By: Dominic Walsh
Boasting one of the best heavy metal bills in
Manchester in a long time, NOIZ promotions’ NOIZ All Dayer in Manchester seemed
almost untrue with the amount of talent on show.
Drone duo, Khost, opened up the
day with a massively heavy amount of tone and drone for the small crowd. It was
only 12.30 when they took the stage so people were still filing in through the
doors, although there were a couple of people who had made the effort to see Khost based on their attire.
From here on in, the bill changed shape with
bands moving up and down the bill continually. Presumably this was due to
people arriving/being delayed etc.
One band that did take the stage at their
scheduled time was PIST. Now, for those
who haven’t heard PIST, the clue is in
the name. 1pm was a remarkably early time for the Bury quartet to hit the
stage, however their groove laden angsty southern sludge did more than wake the
gathered masses, and blow any Friday night cobwebs away.
As the afternoon progressed, Fvnerals and Dystopian Future Movies
(both late additions to the bill due to cancelled gigs in the area) serenaded
the crowd with dark post rock and doom laden riffs that slowed the pace
somewhat during the afternoon. The slower pace did nothing to dampen the
enthusiasm of the crowd. Both bands have been touring together; if you’re a fan
of Neurosis, Bossk, Long Distance Calling (or bands to that effect), give them
a whirl.
Either side of Fvnerals
and DFM, there were arguably some of the star
turns of the day. Another local band who are making plenty of waves in the
metal world, Boss Keloid, were in celebratory mood with a
storming set which showed how much the band have evolved. They are much tighter
as a band, and the material from their new LP ‘Herb Your Enthusiasm,’ sounded incredibly strong. To bring the pace
down again slightly, were Witchsorrow. Although
they’re a doom band, their latest LP, ‘No
Light, Only Fire,’ has plenty of more up tempo selections. A mix of these
tracks and cuts from “God Curse Us”
helped them deliver a great set.
Towards the top of the bill was heavy rock trio The Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, who did not disappoint.
Complete no frills rock and roll just the way it should be. Steak ably assisted with their fuzzy stoner rock keeping
the pace up as the crowd got steadily more lubricated.
One of the absolute star turns of the day
however, took place early in the afternoon. London’s Vodun
turned many heads in Rebellion. The trio, who have just released their debut LP
“Possession”, took to the stage in
their ‘tribal’ attire and delivered a scintillating performance. Chantal
Brown’s vocals can easily draw comparisons with Skunk Anansie’s
Skin, and the riffs swerve from thrash, to stoner, to doom. Over the course of
their short set, Vodun proved why they are getting
many great reviews of “Possession”.
Another afternoon success came in the form of their tour mates, Limb. Showcasing some prime cuts from 2015’s “Terminal”, the band delivered a
stomping set against a hazy white light back drop; foggy and fuzzy on many
levels! “Down By The Banks” is a
monster of a track; Limb deserve to be
edging themselves up bills. They have the songs and presence to be huge.
The day ended with Israeli sludge mob Dukatalon playing host to a fully liquored audience. Their
stomping set ended with a huge stage invasion capping off an excellent day of
heavy metal. The amount of bands on the bill only scratches the surface of the
amount of great bands out there. NOIZ are behind many of Manchester’s all day
metal events – if you are even the slightest it curious, go along and check out
some of the bands; it’s almost a dead cert you’ll find something you enjoy.
