Richard HolmesCorrosive Louisiana sludge, monastic doom, blasphemous black thrash, margaritas… Byker Grave Festival 2024 is serving up a feast in the North East when it lands next month.
Rich Holmes takes us through the Newcastle metal fest’s full line-up…
Byker Grave Festival Pre-Show
December 6, The Lubber Fiend, Newcastle upon Tyne
Dead Monarchs
Want big, fat, gristly riffs? Well, Dead Monarchs will be bringing truckloads of ‘em up from Yorkshire for the Byker Grave Festival 2024 pre-show.
The quartet’s debut album, Titan, dropped this summer: hitting the sweet spot between Orange Goblin and High On Fire, it’s aptly named, and is full of planet-stomping bangers like Memory of Lies and Galactic Blast.
If you haven’t discovered this band yet, here’s your chance.
Bone Tomb
Guitarist Dan Rochester is a mainstay of North East England’s metal scene, having brought his fretwork to death metal acts Vacivus and Cruciamentum, NWOBHM stalwarts Spartan Warrior and power thrashers Risen Prophecy, among others.
And thanks to Byker Grave Festival, his black metal project, Bone Tomb, will be making its live debut on December 6.
With a line-up that includes Risen Prophecy/Spartan Warrior drummer James Charlton, Plague Rider guitarist Jake Bielby and Nemorous bassist Phil Heckles, there’ll be some serious North East talent on show when Bone Tomb hit The Lubber Fiend.
Grave Altar
Like banging your head to Hellripper, Devastator or Aggressive Perfector? Then check out Midlands/South West trio Grave Altar, who’ll give you another sweet hit of UK black thrash.
Their 2019 debut album, Morbid Spell, went straight for the jugular, with a necro assault of snarling aggression and barbed riffs – and there’s plenty more to come from the band, as their second full-length, Shrines Of Hatred, is set to drop soon on Vicious Witch Records.
Venomwolf
Metalpunks Venomwolf return to Newcastle for their second Byker Grave pre-show next month… and anyone who caught them last November will know what to expect: an assault of infernal Motörthrash unashamedly inspired by those three wise Geordies (the clue’s in the name).
The brainchild of Glasgow musician Duncan McLaren, Venomwolf released their last full-length, Stormriding Power, back in 2018, but there have been some tasty singles to get your fangs into since then, including the blistering Screams Of The Slain.
And we’re guessing Hail To Hades may well be one of this night’s anthems…
Tickets for the Byker Grave Festival Pre-Show at The Lubber Fiend, Newcastle are available here.
Byker Grave Festival 2024
December 7, Newcastle University Students Union, Newcastle upon Tyne
Druidess
Newcastle’s Druidess lit up Newcastle’s Cluny venue back in May when the band supported psych/prog songstress Rosalie Cunningham, bringing myths, riffs and sax to the city’s Ouseburn Valley.
And they’re gaining a real foothold in the UK’s doom scene, thanks to debut EP Hermits & Mandrakes, which was released in March.
Founding members Danny Downing – who cut his teeth in UK folk metallers Ravenage – and ex-Juniper Grave vocalist/bassist Shonagh Brown were joined this year by drummer Sam Armstrong and Kylver keyboardist James Hill… and the band are now working on their debut album.
Some Celtic magic awaits…
Margarita Witch Cult
Birmingham’s Margarita Witch Cult describe themselves as “disciples of the riff” and who are we to argue?
The trio’s self-titled 2023 debut was bathed in Iommian glory, and brought to mind Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats and Cathedral as it bored its way into stoner rockers and doom heads.
And thanks to shows with the likes of Monster Magnet and slots at Sonic Blast, Desertfest Oslo and DownStokes, the Brummies have been honed into a formidable, party starting live act.
Stadium doom anyone?
Goblinsmoker
How do you smoke a goblin?
We haven’t got a clue.
But what we do know is that this Durham band’s earth quaking riffs have won them many fans in the UK’s doom and stoner scenes – and they’re on the rise.
Selling out venues, playing fests like Bloodstock and Desertfest London, launching their own IPA, it’s been all go for Goblinsmoker.
Check out the mighty Toad King if you want a pre-Byker Grave taste of the ‘smoker.
Arð
Sculpted by Blyth born composer, arranger, Winterfylleth keyboardist and TED talker Mark Deeks, Ard’s music gives a voice to ancient Northumbria, and opens up a world of wind-scoured coastlines and legendary saints.
With the monastic doom of Take Up My Bones – inspired by the story of Saint Cuthbert, a seventh century monk – Arð scooped our Doom Metal Album of 2022.
And Deeks returned this year with Untouched by Fire, a tale of warrior King Oswald who united the kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira – and forged Northumbria.
This is the first show in Arð‘s native North East… and we know that means one hell of a lot to its founder.
Discharge
Discharge’s influence on metal and hardcore virtually unfathomable – and there are plenty of bands playing across the Byker Grave Festival weekend who owe a big debt to the UK punks.
With 1982’s Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing, they helped to shape thrash metal and grindcore, kick-started the D-beat sub culture, and created a terrifying wall of sound that threatened nuclear annihilation.
It’s been eight years since their last full-length, End of Days, but that hasn’t stopped Discharge from hitting shows across the world, and making some incendiary festival appearances.
Now lead by New Jersey-born frontman JJ Janiak, and featuring original members Bones, Rainy and Tezz, the band are firing on all cylinders – as their recent set at Manchester’s Damnation Festival proved.
Goatwhore
If you want to see heavy metal played like it should be – loud, fast and by men covered in and spikes – then Goatwhore are your boys.
One of the most intense (and respected) blackened thrash acts on the planet, the Louisiana maulers are making a welcome return to the UK with tour partners Eyehategod, and they’ll be crossing the pond with an arsenal of God-bashing bangers.
We have our fingers crossed for some Apocalyptic Havoc, but whatever the NOLA legends conjure up, chaos is guaranteed.
Eyehategod
A sure sign that Byker Grave Festival was upping its game for ’24 came in March, when its organisers announced Eyehategod would be gracing the Newcastle Uni stage.
Sure, the New Orleans sludge pioneers have been through the wringer during a 25 year plus career, but the band hit back hard on 2021’s nihilistic A History Of Nomadic Behaviour, an album which reminded everyone of the quartet’s potency… and Mike Williams’ unique lyrical flair.
Even Tony Dolan, frontman with tonight’s headliners, Venom Inc. seemed in awe of the Louisiana crew when we interviewed him ahead of Byker Grave Festival: “Someone wrote, ‘why are Eyehategod not headlining? And I was like, ‘fair enough!’.”
Venom Inc.
“All my buddies are coming down. Everybody’s so excited. People are flying in for the show. What a buzz!”
It’s fair to say Venom Inc.’s Tony ‘Demolition Man’ Dolan is looking forward to the band’s first ever hometown gig…
And the prospect of seeing the trio detonating Warhead or Welcome To Hell at Newcastle Uni has left North East metal fans salivating.
Whether guitarist Mantas will be joining Dolan in December remains to be seen – Venom’s co-founder is currently recovering from a heart attack.
However, Demolition Man, live guitarist Beleth and Geordie drummer JXN have spent the last few months annihilating South America and Mexico, so expect them to bring carnage to Venom’s Tyneside birthplace.
And expect a headline set to remember.
Check out our interview with Tony Dolan, where he talks Venom’s origins, the NWOBHM scene, Mantas’ health and more…
Byker Grave Festival 2024 tickets are available here.
Goastwhore photo (top) by Stephanie Cabral.