SpringFest 2020: the bands assaulting Dundee in February

We told you a bit about SpringFest last week. Here’s some more info on the bands you can see for a whopping ten quid! The gig is on February 14th at Church in Dundee, with tickets on sale from Pink Emo Promotions’ Big Cartel page.

From Sorrow to Serenity

We’re delighted to have Scottish tech-metalcore legends From Sorrow to Serenity topping the bill. Their return to Dundee has been a long time coming since they played at the Redd Suite in 2017. They’ve always been very ambitious with their songwriting, particularly on their most recent album Reclaim. They manage to combine very gritty vocal sections with these almost binary rhythm sections, but there’s also a lot of these hugely catchy call-and-response choruses which combined with it’s very grandiose production makes for very intense and rewarding listening. It’s like the soundtrack to a sci-fi fantasy which is both violent and epic in equal measure.

The Weight of Atlas

Sub-headlining are local legends The Weight of Atlas, who we couldn’t be happier to have return. They actually performed at Springfest last year as well, and it was obvious that this band has a special place in the hearts of many Dundee-based metal fans. There was this moment where their guitarist Lewis brodie and vocalist Aaron Corrigan stepped off stage and got the crowd to form a circle round them where they stood and did these vocal trade-offs with the entire circle around them yelling the words at them as well. It was this really intimate moment where you kind of have to pinch yourself and realise how music is that bridging force that brings folk together. We can’t wait to see how they’ll top it in February.

Dancing With Dakota

Of course, SpringFest is a party for everyone and we’re stoked to have some of the most promising rising Glasgow talent involved as well. The first of which is Dancing With Dakota, who have been making a splash down in G-town, supporting the likes of Area 11, Napoleon and Issues. Their style of metalcore is highly emotive, featuring fiery melodic passages with delay-drenched guitars building up immense walls of textured noise. When they aren’t creating cinematic soundscapes on “Fires”, they’re creating razor sharp riff assaults on “Voices”, capturing the adrenaline rush and claustrophobic frenetic nature of someone experiencing a panic attack. It’s very moving stuff, and you can guarantee it’’ cause a lot of moving from audiences as well.

Bearers

Bearers are another Glasgow based tech-metalcore group who are poised to make monumental leaps in the vein of their contemporaries in FSTS, Lotus Eater and Godeater. Their bold and monochromatic flavoured variation of genre captured on their debut full-length Inhumation recalls the works of Fear Factory, Whitechapel and After the  Burial, with strong emphasis on machine gun riffs and choppy groove arrangements compacted into dense and catchy melodies. They are guaranteed to have everyone in the crowd jumping and shoving into each other in a sporadic fit of adrenaline and manic energy.

Catalysis

Catalysis are firmly established heroes of Dundee’s metal scene, and when I say metal, I mean pure fucking metal. Their self-titled EP opens with breakneck thrash riff-a-thon “Nothing Left”. It’s fast, groovy and lit up by the guttural bellows of frontman Col MacGregor. Think of the erratic shredding of Slayer, Annihilator and Evile, with the hulking slabs of pure groove a la Machine Head, Killswitch Engage and Pantera, with an added touch of the guttural pleasantries of Aborted in the vocal department and you have an idea of the kind of bloodied tapestry Catalysis are weaving. Intense, relentless and heavier than having your skull crushed by girders, their debut Springfest set is going to be a no half measures affair.

Bitterwood

Aberdeen four piece Bitterwood are a band we at Pink Emo have had our eyes on for some time, and even had perform at our show headlined by Grievance (who’ll we’ll talk more about later). A product of the Deen’s infamous GCHC scene championing the most unforgivingly hard of HC, Downtempo and Slam bands, Bitterwood’s furiously chuggy ‘core sound captured on debut single “Kids Just Want to Dance” is a release of spontaneous rage that captures the vitriol of guys who have had one run-in too many with people who want to tear down their hardcore dream. But GCHC is still a community, and we’re happy to have Bitterwood show Dundee what that community is all about.

Immortal Omen

For those who want a bit more snakeskin swagger and Jack Daniels fueling their time in the pit, Immortal Omen pack a serious punch of hefty melody and slick slithering grooves. Lead singer Eden Noon is confident in her role as rock goddess, as she brings her grandiose vision to life throughout IO’s debut EP Mother of Beasts. With nods to a more arena filling hard rock style, with a nod to the NWOBHM sound on “Dissimulate”, Immortal Omen’s songs are undeniably empowering, and filled with the kind of untouchable bravado to soundtrack your strut on the catwalk that leads to the gates of Hell. We couldn’t ask for a more iconic way to kick off our dark-hearted Valentine’s party!

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments