It’s a special show today, with a broad range of musical styles showcased over the evening and all in aid of a worthy charity. Organisers KRN Promotions have put this show together in memory of two of the organisers, Kristin and Nathan’s little girl, Regan, who was sadly stillborn last year. With third organiser, Rob, being Regan’s godfather, this show is personal, and the goal is to raise as much money as possible. The benefiting charity is Remember My Baby, who provide photography for families like theirs, and who visited to photograph little Regan after her birth. The bands are delighted to be here, the crowd is enthusiastic, and we are all ready to raise some money for an amazing cause.
First act of the night is the one-man project Neo-Cryptid. Hailing from Bradford and self-described as “a singular entity set on fusing the groove and power of metal with the pulsing energy of dance and synth music”, he has very easy banter and some absolutely massive riffs. A strong industrial vibe is evident throughout, especially in the tone of his clean vocals. Neo-Cryptid sounds bigger than one man, and his easy chat with the crowd (and penchant for glowsticks!) means that, despite being just one person, he easily fills the stage. A cracking start to the night!
Next up is Manchester-based heavy rock 5-piece Bring Guns who absolutely tear up the stage and really get the crowd going. The vocalist was energetic and powerful, really hitting some big notes, and they went down a storm amongst the crowd. Their influences definitely come from the more traditional side of rock and metal, a little at odds with the rest of the bands on the bill, but that doesn’t take the edge off their performance here, they are very much enjoyed by the crowd.
Dxrk Winter take to the stage under copious amounts of smoke and dark chanting before blasting into some fast-paced old school metal. These guys are really entertaining, with the lead singer conducting himself like he’s possessed – he’s an unassuming guy at first so it’s fun to see his transformation on stage. There are some surprisingly meaty breakdowns in their songs too, and that’s when they really are at their best. Dxrk Winter really brought the atmosphere to the night, and I would absolutely check these guys out again next time they are playing.
Leeds-based metalcore outfit Inheritor are next, bringing their fat riffs and intricate rhythms to Sanctuary. Immediately heavy and full of breakdowns, the crowd absolutely loves these guys. They had some technical difficulties but handled it like pros, with their lead singer chatting up a storm on stage with the audience like he owns the place. These guys really got the energy up in the crowd, a handful of moshers taking over the dancefloor and getting everyone pumped for the next band.
A little genre detour in the grandiose 5-piece Elkapath, this gothic synth-metal band from Gloucester really bring a sense of theatrics to Sanctuary this evening. Lead singer Carla is superbly decked out in a floaty gothic dress, and while her clean vocals are powerful and beautiful, her intense scream is a very pleasant surprise that I wasn’t expecting. This takes them from slightly generic goth synth band to something a bit heavier and darker, and it really works. Add to that the toe-tapping riffs and the great stage presence — Elkapath won me over this evening.
Liverpudlian band Exhumation are the penultimate band of the evening. Easily the heaviest band on the bill with their no-nonsense brutal death metal, they absolutely pulverise the crowd. Their performance is extremely tight, powerful and energetic, with vocalist Chris really showcasing his range — from the deepest of gutturals through to the most intense of screams, backed up by the rest of this talented 4-piece. It didn’t take long for a small pit to open up, bolstered by their straightforward death metal riffs. Exhumation get better every time I see them and are absolutely a band to check out live should you get the chance.
Styling themselves as the world’s first ever Chef Metal band, Cheshire’s Thrashatouille are the evening’s headliners. Known for their unique blend of thrash/death metal crossed with themes around cooking and food (with their setlist being known as their “set menu”), Thrashatouille bring heaviness, humour and multiple bass drops to Sanctuary. Ridiculously (and dare I say stupidly) entertaining, but also absolutely chock full of headbanging riffs and countless food-based puns, it’s not long before the crowd are eating out of their hands. Songs such as ‘Chilli Con Carnage’ and ‘Balls Deep in Gregg’ (a song about a true story of a man who had, ahem, “romantic relations” with a Greggs pasty) have the crowd both cackling and headbanging in equal measure. Finishing up with a food-based cover of Cameo’s ‘Word Up’-changed to ‘Fry Up’, of course-Thrashatouille leave the crowd hungry for more. An excellent night full of various genres of metal and over £600 raised for Remember My Baby, it’s safe to say that Regain Fest was a resounding success.
