Manchester is fast becoming the alternative music capital of the UK. With London venues being either too expensive, or not suitable for all-day festivals, many promoters and organisers are focusing their efforts up north. Damnation began its life in Manchester in 2005, where 15 bands performed across two stages much to the delight of metal fans across the country. After a stint in Leeds between 2007 and 2021, it returned to Manchester’s Bowler’s Exhibition Centre in 2022 where it upscaled.
Organisers Gavin McInally and Paul Farrington have made it no secret that being back in Manchester has been difficult, with ticket sales struggling as a post-pandemic world begins to find its feet. Now, in 2024, it feels like the more extreme metal tastes are being truly supported as a packed venue provides a visual confirmation of Damnation’s upwards trajectory.
Officially a one-day festival, Damnation provides a warm-up Night of Salvation event at the same venue, which now hosts as many acts as the event did in its infancy overall. The likes of Sugar Horse and Hippotraktor will be familiar names to regular festival goers, and both show they’ve earned their stage spots with impressive sets.
Now industry veterans, Employed to Serve command attention from the outset, but there’s an air of anticipation spreading throughout the huge venue immediately after their set ends as we prepare to witness The Ocean performing Pelagial in full. This set has been showcased only a handful of times this year, and I was lucky enough to witness it at the band’s own label showcase, Pelagic Festival, in Maastricht this summer. Seeing it in my own country is a spectacle, as expected, and the atmosphere and ability for The Ocean to fill the room at a “warm up” event is no easy achievement.
While Decapitated perform a frenzied set of aggression and deep, chugging guitars that reverberate through the bones of the building, my attention is firmly on Cult of Fire. The black metallers performed a small handful of shows before attaining legend status in the subgenre, and tonight showcases precisely how they managed it. The stage production is a credit to the band and the festival’s own team, and the overwhelming amount of incense billowing towards the crowd sets an atmosphere unrivaled by any band at Night of Salvation. Nods to their Hindi references are obvious throughout, with deities adorning the stage, and sitars littering the black metal soundscape that unfolds. Hoarse snarls are thrown into the mix to create the perfect amalgamation of everything Cult of Fire are known for. It’s truly a spectacle, one I feel lucky to have witnessed.
Shaking off the hangover with, well, another pint, Damnation itself kicks off with Celeste for me, thanks to a few travel issues preventing me from catching AA Williams or Pijn, which is a shame despite having seen both multiple times throughout the years. The post-black metallers showcase some questionably distasteful visuals, but at a certain point this has to be expected of the more extreme subgenres. What the visuals do achieve though is creating a sense of suspense, an anticipatory aura that’s unsettling and disturbing, and thus elevates the senses of the crowd to further appreciate the music. Adorned with their now trademark red headlamps, Celeste pierce through the darkness both visually and audibly. It’s a presentation on how post-black metal should be showcased, the intimate setting being almost unfathomable for a venue of BEC’s size.
Gatecreeper ‘s grinding riffs, inexplicable energy, and an eerie green glow envelop the BEC and turn it into a swirling mass of bodies by the time the set is in full flow. For my companion, who had never attended a gig before today let alone a metal festival, this is a hands-on demonstration of all the crowdsurfing, circle pits, and moshing you could ever desire. Coming up to their ten-year anniversary, Gatecreeper are leading the charge for death metal by providing a space for good, old-fashioned carnage with a modern twist.
Rezn impressively use a PlayStation controller for certain audio triggers and effects while saxophone additions create a new doom experience for the uninitiated. Next door, Hexis’ sheer sonic power and destructive aggression are a stark contrast, yet still falling into the doom bracket, albeit with a blackened tinge. Both are phenomenal in their own right, and it’s at this point I begin to wonder if Damnation are capable of booking mediocre bands. Doubtful.
