ALBUM REVIEW: Cathartic melancholia from The Crawling on Wolves And The Hideous White

SOMETIMES an album comes along that is almost completely flawless -something that transforms what your understanding of what metal is; something that takes the clichéd genre sub-divisions and tips a heap of sonic abuse atop of the conventions.

To say such statements about any band would appear biased - but to say such things about a Northern Ireland metal act given the nature of this site would appear to be the most brown-nosed attitude of a reviewer.

But The Crawling's second album, 'Wolves And The Hideous White' is remarkable in the best sense of the word. Forget the labels 'doom' or 'death', this is pure metal, performed with a sense of bravura and seeping with bathos.

Yes, the sometimes hilarious YouTube series from Andy Clarke on the agonies of putting the recordings together give an insight into what bands go through but in the end The Crawling have put together six tracks that will have listeners contemplating the human condition...and wondering at what we are here in this fucked up 2018.

To be sure many walk these sonic echo chambers, but The Crawling give voice through exploration, yet the pain and agony of humanity is on Wolves and the Hideous White a cathartic journey.

We all feel disconnected in this connected world - but to hear that reflected by this three-piece is a validation that our loneliness and despair that we may feel and by the same token a mirror that allows us to be ourselves.

To make an extremely bold statement (I await the Twitter backlash) The Crawling have taken the torch held aloft by Geezer Butler and doused it in the flickering despair of a post-agreement fucked up Northern Ireland.

Yet the themes explored are universal, such as on the insistent 'Rancid Harmony', which has anyone with the least self-awareness being forced to look within.

What makes this lyrically an outstanding release is that the sonic assault mirrors it to such an extent  that even if one were to ignore the words one would be forced to contemplate your own position in a universe that seems to push us by, ignoring our pleas and prayers. But that is what makes this special.

To hear and feel what we keep hidden in our darkest moments; the times when we stare in the darkness at the ceiling and wonder why we exist, is revelatory. We are not alone in these thought and fears. That  we ae not alone is a service The Crawling provide.

Such deep sentiments about the human condition and the desire - no, more than desire, the need, to feel part of this fucked up human state is to sense we are not alone.

But by the same token the music Andy, Stuart and Gary have loosed upon the world is achingly beautiful. 'Drowned in Shallow Water' is perhaps a song that even after several listens - and a few more - moves one to tears.

True, there are but six songs on Wolves And The Hideous White, but they will rent your heart and help you explore your soul. If 'Anatomy Of Loss' set the landscape this album forces you to walk the path of  broken paving and shattered glass. It is truly 'A Time for Broken Things'.

We want to belong, we want to be part of something - even if we cannot know what that exactly is - and we need to hold each other's spirit's together.

On this album The Crawling have done just that. True, they could have done without the tolling bell intro on 'Still No Sun' but that is just a petty jibe as we try to find some point to make...

To put it bluntly, this is an album you need in your life: Yes, it is musically impeccable (apart from yon bell!), and yes it taps into our deepest fears, but by dong so it is a chance for catharsis from the doomed melodies within. It is a chance to embrace the arrangements, to wallow in the emotions, to celebrate the fact that when metal is this good the dark themes explored are the most life-affirming sounds on this fucked up planet.

Review by Jonathan Traynor

Wolves and The Hideous White is available now for per-order
The official launch is on November 15th at Belfast's Empire, with Conjuring Fate, Neamhni and Disconnect providing support and is part of Belfast Music Week

LIVE REVIEW: Bloodshot Dawn drop jaws as Northern DeathFest sees extreme (metal) comaradarie

GIVEN the extreme nature of the music aired at Northern DeathFest outsiders would be surprised at the smiles and camaraderie emanating from both the stage and throughout the audience. It was as if the sense of belonging amongst metal fans had become a tangible entity to an aural assault backdrop.

While the headliners were odds on to impress the seven bands performed to such an extent there was no low points, no mid-set slacking, no tailing off. Instead of which there was playing to such a high standard that by the time the final chords of the evening played it was a delirious exhaustion for all.

Openers Rupturation set the metal ball rolling at the ungodly hour of 14:30. Any cobwebs lurking in the rafters or muddy heads were shaken, battered and delighted.

Given the history behind the three-piece their set was an astounding, wonderful definition of rising, death metal nailed on.

