Archive for Infernal Creation

Warhorns Festival 2013: Six bands you must see this year!

Posted in Editorial/Opinionated, Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on 17th August 2013 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

It’s coming to that time of year when the second edition of the Warhorns Festival is just around the corner. Taking place in the historic Viking capital of the north, York, where the infamous Eric Bloodaxe once ruled ruled as King of Northumbria, the two day event features some of the UK’s and Europe’s best folk, Viking and black metal acts. So we composed a list of six bands you must absolutely see at this year’s Warhorns Festival.

6. Red Rum

Because pirates. That’s why. I mean, who doesn’t like pirates? Aside from victims of pirates but I’m sure they still think pirates are cool. They also have an EP coming coming out soon.

5. Maelstrom

Dark. Brooding. And addicted to haggis. Much like the vast majority of the stereotypical populace of Glasgow. The only difference is that Maelstrom actually play a decent blend of symphonic black metal. Oh and they wear suits. Trve Glaswegian Corporate Black Metal.

4. Infernal Creation

Probably the blackest black metal band to come out of Hull since… Uh… I’ll get back to you on that one. Having already supported the likes of Fleshgod Apocalypse, Hecate Enthroned and Nothgard, as well as playing Bloodstock last year, Infernal Creation are definitely a band to watch out for at this year’s Warhorns.

3. Old Corpse Road

If you like happy, cheery music about rainbows and kittens and fluffy clouds then I have news for you… Old Corpse Road aren’t going to be for you. However, if you enjoy the kind of music that is dark, atmospheric and heavier than a beached whale as well hauntingly good live, then OCR are a must see band at Warhorns. Oh and it’s their second appearance at the festival.

2. Mael Mordha

Gaelic Doom Metal. Not many bands can actually describe themselves as that and make it sound more epic than a drunken night out which led to sword fighting with a Viking, slaying a dragon and bedding the fair maiden but Mael Mordha do which stands as a testament to the strength of Ireland’s growing metal scene.

1. Black Messiah

One of the two headliners of the second night, Black Messiah are the number one band to see at this year’s Warhorns. With snarling guitar passages, grand symphonic elements, intelligently played drums and vocals that pack more punch that a ton of bricks falling right on top of you, Black Messiah are going to raise the bar for Warhorns.

Warhorns Festival will take place from 27th September to 28th September at The Duchess in York and tickets are available from this location.

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Fleshgod Apocalypse w/Support @ The Lamp, Hull

Posted in Gig, Live with tags , , , , , , on 14th March 2012 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Bands: Fleshgod Apocalypse, Dyscarnate, Bloodshot Dawn, Infernal Creation, Battallions, Downside
Location: The Lamp, Hull
Date: 12th March

This was the second time this year that Italian death metal kings Fleshgod Apocalypse had toured the UK, this time they were headlining (last time, they were the support for The Black Dahlia Murder). There was a small buzz of excitement in The Lamp that matched the small crowd. Opening up the show was Downfall, a band that has proved near enough impossible to find details about. Whilst they put on a good show, they sounded quite bland despite their brutalising use of fierce riffs and cataclysmic vocals.

Shortly after Downfall’s set, came Hull-based sludge metal outfit Battallions. I’d heard a lot of good things about these over the past few weeks, so I had high expectations of them. One thing that truly impressed me about their set was the heaviness of the bass, it just seemed to ring out with more power and volume compared to the guitars, fortunately, the guitars were still audible though. The vocals were nothing short of vicious and blood thirsty, oddly blending with the almost doom metalesqe tempo of the music. I think it’s safe to say that they passed my expectations.

Aside from Fleshgod, one of the bands I was impatiently awaiting was none other that Yorkshire’s premier black metal quartet Infernal Creation. They opened up their set with an overwhelming performance of War Is Worship. Despite frontman Neiph’s ailing health on the night, he still executed his vocal duties like a well-placed axe during in a decapitation. Infernal Creation’s performance was extremely charismatic, allowing for their music to sound more menacing and wild. And as they had announced on their Facebook page, they were debuting a new song, entitled The Mother Of Fire, which for me was the pinnacle of their performance. The intro reminded of Megadeth’s Washington In Next whilst the vocals seemed to possess a My Dying Bride flavour to the sound. The song, itself, is unique in the way that it blends a certain mystifying atmosphere with a force of unrelenting brutality.

