Richard HolmesWith the news in April that County Durham’s Dominion Festival had been cancelled, Tyneside promoters Byker Grave Bookings stepped in. They salvaged much of the line-up, added some more acts and arranged a run of shows across Newcastle.
Taking place from May 4 to May 7 at The Little Buildings, Anarchy Brewery and Cluny 2, the cheekily titled Northern Darkness II: Brominion Edition features a slew of international, UK and local rock and metal bands.
And Rushonrock is here to give you the full lowdown…
Riot City
Appearing May 4 and 5
Riot City’s set at 2020’s Brofest in Newcastle was one to remember – a blood and thunder display of pure Canadian steel, powered by their full force debut, Burn The Night.
And the Calgary crew (pictured below) are returning to Tyneside this weekend with a new album – Electric Elite – under their bulletbelts.
Like Priest, Dio, denim and leather? This band will be a riot…
Check out our review of Electric Elite here.
Seven Sisters
Appearing May 4 and 5
With twin guitars, Maiden-inspired melodies and a command of classic metal songwriting, Seven Sisters are undisputed kings of the UK’s NWOTHM movement.
The London-based quartet are no strangers to Newcastle, having played in the city twice since the pandemic ended.
And with two appearances at Brominion, there’ll be plenty of time for them to delve into 2021’s interstellar Shadow of a Fallen Star Part 1, 2018’s The Cauldron And The Cross and their explosive, self-titled debut…
Check our review of Shadow of a Fallen Star Part 1 here and our interview with Seven Sisters’ vocalist/guitarist Kyle McNeill here.
High Spirits
Appearing May 4, 5 and 6
The brainchild of über-talented vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Chris Black, Chicago’s High Spirits have a three-night Tyneside tear-up in their sights – they’ve even made a t-shirt to celebrate their Newcastle ‘tour’!
Turbo-charged hard rock and adrenalized, NWOBHM-inspired riffery collide on songs like Full Power and Since You’ve Been Gone, and with plenty of gutsy anthems in their armoury, High Spirits will surely be getting everyone in party mood.
Visigoth
Appearing May 5
Lead by powerhouse vocalist Jake Rogers, Salt Lake City’s Visigoth have been sacking mainland Europe over the last few weeks
And after their raids on Britain in 2018 and 2019, the band’s UK exclusive show has been much anticipated.
Visigoth’s heroic ‘roots heavy metal’ was encapsulated on the quintet’s second album, 2018’s Conqueror’s Oath, with the likes of Traitor’s Gate and Steel and Silver propelling them to the frontline of the NWOTHM scene.
And they’ll be on many a must-see list this weekend.
Spartan Warrior
Appearing May 5
Sunderland’s Spartan Warrior emerged from the same North East NWOBHM scene as Satan, Raven, Avenger and Tysondog.
And they’ll be celebrating the 40th anniversary of their hard hitting debut, Steel n’ Chains on Friday, with founding member and singer Dave Wilkinson leading the band into battle.
Stormer, Hell Hath No Mercy, Witchfinder… you’ll be hearing all the cuts from that legendary first album.
So get that head banging!
Green Lung
Appearing May 6
Not inhaled Green Lung yet?
Where have you been?
The Londoners doomy, occult-dabbling hard rock has seen them become a UK festival mainstay, with 2021’s Black Harvest reaping many a soul.
Last year, the quintet conquered Manchester’s Damnation Festival and wooed crowds on their recent jaunt with Clutch.
Now Green Lung look set to climb even further, thanks to a new record deal with metal giants Nuclear Blast.
Calligram
Appearing May 6
London-based, multinational outfit Calligram turned heads with 2020’s The Eye Is The First Circle, an abrasive mix of hardcore, black metal and d-beat.
They’re now getting set to release their sophomore album, Position | Momentum this July – which promises to “a celebration of chaos”… and even more intense than its predecessor.
Expect a taste of Position | Momentum at Anarchy Brewery… and expect a comprehensive sonic battering.
Read our interview with Matteo Rizzardo and Ardo Cotones from Calligram here.
Dawn Ray’d
Appearing May 6
Staunch anarchists and anti-fascists, Liverpool’s Dawn Ray’d match their potent messages to a ferocious, folk-tinged black metal onslaught. It’s an approach that has seen them connect to underground scenes across the globe, and draw crust punks as well as metalheads to their black and red banner.
To Know The Light, the trio’s third album, dropped in March, with the likes of Wild Fire and Inferno proving that the band are as incendiary as ever… and have the songwriting suss to match their passion.
Check out our review of To Know The Light here.
Mars Red Sky
Appearing May 6
Hailing from Bordeaux, heavy psych troubadours Mars Red Sky blend Sabbathian riffs with technicolour melodies, and they have a wealth of incense-scented albums in their cosmic caravan, including their latest album, 2019’s acclaimed The Task Eternal.
