale now, priced £34, available from: Leeds Tickets , the official Damnation Festival website at this location or the official Damnation Facebook page.

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Five new additions for Damnation Festival

Posted in Featured, News with tags , , , , , , , , on 27th March 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

The UK’s darkest festival, Damnation, will proudly host two rare live outings this year, as extreme metal ‘supergroup’ Vallenfyre and experimental rock ensemble Crippled Black Phoenix perform at the event.

They will be joined in Leeds University Union on Saturday, November 2nd, by Romanian progressive black metallers Negura Bunget, English doom trio Moss and the sonic assault of Paul Catten’s The Sontaran Experiment (Anyone else seeing the Doctor Who reference?).

Vallenfyre – featuring members of Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and At The Gates – will play their only UK show of 2013 at Damnation Festival, which will also be their first appearance outside London. Founding member and vocalist Greg Mackintosh said: “Since our first UK show last year at Boltfest, we have been looking to follow it up with a northern show. Being asked to play Damnation Festival provides us with the perfect opportunity. We are looking forward to spreading some filth and meeting up with some old compadres.”

Negura Bunget will also be playing the festival as an exclusive date. Drummer Negru said: “Damnation is going to be our one and only UK concert in 2013 so we will definitely make it count! Be prepared for a very special Negura Bunget performance, with one of a kind exclusive previews.” And doom laden Moss also promised to make a lasting impression, as the band said: “It’s been over 10 years since we last played in the north, in a squat in Manchester in front of eight people. So we look forward to finally bringing our doom and gloom back to the northern wastes at Damnation. You are in for a fucking horrible night.”

Tickets for Damnation Festival 2013 are on sale now and will be held at last year’s price of £32 until this Sunday, March 31st. The full Damnation line-up is as follows: Carcass – Vallenfyre – Crippled Black Phoenix – Negura Bunget – Moss – The Sontaran Experiment.

To buy tickets, visit Leeds Tickets , the official Damnation Festival website at this location or the official Damnation Facebook.

 

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Carcass announced as Damnation Main Stage headliner

Posted in News with tags , , , , , on 14th January 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

England’s extreme metal legends Carcass will return to headline the ninth Damnation Festival for their only UK appearance following the release of their first album in 17 years.

The death and grind standard bearers have promised another historic set which will feature cult classics alongside unexpected old gems and brand new material when they take the stage at Leeds University Union on Saturday, November 2nd of this year.

And after helping to sell out Damnation Festival in advance back in 2008, guitarist Bill Steer is looking forward to performing to a packed house on their return to the event. He said: “We’re very excited about the prospect of returning to Damnation Festival this year. Our appearance there in 2008 was a major highlight for us and this time around, people can expect to hear a fairly different Carcass set. The old favourites will be in there, of course, but we’re also planning to play a couple of the less obvious tracks from our past, as well as songs from the album we’ve just completed. Join us!”

With 22 more bands to be announced across three stages, festival director Gavin McInally, said fans can look forward to the melting pot of diverse styles of music Damnation Festival is known for from black metal to post-rock. He added: “It was a coup to land the first UK Carcass show in 13 years in 2008 when fans snapped up every ticket going before we made it to the day itself and it’s another coup having the band return following the release of their first new album in 17 years. But even with the mighty Carcass topping the bill, we won’t be satisfied until we’ve pieced together a more challenging and brilliant day of music than the eight successful years we’ve already had the pleasure of hosting, so expect a lot more to come from 2013.”

Tickets for Damnation Festival 2013 are on sale now and will be held at last year’s price of £32 for a limited period. So get your bank cards at the ready as tickets will no doubt be selling fast.

To buy tickets, visit this location, the official Damnation Festival website at this location or the official Damnation Facebook.

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Belphegor only UK show at Damnation

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , on 16th July 2012 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Austrian death metal outfit Belphegor have been confirmed to play their only UK show at Damnation Festival later this year. The band will be playing the Terrorizer Stage.

Belphegor’s Helmuth said: “We are looking forward to shredding the mighty land of NWOBHM, again. It’s always a pleasure and an intense ritualistic raid experience to bring our chaos sound to the UK. Hail Damnation! Hail Death!”

Joining Belphegor on the Terrorizer Stage, as announced today by Damnation Festival, will be crust punk pioneers Extreme Noise Terror and British black metal unit Wodensthrone.

Wodensthrone guitarist/vocalist Rædwalh said: “Wodensthrone are very pleased to have been invited to play Damnation Festival; an event that we have seen grow from its inception in Manchester to one of the UK’s premier metal events. I fondly remember the early incarnations of the festival, so to see it grow to its current status is very encouraging. The already-confirmed lineup is extremely promising and for ourselves to be included in it is a humbling testament to this band’s perseverance. With our second album, Curse, now out on Candlelight Records, we are proudly raising the banner of UK Black Metal in 2012 and to be able to cap off a busy year with a Damnation appearance is an honour. Wæs thu hæl!”

And completing Damnation’s announcement, progressive hardcore band Devil Sold His Soul will be hitting up the Jagermeister Stage with a new album to show case.

Devil Sold His Soul added: “We last played Damnation Festival back in 2008. It was hot, sweaty, loud and heavy and we loved every minute of it. We always enjoy playing in Leeds and the line-up this year looks incredible. We’ll have a new album out by then and can’t wait to play these new longs live – Bring it on Damnation.”

Announced so far for Damnation Festival 2012 is: Electric Wizard, My Dying Bride, Pig Destroyer, Belphegor, Primordial, Extreme Noise Terror, Textures, Devil Sold His Soul, Aura Noir, Gama Bomb, 40 Watt Sun and Wodensthrone.

