Report
Depravation Fest 2024: Day 3 Featuring Evile, Discharge And Enquire Within
Band Photo: Evile (?)
As most reports on the final day of a festival say, all good things must come to an end. Depravation Festival, held in the south west England town Swindon opened very well on Friday, was a massive success the following day and the Sunday promised to be every bit as special. Today would see a healthy mix of rock and metal sub-genres coming together to cap off the weekend, which began with Birmingham outfit, Second Cities. While their home may be the birthplace of heavy metal, Second Cities were something a little different, feeling more like an emo revival act. I can remember seeing 2000s emo bands in the same venue back when the music was relevant, and I didn’t like it then, but I’m always willing to give a group a chance. Unfortunately, my personal tastes haven’t changed quite enough since those days to enjoy the music and while I encourage them to continue and develop a sound of their own, this didn’t do much to get the early crowd interested, with the Adele cover feeling particularly off.
Second up, Bournemouth based progressive metal band Drallion. It may be asking a lot from an audience still reeling from a Saturday night to take in progressive metal but Drallion really knew how to hook them in. Their music is intelligent and fascinating, but also catchy and heavy, making them appealing to all kinds of metal fans. It helps that they have a solid stage presence too, so really, Drallion has everything going for them. Checking them out again after the show, “Bloodshot” and especially “New Machine,” which was also a highlight of their set at Levels, are particularly highlights. A very good band with a hell of a lot to offer. Don’t miss out!
Unfortunately, there were a few late cancellations today which caused some changes in the times and positions, and since Thrasherwolf couldn’t make it due to a member having a Thrasherpup, Webb, who were scheduled to be the penultimate band in The Rolleston, took their place on the main stage. Like several, if not most bands on the bill over the weekend, I went into their set completely blind, or deaf as the case may be and sometimes that’s the best way to go about it, because you’ll be even more impressed if a band turns out to be good, which is exactly what happened here. Webb are unashamedly heavy metal, taking influence from the genre’s 80s heyday, though leaning on the meaner side in the vein of say Exciter or Sacrifice than Iron Maiden or Saxon. The trio is a well oiled, good time, metal machine and I loved every second of them! Songs like “You’re Going Down” and “Spread Your Wings” went down a storm and really kicked the crowd into a higher gear. Frontman Ryan Webb is cool as can be, donning the sunglasses and outfit that helps set them apart from other bands on the bill and he’s got a hell of a voice to boot. There’s a lot more going on than just the old school influence but if you want a band that still carries that attitude from the old days, Webb is the band for you. Superb!
What followed was a much more abrasive affair, as Manchester quartet The Machinist took to the stage. The four combine black and death metal with industrial influences and the result is constant sonic punishment, taking the base of modern Samael and ramping up the intensity tenfold. The sheer heaviness and rabid delivery certainly isn’t for everyone, including myself, but it’s hard to deny that there’s something special at the core, which others in attendance seemed to notice right away. “Cathedrals Fall” is a song that stood out, showcasing their intensity perfectly. For those who enjoy unrelenting, crushing metal, you’ll want to give them a listen.
Hailing from London and Kent, it was Enquire Within’s turn to perform next. Formed in 2016, the band has gradually amassed a loyal fan base over the years, including my companions who couldn’t recommend them enough to me, and upon watching them, it’s clear why. Predominantly playing a modern take on groove metal, Enquire Within has a really powerful presence, led by singer Jacob Waller whose voice permeates every corner of the room, while the rest of the band are firing on all cylinders. It didn’t take them long to get the crowd revved up and their half hour set felt like that of a headliner, due to their charisma and quality. As a special treat, once their set concluded, the band performed “Weirder Mosher Freak,” the charity single put out by Depravation Festival to benefit the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, which you can purchase yourself via Bandcamp.
A problem with festivals is that you will inevitably have to eat, so unfortunately I missed out on Chuggaboom’s set to visit Abdul’s Kitchen next door (beautiful rice by the way, I really recommend them if you’re ever looking for some Indian take away in Swindon.) Nevertheless, I returned to Levels as quickly as I could where Mother Vulture were about to make their presence known. Describing themselves as “feral punk blues,” that’s definitely one one tag that can be applied to them, as their energy was incredibly wild. They’d come over from Bristol to put on a show and that’s exactly what they did, rampaging across the stage and making it their own. While they’re good and certainly a lot of fun, there’ll be a lot of people who don’t quite latch on to them, with Georgi Valentine’s vocals proving to be quite divisive among the audience. Ultimately, Mother Vulture captures the spirit of rock and roll perfectly and that has to be admired. They might not be to everyone’s taste, but all self-respecting rock fans should at least check them out once.