When Bloodshot Dawn took the stage, I had already missed some of their set due to having to nip to the takeaway. What I heard of their set was impressive, from the snarling and powerful vocals to the flawlessly performed riffs. The band had to cut their set short which was disappointing but thy at least played Godless, one of my favourite tracks from their new album, before finishing up was becoming an enchanting performance of sheer metal domination. The main support of the night came in the form of the metal trio Dyscarnate. Their shredding riffs and overall monstrous sound brought them a very positive crowd response. Their set was certainly one of the most lively ones of the night. Cain and Abel was my favourite part of the set.

And finally, the highlight of the night and the reason that a lot of the crowd were gathered at The Lamp: Fleshgod Apocalypse. As they opened up their set, the strong classical sound that dominates their music echoed throughout the venue. On thing I noticed straight away was the weakness of the sound, the fault lied with the sound engineer that was touring with them. Despite the weaker-than-usual sound, Fleshgod still performed well and created the hypnotic atmosphere that comes hand-in-hand with their music. The clean vocals were stop on as were the growls. The guitars just seemed to roar through the speakers, the riffs perfectly executed, as were the keyboard and rhythm sections. The Violation certainly went down with the crowd, creating the biggest response of the night though the performance of that song paled in comparison to the performance of The Imposition.

Overall, the show felt a little rushed, especially with Bloodshot having to cut their set short and the job the sound guy did for Fleshgod was disappointing but it was an enjoyable show, to say the least. The supporting acts (mainly Infernal, Battallions and Bloodshot) were just as impressive as Fleshgod. I’m hoping that Fleshgod Apocalypse make another UK appearance later in the year and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the aforementioned support acts again.

Nico Davidson

Photography by David Ferret Taylor.

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Ravenage w/Support @ Hollywood & Vine, Hull [Live Review]

Posted in Gig, Live with tags , , , , , , , , on 12th December 2011 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Bands: Ravenage, Infernal Creation, Windrider
Location: Hollywood & Vine, Kingston Upon Hull
Date: 10th December

All things come in threes as the saying goes and that was certainly true on the cold Saturday night as three of Hull’ finest metal bands were ready blow the proverbial roof off of Hollywood & Vine. It was also the third time that I would be seeing Infernal Creation, Windrider and Ravenage so the buzz of excitement that was in the air certainly added to my excitement as well.

Windrider opened the proceedings though frontman Elliot was absent from the stage at the beginning of the first songIMG_0007 but he did make himself known when he took to the stage in time for the first vocal section. The bassist Hallam was also absent but a replacement bassist called Greig had took his place for the night – Or at least that’s what I’m assuming anyway. As usual, Windrider performed a tight and mighty sounding set though one parts the fierce roar of the guitars and the keyboard samples did sound to be quite drowned out by the vocals but fortunately it wasn’t the case for the full set. The drum and bass work definitely deserve praise as well. “The Hall Of The Slain” was definitely one of the stronger sounding songs in Windrider’s set. Windrider are definitely a band to see if you’re a fan of the likes of Amon Amarth, Ensiferum and Turisas.

Windrider – The Hall Of The Slain

in (21)Infernal Creation soon took to the stage after Windrider, bringing their fierce and violent brand of British black metal with them. The tempestuous roar of guitars blasted through the amps like a hurricane as the vocal work of Neiph did much to savagely entertain the crowd. The vehement performance of “The Angel Of Endless Hunger” was definitely a treat to listen to as well, along with the feral sounds of “The Insidious Gospel”. Infernal Creation definitely proved themselves to be one of the finest black metal bands in the abyss that is the British metal underground.