Fresh from their success in Heat One of Northern Ireland's Metal2TheMasses Lock Horns mounted the stage with intent. Their take on progressive metal has nothing to do with standing around looking at fretboards. This is high energy in human form, with static practically electrifying the stage.

But, amidst the frenzy the playing had a panache and precision that was beautifully beguiling.

Like Lock Horns Stranglewire have an album out soon, but any future gazing was shattered as they produced death metal from unearthly dimensions. Their psychologically twisted music came dripping with hatred for the human race.

Dig behind the assault and there is something disturbing about the delivery from Stranglewire. Disturbing in a good way...

The Crawling have emerged in recent months as something of the darlings of the doom/death/misery metal scene, and deservedly so. The menace they have developed through playing far and wide invokes a sense of despair in their music - much to the delight of the audiences.

That oxymoron sums up The Crawling. Their miserable anthems are joyous to the sceptical, cynical bastard that lurks in us all, but on their playing at DeathFest was welcome.

Tighter than a shark's arse and as terrifying as facing a shark's maw Overoth know what they do and on Saturday they did it as well as ever. Knowing that they had a later afternoon set, knowing that many pints had been sunk by the audience like a death metal blunderbuss they spattered Limelight2 with shots carefully aimed to dismember.

Riffs and soloing aplenty as always, but to keep the crowd engaged was impressive. But then again they live up to what their fierce reputation as always.

With an hour's break for gear change Reprisal faced a difficult challenge but frontman Tom wasn't about to let any bugger come back complacent. A single finger to any faders these Buckinghamshire thrash bastards were here to let Belfast know they are a band here to stay.

The fine line between thrash and death was tred well and they are a band that will surely be welcomed back to the city.

As for Bloodshot Dawn...the last time they played Belfast the audience jaws dropped. This time jaws hit the floor. They were very good last time They were beyond great on January 28th.

There is an elixir that they have concocted deep in some dungeon in Portsmouth that melds ferocity and mind-altering metal melodies.

Numbers from Reanimation (Phil's review s here) were balanced with a healthy smattering of older material, but what was consistent was the interplay and balance between Josh and Morgan intricacy and the heaviness of the band in toto.

Northern Deathfest proved a couple of things -beyond the audience draw of extreme metal. Firstly the talent across the UK is astounding. And, Northern Ireland 'heavier' bands ae growing and developing at a pace that could barely be credited five years ago.

Review by Jonathan Traynor
Pictures by Darren McVeigh
Additional reporting by Zakk Traynor

INTERVIEW: Miserable bastards come out into the sunshine - The Crawling in the daylight...

THE adjective 'happy' is not one you could apply to the music of The Crawling. Denizens of the darker reaches of humanity, a place where doom sounds cheerful in comparison to the palette of dread and death they paint from...

So what do the miserable trio do when faced with the prospect of sunshine, bright days and everyone smiling with "taps aff", barbecues, and cold beers...Andy Clarke offers one answer..

"Summer plans? We just want to hide until the dark winter months!"

Nah - they are on a mission to bring the night into the day. Last year they stormed the Hobgoblin Stage at Bloodstock, conjuring creative gloom amidst the Derbyshire summer. That performance was the springboard to launch their critically acclaimed album 'Anatomy of Loss' (review here) and earn them key 2017 dates.

"Actually the summer has turned out even better than we hoped," said Clarke. "Next up when have the honour of playing METAL DAYS in Slovenia, which is just unreal.

"This is our 3rd large European festival, and we are super excited about it!"

If you are in Slovenia perchance they play on Monday 24th July – 16:15 on the Boško Bursać Stage.

Never missing a chance to bring wretchedness to the happy people, The Crawling are off again to Tubby's Farm in Hillsborough...

"We’ll only be back from Metal Days, and then we hit Sunflowerfest in Northern Ireland for the second year in a row," said Clarke.

In an unusually upbeat comment he said: "It’s a really cool weekend of music, arts, crafts, fine food, camping, and of course – beer: lots of it! We are thrilled to be invited back, and it’s great to see more metal bands this year as we share the stage with Zlatanera, Cursed Sun and heavy metal tyrants Stormzone!"

With that out of the way The Crawling will be preaching despair over the country.

"August sees our first trip over to mainland UK since Bloodstock 2016, as we accompany Strangle Wire playing Wales and London; it is guaranteed to be a heavy weekend."

Heavy? The Large Hadron Collider in Cern would collapse under such heaviness...