When looking up the name of Mother Vulture’s singer, I noticed an article about them in Kerrang, which was titled, “Other bands don’t want to go on after us.” You know who doesn’t care about who they have to follow? Discharge. What can be said about the Stoke punk icons at this point? They not only changed punk, but metal music, with their songs being covered by Metallica, Anthrax, Sepultura, Arch Enemy and an exhaustive list of others. Heavy music as we know it wouldn’t exist without them and in 2024, they’re as aggressive and energetic as they were when they formed in 1977. They’ve always been important, but as an active band, they really got a shot in the arm in 2014, when vocalist Jeff “JJ” Janiak joined, looking like a jacked version of Gary Oldman’s most menacing characters and personifying both the fun and rage of punk.
Now that the introduction is out of the way, it’s time to talk about the set in Swindon. Frankly, if I’m being honest…. They were incredible! This lineup of Discharge simply doesn’t know how to disappoint and they treat every show like it’s the last they’ll ever play. Of course, there were plenty of staples for fans to sing along to such as “Ain’t No Feeble Bastard,” “Protest And Survive” and “Never Again,” but their latest album “End Of Days” has by now become a certified classic in the eyes of fans and so “New World Order” and “Hatebomb” have become every bit as vital to their setlist. The energy was perpetual, constantly keeping fans enthralled and the crowd in a frenzy. There is no way anyone, except the most ardent anti-punks, came away from the set thinking that they’d wasted their time. At a festival full of great bands, the anti-Monarchists walked away as kings.
And so we come to the end. Back in the mid 2000s, as a response to the popularity of emo and dominance of metalcore and deathcore, there was a resurgence in thrash metal, which saw not just bands from the old days gaining a lot more attention and respect, but a whole new wave of young headbangers performing the music themselves, and leading the charge in Britain was Evile. The Huddersfield born outfit released their first album, “Enter The Grave” in 2007 and since then, have gained praise and popularity, while also enduring tragedy and decline. Since the return of Ol Drake, who now also performs vocal duties, Evile has been back on the warpath, releasing “Hell Unleashed” in 2021 and “The Unknown” in October of last year. They’re on the rise again and deservedly, they were chosen as the final headliners of this excellent festival.
Fans were delighted as the quartet covered every album from their catalogue, and while the title tracks from the aforementioned newer albums went down very well, it was the classics that really struck a nerve. It’s surprising that I’d never seen them before, but finally hearing songs like “Thrasher” and of course, “Enter The Grave” in a live setting really made me appreciate just what made them so acclaimed when they burst on to the scene. Another notable thing hearing every record represented was hearing just how much they’ve evolved over time and how much more mature and refined the song writing has become, smashing their early detractors’ prejudices. Of particular note was “Infected Nation,” the title track from their sophomore album which marked the official end of the set, before the band decided to throw in a cover just for fun, opting for the Metallica staple “Creeping Death.” With this set, Evile proved why they were always one of the top British thrash bands and still deserve a lot of attention. A truly excellent way to end the festival.
With that, the first three day iteration of Depravation Festival comes to a close. It was obviously a lot of fun, but it was more important than that. The quality and the passion that went into this weekend really opened my eyes to smaller festivals and made me realise just how important they are. It’s easy to look at an event and think, “Pfft. I don’t know anyone,” but it turns out, this is all the more reason to give them a chance. Over the course of Depravation Festival, I’ve found some amazing younger bands, rekindled my interest in more established acts and most importantly, enjoyed myself immensely. Depravation Festival will be back next year and while the venue is yet to be determined, the organiser is intent on it being held in Swindon again, for which he deserves even more praise and plaudits. I’ll be there again next year and I strongly urge every headbanger in the south west to make their way to the town too and see that deep within Swindon, there’s something a lot more special than that bloody roundabout!
Ollie Hynes has been a writer for Metal Underground.com since 2007 and a metal fan since 2001, going as far as to travel to other countries and continents for metal gigs.
