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The First London Metalfest Was A Triumph

As we discussed in the build up to London Metalfest, it's always an exciting proposition to be a part of music history, no matter how relatively small. This year, in addition to hosting Desertfest and Incineration Festival, Camden welcomed the very first edition of London Metalfest to The Electric Ballroom, The Underworld and The Dev, with bands arriving from near and far to perform. It was The Underworld which opened its doors first, and so naturally, that's where our journey began.

Unfortunately arriving too late to see Enquire Within, (though after putting in a great shift supporting Acid Reign a few months ago at the same venue, I'm sure they were superb once more,) the first band we'll be looking at today is Unnatural Order. They were an unorthodox way to start the day, consisting of a vocalist, a guitarist, a drummer and a laptop, and performing a blend of metalcore and nu metal. The Underworld was probably about half full, but they gave the Kent trio a strong reception from beginning to end. This was one of those cases as a reviewer where one must discard their own opinion on the music and focus on how the crowd reacted, and you can't argue with cheers and headbanging.

Following Unnatural Order, it was Wretched Soul's turn to take to the stage. Also from Kent, the band delivered what could perhaps be described as a more old-school approach to metal, combining traditional and thrash styles with some real gruffness. Once again, the audience were really up for them, but this time, I agreed and found their music to be highly enjoyable. Of particular note was the closing number, "Necromancer," which was fairly lengthy, but captured their sound and dynamic perfectly. They've been around for quite a while now, and it's been ten years since their last full length release, but Wretched Soul made a great case for themselves to be given attention once again. More...

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