Black Sunday V
The Hydrant, Brighton
23/24 April 2011
Metal all-dayers are notoriously difficult to get right. Pack the bill with razor-edged death metal and even your most enthusiastic punter will be wavering after a few hours, but if you opt for a wide variety of styles and acts, you risk driving away elements of the crowd who’ve turned up to see specific bands, scoffing that they don’t want to stick around for any of the ‘emo pussy shit’ that’s coming up next (true story). Brighton based Black Sunday Promotions have been putting on an annual display of the country’s loudest and grimiest bands for our delectation and/or disgust for five years now, and with this year’s expanded event we’re happy to say that they’ve gotten the balance just about right.
With sixteen bands playing over two days, there’s a bit of metallic majesty here for everyone. Despite taking place over a bank holiday weekend (and one of the hottest bank holiday weekends in living memory, to boot), plenty of metalheads make the journey to the Hydrant to give their ears a battering. It’s unlikely that many of them be disappointed. From the instrumental riff-power of Saturday’s openers Shreddertron to the full-throttle classic thrash of Sunday’s headliners Wreckhead, the event is a great overview of the health and diversity of the UK’s metal scene, and in particular that of the South East – and as such running through band by band would keep us all here all day. Here are some of our highlights.
Croydon’s Surrounded By Disgust turn up and proceed to decimate the Hydrant, their utterly feral, unhinged death metal proving surprisingly enjoyable in the afternoon sun. Wasting no time leaping off the stage, the band’s two vocalists provide a welcome focal point, screaming their lungs out and, at one point, drawing blood with an ill judged headbang. Definitely ones to track down. Local lads Subservience are a similarly intense proposition, celebrating St George’s day by hitting the stage in England football garb and generally living up to the party atmosphere. The room’s so hot by the time that they hit the stage that we can barely stand up, so all credit to them for giving such a full-blooded performance under the circumstances. First night’s headliners Ancient Ascendant are another exciting proposition from the Siege Of Amida stable, and their bone-crushing death metal does a great job of rounding off the first day.
As for day two, the attendance is somewhat more impressive, though the ridiculous heat levels remain. Among our picks for the day are local act Sweet Ether, whose grunge-inflected rock is always a safe bet for an impressive set. Keep an eye out for some national dates. In a similarly groovy vein, hard rockers By Definition stand out from the crowd, their pummelling, southern-fried riffs, sturdy percussion work and gruffer-than –gruff vocals making them a must hear for fans of everyone from Clutch to Black Label Society to Godsized. Loud as fuck too. The final double-team of This Means War and Wreckhead works terrifically well – the former living up to their reputation for bizarre stage shows with a member opting to wear a box throughout and generally offending everyone within earshot, while the latter provide no-frills heaviness with the precision of a ballistic missile. For once, an all-dayer worth remembering.
Review by Rob Sayce
