BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR 2011

DATE:

VENUE:

Friday 12th August - Sunday 14th August 2011

Catton Hall in Derbyshire, UK

Napalm Death on Bloodstock's main stage, 14th August 2011

Photograph copyright © 2011 Mark Holmes - www.metal-discovery.com

Reviews by Mark Holmes & Hannah Sylvester; Photography by Mark Holmes

(The Defiled; Wolf; Forbidden)

(Poisonblack; Triptykon; Coroner)

(Kreator; Devin Townsend Project; W.A.S.P.)

(Skeletonwitch; Grave Digger; Tarot)

(Dripback; Finntroll; Ihsahn; Northern Oak)

(Therion; Rhapsody of Fire; Immortal)

(Hell; 1349; Primordial)

(Napalm Death; Hammerfall; Exodus; At The Gates)

(Amaranthe; Morbid Angel; Motörhead)

Reviews by Mark Holmes & Hannah Sylvester; Photography by Mark Holmes

(The Defiled; Wolf; Forbidden)

(Poisonblack; Triptykon; Coroner)

(Kreator; Devin Townsend Project; W.A.S.P.)

(Skeletonwitch; Grave Digger; Tarot)

(Dripback; Finntroll; Ihsahn; Northern Oak)

(Therion; Rhapsody of Fire; Immortal)

(Hell; 1349; Primordial)

(Napalm Death; Hammerfall; Exodus; At The Gates)

(Amaranthe; Morbid Angel; Motörhead)

NAPALM DEATH

Ahhhh, Napalm Death. I defy any self-respecting metalhead, nay, music-lover, not to have some sort respect for this loveable bunch of Brummies. And even after nearing 30 years together they still ooze more passion and energy than a plethora of younger and less experienced bands out there. Launching into first track ‘Strong Arm’ from their latest album, ‘Time Waits For No Slave’, they’re seriously on form with Barney Greenway bellowing his impassioned vocals whilst doing his usual physical impression of a toddler who’s overdosed on aspartame throwing a massive tantrum (anyone who’s seen this lot live will know exactly what I mean), which is always a delight to watch; bassist Shane Embury flinging his unruly mop of hair around (though he’s clearly flung the top bit off) and guitarist Mitch Harris’ trademark high pitched screeched vocals cutting through their effervescent grindcore. Cue one enormous moshpit. Naturally. After a few songs, Barney announces in his typically droll between song banter, just for those who are witnessing their spectacle for the first time, “for those of you that are looking slightly non-plussed … we are Napalm Death from Birmingham” (but to be fair, I haven’t seen a time when they haven’t announced who they are and where they’re from). Following soon on with their anti-war/pro-peace anthem ‘Continuing War on Stupidity’ and a whole stack of other tracks from right across their back catalogue, from ‘Scum’ to the aforementioned ‘Time Waits For No Slave’, including the epic second-long ‘Scum’ classic ‘You Suffer’ they easily prove their worth as absolute legends of the UK metal scene. (HS)

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SUNDAY 14th AUGUST - PART 2

HAMMERFALL

A massive crowd had gathered for the Hammerfall set with an abundance of people wearing a whole assortment of Hammerfall merch. With the rear of the stage pretty much filled with excessive amounts of Marshall 4 x 12 guitar cabs and an excellent sound from the start, the band are slick, pro and totally on fire, starting with ‘Patient Zero’ that has powerful clean vocals shared by Joachim Cans and guitarist Oscar Dronjak . ‘Any Means Necessary’ follows, featuring an awesome twin guitar harmony solo and excellent showmanship and crowd interaction from the band. Paying their homage to British metal legends Saxon, Joachim tells the crowd that in 1981 when he was 11 years old, he went to the record store to buy Saxon’s ‘Strong Arm Of The Law’ and it really made him want to bang his head; cue ‘Bang Your Head’. ‘Blood Bound’, with Pontus’ gorgeous guitar solo mid-way through prompts much air punching and the crowd, by this point, are seriously getting into it; just the aural medicine needed for this point of the festival. For someone like myself, who really doesn’t normally like this style of metal, I literally cannot stop myself from nodding my head and tapping my toes inside my boots. Disgustingly good fun. (HS)

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EXODUS

With other commitments elsewhere on site, I unfortunately miss the majority of Exodus' set although manage to catch their final song, 'The Toxic Waltz'. This is preceded by frontman Rob Dukes demanding a massive pit from far left to far right in the crowd to which a large number of people oblige as the Californian thrashers rip through the 'Fabulous Disaster' track. The band look on fire and sound immense through the PA so I kind of regret missing the bulk of their performance. I guess Exodus themselves regret appearing on stage ten minutes late (I later discovered this to be the case) as Dukes is forced to apologise to the Bloodstock audience for being "out of time" as their set ends prematurely much to the disappointment of many judging by disheartened reactions around me. (MH)

AT THE GATES

With clear blue skies and full-on sun shining in the faces of the Swedish five (the polar opposite of their last appearance at Bloodstock 2008 in torrential rain), thousands of the now very weary-looking crowd wait in anticipation for the unexpected return of the band that last performed here on their “farewell tour”. Well, thank god they changed their minds. From the first famed headbanging igniting word of “Go” from first track ‘Slaughter of the Soul’, it’s clear the band are on fine form today performance-wise, with Tomas grinning like he’s won the lottery, the brothers Björler and Martin Larsson being tight as hell on strings and Adrian Erlandsson powerfully pounding his kit for the second time today after playing on the Sophie stage earlier, but something’s not quite right. With most songs containing their signature two part guitar harmonies and solos, from the right side of the arena where I stand, it sounds like there’s only one guitar coming through the PA. Not good. Moving to the back-centre of the arena, it becomes more apparent what is going on. The guitars are mixed in stereo, meaning Anders’ axe is coming through one side of the PA, and Martin’s through the other. Great if you’re stood in line with the mixing desk, crap if you happen to be just to one side. Putting that aside though, working their way through the majority of the genre benchmark of an album that is ‘Slaughter of the Soul’ (aside from the acoustic interlude tracks), including the absolute classic, ‘Under a Serpent Sun’, during which Tomas holds the microphone out to the crowd for them to sing the almost acapella line of “stricken numb by fear I fall”, which they duly do, they also air a few tracks from their first three albums, including ‘Terminal Spirit Disease’, ‘The Burning Darkness’ and ‘Windows’. Unsurprisingly, every track goes down a storm with the crowd and, despite Tomas saying that playing between two of their favourite bands is a “hard spot to fill”, I beg to differ. They are easily as much on fire on stage as they were back in the mid-‘90s and, whereas some reformed bands come back as a pale shadow of their former selves, At The Gates have far from mellowed with age and are easily one of the main highlights of the festival. (HS)

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