It seems hard to credit that a year has passed since the inaugural (and massively successful) Hard Rock Hell Metal, but here we are again at Birmingham’s O2 Academy, spoilt for choice for bands and ready to plunge ourselves once more into the stygian bowels of a building that seems to have been purposely designed to bewilder. With three stages active, there’s a phenomenal array of talent on display, and the hardest part of the weekend is simply trying to decide where to spend your time.
As always, HRH is designed as an experience with all the basics provided for those wishing to stay on site (and for those wishing to venture further, Birmingham centre is but a stone’s throw away). To the festival’s credit, there’s a well-stocked merch stand with material from most of the day’s bands; a small but reasonably-priced selection of food and a handful of stalls selling general metal merch (although fewer than normal). Rather less enthralling is the price of the alcohol which, presumably set by the O2, is eye-wateringly high (£5.00 for a pint of Carlsberg!) It’s far from the worst we’ve seen, but it is still one hell of an expense for those wishing to drink over the weekend, and it makes a fair degree of sense to wander out to the nearby pubs if you have any intention of destroying your liver without applying for a second mortgage. Alcohol prices aside, the festival once again proves to be excellently organised with schedules posted freely around the venue, the stages running like clockwork and impressive sound and lighting on all three stages. The HRH crew are phenomenally well-drilled, and their professionalism, alongside the friendly atmosphere, really makes HRH Metal an event to cherish.
Another aspect of HRH that I truly appreciate is the way that it is weighted to give exposure to independent bands. By opening the third stage a good couple of hours before the others, bands that might otherwise get lost in the shuffle are guaranteed a good crowd and so it proves for Ashen crown, who play to a room so crowded that there’s a collective exhalation every time someone leaves. Predominantly groove based, these West Midlands monsters get the weekend off to a flying start, and the dense crowd cannot help but be moved by the level of aggression the band display. It’s an impressive set to be sure, and Ashen Crown do a fantastic job of getting the assembled throng into the mood for the frivolity ahead. 8
The main arena opens up with prog-metallers Collibus, a band fronted by the energetic Gemma Fox. Prog metal more in the Queensryche mould than opeth, there is a strong classic rock sensibility to the band and their melodic, powerful tunes perfectly suit the sizable main stage. Gemma is a powerful presence and props go, too, to guitarists Daniel Mucs (rhythm) and Stephen Platt (lead) for their blazing riffs. Check out ‘trusting the illusion’ and expect to hear much more from this crew. 7
What more is there to say about Ballsdeep – a band whose self-proclaimed aim is to demolish the audience to the point of a migraine? The band take to the stage with typical energy and proceed to deliver a 50 minute battering that takes the Pantera approach to melody (in other words they’re on passing terms with it to the point that their songs are memorable) but correspondingly high on aggression. A perfect, mid-day festival band with a strong stage presence, the band draw on the likes of Pantera and Lamb of God, stopping to throw in a touch of nu-metal groove along the way, and the result is a moshpit that is steaming before the end of the first track. Tracks like ‘Spit’ are greeted like old friends and the only real complaint is that, at the outset, the vocals could be a touch higher in the mix, although this is soon remedied. That aside, Ballsdeep pretty much rule and stand as our photographer’s band of the day. 9
Something of a quandary, Sodomized cadaver – are unfeasibly and defiantly horrible. I wanted to like them (the name rules after all); I’d pretty much decided I hated them after the first track, only to find that my brain was faster on the U-turn than the Conservative party and I ended up enjoying the hell out of their set. Why? How? Fuck knows! The sound is horrific, the band play dirty grind and their singer looks like a German porn star crossbred with Johnny Rotten. With tracks like the perfectly titled ‘Bestiality killed the cat’ and singer Ollie Jones openly acknowledging that he has no idea what the words are, the band still manage to wreak havoc. By the time we get to the disturbed classic-in-the-making ‘Raped by ebola’, it’s either clear that Sodomized Cadavar are fucking awesome (probably), or that they’ve simply fucked our skulls so comprehensively we can’t tell good from bad anymore, and therefore, they achieve the impossible score of 666.
