Heretic Fest 2022 - Day 1
- Rock Media UK
- Jun 12, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 1, 2022
Corporation Sheffield
Live review by; DeeDee
Friday the 13th, but there was no bad luck as we headed to the Corporation for the inaugural Heretic Fest. We were just in time for the first band, after a quick walk from the hotel. Compere for the weekend, none other than the man himself Pete K Mally.
The Bolton lads are up first and give us five off the album ‘From The Darkness’ their debut from 2020. It’s a blast from the start with ‘Battle Hymn’ and the Sheffield venue begins to fill while they march on with ‘I’m Not A Bad Guy’ which is an attacking number packed with Jack’s ferocious riff and that ear splintering drumming from Morgan Deveney.
I think ‘Palace Walls’ just defines what this band are about, precise fret tapping, the eloquent vocals from Alex and that vast amount of energy that they manage to thrust out, every single time. It’s a jaw dropping song and the drop to harder chords near the end, is perfect shock treatment. ‘Shadows’ enters the room quietly but then gets into its stride with a massive hook that never departs. Last up is ‘If The Gods Be Good’ and the guys are popular today, despite being openers, there’s a decent gathering and the sound is pretty good. Always a pleasure to watch Unknown Refuge and they’re a really friendly bunch.
Up from Nuneaton this gang of three have prepared a thunderous set made up mostly from last years album ’Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time’ which was produced by Dave Draper and featured Jesse Hughes (Eagles of Death Metal).
I notice some new additions as well, so as they buckle down with the low grind of ‘Outlaw’ they have my full attention from the nearby bar. ‘Get Out’ and ‘Salacious’ are new territory for me, stomping tunes tho and lead well into the familiar rant of ’Never Change’. The lighter ’Sky Tonight’ allows us to catch our breath before one of my favourites, ’Tell Me Why’ gets the Corporation crowd jumping. The crackling guitar and lush vocals from Ash Tustain, pour forth on ‘Satisfied’ with backing vocals to enrich the finish, then there’s that delicate ending. ‘Hands Off’ is another new track and ‘Roadrunner’ sets the pace before ‘Time Froze’ erupts to bring the performance to an incredible end.
There are a few local acts on this weekend and these two brothers, Phil and Tommy Goodwin are one of them. CDMC are new to me and as the introduction is one of heavy rap, I believe I’m in for something different. Bouncing all over the stage Phil is certainly good to watch and an excellent showman.
Their style is hard to narrow down, a mix of the Beastie Boys with a slab of industrial metal, sort of describes them. Tommy is also very active, standing up to play on occasion and even adding harmonica when we eventually get a slower twelve bar blues type of number with a bit of Zeppelin mingled in, I think it was ’Trampled Under Foot’. Phil then stemmed the flow with too much conversation, it broke up the rhythm for too long, but they rounded it all off with a rock-rap finale and the audience loved them. Total lunatics that you should definitely catch live. CDMC thank you, what an experience!
I have admired Oli ever since watching Raveneye a few years back, at the Steelhouse festival. The guitarist has so much talent and these days so many contacts and projects, it’s hard to keep up. Here in Sheffield he brings us his latest creation titled ‘The Dead Collective’. I understand Oli has struggled recently, like so many these last two years have tested even the most resilient of us. However, coming out the other side and with the help of Wayne Proctor, who not only drums for the band but has also engineered and produced the music, tonight they are joined by the charming Sam Wood (Wayward Sons) also on guitar.
The forthcoming eponymous album is played in full, but as yet, only ‘Haunted’ has been released as a single. The result is a set of deep and moody blues with the two guitarists complementing each other. Guitarists who know how to play together I must add, as I’ve never seen a set list printed with not only the key but BPM (Beats Per Minute) against each song before! From the opening ‘Father’ to the dynamic ‘Sinking Ship’ and stunning intertwining of ‘I Wont Leave’ and ‘Haunted’ we are transfixed for the whole session. I’m sure the album will be released to coincide with the upcoming tour in Sept/Oct when the band support Cheap Trick. But keep up to date on Oli’s social pages for more info.
If there’s one band who can round off a perfect day of music, it’s the outstanding Inglorious. Formed back in 2014 by ex ‘Trans Siberian Orchestra’ and ‘Uli John Roth’ vocalist Nathan James, this band are renown for their AOR and power ballads, targeting and captivating audiences worldwide. It was as support to the Winery Dogs that they first blew me away, since then there have been changes to the line up and the band have now solidified into a force to be reckoned with. ’She Wont Let Go’ and the dynamic ‘Messiah’ soon increase the temperature in the Corporation and after these new songs from ‘We Will Ride’ there’s a rendition of ‘Midnight Sky’, the Miley Cyrus song that the band covered on the ‘Heroine’ album. More from the back catalogue are instantly recognised by the crowd, ‘Where Are You Now’ and ‘Read All About It’ are stuffed with Nathan’s smoothness and the dual guitars of Danny De La Cruz and Dan Stevens add immense flavour. A sumptuous amount of slide guitar introduces ‘Medusa’, this is also from the new album and is totally delightful. Nothing sums up the way Inglorious get hold of your inner senses more than ‘Holy Water’. A track where Nathan can be compared to David Coverdale in his prime. Good to hear more new creations, the darker ‘He Will Provide’ and softer moments of ‘Eye Of The Storm’ fluctuate the set and after the latest title track, the powerful and passionate, ‘We Will Ride’ there’s a finale by way of the insurmountable ‘Until I Die’, faultless and commanding as ever. Grab a copy of the new album and see Inglorious on the road, they are at the Steelhouse Festival on July 29th and at Firestorm on August 13th.
Day one over already and time to reflect a little. The corporation is a decent place, near to the centre of Sheffield and hotels are easy to find close by. The bands take time out in the ‘kitchen’, as I call the small merchandise room, to share photos and chat to fans. There’s enough seating and three bars, so no queues and a courtyard just outside where you can smoke, with more tables. Anyway more to follow on Day 2, time to head back to base.
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