IMG_0151And so then it came to the headlining act for the night, none other than Hull’s very own Ravenage, who earlier this year toured with Nothgard, Celtachor and Infernal Creation as part of the Warhorns Over Aengland tour. Taking to the stage in their Viking outfits, they performed a mighty sounding set, most of which was dominated by majestic IMG_0224sounding songs such as “Winter Ternia”, “Let Vengeance Quell My Agony” and “More Beer” from the new album “Fresh From Fields Of Victory” all of which were simply fantastic. The frontman Glyn did much to show what a great showman he is, including bringing out the old sword – Something which I’d only witnessed once before at a show Ravenage played a few years back in Bridlington. Of course the fun didn’t end there as Ravenage performed a fine rendition of “Viking Dream” from their EP “Hardrada’s Fall” and a fun, folk metal version of “Drunken Sailor” that had everyone dancing. Much to my surprise, they finished the show off with a performance of my favourite Ravenage track “Ravenser”, which sounds better live than the recorded version – The recorded version is still epic though.

The crowd certainly seemed to enjoy the show and so did I. If Ravenage, Infernal Creation or Windrider ever come to your town (or city or village or house or farm), you better make sure you see them because all three put on a damn good show and when they’re all on the same bill, “epic” would be an understatement.

Nico Davidson

Ravenage will be supporting Tyr at Fibbers in York on 18th February. To order your tickets, go to: http://asgardonline.co.uk/asgard_events.html

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Spires + Incassum + Support @ The Ringside, Hull [Live Review]

Posted in Gig, Live with tags , , , , , , on 27th November 2011 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Bands: Spires, Incassum, Infernal Creation
Location: The Ringside, Hull
Date: 26th November

As part of their Terrorizer-sponsored tour, the Manchester-based Spires and Incassum arrived in the grim city of Hull. The original line-up for the night consisted of Mister Sister Fister, Infernal Creation, Incassum and Spires. Unfortunately, Mister Sister Fister had to pull out last minute due to their drummer already being booked for at work for the night. After reviewing Incassum and Spires earlier this week for the site – and Infernal Creation for my “rivals” over at Denim and Leather, I already had an idea of what the night would consist.

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Though I was tending the doors for the promoter, I had a perfect view of the stage as Hull’s very own misanthropic beast of a metal band, Infernal Creation, graced the room with their presence of stage. They’re definitely a band who need no introductions, however when the voice of misanthropy, Neiph, did introduce the band, he took the opportunity to announce their next song as well, by stating in a grim, almost-messianic way: “We are Infernal Creation… And we speak of the Insidious Gospel”. As I stated earlier, I already had an idea of what to expect for tonight but I didn’t expect Infernal Creation’s sound to be so aggressive and heavy live. The snarling screams and roaring of guitars, topped off with thunderous drums just made their performance so much better. The band played a few songs such as “War Is Worship” and “The Angel Of Endless Hunger” from the new album, The Serpent Seed Doctrine, and in all honestly, they sounded as good as the studio versions.

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The female-fronted force of violent melodic metal that is Incassum wasted no time getting to the stage – Something that did impress since some bands do like to pansy foot around in the interval. In fact, they were all set to play when I was half way through smoking a roll-up. Fortunately I could hear them clearly outside while I was smoking. With female-fronted bands, there seems to be a stereotype that they all have operatic vocalists but the good thing about Incassum is that they don’t cater themselves to such stereotypes. Their In Vain EP is an example of this and their live performance certainly showed that they’re better than most female-fronted bands. The violent sounds of the guitars echoed well throughout the venue and the band’s set showed some clear influences of melodic and technical death metal. The thing that really did impress me the most about Incassum’s set – aside from the music – was the way that the frontwoman, Sharleen, so easily transited between roaring vocals mightier than thunder and a softer, more angelic vocal style almost as if it was as natural as breathing. Incassum made Arch Enemy sound like pop rock, a potentially blasphemous comment no doubt but if you’ve seen them live, you’ll agree. Their song “Cut Loose” certainly seemed to go down well with the crowd.

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The headliner of the night were the extreme-prog. metal quartet that are Spires. I had already been assured by the guys in Infernal Creation that these guys are great live as Infernal had done a gig with them roughly a year and a half ago. They performed a truly tight set that displayed a masterful combination of progressive elements, more brutal sounds and a strong use of vocals. The solos were easy of the ears as well. Spires performed a new song as well – I think they said it was called “The Fevered Spirit”, either way, it was a masterful combination of aggression, progressive metal and strong vocal work. These guys are definitely a band I’d recommend everyone go see live. Though the opening act had dropped out last minute, the night’s entertainment was still provided by three great bands. Any of them would have gone down well as the headlining act as well and the people certainly got their £3’s worth.