Tickets priced £32 are available from http://www.leedstickets.com/ and via the official Damnation Festival site and Facebook through Ticketscript: http://www.damnationfestival.co.uk/tickets and at Crash and Jumbo store in Leeds.

For more information visit the official Damnation Festival sites:

Web – damnationfestival.co.uk
Facebook – facebook.com/damnationfestival
Twitter – twitter.com/damnationfest

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Damnation line-up receives new additions

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , on 2nd July 2012 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

DM12_ano4a_500Metal Blade’s Irish pagan metal titans Primordial will return to UK soil for an exclusive appearance at Damnation Festival.

They will be joined at the three-stage behemoth metal festival in Leeds by the much anticipated return of Boskk and Dutch tech purveyors Textures.

The latest additions bolster a bill which already boasts the likes of Electric Wizard, My Dying Bride, Pig Destroyer, Aura Noir, Gama Bomb and 40 Watt Sun for the eighth annual event, taking place at Leeds University Union on Saturday, November 3rd 2012.

Commenting on their return to England, Primordial vocalist Alan Averill said: “Finally we are confirmed for Damnation Festival this year. After several years in the wilderness and not playing in the UK it really feels over the last few years we have reconnected with playing in the UK. This is the place we cut our teeth after all, way back in the mists of time. It feels like payback. See you all at Damnation!”

Textures‘ Jochem Jacobs added: “We are really excited to play at Damnation Festival – and since it’s not open air the roof will come down with a million tons of metal!”

And post-sludge stalwarts Bossk are looking forward to riff-filled day of Damnation. The band said: “All of us are very excited to be part of this years Damnation Festival! It’s been a long time since we played in Leeds, and this will be the first time we play there since reforming. We are gonna rent more lights, bring more smoke, and more riffs for this show. It will be the first time we play the new track Pick Up Artist live. Watch Electric Wizard and follow the smoke to the riff filled land.”

Tickets priced at just £32 are available from http://www.leedstickets.com and via the official Damnation Festival site and Facebook through Ticketscript: http://www.damnationfestival.co.uk/tickets and at the Crash and Jumbo store in Leeds.

For more information visit the official Damnation Festival sites:
Web – damnationfestival.co.uk
Facebook – facebook.com/damnationfestival
Twitter – twitter.com/damnationfest

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Damnation Festival 2011 [Live Review]

Posted in Festival, Live with tags , on 8th December 2011 by vmteam

Bands: Cerebral Bore, Xerath, Devin Townsend & more
Location: Leeds University
Date: 5th November 2011

For the uninitiated, Damnation Festival has built a reputation in recent years as being one of the finest events showcasing underground music that the UK has to offer. The festival boasts a great deal of variety, offering everything from extreme metal to post-rock and everything in between.

Upon arrival at the venue, there was some initial confusion as to where the stages were. The Terrorizer and Jagermeister stages were running late, and to add insult to injury one of the most anticipated bands of the day, CEREBRAL BORE, turned up minus their vocalist. The band still managed to pull off a tight set, however, proving how musically talented the band is.

More than making up for the festival’s false start, the mighty XERATH took to the Jagermeister stage to a decent-sized crowd, and proved that they are indeed one of the finest extreme metal bands to come out of the UK. Their unique brand of symphonic death metal suited the large venue, and their incredibly tight riffs won the crowd over.

Next up on the Terrorizer stage were one of the most unique metal bands around – Norway’s  SHINING. Opening with their wonderfully insane ‘Madness and the Damage Done’ from their album ‘Blackjazz’, their unique combination of black metal and jazz completely decimated the brains of everyone present. The energetic cutting guitars combined with the absolutely crazy saxophone and keyboard playing ensured that everyone left with their faces melted!

After a long wait for gear to be changed back over on the main stage, it was finally time for the folk metal legends TURISAS. Despite initially appearing to be out of place on this lineup, Turisas had one of the most enthusiastic crowds of the entire festival. Their set was full of classics such as ‘Holmgard and Beyond’ and ‘Battle Metal’, and the sheer energy of the show, the vocal talents of frontman Mathias Nygard and the dedication of their fans was a joy to behold.

Turisas’ current touring mates CHTHONIC are really starting to break through in the UK. The Taiwanese band may be relatively new to western listeners, but their experience shone through in their incredible Damnation set. It was hard to believe that any band would top Shining, but Chthonic managed it thanks to their brilliant stage presence and powerful original music. Chunky guitar riffs, intense vocals and epic symphonic arrangements all combined with their Taiwanese musical influences provide a musical onslaught which stunned the crowd. It was also great to see bassist Doris Yeh at the merch stand, the band living up to their reputation of being great with the fans.

Next up was an early food break, due to the absence of Polish death metallers DECAPITATED. Whilst their cancellation was disappointing, especially due to the problems faced by CEREBRAL BORE, the only other death metal band of the day, the cause of their absence is understandable and we can only hope to see them play next year.

Finally, as Damnation Festival drew to a close, the one-and-only DEVIN TOWNSEND took to the Jagermeister stage! As usual he entertained the fans before the show started with amusing clips of Ziltoid, but the omniscient alien was soon silenced by Devin’s song ‘Truth’ which set the tone for the rest of the headline set, with fans singing along to every word of his masterful compositions and waving their Ziltoid puppets in the air! The set proved to be a mixture of Ziltoid songs and songs from his four-album series from the Devin Townsend Project, however he decided to end the show with a collection of more ambient songs before playing the classic ‘Vampira’ as an encore – a stunning end to a great festival on our own turf!

Jenny Green & Hallam Smith [Guest Review]

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