Damnation Festival 2005

In its inaugural year, the Damnation Festival sees touts outside, pits for the opening bands and application forms for porn movies inside - this clearly isn't your average metal festival. The true face of underground UK metal has finally clawed its way onto the festival scene, leaving a wound that no amount of imported US and Euro talent can plaster over.

British steel, from extreme death metal to modern hardcore, unites for the sold-out inaugural Damnation Festival in Manchester. And after the final chords are torn out from a tormented Raging Speedhorn guitar to cap off a perfect disply, the feeling of being at the birth of something great is much more tangible than the passing of it.

The bands play as if their lives depend on it, the fans throw every inch of support they can muster behind it and even the bouncers managed a sly grin. Throw in a life-changing Sikth performance and a Terrorzier Stage that would terrify a pack of pitbulls and Damnation Festival truly arrives... and in a suitably devasting fashion! Read on to find out how...

Main Stage

First up, local boys Allerjen, a three-piece with a keen-as-fuck following. The front barrier plays host to their sing-a-long loyalists, and throughout the room are scattered enough punctual punters to give the band the thundering applause they deserve. Their hardcore material is a fitting opening statement for the festival, the lads on a noticeable mission to rock every face in the room and to burst the pint glasses gathering on the bar. 'Until All Are One' is ideal beer-in-hand mosh action, with the dad of one of the organisers proudly heading up the pit crew. The clutch is down, the engine shifted into first gear.

Forever Never charge into their set with balls the size of gorilla heads, determined to lay down a set worthy of the pre-festival hype that they'd been given by the organisers. If they are truly as nervous as they previously claimed, they don't show it, every second of their Machine Head influenced metal delivered seamlessly. Full of fervour, bouncing frontman Renny Carroll laps up the chanting audience, and with the stage presence to command an entire roomful of people, he exudes the charisma that too many upcoming musicians shy away from.

Band of the day with only two sets done and dusted? The Inbreds certainly make themselves the standard against which all later metal must be measured. Their groove-soaked music like an 18-wheeler slamming through a red light, the scruffy rockers catch the crowd off-guard. 'Mutiny On My Mind' is greatly-received and no-one on the barrier seems to mind frontman Joe Smith pouring Jagermeister down their throats!

By the midway, Damnation yet again ignores the gauntlet that the mighty Allerjen have laid down - hell, the bar had only been raised, because Fourwaykill march on and pitch the quality up further, delivering a set that falls just short of The Inbreds for best band of the day. Drummer Rob has perfectly rhythmic feet that trash the pedals faster than any man should be capable of; frontman Chris is clearly happy as a pig in sugar shit; and guitarist Jay looks delighted and just a little bemused at the sight of side-stage organisers headbanging and throwing devil horns. Again, this is not your average festival!

Dirty, ugly, evil and nasty; That's the sound of Charger, not a description of the members. Raring to go, they launch into sonic, violent noise that fills the hall. The audience are a little confused at the change of tone and pace, and while the set isn't disappointing, it's pitched over the heads of the desperate-to-mosh crowd. Shame, really, because the buggers put in bags of effort.

The hall is so busy for Sikth that strangers are fast becoming acquainted - bodies are crushed together and faces are peering forward, desperate to catch a glimpse of the imminent madness. Sikth deliver no surprises - any self-respecting metal fan knows that it is going to be fucking awesome. And it is. It really is. Technically blinding, time-signatures that put Dillinger Escape Plan to shame, and a vocalist who is intent on hurting the crowd with stage dives. 'Hold My Finger' is an awe inspiring jab of music, 'Pussyfoot' is insane and the crowd are even treated to a glimpse of what's to come from their second album... Beautiful.

Raging Speedhorn gulp down their last pre-set beer, whiskey, wine and
whatever other fluids are left lying around before pulverising an already
battered Main Stage. With three stone-cold classic albums under their metal studded belts and an air-tight line-up, Corby's brutal sons prove that they are going nowhere but up. Mosh anthem 'Thumper' is tossed to the masses like the scraps of the previous night's dinner and the crazy bastards chew on it like rabbid dogs. 'How Much Can A Man Take', 'Superscud' and the legendary 'Knives And Faces' round off the most insane metal festival Manchester will see... until next year! (G Johnston)

Click here for all the action from the Terrorizer Stage.