The return of Bristol Extreme Fest was long awaited around these parts ever since the team behind Blastonbree and South West Heavy Fest announced that they would be bringing Greek Black Metal legends Rotting Christ to Bristol for first time in 22 years!
To get everyone ready for that though, a full day of extreme treats was organised inside and outside Bristol's Trinity Centre with the former church itself serving as the indoor stage sponsored by Black City Records while the outdoor stage was pitched up under a tent near the expansive gardens and had The Gryphon as stage sponsor, speaking to the strong links the festival has with the Bristol Metal Quarter and overall alternative scene. (South Wales promoters take note)
With excellent food options, plenty of merch available, a well stocked bar both inside and out and lot of room to relax if it all got too much, the entire day ran smoothly, was well organised and an absolute joy to experience. They even looked after those of us in the 'press core' even though we're sub human scum.
So already filled with a sense of excitement and in a good mood, we did have the bad news that outside stage headliners Benighted wouldn't be able to play due to some health issues, which was a major blow to the festival and the fans however they Bristol Extreme Fest promised a secret band which we'll get to later, but let say as a veteran of the South Wales/South West scene I had my ideas which proved to be correct.
Anyway all is to be revealed so it was a beverage that myself, my photographer/wife and colleagues from other publications moved to the outside stage, where things began with the grindcore assault of Public Execution (7).
The Didcot foursome play aggressive hardcore that takes from the underground scene, this meant there was a lot of start stop across the set every song ending quickly and into relative silence while these moments were full of banter as they called out politicians and those that oppress, it meant it was a a little disjoined. However when the loud and abrasive band let loose with the flurries of grindcore intensity, the pits and hardcore dancing was unstoppable.
As they finished up, we shuffled back inside for local act Oskaria (8) who bring Lovecraftian influenced heavy sludge/death doom, much like Conan, this three piece are crushing, trading off shouted vocals across their massive grooves. It was the first showcase of how varied 'extreme' metal can be as while the first band brought short and violent extremity. Oskaria are slower, more deliberate, with atmospheric passages that move into horror inspired ear drum rattling riffs.
As these rattled around our brain it was outside again for another local act, disgusting death metal crew Embodiment (7). Veterans of the local scene they pulled a big crowd and as soon as their tech death began you could instantly see why they are held in high regard locally. Intense and full of virtuosity, the beats were blasted, riffs whipped up the pits and vocals growled, playing mostly their new EP Cryptomorph, it reminded me why watching Embodiment has always been such a disgusting pleasure.
Far away from local though, next it was a Scottish death metal assault from Scordatura (7). Inspired by Vader and Suffocation, along with Cannibal Corpse and Dying Fetus, there's a myriad of classic death metal influences in their sound, which are all blended together through a tornado of blasts, growls and string abuse. A few modern touches creep in from the tech scene but mostly Scordatura are a homage to the best of death metal, channeled in their own impressive way.
Shifting back outside for the Manchester slam of Visions Of Disfigurement (7) and you know it's slam, you know what you're going to get but if you love to throw down in the pit while a band play songs with horrific titles then they'll definitely be the band for you. I don't know what else I can say about it, slam on stage is always more exciting than it is on record but there's certainly a 'sound' in the genre and VOD bring it completely.
Speaking of complete, it finally seems that Welsh atmospheric black metal crew Ofnus (9) are the complete unit they have always promised to be, on stage. With their new vocalist they have been given an injection of intensity and intimidation, Brendan stalking the stage, wide eyed and aloof.
As is usually the case with a band who have, sprawling songs that features numerous shifts in tone and pace, they only managed to play four tracks, but two of those were new tracks from their upcoming third album. Now I've heard these before but they come refined again in Bristol, with more potency, power, atmosphere and ferocity, the room held captivated by Ofnus as they moved towards the closer of Zenith Dolor which, as it normally does, brought even the most hardened metal fan to tears.
With cheeks wiped and protestations that it was foam from the beer, you can't help but be cheered up by Foetal Juice (8) who bring songs of gore, murder and perversion all delivered with and old school death metal aggression.
The Manchester unit tip their hat to Cannibal Corpse and to Deicide, unleashing disgusting death metal that cries out for Hawaiian shirts and going absolutely mental in the dust of the outside stage. Again the titles are something to behold and while your gran may be shocked there's definitely a lot of filthy fun to be had.
A more serious tone to follow though as The Infernal Sea (8) returned from a hiatus and long term fans of the band may have been shocked when they stepped on to the stage without the plague doctor masks that have become so engrained with their image.
This is deliberate choice as after the festival they explained that there are now too many masked bands today and that they didn't want to be considered amongst these gimmick acts so they want to let their music say everything rather than their visual image.
