Camden Rocks Festival 2016 [Festival Preview]
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If you’re a UK-based rock, metal, and/or punk fan, you need to be at Camden Rocks Festival this year. The lineup is fucking ear-watering, totalling 200 bands performing live and in your face over the course of one single day and multiple London venues.
At the time of writing, 80 bands still have yet to be announced – but of those we do know about, here are seven of my personal favourites:
SikTh
As any self-respecting tech-metal fan knows, SikTh are absolutely sick. Returning to shatter minds after an extended split via a series of rapturously received reunion shows and last December’s awe-inspiring Opacities, SikTh are continuing to drag the rest of the metal world kicking and screaming into the future. Expect time-warping rhythms, schizophrenic vocals, and prime-cut riffage.
Read more about Opacities via this review, and check out a short TMMP feature about SikTh’s sophomore album Death Of A Dead Day here.
Sonic Boom Six
Sonic Boom Six are a band with a lot to say. Never ones to shy away from controversy, SB6 don’t hesitate to speak out against injustice, inequality, and general dickheadishness.
With their upcoming album The F-Bomb due out on May 27, Sonic Boom Six are set to explore the none-more-tender topic of gender-related issues. Early single No Man No Right provoked much online debate with its feminist-friendly lyrics, and judging from The F-Bomb’s cover art, Sonic Boom Six are just getting started. Expect their Camden Rocks set to be as much a statement of intent as a series of uniquely compelling songs.
If you only click one link from this article, click on into my review of No Man No Right. Sonic Boom Six are on to something there.
Press To MECO
About a month ago, I watched Press To MECO blow up the Borderline. These guys are as tight as the PVC catsuit your flatmate’s hiding in the back of his cupboard – and that’s all the more impressive considering how complicated their songs are. Don’t worry about a lack of catchy tunes, though; Press To MECO will have you scratching your head and singing along at the same time.
Dig into Press To MECO’s immense debut album Good Intent here, sign up for some singing lessons, and warm up your voice on the day. It’ll be worth the effort.
Blood Youth
Blood Youth are going from strength to strength. EPs Inside My Head and Closure showcase Blood Youth’s no-nonsense songwriting skills, wrapping great hooks in barbed-wire hardcore and (especially on Closure) an increasingly diverse set of musical influences. Be prepared and bring a neck brace in advance.
Dorje
Dorje are an industry unto themselves, and one of my favourite bands of all time. Whether topping the iTunes rock charts with debut EP Catalyst; pushing 900,000 YouTube views of 2012’s Aeromancy video; or dropping a drone-shot music video so epic that some commenters assumed a green screen had been involved, there’s never a dull moment when Dorje are around. Expect gurn-inducing grooves, frontman Rob Chapman’s inimitable vocal, hyperkinetic guitar freakouts, and a blood-fizzing sense of absolute euphoria.
The Hyena Kill
Guttural catharsis, filthy rock vibes, and immersive arrangements are all in a song’s work for The Hyena Kill. Steve Dobbs and Lorna Blundell both have more than what it takes to win over listeners and venues alike, and judging from their forthcoming debut album Atomised, 2016 is going to be massive for this Manchester-based duo. Needless to say, their Camden Rocks Festival set is going to be a barnstormer.
Grumble Bee
Grumble Bee – aka Jack Bennett – knows his shit when it comes to crafting poppy yet inventive tracks. His debut EP Disconnect is straight-up uncategorizable, a glorious blend of glistening guitars, passionate vocals, and spacious drum work. Grumble Bee’s live shows are also a big talking point; expect his Camden Rocks Festival set to be no different.
Which bands from the Camden Rocks Festival lineup would you choose for your own highlight list? Subscribe for free to my YouTube channel, leave a comment, and let me know!
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