By David O’Neill
Following in the footsteps of boss man Monk having devoted ten weeks of his life to checking out the best that the NWoBHM – that’s the “New Wave of Belfast Heavy Metal” – has to offer, via his role as a judge in Bloodstock festival’s annual battle to find the hottest new talent the Überverse has to offer, I decided to venture down to Swansea to see what Wales had to offer in this ongoing quest, via this ambitious all-day programme pulled together by our friends over at Musipedia of Metal.
It was an incredibly hot, sticky day in South West Wales with some intermittent showers that did nothing for the heat within the recently refurbished Patti Pavilion in Victoria Park. Added to that there was the potential for extreme energy emanating from the six protagonists on the stage who found out the running order just before midday. Opening up were going to be Adfeilion, followed by Kill By Mouth, Akuma, Exaust, Karmen Field and finally Struggler. Read on to find out how hot and how earbleedingly loud it actually turned out to be…
Adfeilion opened with a raw, energetic set, immediately pulling the crowd into their world of modern Welsh metal. Entering the stage in hooded gowns it was not long before they adorned the masks that accompanied their instrumental heavyweight storytelling. Their stage presence was commanding, blending haunting melodies with crushing riffs. A strong start to the day, I felt it was unusually positioned between Clannad and Rammstein (without lyrics), leaving myself and the audience eager for more from this promising act.
Kill By Mouth delivered a brutal, groove-heavy performance, showcasing their hardcore-thrash hybrid. Frontman Cassar’s vocals were fierce, while the band’s tight musicianship and complex rhythms demonstrated why they’ve been consistent finalists in this competition. It was an extremely energetic set with the three at front of stage supplementing the powerhouse drum performance.
Akuma brought a fresh energy to the stage, their modern metal sound resonating with the crowd. These are well known around the Cardiff scene all being members of other bands that regularly play in Fuel. In fact there was one comment about them being Fuel’s resident “supergroup”. Their chemistry was palpable, reflecting years of friendship and shared passion. Tracks like ‘No Apathy’ and ‘Null’ hit hard, and their enthusiasm for the local scene shone through every note.
When I was trying to park I saw two guys in their late teens walking through the backstreets of Swansea carrying a rather large chunk of rock. It turned out to be two members of Exaust who placed it on their merch table as a deadweight. They unleashed a relentless barrage of riffs and thunderous percussion, their set a masterclass in intensity. The Cwmbran band’s unrelenting pace and technical precision kept the mosh pits churning. Exaust proved themselves a formidable force, leaving the audience breathless and energized.
The female fronted Karmen Field‘s performance was a blend of melody and aggression, their dynamic songwriting standing out among the evening’s lineup. It was seriously reminiscent of Grace Slick in the weird early days of Jefferson Airplane especially during Sticky Jam when the band’s singer went across the front row squirting jam in everyones mouth whilst the guitarist gave a weird vocal commentary that reminded me of the style of the Crazy World of Arthur Brown. The ability to shift from soaring choruses to crushing breakdowns captivated the crowd, making them one of the most memorable acts of the night.
Struggler closed the first part of the night with a powerful, aggressively charged set. Their mix of raw emotion and technical skill resonated deeply, earning cheers and applause. The energy exuded by tiny frontman Ieuan as well as the power from such a diminutive frame was seriously impressive. As local favourites, they embodied the spirit of the South Wales metal scene, ending the event on a high note.
So after all this energy and wide variety in metal style I guess you would all like to know who actually won!
With three independent judges who had not previously seen any of the bands the winners were… ADFEILION!
I will be chatting with all the other participating bands as part of the Small Stages Big Sounds podcast in the near future, so keep an ear/eye out on your favourite podcast provider and Spotify, Apple Podcasts or if you want the video version, YouTube.
But, that wasn’t end of the day’s action – far from it, as there was plenty more to come from an impressive selection of some of the more established acts on both the local scene and that across the ÜK as a whole. Check back tomorrow to find out how the second half of this ambitious showcase went down…