A noble thing to do and as if to continue the idea of rebirth this was a special show celebrating 10 years since their second album The Great Mortality was released, choosing to play the record in full, perhaps may alienate newer fans but for a lot this is where the journey started.
So to my eyes and ears it was only right to christen this new era by revisiting who they were a decade ago but stripped of the visual distractions. I will say it worked as I've not seen them sound this ferocious.
With The Infernal Sea in their new iteration, welcomed back warmly we rode a wave of excitement for another exclusive set, this time from international brutal slam crew Kraanium (8) who were playing a UK exclusive show (probably due to the geographical differences between the band).
You know how I said slam was slam? Yeah maybe not this time as with a crowd full of inflatable hammers, Kraanium are certainly fun visually but their music is more than just disgusting grooves and gutter dwelling vocals, there's a technicality beneath the brutality, a constant volatility that kept the circle pits coming and the riffs as battering as a sledgehammer (non inflatable).
I'm never normally a fan of the whole slam genre but Kraanium are an exception to the rule, they're just too fun to ignore but it was back inside for a band who trade off on fun for mysticism and atmospheric intensity, as Scottish black metal apparition Fuath (8) made their way to Bristol.
Led by Andy Marshall who also spends his time with folk driven black metal act Saor, Fuath are a heavier, more uncomfortable prospect. Still drawing inspiration from bleak winters and mysticism, they are an atmospheric black metal band who bring melancholy to the evening, filtered through intense black metal work outs.
The perfect soundtrack to the setting sun, Fuath set a glacial tone ready for the indoor stage headliners, however first a secret needed to be revealed and it didn't stay a secret for long that it was the mighty South Wales death metal maniacs in Desecration (8) that stepped into Benighted's place at extremely short notice.
Almost two months before their scheduled return gig, this 'warm up' reminded me just how much I'd missed watching them live. Formed by Ollie Jones (vocals/guitars) in 1993, the Newport death crew have been through countless members over the years, resulting in long periods of in activity, mainly because Ollie and drummer Mike Hourihan are both part of Extreme Noise Terror.
Their most recent live hiatus has led to the recruitment of Charlie Rogers on bass and the trio took the outdoor stage by storm with their snarling, feral death metal now given some lead bass for added potency, this is death born from the 90's scene full of grind and gutturals, it's about as old school as it comes.
Always good to see Desecration and while some may have been disappointed about Benighted not playing you cannot argue with the calibre (and geographical closeness) of their replacement, more Desecration shows please!
Finally the entire mass of Bristol's (and beyond) metal community made their way onto the once consecrated ground of the Trinity Centre to witness the first live ritual in Bristol for 22 years from arguably the most important Greek metal band in history. Co-Founders of the Hellenic Black Metal scene they have transcended it to become a band who appeal to broad selection of the extreme metal crowd, adapting their early black metal rawness into the symphonic, cinematic blackned death metal band they are today.
Usually performing on stages much bigger than this seeing Rotting Christ (10) in such an intimate space was absolutely magnificent, surrounded by long time fans, newer converts, members of the other band who revere them as well as one or two Greeks who were absolutely losing their shit, Rotting Christ commanded the stage as soon as they stepped foot on it.
Brothers Sakis (vocals/guitar) and Themis (drums) Tolis still lead the band to this day, the living embodiment of the cry of "Non Serviam" that Rotting Christ have been living for 37 years! The irony of them performing in a former church was not lost on anyone but they were all about business, Sakis and Themis flanked by the two Kostas', lead guitarist Foukarakis and bassist Heliotis as they kicked off the set with Dies Irae.
Drawing mainly from their newer, I mean from 2010's Aealo onwards, material it was the perfect set for anyone who hasn't seen them in those 22 years since they last played Bristol but has watched them ascend to the lofty position they are at today, which has off the back of that album. Being so close to the band meant that you could see every emotion on the bands face, Sakis especially was having the time of his life, playing up to the crowd both at the front and at the side of stage.
For the long time fans there was of course older material including the ever present Non Serviam along with King Of The Stellar War but every song was greeted as if it was an old friend and while they've been away from Bristol for a long time, Rotting Christ came roaring back like they have something to prove and remind us what we've been missing.
An imperious headline set to top of a stellar day of music. Bristol Extreme Fest was a perfectly curated day of the best extreme music the UK and beyond has to offer, with special sets, returns and a headline set that will be difficult to top, we'll be keeping a close eye on the plans for 2027, but you should definitely be there!
A more serious tone to follow though as The Infernal Sea (8) returned from a hiatus and long term fans of the band may have been shocked when they stepped on to the stage without the plague doctor masks that have become so engrained with their image.
