Hutch the (well oiled) machine continues his review of the weekend in Leicester..if you missed part 1 it’s HERE

Restored by breakfast and coffee, it was back to The Victoria to catch the final few songs of thrashers Visitor. Their luminous green Vs on their shirts made the first impression whilst their furious 100mph pace was certainly designed to shake some hangovers a little. High-octane stuff to start the day, with drummer Tim Marland’s high-pitched backing vocals complimenting Jim Foster’s more aggressive delivery. Era’s End began the day inside and their neon brightness saw the early heads nodding along. Their brand of metalcore wasn’t for me but kudos to Amy Worrall for her bright outfit and determination to get a singalong going whilst everyone was sober! 

Karma’s Puppet are close to finishing their debut album and proved to be a good choice for the outside stage with a thumping set. I’d prefer singer Alex to stay on his clean vocals, as the death growls were the main weakness, but their up-beat style made them memorable and very watchable. Shoeless frontman Nick proved a strangely compelling sight as Betray the Throne brought their combination of hardcore and metalcore to the inside stage. Limitless energy and an aggressive aural assault proved to many punters liking with a good crowd so early in the day.  

Technical problems cut Akilla’s set short, but their four songs from new release The Gods have Spoken sounded as good as circumstances allowed. I’d like to see them again in different circumstances, for they were a little rattled but did enough to obtain a deserved ovation at the end. Fair play to them. Thunderous Jones mixed a set of old and new which sounded decent as I passed through the venue, but I’ll admit to not watching enough of their set to really comment. Apologies to The Black Hounds who clashed with my need for an early tea. Chemi Queen from Basildon provided an alternative take on the day, Victoria Walker’s striking pink hair and outfit making a change from the majority of tee and jeans. Plenty of genres rolled into their songs, and an interesting introduction to a band who bought something a little different to the day.  

Apparitia were next indoors, but I’ll admit I only caught one song of theirs so one for another day. Break Them’s angry stomping Hatebreed style isn’t my go-to music, but they put everything into their 30-minutes, which saw a few souls dipping in and out of the pit. From Her Ashes technical metal increased the temperature even higher on the inside stage before the biggest crowd of the day so far assembled for another virtuoso performance from London’s Imperium. It’s no exaggeration to say that this was by far the most assured performance of the weekend. The band have stepped up another level since their epic Bloodstock set 11 months ago and with new song Iron Thunder fitting neatly alongside older songs including the anthem Here Comes the Night. A triumphant performance and everything is now focused on the next EP due out in the Autumn.  

After a weekend of angry, shouty vocalists, it was a relief to enjoy the classic hard rock and metal that Scots Medusa Touch brought last year and again in 2023. They don’t do anything flashy, but they have catchy songs with decent hooks and can certainly bring the noise. A very happy 30-minutes passed as the band zipped through their seven-song set.  

The weather, glorious on Friday, had already given us due warning with some heavy bursts of rain, but things were about to get a bit more challenging. Unearthed’s main man Liam Barlow returned to his roots with This is Hate and after an absence of five years the finale should have been a triumph. A healthy crowd which might have pushed the largest of day saw the band savagely remind us why they had such a decent reputation. As the heaven’s opened, water poured in, and nature prompted the set to conclude two songs early.  Such is life but it was a shame for the band. This led to a delay as things were moved around and outdoor headliners Hellfekted moved inside. This wasn’t the only challenge, for the band were without guitarist Rebecca Webster, but help was at hand in the shape of Thrasherwolf’s Daniel Lucas and Blacklist’s Tyler Larkin stepping in to help. I’ve seen Hellfekted several times, and this understandably wasn’t their finest hour despite the back up. A little ragged, they still brought fire and passion and with Death of Iron in their arsenal, you cannot dismiss them. It sounded huge!  

Apologies to Infernal Conflict, for I saw none of their set due to more socialising. A few songs of Must Kill was enough to pique the interest with the trio having a decent sound. By then it was time for a final drink, some food and bed. A long weekend, far too much alcohol, but another great vibe and a return trip in 12 months if it happens again is almost a shoe-inn. Supporting the underground has never been such fun. Congratulations to all who played, worked, volunteered, or just bought a ticket and ensured it was an excellent weekend.  

See the rest of Power Photography/MMH photos HERE

And get your early bird tickets for Coalville Metal Invasion 2024 HERE… we’ve seen the line up and it’s not to be missed!!