It feels like it’s been an age since my last gig at Moshville Winter Fest. However as our first gig proved, some of the best metal to be found is in the underground. You never know who’s stomping your local scene til you do some digging, then events like tonight’s gathering feel a little more special bringing a solid selection of underground blackened deathrash together.
The show starts a little rocky when not five minutes from entering the venue, the fire alarm sounds and everyone inside is promptly evacuated while the fire brigade do their checks. Once order is restored (temporarily til the noise hits), Glasgow’s extreme speed metal merchants Night Fighter take the stage. The Duck is sold out and packed from the get go and Night Fighter made sure to deliver. Plenty of heads are banging through scuzzy speedsters like “Unholy Sepulchre”, “High Speed Hell” and “Poserblood” while the band get the thrashing energy going onstage. Tonight’s a special one for Night Fighter as it’s their live debut as a 4-piece. Having began as a 1-man band by frontman Graeme McKinnon in 2019, it’s awesome to finally get to see him get to rock out and blast his filthy speed metal noise onstage with a full lineup. The crowd is definitely warming up as more beers are sunk, more heads bang and a few ragers at the front open the pit near the end of the set. It’s clear that post-set Night Fighter has gained some new fans based on overhearing opinions from the crowd.
Following up is fellow Glasgow lads Tyrannus. There’s definitely fans of the band’s unique blend of metal extremities with more roars and more mosh pits throughout the set. The performance is more statuesque than the band’s predecessors, complementing the sense of grandeur that their apocalyptic wall of sound exudes. Turning around to see the cavern packed with the black-clad masses, there’s a handful of headbangers throughout the crowd hooked by the blasting blackened death noise then hypnotised by the haunting atmospheric doom in the likes of “It Taketh” and epic closer “Break the Will of Evil”. The band also treats us to a crushing new number which naturally meets with approval. With rapturous applause throughout the set, Tyrannus’ sermon at the Goat Kvlt Gathering was a success.
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At this point there’s only one criticism of the show – the sound sucks. Though this kind of music calls for a nasty and rough sonic attack, the riffs still need to be heard. The guitars have been messy, fading in and out of clarity only really standing out in the higher-pitched riffs and solos. The vocals are also buried beneath the noise with mainly the highest screams, loudest barks and gang shouts rising above the mix. However that’s no fault of the bands – the mix could have been better balanced, and the acoustics of the room aren’t ideal. The sound improves over the course of the night but only slightly.
Next are first guests, the ferocious Insurgency, bringing the tempo back up to the max with their rapid fire blackened punk-thrash attack. Hair is flapping both onstage and off to the relentlessly pounding beats and infectiously slamming riffs of buzzsaw bangers like “Final War”. Of the whole lineup, Insurgency is the band I’m least familiar with; however, they got my mint-choc chip fringe flailing with the rest of the rebels for what I watched. Definitely a killer underground band I’d recommend to keep in the headphones!
The penultimate collection of kvltists to take the stage are second guests Devastator. I’m really excited for this one following the snippet of their set I caught, and the chat I had with the guys at last year’s Bloodstock. As expected there’s no disappointment as the return to more old-school riffs and the thrashing pace invokes an increased mass of moshers. The set is composed mainly from the band’s awesome debut LP Baptised in Blasphemy, which became one of my favourite discoveries since last Summer so naturally I’m rocking out and shouting along with “Worship the Goat” and “Death Slut”, diving in and out of the pit – it’s got to be done at least once at a show right? It seems to be no secret that today is guitarist Christopher Whitehurst’s birthday with the crowd taking a moment between songs early in the set to chant the traditional tune for him. Devastator let us know they had new material ready back at Bloodstock and they’re sharing a new number with the Goat Kvlt, which of course is killer and sure to get fans excited for the second album. The energy amplifies in The Duck throughout the set culminating in a few stage divers during closer “Baptised in Blasphemy”. Devastator killed it no question, and left the headbanging horde hungry for the headliner.
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Finally hitting the stage is the main event. The Goat Kvlt Gathering is a special one as Hellripper are just under a week away from releasing their eagerly anticipated third LP Warlocks Grim and Withered Hags (review coming soon!) and as such celebrate by sharing some new songs with the acolytes in attendance. Listening to the pre-release singles, “The Nuckelavee” and the title track, in the run-up to the show has left me excited to thrash to Hellripper tunes old and new. The room is in full fury having not let up the whole gathering, fans frantic for “Hell’s Rock ‘n’ Roll”’s hooky riffs and main man James McBain’s throat-shredding shrieks. Following the opener is the first live debut of the night with “Goat Vomit Nightmare”. The madness continues however I can only stay to enjoy the first verse before having to catch my bus home. Curse that damn fire alarm delay! I’ve enjoyed what I experienced of Hellripper but leave feeling disappointed that my first show is cut as short as it is. Here’s hoping for their return soon.
The Goat Kvlt Gathering is my first gig of 2023 and, minus the aforementioned issues, it couldn’t have been a better one. It was a chance to reconnect with old friends, as well as let loose to some killer local and underground extreme metal. All of the bands put on a great show and I’m sure many there, like myself, are excited to keep up with them while awaiting the next gathering. All Hail the Goat!
Hellripper: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | bandcamp | spotify | youtube
Devastator: facebook | instagram | bandcamp | spotify | youtube
Insurgency: facebook | bandcamp
Tyrannus: facebook | twitter | instagram | bandcamp | spotify | youtube