This is deliberate choice as after the festival they explained that there are now too many masked bands today and that they didn't want to be considered amongst these gimmick acts so they want to let their music say everything rather than their visual image.
A noble thing to do and as if to continue the idea of rebirth this was a special show celebrating 10 years since their second album The Great Mortality was released, choosing to play the record in full, perhaps may alienate newer fans but for a lot this is where the journey started.
So to my eyes and ears it was only right to christen this new era by revisiting who they were a decade ago but stripped of the visual distractions. I will say it worked as I've not seen them sound this ferocious.
With The Infernal Sea in their new iteration, welcomed back warmly we rode a wave of excitement for another exclusive set, this time from international brutal slam crew Kraanium (8) who were playing a UK exclusive show (probably due to the geographical differences between the band).
You know how I said slam was slam? Yeah maybe not this time as with a crowd full of inflatable hammers, Kraanium are certainly fun visually but their music is more than just disgusting grooves and gutter dwelling vocals, there's a technicality beneath the brutality, a constant volatility that kept the circle pits coming and the riffs as battering as a sledgehammer (non inflatable).
I'm never normally a fan of the whole slam genre but Kraanium are an exception to the rule, they're just too fun to ignore but it was back inside for a band who trade off on fun for mysticism and atmospheric intensity, as Scottish black metal apparition Fuath (8) made their way to Bristol.
Led by Andy Marshall who also spends his time with folk driven black metal act Saor, Fuath are a heavier, more uncomfortable prospect. Still drawing inspiration from bleak winters and mysticism, they are an atmospheric black metal band who bring melancholy to the evening, filtered through intense black metal work outs.
The perfect soundtrack to the setting sun, Fuath set a glacial tone ready for the indoor stage headliners, however first a secret needed to be revealed and it didn't stay a secret for long that it was the mighty South Wales death metal maniacs in Desecration (8) that stepped into Benighted's place at extremely short notice.
Almost two months before their scheduled return gig, this 'warm up' reminded me just how much I'd missed watching them live. Formed by Ollie Jones (vocals/guitars) in 1993, the Newport death crew have been through countless members over the years, resulting in long periods of in activity, mainly because Ollie and drummer Mike Hourihan are both part of Extreme Noise Terror.
Their most recent live hiatus has led to the recruitment of Charlie Rogers on bass and the trio took the outdoor stage by storm with their snarling, feral death metal now given some lead bass for added potency, this is death born from the 90's scene full of grind and gutturals, it's about as old school as it comes.
Always good to see Desecration and while some may have been disappointed about Benighted not playing you cannot argue with the calibre (and geographical closeness) of their replacement, more Desecration shows please!
Finally the entire mass of Bristol's (and beyond) metal community made their way onto the once consecrated ground of the Trinity Centre to witness the first live ritual in Bristol for 22 years from arguably the most important Greek metal band in history. Co-Founders of the Hellenic Black Metal scene they have transcended it to become a band who appeal to broad selection of the extreme metal crowd, adapting their early black metal rawness into the symphonic, cinematic blackned death metal band they are today.
Usually performing on stages much bigger than this seeing Rotting Christ (10) in such an intimate space was absolutely magnificent, surrounded by long time fans, newer converts, members of the other band who revere them as well as one or two Greeks who were absolutely losing their shit, Rotting Christ commanded the stage as soon as they stepped foot on it.
Brothers Sakis (vocals/guitar) and Themis (drums) Tolis still lead the band to this day, the living embodiment of the cry of "Non Serviam" that Rotting Christ have been living for 37 years! The irony of them performing in a former church was not lost on anyone but they were all about business, Sakis and Themis flanked by the two Kostas', lead guitarist Foukarakis and bassist Heliotis as they kicked off the set with Dies Irae.
Drawing mainly from their newer, I mean from 2010's Aealo onwards, material it was the perfect set for anyone who hasn't seen them in those 22 years since they last played Bristol but has watched them ascend to the lofty position they are at today, which has off the back of that album. Being so close to the band meant that you could see every emotion on the bands face, Sakis especially was having the time of his life, playing up to the crowd both at the front and at the side of stage.
For the long time fans there was of course older material including the ever present Non Serviam along with King Of The Stellar War but every song was greeted as if it was an old friend and while they've been away from Bristol for a long time, Rotting Christ came roaring back like they have something to prove and remind us what we've been missing.
An imperious headline set to top of a stellar day of music. Bristol Extreme Fest was a perfectly curated day of the best extreme music the UK and beyond has to offer, with special sets, returns and a headline set that will be difficult to top, we'll be keeping a close eye on the plans for 2027, but you should definitely be there!
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