Mayhem Festival

The Nest, Nottingham

Saturday, May 17

Wasted Wizards

Storming onto the stage to fulfil the desires of the swelling crowd, who are already packing out The Nest – despite the fact it’s not even 2pm yet and any self-respecting rocker will be recovering from the night before - are Wasted Wizards. Getting Mayhem Festival pulsating by pumping its veins full of their tight golden era tunes straight from the heart, the Swedish four-piece start the day like they’re the headliners. ‘Monkey See, Monkey Do’ is an amalgam of scathing yet completely catchy lyrics, tempo changes and funky guitars which finish on screaming solos. Wasted Wizards draw first blood with their opening set.

Smoking Snakes

Hell-raising, hard rock, old school power cocktail slung from the stage by Smoking Snakes. A band bolstered by a blend of studs, leather, glitz and hair. This is a merciless onslaught of muscle metal that stops only when these boys leave the stage. ‘Lady Luck’ is skin smashing – we’re talking the drum kit’s and the crowd’s. ‘Rocking to the Morning Light’ is a high octane hard rocking hymn that probably could keep you going all night given half the chance. Brett Martin’s sandpaper rough voice sounds like its been honed by a life lived in the fast lane – which is where this comes straight from.

Trench Dogs

Glam rockin’ silver-tongued charmers the bratty Trench Dogs believe in the dress code ‘more is more’. And stick a fetching hat on while you’re at it. Oh, and a scarf too. Instantly recognisable by sight and sound, the Trench Dog reprobates are a comforting blend of melodic leave-the-drama-behind-bring-your-best-dance-moves music. ‘Homesick Parade’ closes a set which has been a constant bundle of energy and glittering good time tunes – which still possess musical and lyrical claws sharp enough to sting. Their flamboyant, wild times rock sung through wicked smiles is just what the world needs.

Suicide Bombers

Deliberately the loudest band of the day so far, the fallout from Suicide Bombers can probably be heard as far as their native Norway. The boys’ trademark brand of Scandi sonic destruction rips through The Nest. ‘Tonight Belongs To Us’ is less a statement, more a fact. Bonkers intro to ‘So Bad’ somehow manages to make sense once the boys launch into the sleazy, fast, heavy chaos that they serve in song form so well. Don’t fight it. Just submit to Suicide Bombers’ brutal decibel defying rock and roll  explosion. You never forget a Suicide Bombers’ set. Nor will you ever hear properly again.

ToxicRose

Luckily ToxicRose also have a complete disregard for decent levels of loud. So the Mayhem congregation can hear these indecently dressed, stud-adorned, heavy metal maniacs keep the faith in their full fist-pounding, microphone punishing glory. ToxicRose’s industrial-strength riffs are pinned in place by a razor sharp rhythm section. Proceedings are drawn to a close with a dose of classic, theatrical metal. And by that we mean the appearance of a skull and blood. Which we assume are fake. Although by the sight and sound of this band we’re not putting any money on it.

Confess

Metal moulded by the hands of Confess becomes obscenely big and bold. Lead guitars heavy (and as loud) as a herd of hippos wail out like sirens into the Nottinghaaaaaam night. Giving that unmistakable 80’s hair metal vibe that makes you wanna grind around like a bad ass strippa? Maybe. Hurling out huge choruses that get sung back to the band by the even bigger crowd Confess have brought in? Definitely. This is solid, lighters in the air stuff, from a set lifting with stadium-size strength. Which is exactly what the audience is here for.

South of Salem

In come the coffins, up comes the cemetery backdrop, and on to the stage come our fave horror-movie-hard-rocking damned quintet South of Salem. Unleashing ‘Vultures’ to start the set, ‘Static’ echoes out next with crunchy guitars, get-your-arms-going-from-the-side synchronisation and those harsher vocals that come out to play when the boys are live. It’s not an option to bang those heads in haunting and heavy ‘Hellbound Heart’ – it’s a command. Closing song ‘Cold Day in Hell’ is overflowing with lethal rhythms and riffs, and loud with audience participation. These boys always bring in a crowd but today lead singer Joey seems genuinely shocked by the sheer size of Sinners who have come out to play. Salem’s set goes hard and fast but they leave no one disappointed. South of Salem warm our cold, cold heart. If we’d not sold our soul years ago they could probably have saved that too.

Eclipse

Striking those drums like bolts of lightning, Eclipse are an electrical storm of self-proclaimed loud rock and roll, and pit-filling anthems. They light up the stage with their showmanship. They’re clearly so happy to be up there, playing the music they love, that the band are as grateful to be at Mayhem as the crowd are to have them here. And that’s a thread that’s run right through the festival. Guitars ring out with delicate and tender power in brutal ballad ‘Hurt’, before shattering the illusion with a tidal wave of noise, which punches you in the face while pulling hard at your heartstrings. Hands are up all the way to the back for ferocious ‘Blood Enemies’. Aaaaand the mic stand’s in the air too. ‘Saturday Night (Hallelujah)’ is the soundtrack to the big rock party Eclipse are leading tonight. ‘Runaways’ is sung right back to them without the boys even having to ask. Starting on a solo, ending with full electric firepower, ‘Anthem’ is almost sung louder by the crowd than the band. The energy and unity Eclipse generate tonight is insane. Ending on ‘Viva La Victoria’, the venue becomes euphoric. Featuring a joyfully bouncy Wasted Wizard stage invasion, this song raises the flippin’ roof.

H.E.A.T

The mightly H.E.A.T send the crowd’s spirits soaring even further, blasting classic heavy metal into The Nest and launching their stratospheric set with high voltage thriller ‘Disaster’. Mayhem Festival have shown us a good time. Live muthafkn rock and roll all day and night long. Having H.E.A.T at the top of a beyond stacked line-up seems too good to be true. And these heroes of the high note and howling guitars hammer us hard with a face melting performance of molten proportions. H.E.A.T propel the crowd over the finish line with their frenzy of crashing beats, crushing riffs and the biggest smiles. The boys blaze up the stage with orchestral keys, operatic vocals and their masterclass in metal. Big band. Bigger sound. Best way to end an absolute banger of a day.