Hammerfest II - Day 3 (Saturday) @ Prestatyn, Wales

Hammerfest II

Day 3 - Saturday

13.03.2010

@

Prestatyn Wales

Darth Vader and his stormtroopers are back, and there are reports of a Highland Scot screaming “THERE’S BEEN A MUDDER!” Taggart-style all over the arena. It can only be Saturday morning in North Wales. Haggard figures stagger around, looking for any sort of relief from the damage they inflicted on themselves, and a fair few Iced Earth t-shirts are in sight on this early afternoon as we enter into the last and busiest day of the festival.

Following Rise to Remain on the second stage is Fury UK. It’s a good job these trad-metallers can does what a Pontin’s breakfast can’t, and blow away last night’s excesses in a hail of old school metal riffs and ludicrously extended solos. A must for those of you who wear patched denim jackets with pride. Up next are by far the most diverse band on the Hammerfest line up, and one of the best, even if it is a curious time and place for Shining. Describing themselves as ‘blackened jazz’, they have certainly created something amazingly unique that actually works; sounding like the movements of a schizophrenic daddy longlegs after consuming a litre of acid that’s in the middle of having an epileptic fit on a trampoline covered in itching powder. The crowd stares in amazement as their multi-talented frontman sings and plays guitar and saxophone in time signatures to confuse the nerdiest of musical mathematicians. Lets see Dillinger Escape Plan try this!

We are now back en route with the old school with eager, British metal worshippers White Wizzard. The roar of the crowd suggests that the Wizzard are far more in tune with their needs, thanks to speedy riffs and high pitched vocals that tick many boxes. But not as many as Orange Goblin, who could rightly lay claim to being Britain’s best stoner band. Sounding pitch perfect, classic upon classic piles out: ‘The Man Who Created Time’, ‘Blue Snow’...classics one and all. Ben Ward is an enormous presence, and looks to be having the time of his life. Closing out with a colossal ‘Scorpionica’ rounds off a set that felt like it should never end.

And speaking of crowd pleasers, Skindred hit the main stage soon after. Frontman Benji could ditch the rest of the band, perform solo and call it The Benji Webb Megalicious Sound Experience, and it would still be equal to Skindred [although not quite as equal – horribly biased Assistant Ed]. Sounding a thousand times better live than on CD, an instant smile is brought to every face as they naturally and joyfully jam out their tunes – the Skindred way. To be fair to them, they may only have one song, but they play it damn well. ‘Roots Rock Riot’ could well be ‘Pressure’, but with a crowd front to back bouncing like lunatics, critics sometimes have to take a back seat!

If there’s one band everyone are here to see, it’s Iced Earth, as wide-eyed revellers talk in hushed reverential tones about their soundcheck. It proves prophetic, for they delight and enthral the punters with a precision that borders on prodigal. ‘I Died For You’ may very well be THE modern power metal ballad, and even ‘Dracula’ gets an airing, which is a rarity to their live performance and makes this occasion that bit more special. Meanwhile on stage two, Akercocke are halfway through their set, with a surprisingly large crowd supporting them considering they are up against Iced Earth. However, it has got to be said, Akercocke put on an epically intense show with a marvellous sound mix to match. Equal in both power and ability to any metal band you care to mention, these Satanic Londoners deliver a set that’s as tight as John Terry’s moral standards are loose. While there’s no ‘Leviathan’, we do get ‘Verdelet’ and ‘Praise The Name Of Satan’, and therefore we once more bow to their malevolent majesty.

How do you follow Iced Earth in the affections of the main stage masses? By putting on Suicidal fucking Tendencies, of course: Mike Muir is clearly on top form, scarcely pausing for breath, ceaselessly preaching between and even during the songs. And the songs! ‘War Inside My Head’ is a particular highlight but in truth their whole set, being a timeless blend of thrash, funk and hardcore, was never going to disappoint anyone. With a stage far smaller than what’s needed for Mike to stomp around on, he is still by far one of the most entertaining frontmen ever to watch. Swedish power metal heroes Sabaton would always struggle to match this, but they still manage to close the main stage and the weekend with a hugely entertaining set that has almost every soul in the standing area of the crowd jumping like bell ends to ‘Primo Victoria’. It’s a great end to another great weekend, and one can only imagine the carnage that Skid Row will bring to this very venue come December for Hard Rock Hell.