And, in case you are feeling chirpy this July have this slice of anti-cheerful slice of 'The Right To Crawl'

ALBUM REVIWEW: Elegy to agonies on Anatomy of Loss from The Crawling

THE agonies of life, the pain of loss, the morose mundane existence of 21st Century life - yes The Crawling haven't released a happy clappy début album full of soaring choruses and posed pretentiousness with 'Anatomy of Loss'.

It is sourced from living in a bleak commuter town pretending to be a city; concrete corrosiveness and a stark pretentious populace blithely living in a bubble of hyper-normalisation, consumerism, avoiding reality lest it intrude on their narcissistic lives.

Andy, Stuart and Gary have produced an album ridden with pain, as they say on 'Poison Orange' the sense of "drowning in horror" pervades each tortured note.

If there is hope to be taken from this album, it is only the almost cathartic realisation that others share your loathing for what passes as civilisation.

Musically doom, sludge and bleak metal have been absorbed into a sensibility where the despair on "Acid On My Skin" is the most 'cheerful' sounding track, with its terror and chorus about tearing out ones own eyes.

However, while there is a monochrome level within the subject matter there is a three-dimensional element to each track. The careful use of repetitious riffage is matched by subtle changes of mood, with Gary's measured deployment of fills rather than trying to overwhelm each track, such as when after a minute of 'The Right To Crawl' the speed moves from up a little, emphasising the full-tilt lyrical rant.

On the same track Andy and Stuart pick out with delicacy the space for the listener to briefly surface, gulp a mouthful of oxygen before returning to the ocean of bile.

This is not an album to sit lightly and play in the background; this is an album to, like that ocean of bile, to immerse yourself in; wallow in its fear and anger.

Anger is probably the best way to characterise the feeling as you contemplate the words. It is a brooding anger that loathes itself as it lashes out at a putrid world. For every careful note chosen there is a sense of hatred, a resonance of personal distrust and an elegy to agonies thrust upon the individual.

There are no brief interludes as each song is given the right length, with the shortest song, 'All Our Failings' just shy of four and a half minutes.

What it does mean is that on the likes of 'Violence Vanity and Neglect' the timing is such that it is the metal equivalent of Tantric Sex - delaying the climactic musical moment to ensure each feeling is savoured like barbed wire drawn across taut skin.

Closer 'Catatonic' caresses the inner fears with a depth and development of the song such as to take loss and yearn for a return that is never possible. Like all songs on this release the arrangement and the pacing match the lyrics and music perfectly.

It is unfair to pick a 'best' track from an album such a 'Anatomy of Loss' as all stand true to themselves, each of the seven songs to be experienced as one idea. The art and craft of writing albums has not been lost on The Crawling.

Long may their misery master over our aural needs.

Review by Jonathan Traynor

Anatomy of Loss will be officially launched on Saturday, April 8th in Limelight2, with support from Valpurga and Shourded.

LIVE REVIEW: Blackening skies as Vulperga, Drakonis and The Crawling land in Limelight

IF you like your metal dark, grimy and dangerous, then the Limelight was well and truly the place to be on Saturday night, with not one, but three blackened metal bands displaying their malevolent wares.

Up first was Valpurga, who are coming up to their twentieth year as a band. Consisting of just three people (and a drum track), they ascend the stage steps clad in all black, with vocalist Ruby Black wearing a sort of clingy black cowled dress with pentacle-link belt.

Despite their longevity they often seem a bit hesitant, particularly frontwoman Black, who seems ill at ease during the instrumental sections. No matter; her snarling scream is simply perfect for the band's atmospheric black metal, filled as it is with tales of darkness, soul stealing and Satan.

The fact that they stay 'in character' throughout their forty five minute set and don't interact at all with the crowd is a tiny bit disconcerting, but admittedly it does add to the sense of menace and glowering intensity of their music.

Beginning their set with a thunderous blast of noise, blackened death metallers Drakonis certainly get everyone's attention right away. Cleverly combining the icy atmosphere of black metal with the fiery roar of death metal, they are the sonic equivalent of a chainsaw, with songs that ripple and roil with menace – and when they pick up the pace mid-song, the result threatens to blow the bloody doors off the place.

Frontman 'Cass' Cassidy possesses an equally impressive voice, with a scream like the hounds of Hell leading tracks such as 'Ravens Fill the Sky' and 'Fear of the Wretched'. New track 'The Abundance of Sin', with its battering ram beat, also receives copious applause.