And the wait for new material is over, as the trio will be rolling into Newcastle on the back of a new EP, made in conjunction with dark folk singer Queen Of The Meadow.
Weedpecker
Appearing May 6
Imagine Pink Floyd heading for the heart of the sun, with Jimi Hendrix at the controls… and Tony Iommi in the engine room. That’s Poland’s Weedpecker.
Founded in 2012, the Warsaw act have entranced the stoner, doom and psych scenes over the course of four albums, with 2021’s IV: The Stream Of Forgotten Thoughts, a particularly potent trip.
Riffs, grooves and glorious jams await…
Kylver
Appearing May 6
A mainstay of the Newcastle scene, but a band whose tentacles reach far and wide, Kylver have proved to be a hit with prog-heads and metallers alike.
Their cerebral instrumentals have been spread across two studio albums – 2015’s The Mountain Ghost and 2016’s The Island – plus a live collection, The Plague Tapes, and the quartet have been likened to bands such as Baroness, Zombi and Kyuss.
Kylver, however, follow their own path… as you’ll see on Saturday.
Crowley
Appearing May 6
If there’s one band on this line-up with ‘next big thing’ written all over them, it’s Newcastle’s Crowley.
The quintet, who mix slick classic rock with a fascination with the occult, formed in 2022, but they’ve already cast a spell across the North East scene.
Crowley will be heading to Anarchy Brewery fresh from the release of sensational new single, Something Wicked This Way Comes.
Read our interview with Crowley’s Eliza Lee here.
Satan
Appearing May 7
With 1983’s Court In The Act, Tyneside’s Satan birthed one of the NWOBHM movement’s most scintillating debut albums.
And while the 80s didn’t turn out how the band had hoped, their post-noughties renaissance has been nothing short of astonishing.
From 2013’s Life Sentence, through to Atom By Atom, Cruel Magic and last year’s Earth Infernal, the quintet have been delivering premium quality, titanic heavy metal since their reunion in 2011.
It’s perhaps no surprise that Satan’s headline show at Cluny 2 – their first Newcastle appearance in seven years – sold out so quickly…
Check out our review of Earth Infernal here and our interview with Steve Ramsey and Russ Tippins of Satan here.
Mythra
Appearing May 7
A favourite of the NWOBHM-obsessed Lars Ulrich, South Shields’ Mythra never quite got going back in the 80s, despite a clutch of killer tunes such as UFO and Overlord.
But since the band’s 2015 reunion at Newcastle’s Brofest, they’ve been making up for lost time.
Still Burning – their first full length – was released in 2017 and on Sunday, they’ll be celebrating the launch of their new album, Temples of Madness.
Millennium
Appearing May 7
Billingham’s Millennium only had their self-titled debut and a few demos to show for their early 80s stint in the NWOBHM scene.
But since reactivating in 2015, they’ve been hitting studios and stages with new-found purpose.
Fronted by original singer Mark Duffy, Millennium released Awakening in 2017 and A New World two years later… and they’re set to unleash their fourth full-length, The Sign Of Evil, on May 19.
Equitum
Appearing May 7
Newcastle’s Equitum have been causing quite a stir in the North East scene since their emergence last year.
If your wardrobe boasts a Suicidal Tendencies cap, DRI shirt and Municipal Waste sweatbands, then the quartet’s 80s-inspired crossover thrash could be right up your half pipe.
Born Tö Lose
Appearing May 7
They are Born Tö Lose.
They’re from Chicago.
And they play rock ‘n’ roll.
Messrs Kilmister, Clarke and Taylor may no longer be with us, but their legacy lives on… and Born Tö Lose are promising to bring some Motörmagic to Newcastle on Sunday.
Line-up information
Thursday May 4, The Little Buildings, Newcastle
Seven Sisters, Riot City and High Spirits.
Friday May 5, Anarchy Brewery, Newcastle
Visigoth, High Spirits, Seven Sisters, Riot City and Spartan Warrior.
Saturday May 6, Anarchy Brewery, Newcastle
Green Lung, High Spirits, Weedpecker, Mars Red Sky, Dawn Ray’d, Calligram, Kylver and Crowley.
Sunday May 7, Cluny 2, Newcastle
Satan, Mythra, Millennium, Born To Lose and Equitum.
For more information on Northern Darkness II: Brominion Edition, check out Byker Grave Bookings here.
Live images of Visigoth (top) and Riot City by Stefan Rosic of Conundrum Images. Check out his work on Facebook.
Crowley image by Adam Kennedy.
Enjoyed this article on Brominion? Check out our Trad Metal Albums of 2022, featuring Satan and Riot City here.