Ne Obliviscaris are almost a palate cleanser for the day, their melodic approach much less full frontal than many of the other bands on the lineup. That’s not to say that their set is short of impact, however. With James Dorton filling in on vocals while their permanent member, Xen, remains in Australia, the dynamic has shifted slightly. Violinist Tim can’t help but grin from ear to ear as he observes the scope of the crowd gathered to witness the powerful harsh and clean vocal pairings. The technical prowess on offer is staggering, and ends up being a favorite of the day for my recently initiated friend.
Thanks to Ne Obliviscaris having us mesmerised for some time, we only catch the second half of 200 Stab Wounds’ set, but what an experience it is. The flawless brutal energy is infectious and has us clawing our way through the crowd to get a closer look. Nails have a similar effect, as we try to station ourselves close enough to feel the heat from the pyro, but not so close that we become victims of the swirling pits that erupt before the band even plays a note and continue throughout the set. With songs that barely scrape the 90-second mark at their longest, Nails are capable of keeping the energy levels at an all-time high while hurtling through fan-favorite tracks and appealing to a massive portion of the packed-out room at one time. Todd Jones on vocals is both a snarling beast and a humble, appreciative guy just happy you want to see his band. If you’ve ever enjoyed heavy music, Nails are a must-see live band.
By contrast, Bleeding Through are dull and uninspiring. The sound is the worst it’s been all day, and while I recognise that making a metal band sound great in what is essentially a very large tin box isn’t the easiest job in the world, the muddied mess that blasts from the PA is a huge disappointment. As a result, crowd energy is low, and the band struggles to connect. After looking forward to catching one of metal’s most renowned bands for the first time in years, I left feeling short-changed.
There’s not much time to dwell on that though, as Russian Circles take to the main stage for a flawless performance. Their atmospheric post-metal has me in a catatonic trance, and I stand transfixed for the entire duration. Their galloping riffs drive the band, while impressive and almost secretly intricate drum fills accentuate the sonic wall. Each track rises and falls, building slowly to an impressive apex, with not a word spoken. Russian Circles are somewhat of an outlier on an exceptionally heavy Damnation lineup for 2024, but they more than earn their space towards the end of the day.
Dragged Into Sunlight are like nothing I have ever seen before. After enduring a 90-minute long queue just to get my hands on some of their merch yesterday, I’m more than ready to witness their live show for the first time. The delivery of their black metal is absolutely nuclear, with blinding visuals and trademark candelabra atop the stage. Horrifying introductions reminiscent of the worst horrors you’ve witnessed collide with alternating strobes and pitch darkness. The shifts from black metal to doom to death metal and back again feel almost surreal, but the combination of it all is hypnotic. If you witnessed this, it’s not something that can be forgotten in a hurry.
As a result, my experience with Cradle of Filth (pictured) is … interesting. While it’s impressive that Dani Filth can make noises resembling a tea kettle for an hour straight, it’s not long before it becomes grating and frustrating. It’s not hard to notice the exceptionally thin crowd which only fills slightly after Dragged Into Sunlight’s set ends. Still, it’s Cradle of Filth, and that nostalgia and strong trademark carries me through the set regardless of any gripes I have. The impressive stage setup, with oversized skeletal figures and elevated platforms, adds to the production spectacle especially when accompanied by bursts of flames, but I’m just not thrilled by anything on offer here. The old-school setlist is exclusive to Damnation and features the likes of The Principle of Evil Made Flesh from 1994’s album of the same name, as well as favorites that continue to make their regular setlists such as Her Ghost in the Fog and Heaven Torn Asunder. Closing with From the Cradle to Enslave, I’m well aware I’ve witnessed something special for COF – but sadly it just isn’t that memorable for me. I’m left wishing I’d gone home after Dragged Into Sunlight.
Damnation as a whole continues to improve year on year, though. The organisers add more food options, more merch space, and more value for money with each iteration. Next year, the festival moves to an official two-day format, and if we peer pressure them enough we may even get a Night of Salvation pre-party again. You can buy “blind bird” tickets now before the lineup is announced, from as little as £5.00 down with a reduced booking fee, from the official website.