With singer Alex Mumford off on his travels, Warwick-based metallers Face of ruin have co-opted vocalists Alex Knight and Scott Allen-Dunbar from the awesome ghetika to front the band. The result is, as the band themselves acknowledge, Face of Ruin karaoke with Alex and Scott hamming it up like crazy, splitting the vocals between them and reading the lines off the stage. There’s a party atmosphere that makes up, for the most part, for a set that lacks the cohesion that you would normally expect, but the band certainly pull off a difficult task in front of an enthusiastic crowd, their melodic death metal sounding even harder-edged in the flesh than it does on record. 7
Well… Haerken – these wandering bards never disappoint and today is no exception. A band made for main stages everywhere, the band arrive with a typically epic intro, their theatrical presence not only matched, but exceeded by their musical ability. Dealing in stirring, mid-tempo death metal, the band receive a deservedly rapturous response. Even the normally untouchable Iron Maiden are covered with style and aplomb, the band tackling the mighty ‘The rhyme of the ancient mariner’, twisting it to fit their own style without detracting from the original – no mean feat. A stunning ‘Drink with me tonight’ has the whole crowd participating and, by the time the band’s set has reached its conclusion, no one is left in any doubt as to the fact that Haerken are one of the best independent bands currently treading the boards. Memorable songs, astounding stage presence and an original take on a genre you would normally consider overcrowded, Haerken deserve to move towards the headline slot if they can deliver another album of similar quality. 10
Reminiscent of divokej bill shorn of the punk spirit, the dread crew of oddwood are a most unlikely proposition. Undeniably a crowd-pleasing act, they are exceptional musicians and born entertainers, but the whole thing is somewhat slick when compared to similar exponents of traditional instrumentation such as Stary Olsa, although the crowd go nuts for it and it’s a nice change from the otherwise brutal offerings the main stage has to offer. Tracks like ‘Dead man’s medley’ (the raucous opener) and ‘side quest’ certainly get the party started, but it’s songs like ‘raise your pints’ that are most at for a festival crowd already well into their cups and there’s no doubting that the band will be most welcome upon these shores in the future. 7
Suitably ludicrous, Alestorm have a giant inflatable duck on stage, which pretty much sets the tone for the evening’s closing band. Tracks like ‘magnetic north’ have lost none of their charm, and ‘famous ol’ spiced’ certainly goes down with a crowd who are impressively inebriated given the insane bar prices that the O2 levy’s. With ‘no grave but the sea’ setting the mosh pit alight and the slower ‘Nancy the tavern wench’ (funny how all those people who spurned the idea of a slow song go absolutely nuts for it) all keeping energy levels from flagging, the set’s undeniable highlight is the epic ‘1741 – the battle of Cartagena’, a perfect song for drinking and a pretty fair summation of Alestorm’s core strengths. Nonetheless, over an hour of pirate-themed metal can start to tire and it’s soon time to venture out into the night, the buzz of the ale and the music setting a high standard for day 2. 8
Sunday
Of course. I should have known that travelling from Leicester to Birmingham would be a journey fraught with irritation, and lo! I arrive at the train station to find a replacement coach service in operation. Clearly possessed by the spirit of school coach trips, the rail staff bark orders, seat malcontents and cast an icy stare over anyone foolish enough to consider imbibing any sort of fluid upon the journey to Nuneaton. I end up sitting next to something (I assume it was human, but in all honesty it was hard to tell) buried under what appears to be several hoodies and a baseball cap. Electronic noise pours in a stream from the orifice where I imagine the face must be, and the journey (not aided by a subtle, but present hangover) extends itself into an Homeric odyssey fraught with danger on all sides.
Two hours and a train ride from Nuneaton later and I finally arrive in Birmingham to find I have missed Incinery – much to my intense irritation – although they do helpfully inform me in a later interview that they were both excellent and sexy. About the former I have no doubt, about the latter I reserve judgment. We’ll give them an honorary 8 for sheer bare-faced cheek, but in all honesty I’m gutted to have missed the chance to catch the band in the flesh.
Happily, there are many delights still on offer and, over on the mains stage, I find myself checking out Fire red empress, a band I’ve not previously caught live. Mixing up elements of stoner rock, hard rock and even pop in a way that recalls a heavier Veruca Salt, Fire Red Empress are really, really good. Taking to the stage with lots of energy, it’s clear from the start that singer Jen Diehl has a great voice, both melodic and in terms of a hard-as-nails growl when needed, but what also stands out from this performance is her stage presence. The band, too, are very cool, throwing in hard riffs, old school solos and they even manage to pull off a cover of the beastie boys’ ‘sabotage’, nailing it in the process. I love this set and make a swift dash to the merch stall straight after to pick up a copy of fantastic album ‘black morphine’. Far too low down the bill, Fire red empress rule. 9
