PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Ghostfest is the UK’s fastest growing independent metal and hardcore festival, is back and promises to top last year’s sold-out event with over 40 bands, three stages, even bigger names and an increased capacity to 2700. Taking place on the 30 June/1 July at Leeds University Students Union.
I had been looking forward to this event for the last few weeks and as the weekend approaches the excitement increase as my dedicate Ghostfest playlist is getting played more and more! Then bam finally it is time to head to the fest and to see if it can top last year’s one. Bring it on!
Saturday
I start my day at the Impericon Stage where there is already a sizeable crowd ready for battle waiting on Heart Of A Coward to take to the stage. The success of their recent album Hope and Hindrance is obvious with the crowd going mad to all the breakdowns and high-octane near perfect performance set!
Silent Screams vocalist Jamie has recently had a throat infection however, this did not deter him in anyway; he delivers the vocals on fantastic form today. The band never stops moving around and deliver a quality set.
Heights start their set with ‘Heights Is Dead’ and us the crowd lap this up! Monty has fitted into his new role well and all the guys put on a powerful show, which includes Monty heading over the barrier a few times! Superb set!
Broken Teeth tear up the stage and whip the crowd into a violent frenzy. It is clear why these guys are on the rise! The same can be said for No Turning Back and Brutality Will Prevail as well, brutal hardcore served up well!
At the Impericon Stage was Comeback Kid insane highly packed energy show when they close with ‘Wake The Dead’ everyone goes crazy and someone dives from the balcony, awesome!!
Brutality Will Prevail takes to the stage to the sounds of ‘The Green Green Grass Of Home’ by Tom Jones’ flying a Welsh flag. They kick off with a cover of Machine Head‘s ‘Davidian’. Frontman Ajay Jones rules over the crowd from the stage whilst the carnage in the pit ensues.
Heart In Hand finish the night off in style! There is no let up during their set and the crowd and still have energy to spare during their set. Once they finish we leave the venue when we leave the venue in a sweaty battered and bruised state however, we are looking forward to doing it all again tomorrow!
Sunday
I start my day at the Monster Stage to check out Crossbreaker, there is a great turnout considering the early start time and there is a few moshpits going from the get go while they belt their own brand of seething down- temp doom.
Hardcore band Demoraliser who have gained a lot of publicity in the last year do what they do best and make the crowd go wild, even though they have a few technical issues during their awesome set! Glittering party streamers rain down from the ceiling as they kick off their set whilst the crowd goes wild to their distinctive hardcore sound!
Up next on the Impericon Stage TRC open with the very popular track H.A.T.E.R.S, the already rammed room erupts into live and they continue to slay the crowd with ‘Go Hard Or Go Home’, ‘TEAM UK’, ‘Temptation’and ‘Define Cocky’. If you want to see a band at the top of their game, you need to watch TRC live.
Next up on the Time Will Tell Stage are Astroid Boys, yet again flying the flag for South Wales. They play a booming show and smash up Ghostfest with their mixture of heavy riffs and electronic beats. It is definitely a winner and packs the room right out. Over on the Impericon Stage are California deathcore band All Shall Perish. Their music is so heavy a huge fight breaks out during the set, but aside from that, it’s a success.
Bury Tomorrow slay the Impericon Stage. Playing a great blend of songs off their debut album ‘Portraits’ and upcoming album ‘The Union Of Crowns’, it highlights just how great these tracks are. Opening with ‘Lionheart’, my fav ‘You & I’ and final song ‘Casting Shapes’. Brutal and one of the best sets of the weekend for us both!
Next on the Impericon Stage are Your Demise, who go down an absolute treat with the crowd and prove just why they deserve their rising success.
Defeater are on top form during ‘I Don’t Mind’, in the part where there is no instruments played, just Derek’s voice, you could literally hear the echo as nearly the full crowd scream his lyrics right back at him, stunning!
Over on the Time Will Tell Stage are Kent hardcore mob Pay No Respect, who are set on destroying the crowd as always. Following them are fellow Kent band and Time Will Tell Stage headliners Feed The Rhino it is a shame the turnout isn’t the best which is due to clashes with Emmure and Defeater but nevertheless, Feed The Rhino are on great form. They put on a fantastic show.
Emmure delivered one of the tightest and most dynamic sets of the weekend for me, it show why they are at the top. During their set it is literally a bloodbath in the crowd and when they come back with ‘10 Signs You Should Leave’ as an encore, well the place really erupts! What a finish!
We find each other and head home worn out and very worse from wear with even more new bruises than yesterday. Ghostfest 2012 for us both was a top weekend and currently my favourite festival of the year!
It highlights what these bands can offer. I cannot wait until next year’s line up is announced and looking forward to see if they can top this year’s fest! Thank you Ghostfest for such an amazing experience, K and T!