Nico Davidson

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Infernal Creation- The Serpent Seed Doctrine [2011]

Posted in Review with tags , , , , on 8th November 2011 by izaforestspirit

Band: Infernal Creation
Album: The Serpent Seed Doctrine
Release year: 2011
Genre: Black Metal/Extreme Metal/Misanthropic Yorkshire Black Metal

‘The Serpent Seed Doctrine’ is the first full length album from British black metal band, Infernal Creation. In addition to being active supporters of the British underground metal scene, Infernal Creation are also starting to gain attention of the bigger crowds.

One of the main disappointments is that the opening track ‘We The Serpent Seed’ has a very ponderous ‘built-in’ intro which fails to attract the interest of the listener. Not the best way to start an album!

The album reveals an interesting mix of musical influences ranging from Immortal, particularly in the guitar riffs in the intro to ‘Plague Upon Plague’ via the grim, harrowing vocals and song structures of Satyricon in tracks as such as ‘The Faceless Prophet’ to the eerily atmospheric or dare I say it…Cradle of Filth-esque intro to ‘Cruciatus Vobiscum’. The latter is easily the best track on here.

There are also a few surprises such as acoustic, folk-esque intro to the aforementioned ‘The Faceless Prophet’ and the opening riff to ‘The Insidious Gospel’ which bears strong similarity to Bolt Thrower.

Overall this is a very promising debut album but it is clear that the band have some work to do in order to establish a style and a refined sound that suits them best.

3.5/5

Iza Raittila

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Interview: Neiph [2011]

Posted in Interview with tags , , , , , , , , on 4th November 2011 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

Infernal Creation have been a part of Hull’s metal scene for a few years, supporting acts such as NWOBHM legends Blitzkreig, the mighty Hecate Enthroned and several other acts. They also took part in the Warhorns Over Aengland tour in October, playing with bands such as Ravenage, Celtachor, Nothgard and Windrider. Nico sits down with the “Voice of Misanthropy”, Neiph, who is the frontman for Hull’s very own Infernal Creation.

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Nico: What did the idea for Infernal Creation come about?

Lewis: The ideas and beliefs behind Infernal Creation started to take form long before the band as it is today came into existence. Sin and I started to discuss the formation of a band that could aid in the exploration of the darker, negative and chaotic aspects of being. When we found a drummer skilled enough and with the same vision as ourselves we began work in earnest to create the band that exists now. With Bastard on board it wasn’t long before we could create such an intense and nihilistic beast and, despite various problematic times throughout the years, we have never faltered from our path.

N: Does Infernal Creation differ from other black metal bands? If so, how?

L: The essence of Black Metal is felt differently by all artists, it manifests itself in various different ways so in that sense I would say all Black Metal bands differ. After all there can be no set structure or pattern placed over chaos.

N: Infernal Creation recently toured with Ravenage, Celtachor, Windrider and Nothgard as part of the Warhorns Over Aengland tour, how was that experience for you?

L: The shows we’re quite difficult for me as I was suffering from a throat infection at the time however, the tour itself was a tremendous experience for us we gathered quite a few new fans and contacts from the event. The energies flowing from each band on the bill were unbelievable. It was an event we were truly proud to be involved with.

N: The new album “The Serpent Seed Doctrine” is now available, how would you describe it to someone and what would you say are the album’s highlights?

L: “The Serpent Seed Doctrine” is our first full length CD and as such it is almost a beacon for us to illuminate our future paths.  I feel that the music within is an intense and aggressive piece of black metal art and although it has just been released it is already being well received in the underground community. Songs such as ‘War Is Worship’ and ‘Cataclysm’ are already becoming live favourites.

From a personal point of view it has been interesting to work with different sounds and elements in tracks like ‘The Faceless Prophet’ and ‘Cruciatus Vobiscum’.

The album has taken a year to complete and feels to us as though a piece of our lives and experiences have been removed from us like flesh from bone and transformed into a sonic representation of our trials and tribulations up to this moment for all to hear. We are extremely happy with the fruits of this labour.