They, too, have the blackened metal look down pat, with corpse painted faces and Cassidy's chain mail vest (not to mention the skull hanging off his mike stand and his cat o' nine tails whip, which he occasionally uses to self flagellate).

Watching them perform, it's hard to believe they are still a fledgling band, having only played a handful of gigs with this line-up; impressive, indeed.

A smoky and atmospheric intro heralds the arrival of doom/death metal headliners The Crawling,
who – once the smoke clears – are instantly engaging, particularly vocalist/guitarist Andy Clarke, who is all intense glares and  mesmerising charisma, with a voice straight from the bowels of Hell.

Their richly textured songs combine both slow and fast sections – doom and death – with the faster sections simply commanding the crowd to headbang, which they do, ecstatically.

They play a mix of both current songs such as 'Catatonic' and, excitingly, new tracks from their upcoming, as yet untitled album, such as 'Violence, Vanity and Neglect', which has a thick groove and an almost stoner metal feel.

There's a real symbiotic relationship between the crowd and the band, with Clarke in particular feeding of the waves of applause and relish washing over the stage. And when they close their set with the magnificently creepy 'The Right to Crawl', with its buzzing fly intro and masterful use of pace changes, the flailing hair in the room could power a wind turbine.

Once again, it's a visceral and thrilling set from this talented bunch.

The black/death metal scene in Northern Ireland is in gloriously rude health right now, as was made abundantly clear tonight by the three bands who played so convincingly and so ardently. Menacing, bloody and murky: the kind of music that punches you in the gut and gleefully eviscerates you. Oh yes.

Review by Melanie Black

Pictures by Darren McVeigh and Dave Kerr
Reproduction only by written permission

NEWS: The Distortion Project fundraiser Number two - be there...no excuses

RIGHT you feckers,  sit up and pay attention. No slouching at the back and no hiding yer sleeping eyes with yer long hair because this is important.

Here in Norn Iron we have some tremendous promoters bringing the rock and metal from far afield and close at hand, Derwin brings the hard rock to The Diamond Rock Club, Philip with SO:NI, Ciaran bringing eclectic bands, and Jonny at Shizznagh with even more eclectic acts.

If you want to keep up to date with what they are doing Mark Ashby has a Facebook Group (NI Rock and Metal Bands) in which he keeps us all up to date on what is happening. [And, it would be remiss of me to mention that he and his wife Carolyn celebrated their wedding anniversary by taking control of Uber Rock - good luck people!]

But, let not your attention wander...

One promoter who continuously takes risks to keep our wee metal hearts beating is Mr James Loveday. The Distortion Project keeps us occupied on Saturday evenings and is bringing acts such as Buckcherry, Meshuggah and Napalm Death and coming up fast, Raging Speedhorn.

But with all this risks means The Distortion Project is holding a second fundraiser to keep the metal tearing up our senses, ears,  necks and livers..

Put Saturday, 17th September in your diaries, write it down in blood. Be there at 4pm. Hand over £6 and buy some raffle tickets. Your reward? You'll help The Distortion Project bring more acts to our wee shores.

And, you'll have your teeth rattled.

For from 4pm until the heady hour of 9pm you can watch Neamhni, Fuckhammer, Shrouded and Bad Boat (and one more yet to be announced).

Value for money? Five bands is value for money.

I see that has got your attention, you've pencilled it in blood in your diaries (those using their mobiles and tablets are excused from using blood on their tech, but carve it into a visible part of your anatomy) and you'll be there, Right?

And, because Mr Loveday is a nice guy you can recover from any hangover the next day by catching Raging Speedhorn at the Voodoo with our own hardcore heroes By Any Means and Dublin's Dead Label. See we told you he was a nice guy. Until then we'll this coming weekend you can catch The Crawling, Shrouded and Valpurga at Limelight2 in a DP show and bomb up to the Diamond Rock Club to see Chariot and Terminus afterwards...

You may find one of the Belfastmetalheads team wandering about, but DON'T forget 17th September.... 

NEWS: The Crawling, Rabid Bitch Of The North and Zlatanera speak ahead of Bloodstock slots

WITH a mere three weeks until festivities get underway for Bloodstock, we caught up with the three Northern Ireland bands as they get final preparations underway to decamp to Catton Park.

