### Dateline: 30th August ###
### Location: Limelight2 ###
Issue: The Distortion Project's RockD with Nomadic Rituals, Astralnaut & Zlantanera
SATAN is a pussy. He ran away when the sheer heaviness and unholy racket was brought to bear by three acts, each determined to layer more and more slabs of musical meat.
Your review team risked the demons, djinns, fiends and hellhounds left by the fleeing Lucifer on Saturday evening.
Fortified by pints of a mystical brew we watched as the spirits of Aleister Crowley and Anton Le Fay nodded ethereally in approval as metal rained down.
Nomadic Rituals sludge fest rained down a slowed down noise. Musical malfeasance; a solid wall of bass, guitar and drums. You know you're in for an endurance test when Mark on drums has nothing to do for the first minute and a half...
Craig and Peter's effects laden performance produced an unholy cacophony, with Craig's agonisingly passionate roars and Peter's wailing strings. While undoubtedly good at what they do, perhaps a little less of the effects next time.
Musically magnificent, mystical emerging from the mysterious County of Armagh, where strange tales rise like mist around the rolling drumlins, come Astralnaut, a ten-legged groove machine.
Where the Limelight2 to be attended by the remnants of ancient peoples, they would be dazzled by light and amplification, but would soon offer their praise to their lords that brought Astranaut's sound to this earth. Demons, djinns and other denizens of the dark corners cowered before the might.
But there is much, much more to this weighty beast of a band. Their ability to put a Northern Ireland stamp on what would otherwise echo of southern groove metal should propel them yet further.
From mellow bellowing to roaring rage Thomas led the line, with Gaz weaving ancient incantations on his six-string JonJoe locked down the rhythm on bass, tight with Stephen's drums.
However, Saturday was one of the last appearances of Pearse on the 'Naut's rhythm guitar. It didn't stop him raging out backing vocals and tying down the sound.
With songs from their releases 'In the Gaze of the Gods' and 'Thieves, Beggars and Swine' aired Astralnaut are accomplished performers, and, as agreed by our review team and several others we respect they were on fire - tight and terrifyingly good.
Headliners Zlantanera have - for those that do not know - is made up from former members of Residual Effect, Stand-up Guy and Interrrogate. This impressive pedigree has been finding its legs over the past year. Now they deliver the promised riffage in a fierce, fiery set of fundamentally furious metallic assault.
From 'A Bad Too Far' through 'Holy Man's Crook, and 'Advance of the Clodhopper' it is clear that Zlantera have risen...
It might have been vocalist, Andy's birthday, but that didn't take the sinister edge in his roars, nor the guitar attack of Willie and Andy. The remaining demons and djinns fled lest they be 'Hooked, Kicked, Hooked Again'. as Anto's bass rumbled and Keith's drums pounded.
What struck most in this set was the potential of Zlantanera, and their potential to grow yet further.
And, as the denizens of Limelight2 emerged agog from the Distortion Project into the Belfast night's peacefulness the faux evil of Satanists, devils and demons had ran, cowering as they realised that metal owns the night.
Nomadic Rituals conjuring, Astralnaut's mystical roar and Zlantanera slaying - another superb night from James Loveday's Distortion Project.
Review by Jonny & Zakk
### End of Despatch ###
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