N: What has been the best show you’ve played so far? And why?

L: It depends, we have performed at some amazing venues and showcased our art alongside many different bands. I’d say a stand out gig for me would be 2 years ago when Rune Erikson came to a Hull show, we spent some time with him after the event and his advice really hit home and helped us to shape the next paths of the Infernal.

N: Does the band have any plans for 2012?

L: Yeah, we have a lot planned for 2012, we will be starting the year by performing at the Sermon of Underground Brutality festival featuring artists such as Abgott, Hecate Enthroned and Primitive Graven Image. We have a few big events in the works but for this moment in time we’re keeping them within our circle until further details come to light.

N: Infernal Creation will be playing the first ever Valkyrian Festival later this month, how do you feel about this?

L: It will be a great experience. You guys have been very helpful and supportive of the underground music scene for a while now so it will be great to perform under the VM banner.

N: Where do you find the inspiration for the music and lyrics from?

L: I personally find inspiration in many different places, throughout life there is always scope to ask further questions, to explore the hidden paths and truly begin to understand the movements of your soul. It is these actions that create the energies I take inspiration from.

The same applies musically, Sin has a lot of similar influences to me and allows his creativity to almost possess him throughout the writing process.

N: What’s the metal scene like in your area?

L: The Yorkshire scene is quite healthy at the moment, I always think it’s easy enough to simply see the activities of the more mainstream bands in anyone’s area and despair at its current state. But in reality there are a hell of a lot of bands who are carving their own path and if I have to put up with 10 mainstream fools to witness one band who fully follow their hearts then at least I know the true stream of negative art is alive and well in this area.

In terms of the UK underground, we have received a lot of support from the British legions of black metal ever since our inception, which we can be nothing but thankful for.

N: What advice would you give to someone looking to form a band?

L: To follow their own path no matter where it may lead them, to always question, always evolve, to never back down and to expect a lot of hard work.

N: Are there any bands you’d recommend to our readers?

L: Unfortunately there are far too many to mention in full but I would urge people to seek out bands such as Nothgard, Celtachor, Ravenage, Cryptic Age and Baalberith as these bands are devoted to their art forms and give their lives to their music, go see them live and you will understand exactly what I mean. Other than that I would say people should seriously hunt down and listen to Chaos Invocation and Ascension from Germany who are creating some amazing music right now.

For more information on the band, check out their official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/infernalcreationofficial
Infernal Creation’s new CD is also available for purchase at live shows or through the band’s official website: http://infernalcreation.com

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Band Of The Month [November, 2011]: Aonia

Posted in Band Of The Month with tags , , , , , , , , on 1st November 2011 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

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Following recent revelations involving the voting being rigged, we were forced to randomly select a BOTM for this month [November]. We are pleased to announce that Aonia are this month’s Band of the Month!

In the Greek mythos, “Aonia” is the place where muses dwell near Helicon mountain. Though their name is derived from classical mythology, Aonia’s music is far from being classical. With riffs that roar like the thunder of Olympus and strong operatic vocals provided by their front woman Mel, Aonia have been on the rise for the past few years sharing the stage with the likes of Evil Scarecrow and Scarlet’s Wake.

Unlike most female fronted bands, Aonia lack a heavy emphasis on the symphonic element, helping add to their unique and mythic sound. f you like bands and artists like Nightwish, Within Temptation, Epica, ReVamp, After Forever, Leaves Eyes, Delain or Tarja then check out Aonia.

Aonia will also be playing Valkyrian Festival later this month with Cryptic Age, XIII, Infernal Creation and many more.

Rating: 5/5

Links:

Official website: http://www.aonia.co.uk/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/AoniaUK/
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/aoniaband
youTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/AoniaBand

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Band Of The Month [November – Voting]

Posted in Band Of The Month with tags , , , , , , , on 25th October 2011 by Nico Solheim-Davidson, the North Sea Poet

It’s that time of the month, where you get to vote for the next Band Of The Month!

Voting will last for one week [25th October – 31st October].

The nominees are:

XIII
Cryptic Age
Windrider
Northern Oak
Her Dark Embrace
Sea Of Giants
Infernal Creation 
Aonia 

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