Metal2TheMasses NI winners, The Crawling are already running a BOA competition via Facebook and this is what they said when asked about their appearance at the Hobgoblin New Blood Stage.

"Every now and again, when you are in a band, something cool happens; and then there's playing Bloodstock. It's just brilliant to be part of such an iconic UK festival - we can't fucking wait!"

For Rabid Bitch Of The North they are returning to what has proved to happy metal hunting grounds, and have gained an ever greater exposure in the UK after a mini-tour on the mainland a few weeks ago.

“Bloodstock Round Two is what I’m calling it in my head - our second chance to impress and even larger audience than two years ago,” said singer and bassist Joe McDonnell.

“I think I only got really excited when Bloodstock officially announced us, and I read all the really positive and encouraging feedback on loads of different forums online.”

Joe continued: “People who had seen us on BOA 2014 and those that had heard of us. Any new audience and stage away from home is exciting to play, but the New Blood Hobgoblin Stage will be immense this year.

“It’s the dogs balls to be on the same bill as Twisted Sister (last ever UK show), Venom, Anthrax, Slayer, Diamond Head, Phil Campbells Band, Acid Reign, and the list goes on. The line-up is what Id call actual Heavy Metal this year and we fit right in.”

Satan’s mates, Zlatanera, are all set after this week’s official confirmation of their slot at Bloodstock. Bassist Anthony McKee summed up the band’s thoughts ahead of their appearance.

“Zlatanera feel privileged to be a part of Bloodstock 2016, playing the Jäger stage,” he said. “This will be our first gig outside of Ireland and what better way to make our mainland UK debut, than at one of the most prestigious and diverse metal festivals.

“We look forward to treating Bloodstock to our familiar blend of riffs, immersive rock and songs about the devil and hope to see an unquantifiable amount of horns being thrown and heads being banged. This is going to be good/evil!”

Bloodstock are you ready for this trio of Northern Irish monsters stamping their way towards you?

NEWS: With just three weeks to Bloodstock more Irish and Northern Ireland bands announced

IT'S just three short weeks to go until Bloodstock and the latest act from Northern Ireland has been confirmed - the mighty Zlatanera!

They are joining Rabid Bitch Of The North and Metal2TheMasses winners The Crawling.

In what is turning into a metal invasion from both parts of the island to the iconic Catton Park venue Dublin thrashers Psykosis have been joined by Two Tales of Woe.

Oh, and apparently there are some other bands playing you might have heard of, like Mastodon, Gojira, Twisted Sister, Slayer, Anthrax, Goathwhore, Diamond Head, Behemoth,, Acid Reign, Gloryhammer, and dozens more!

NEWS: Only seven weekends until Bloodstock and more band announced

THERE’S just 48 days until your wait is over for Bloodstock - the biggest heavy metal party weekender of the year!  Bloodstock HQ is a hive of activity; the sunshine is on pre-order and there are still more bands being confirmed!

And, don’t forget that Northern Ireland acts Rabid Bitch of the North and The Crawling will be on the line-up…

New bands added incluse are rising Century Media metalheads, Heart Of A Coward (https://www.facebook.com/heartofacoward) who have a Sunday slot snagged. Check out the video for ‘Hollow’ from last album ‘Deliverance’ at: https://youtu.be/C-h3c2VnA7A.

Joining Friday’s Sophie Stage bill are German symphonic metal outfit Beyond The Black (https://www.facebook.com/beyondtheblackofficial), Wigan’s own progressive sludgelords Boss Keloid (https://www.facebook.com/bosskeloidband), and self-described ‘epic fantasycore’ group Fury from Worcester (https://www.facebook.com/furyofficial).   

Meanwhile, snagging a Sophie Stage slot on Saturday are heavy psych merchants Vodun (https://www.facebook.com/VODUNBAND) fresh from Stone Free festival last weekend and fast-rising London melodic metallers, The Raven Age (https://www.facebook.com/TheRavenAge).

Bloodstock is very pleased to welcome back TEENAGE CANCER TRUST as their official charity partner once again.  After shattering all previous fundraising records in 2015 with a colossal total in excess of £13.5K, Bloodstock hopes you’ll join them to raise even more cash in 2016 to help TEENAGE CANCER TRUST support young people with cancer all over the UK.

