Warhorns: Late Summer Fest - Drax Power Station Social Club 2/9/22 ⋆ Ave Noctum

So once more to the land of the elder gods (aka the cooling towers) and the most unique backdrop to a metal festival. This time lit up in the colours of Ukraine which was an interesting touch.
Two days of bands, stalls, fine beer and mead and food. And Viking re-enacters and an archery competition (I would have taken part but, well when I was an adventurer I took an arrow to the shoulder….). And no doubt missing a band due to food and completely missing the raffle as usual.

Glyn, Marc, Elliot and the rest of the crew were our guides and heroes as ever. And Rex now our beloved and official mascot. A sold-out festival awaited.

Friday

Food, a little catchup with long absent friends and acquaintances over beer, and a look at the varied stalls were a gentle opening. We had crochet delights from the wonderfully named Bistitchual Motherhooker, beautiful animal themed jewellery and bonework by Nordalune (Rebekah Ann), Valkenwolf’s Nordic themed crafts (run by Amber Marie of Solfyr) right next to the very popular archery range run by her partner James Parrish who was fantastic with his eagerness to share knowledge and skill. Strange and darkly decorated objects were sold by Ronnie Graves on her Oddsockz stall, the never resting Annabel Newey and her ‘famously annoying shots’ (her words) and last but never least the always fantastic Abbie ‘Stabby’ Rial with her brilliant art and on the spot charicatures. And in fact if you were wondering what the Ave Noctum team looked like, wonder no more. These will be added to a wider work of the Warhorners.

And music. Oh yes music.

The honour of opening was given to relatively new London band Bring To Bear. Including an accordian in their six piece lineup, they looked set to be classic Warhorns fodder. With twin death and clean vocals and nice meaty riffs anchoring the accordion sound they were a jaunty opener indeed.

With a sound somewhere between the drama of Eluveitie in places and the lighter joy of Korpiklaani. A minor tech issue gave us an accordion solo they clearly got the hang of the crowd and garnered a warm response. Look out for them, they will scratch your oompah itch.

Scars Of Sense followed. The last time I’d seen or heard this four piece was 2018 I think and recalled not being entirely won over but hopeful for their future. Well I can genuinely say I was so pleased with what I saw.

They had a nice stage presence and a serious attitude befitting the music. They have a gnarly sound, an almost crusty edge to their dead serious folk metal; rough vocals reminding me of Martin Walkier and the early days of Skyclad.

Keening, emotional fiddle and the more real-world concerns of the earnest vocals filter in a little early Levellers maybe. Regardless songs like ‘Re-Set’ the surging ‘Shine’ and the punky ‘Trash’ are all delivered in excellent fashion and go down very nicely with the crowd. Very cool to see. Better buy the CD then…

Bristol’s Mordrake then offer an entirely different prospect. A dark, most definitely brooding intro pushes us determinedly into some intense and melodic blackened metal.

At times they play with off kilter riffs and a death style, visually with a little face and body makeup they present a dark and intense show but it all fits together from chug to flowing guitar. The superb ‘Bloodstained Winter’ and the much more black metal ‘Blidvolsted are great even for first time hearing.

Bought an older CD but hope they can get these other songs down as they are clearly developing and coalescing around their ideal sound.

Which was a nice way to transition into some full on black metal from Argesk. A delicate but atmospheric intro kicked off into ‘Servant Of Fire’ (I think) and I was swept in by the melodic keyboards (live!).

This is wild, tempestuous black metal with great symphonic keyboards and the fact that they do this live is just another star to the review. Onstage the look is a little curious – neat matching tops but only the keyboard player in corpse paint is momentarily distracting and maybe needs a band meeting to blend a little better one way or the other. But what you absolutely cannot fault about their stage craft is the intent. Bass and frontman are intense and visual in their movements, something they keyboards manage two and the vocals are just great.’Lord Of The Boundless Void’ has a little of early Limbonic Art to the feel, Gehenna in other places, but still a very UK heart. ‘Adversary’ is a nice biting track but the awesome closer ‘Drowned In Freezing Waters ‘ is just epic, wild, yearning excellence.

Can’t wait to see where they go from here, but catch them any chance you can. Clobber records have another gem here.

Denali return next. After a hugely well received set at Winterfest and a little jaunt to some low-key gig at a place called Bloodstock, the doooom returns! ‘Catafalque’ just has such a rich, slow, dark sound. A little gathering of pace and then that delicate moment of sweet melody before all hope is crushed. ‘Beneath The Waves’ plunges us deeper.

Again, just the seemingly effortless class they have makes these great tracks of death/doom feel like the heaviest of drapes gliding over dusty stone hallways. I still hear the echoes of very early Paradise Lost and a touch of MDB and some melodic touches which genuinely remind me of Mirror Of Deception and all just waltzing around the perimeter of the funereal. But this is all enveloped within their own rising, stately sound. ‘Her Body’ is a.new song, the rest of the set being their current EP and it just reiterates that they have found their stretch of dark slow waters and are following their own course. The fantastic ‘Deathless’ closes to a crowd of slowly, deeply nodding heads and a deeply felt reception.

Wonderful.

Was curious how this lineup would work as after the crushing Denali we had the total opposite. Solfyr. From the black and grim guys we have the blonde and singular Amber Marie alone up on the stage. Just herself, her microphone and the effects board. Having been enthralled by this singer before I was so keen to see what if anything has changed. Well, the extraordinary voice has not and her confidence is much stronger. Sweet, ethereal but deeply emotional her tone is both full of spirit and fearfully vulnerable.

This is a set not about songs but of entrancement and wonder and a spiritual reaching out. She stands still in the bright spotlight, her voice weaving into the performance whatever spirits choose to gather about her sound. She is still throughout the song, pausing only to set the loops and the balances between. Perhaps sometimes it pulled you out a little, maybe peddles might work better as Jo Quail uses, but really moments into the next passage you were back in her world so what do I know?

The crowd is respectful and very appreciative and the choice of this reflective set between Denali and the headliners proves to be a perfectly judged idea and the most intimate set of the weekend.

And closing the first day, following that, we have the equally extraordinary Countless Skies. Dutifully I note their name in my notebook and… nothing else. Not one word. Because from the opening of ‘Moon’ and its beckoning keyboards, the proggy riff and the melody theme they have the crowd and me included. I don’t want to be moved from within their music.

Those extraordinary rising clean vocals from bass man Phil Romeo, the fluttering guitar from the hunched over, mesmeric figure of James Pratt. Ross King the ringmaster, maybe with his great harsh vocals and riffs. Nathan Robshaw doing the miraculous of keeping this flight grounded but flowing.

‘Summit’ arrives and to a lovely reception we get a genuine Warhorns favourite, the incredible Arianna Mahsayeh joining them. Her cello swells the sound and her presence dancing with her instrument is yet another compelling visual. It just works so well.

‘Daybreak’ with its scampering beginning lifts me higher than any song they do; the aching, soaring refrain is irresistible and the perfect death vocals keeping that edge. ‘Glow’ the twenty-minute death prog epic gets crowd surfing from a hugely energetic and appreciative audience. I mean, seriously, beat that. Just brilliant to see that music like this can be so appreciated. ‘Wanderer ‘ and ‘Tempest follow to great enthusiasm and by the time ‘Zephyr’ closes I look upwards to make sure the roof is indeed intact. Just a glorious celebration.