With a trad-metal vibe and a wonderfully OTT presence, Mighty wraith crash on to the stage with ‘hollow within’. Dealing in classic rock with chunky riffs and skating Vox, Mighty Wraith aren’t afraid to throw in the odd thrash flourish when the mood takes them, although the vocals remain firmly in the NWOBHM arena. With their commanding singer, Matt Gore, resplendent in his shiny gloves, it’s hard to take your eyes off the band and, largely as a result of the band’s intense performance and irrepressible energy, the room fills up nicely, with only the slightly muddy sound detracting from an otherwise fine set. If you like your metal heavy, then The Mighty Wraith are for you (and you can check out the ‘Dragonheart’ EP now for easy confirmation). 8
Back on the mainstage, Kaine are all set to justify their position in front of a massive crowd. The first track blisters, the ‘fall of Jericho’ burns and ‘a night meets death’ peels, leaving the audience impressed at the band’s presence and fine musicianship. Clearly dedicated to keeping metal alive and (brutally) kicking, Kaine are perfectly suited to a gig in Birmingham which is, as we are constantly reminded over the weekend, the home of heavy metal. Another highlight emerges with ‘behind the preacher’s eyes’ and ‘voice of hell’ is no small offering either, demonstrating just what a powerful entity the band have become. With cracking songs and stage craft to match the size of the venue, Kaine are damned good and the incredibly vocal crowd clearly agree. 8
If it hadn’t been for a friend at the festival, I’d have missed the stunning Trivax, a black metal band originally conceived in Tehran. Fronted by the astonishing Shayan, the band deal in an atmospheric mix of Venom, Mayhem and Celtic Frost, their icy riffs and impressive engagement with the audience the perfect antidote to the power metal found elsewhere today. Proper old school, Celtic frosty black metal is in increasingly short supply and the music is made all the more remarkable when one considers the oppressive atmosphere in which it was conceived. Tracks like ‘the serpent’s gaze’ prove the band have more to their sonic arsenal than just hyper-fast riffing and Trivax prove to be one of the best acts of the day. 9
It’s a sad day indeed for fans of Torous, a band who so impressed at HRH United last year. It is, for very good reason, the band’s final ever gig and although they take a moment to fully hit their stride, I’ve never seen them play better. Certainly, the band, playing tracks from recently released album ‘Mindfield’, have the songs to impress and it’s devastating to think this is their last outing. Highlights? There are too many to mention, but once again it’s the crushing performance of ‘roll the tide’, the track that first made me truly love the band, that leaves me breathless with its epic build up. Marc Malone (guitars and vocals) is a natural frontman, funny and down-to-earth but with an irrepressible star quality, he dominates the stage. He’s ably supported by Tom Fenn, a powerful and impressive drummer (he needs a new band and soon) and GMT a deceptively musical bassist beamed in from a punk band. Together they are torous, and they shall be sorely missed. An emotional farewell to a band who had greatness waiting, I have no doubt that, together or separately, we’ll hear from these fine musicians again. 9
Back on the main stage, Elvenking are playing slick and silly powermetal. They are incredibly good at what they do, there is no doubt, and they are stupendously popular but it’s simply not for me. Like the best (worst?) of power metal, it’s incredibly over the top, the melodies so dripping in olde worlde charm, it’s like Howard shore co-wrote the album, but it’s clear that the heaving mass of bodies that swells in front of the main stage disagrees with me, so the band get an 8 for their performance, but it’s not at all my thing.
However, it’s soon time for death metal legends Memorial, a band who gleefully deal in tar thick death metal, obituary slow and concrete block heavy. It’s a nice change of pace and the band take to the stage to deliver monstrous slabs of heaviosity like ‘soulless parasite’, ‘drone strike’ and ‘War rages on’. Singer Karl Willets is delighted to be in Brum, mainly because people can understand him and this leads him into a number of rambling monologs, all of which the band are happy to interrupt at any given point, and there’s no doubting the passion and power of Memoriam. However, a 90 minute set proves too draining from some and the crowd noticeably thin out before the set comes to its cataclysmic end with the cheery ‘flatline’. 8
All that is left is for Grave digger to round out the weekend’s impressive array of entertainment and this they do in style. With an intro that sees an eerie, skeletor-type character introduce the band, grave digger kick off with the double whammy of ‘healed by metal’ and ‘law breaker’. A bit power metally, a bit old-school eighties rock (guitarist Axel ‘Ironfinger’ Ritt seems to think he’s in whitesnake), the band clearly delight in headlining the festival and they bring both energy and charisma to a flagging crowd. Both ‘witch hunter’ and ‘Killing time’ keep the pace energetic, whilst ‘the dark of the sun’ also impresses. A fine end to the night, Grave Digger close the festival with tongues in cheeks and a twinkle in their eyes, even as they lay down the heavy riffs of ‘hammer of the Scots’ and it’s hard to imagine anyone leaving disappointed at the end. 9
Considering that HRH had fewer big names this year, it’s remarkable that it actually improved on last year’s outing. The quality of the bands across all three stages was mesmerising and, whilst not every band catered to my personal taste, there was not one band that was objectively bad at the entire event – and how often can you say that? The HRH bookers clearly know quality when they hear it and, as Ballsdeep pointed out, the festival prioritises hard working, independent bands. A festival at which I possibly discovered more new bands than I have for some time, HRH metal was a phenomenal weekend, run by a professional and dedicated staff and the next one cannot come soon enough.
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