Maybe you waded through D(r)ownload?  Or you’re paddling off to Glastonbury?  First timers and old timers, everyone’s welcome at BLOODSTOCK.  If you’ve a little ‘un under 4 yrs old, they can even join you for free.  No mates to go with or a bit unsure on your first visit?  Make new friends with the “Bloodstock Loners & Newbies” camp, a Facebook group set up by some regulars (https://www.facebook.com/groups/171715506329753/).

Already announced for 2016 are our three headliners, TWISTED SISTER (in their last ever UK show), MASTODON and SLAYER, plus special guests BEHEMOTH, GOJIRA and ANTHRAX.  Also on the bill are FEAR FACTORY, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, SYMPHONY X, SATYRICON, PARADISE LOST, DRAGONFORCE, METAL ALLEGIANCE, STUCK MOJO, ROTTING CHRIST, MISERY LOVES CO, AKERCOCKE, GHOST BATH, VENOM, UNEARTH, DIAMOND HEAD, GOATWHORE, ACID REIGN and many more.  Additional bands are still to be announced.

Weekend tickets with camping, plus various VIP packages, are available now priced from £139 (+ booking fee) at http://Bloodstock.seetickets.com/event/Bloodstock-2016/catton-park/902838.  Learn more about VIP via https://youtu.be/fAzkTVvjnn0 but don’t hang about, as these tickets always sell out in advance!!

BLOODSTOCK will be held at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 11th-14th August 2016.  Keep up to date with the very latest info on BLOODSTOCK’s official sites at www.facebook.com/Bloodstock and www.Bloodstock.uk.com, or via Twitter on @BLOODSTOCKFEST.

LIVE REVIEW: Masses of metal bringing the might of Belfast to bear for Metal2TheMasses final

SIX bands emerged from five heats and three semis to take to the stage in Belfast's Voodoo for the Northern Ireland final of Metal2TheMasses and a chance to play Bloodstock Open Air.

The sheer weight of talent on display throughout the weeks and months leading up to the final on Friday, 6th May. And, in Belfast it is appropriate to call the fight for Bloodstock it a titanic battle.

The prize was enough to see all on display push themselves further, cranking up the power and letting loose riffs and shredding.

With the running order chosen at random Sinocence took to the stage first. The bar was set high early with songs honed to razor sharp edge. New stricksman Ben has helped transform their melodic metal into a brooding monster.

It was like a Vulcan mind meld between the four members as they pounded through their half-hour slot.

Then the swords were held aloft as Scimitar brought thrash to the party. Bringing back their codology with plastic Scimitars handed out to the crowd. The band rose to a new level on the stage with recent shows helping them to have ever more positive stage presence.

As with all the acts they took hold of the opportunity presented by the scruff of the neck and produced a performance worthy of the final.

Brooding and menacing The Crawling emerged on to the stage like a snake uncoiling ready to strike a deadly blow. Well-paced, the three-piece manage to take slowed down death and when the time was right amp the speed up with a deadly blow to the senses.

Terrifying and tremendous The Crawling created metal havoc, striking with precision.

Death was in the house as Drakonis brought their blackened death metal to the stage with the right balance of drama in visuals and music. With the mic stand adorned by a skull and appropriate make-up it would be easy to let the music slip into second place, but that has never been the case with this incarnation of Drakonis.

They are now brimming with potential, poised to reach the next level.

For all their schlock rock schtick So Long Until The Séance (SLUTS) produce an edgy performance, with fun and metal in equal measures. Keetars, make-up and the sensibility of 80s metal merged with mock 90s horror rock.

The stage presence is infectious and brings grins and movement throughout the audience. SLUTS know how to work a crowd.

With a bang Cursed Sun bounce on to stage, with a well thought out exercise in contemporary metal, taking the sounds of noughties metal, and adding a Northern Ireland take on the sound. Twin guitars bringing a distinctive sounds that builds and builds through each song.

It is fair to say that Cursed Son can hammer out metal and melody in the right dose as they end the evening's music to a close with the audience baying to hear who would lift the prize.

After a raffle for a weekend pass to Bloodstock the man charged with making the decision, Mr Bloodstock Simon Hall - after a no doubt agonising decision took the mic and proclaimed The Crawling as winners; a decision he said was tough giving the quality on display.

Worthy winners, and equally worthy were all who took to the stage. For the bands it was a serious matter, but the audience were enthralled by six acts showing why Northern Ireland produces a diverse set of quality metal week in and week out.

Review by Jonny
Photographs by Darren McVeigh
Reproduction of images/words by explicit written permission only