Festival Reviews

Another fantastic and historical year of Download Festival has sadly been and gone. It’s a bit like the rock and metal Christmas in a way. Think of this week as being a 7-day boxing day. For once we had very minimal rain (not great for goths and gingers like me!) but bringing an extra sheen to the weekend – plus ...

All good things must come to an end, and this mindset hangs heavy in the air of the final day of Hammerfest 2017. As bleak as it feels, it’s not going to dampen any spirits, as roaring hordes of horn-throwing metal fans are racing to kick-start the glorious finale. Opening the ‘Young Blood’ portion of the festival is the Birmingham ...

There’s a lot of tired and hungover people lumbering around this morning as Hammerfest’s attendees wander to the arenas to open up the first full day of the festival’s ninth instalment. Despite the alcohol induced hindrance, there’s a sizeable swathe of metalheads making their way to the second stage to see something very exciting indeed. Desert Storm open up proceedings inexpert ...

Well, here we are; back for another instalment of the legendary Hard Rock Hell United Hammerfest, and if the first day is anything to go by, the quality is damn high. The sun is beating down on the black shirted, leather jacket-clad festival attendees, and the mood is understandably, ridiculously jubilant. Opening the entire festival with a song described as ...

Well, it feels like we’ve barely started, but we’re on the dawn of the final day of this year’s Hard Rock Hell AOR. The whole event has been excellent so far, and the organisers have certainly saved the best til last. Let’s dive right in. Power is the optimal word for Häxan. There are few things more impressive than a ...

Gloriously, the gods of weather have treated us here at Hard Rock Hell by getting all of the rain out overnight so we don’t have to suffer through it. This is especially welcome as the suffering is real. If you don’t have a hangover this morning, you are not experiencing a rock and roll festival properly. With pounding headaches, a ...

It’s not an enviable task having to open up a festival, but Tequila Mockingbyrd makes it look effortless. The Melbourne-born trio recently relocated to the UK and are on the cusp of releasing their debut in Europe – their Australian fanbase has already been treated to it – and they are out to prove a point, and make sure that ...

February 2017 we sent a photographer along to HRH Metal at the O2 Academy Birmingham to capture the mania. Skindred always manage to conquer any festival stage they play with an excellent balance of talent, entertainment and crowd participation. Lawnmower Deth since their return to the scene have also been known for entertainment and crowd participation. Throw in Red Rum, and we have ...

Navigating further into the depths of Wales, the blue skies faded and the terrain became more rugged as we drew ever nearer to Hard Rock Hell for its tenth instalment. Seeding various spin-offs throughout the year – HRH Blues, HRH AOR, HRH PROG to name but a few – this is the original and, some might say, the best. HRH events ...

We were very fortunate to have access to this years Brutal Assault Festival which is considered one of the best for the extreme metal scene in Europe. With killer bands across four whole days, Cheap Czech lager and a wonderful selection of food (also very cheap) what more could we possibly ask for? With the festival held within the confines ...