Live Review: Rabidfest 2023 Day #1 (Saturday)!

Its a wet weekend in November and golden leaves are all over the ground which can only mean one thing. After huge fanfare and extensive build up, the fifth anniversary of Oxfords biggest Metal Weekender Rabidfest is finally here! The hordes have descended upon The Bullingdon like witches and wizards gathered in the masses to seek shelter from the rain, enjoy wall to wall riffs and blood, sweat and beers in the mosh pit. What could be better than reducing this place to rubble?

There is a certain honour that comes with being the first band on the stage at any Festival and this year that goes to Stone Soup [8/10] a five piece Stoner Doom Rock Beast who open up with the very apt song about the state of America. A politically and socially aware cut from a band who give us riffs to be worshipped, they’re a mighty fine start to the day. The beers are flowing the riffs from the deep south are plentiful with “Room To Breathe“, a song about over population, and the two steppers are in the pit, what more could you possibly want? Some Harmonica and Tambourine? They’ve got it covered.

Ironically enough Second Hour [8/10] lost out in this year’s Metal 2 The Masses competition to Stoned Soup but there is still plenty of love between the bands. A collection of seasoned musicians who rebranded in 2022, their experience shows as they rip through a their set with verve and swagger, hammers thrown by the audience with a little coercion during the chants of “Sin!” in “Seven Deadly Sins“. A new song titled “Blood On A Wire” that the band finished writing just this week appears mid set and sounds like they’ve been playing it for years with hints of “Self Esteem” by The Offspring in the melody. They get the first circle pit of the day in the final third of set closed “Kaleidoscope” and it’s a thing of beauty.

Reveller [7/10] have an animal of a drummer on the kit who gives the bands melodic meanderings a real drive and energy to elevate them alongside the five string bass, something that makes a huge difference to their sound. The clean vocals have hits of Power Metal in style rather than substance, their Traditional Heavy Metal shining through at every opportunity. A new cut makes an appearance during the set and bodes as the continual waterfall release of high quality singles from them is deserving of something physical. If anything they could use a second guitar to bolster their sound in the live arena…

Something of a last minute addition, Pryma [8/10] played Bloodstock earlier this summer and dressed in black with bullet belts, tattoos and combat vests they’re not here to mess about. They suffer the ghost of Christmas Past as there is a bizarre crackling sound that needs to be got rid of before they can start but don’t allow it to phase them. They throw back to early 2000’s Ozzfest era bands like OTEP and Dry Kill Logic and bring the groove laden riffs alongside some slightly unhinged vocals that sound like the inner voice of a schizophrenia sufferer as they flow from sultry clean to vicious bark band back from line to line and phrase to phrase. A well oiled machine, their performance is slick with new single “My Cold Shadow” an absolute beast. Bringing the their set to a close is “Freaky Fright Night” with the solos and dry ice cannon making it one to remember.

Local heroes have long been a staple of Rabidfest and today is no exception with Progressive Metal outfit LestWeForget [9/10] a band we’ve been waiting long time to see live. Achingly beautiful moments of melodic melancholia are inter spliced with heavier moments as both guitarists work overtime, pulling out tapping sections, solos and funk, having fun with it all along the way. The technical approach and complex rhythms give the four piece a real edge but they’re still ground enough to keep the audience captivated. Both intricate and catchy at the same time, watching this band is a real experience, the occasional unclean vocal moment breaking the cycle nicely.

You know things are going well when a wall of death evolves into a circle pit during your set and that’s exactly what happens for Hull Groove Thrash merchants Sworn Amongst [9/10] announce themselves in style with a classic early 90’s Pantera meets Prong down a dark alley with a baseball bat sound. Fresh from an October run across the UK and Ireland with Sinnery, they too are a well oiled machine and give us a career spanning set that includes “Nowhere To Run” from 2011 EP “Evolution” all the way to their latest burnt offering “Restitution“. Its all fun and frolics with lead guitarist Ashley Currie in fine form, showing the young ones how it’s done with a couple of tasteful solos.

The almost feral rantings of Industrial tinged Sludge Groove Thrash merchants Mortishead [8/10] are a joy to behold as a three year leave of absence finds the Bloodstock veterans rejuvenated… and slightly over dressed. A bombastic set filled with crowd bating from their balaclava wearing bassist is what we’re treated to, the wealth of mosh parts greatfully received. How long it will be before we get any new studio material from them remains to be seen, their current pair of EPs “Goreado” and “Totality” providing the set. They’re as unhappy with the current state of World address as a bear with a sore head and regular politically aware messages give them the air of a snot nosed Punk band who just want the crowd to chant “F*** the Torries!“.

The prize for being the most theatrical goes to Ward XVI [7/10] who bring Alice in Wonderland like stage props and have outfits and makeup that make them look like they just escaped from Arkham Asylum in Gotham City. During their set the band play out a story of a girl, who abused by her mother commits murder and is then locked in an institution for eight long years. The tale is told with the help of some samples between songs, a couple of actors and numerous outfit changes. Its a spellbinding performance that is captivating, everything fitting together nicely and running like clockwork. 2020 album “Metamorphosis” is ram raided with “The Cradle Song” and “Burn The Witch” both outstanding. What they lack is a little clarity from the vocal microphone which gives a lot of high end but they ensure that their set isn’t style over substance and so deserve a lot of credit.

They may have lost their intro tape but that doesn’t stop Traditional Heavy Metal masters Absolva [9/10] from bringing the noise to The Bullingdon, flying into “Flames Of Justice” like men possessed to get things going. They put on an old school style show, performing their material with verve, swagger and a few flamboyant moments that steal the show. “Side By Side” brings out both the melody and skill with interweaving solos from both guitarists being really special. The showmanship doesn’t stop there as the solos fly during “Refuse To Die” and “From Beyond The Light“, an old school call and response between songs a thing of beauty. Celebrating their eleventh anniversary in 2023 and having been around Europe so many times they’ve worn a hole in its carpet, they promise to play more shows in blighty next year.

It feels surreal watching Blaze Bayley [10/10] on stage after a heart attack and quadruple bypass operation in March but the legend is fully recovered and in fine fettle for tonight’s headlining set as cuts like “Ten Seconds” evidence. “Unstoppable” is masterful with the lyrics having more meaning given the circumstances, Absolva as a backing band having the perfect chemistry to work with Bayley while ensuring his material doesn’t become dated. The wonderful thing about seeing Blaze Bayley live is that despite all the water under the bridge, he still has it. His voice is as good as it’s ever been and he clearly loves what he’s doing, every second of it. His lyrics exude positivity, “Warrior” being a masterclass in Traditional Heavy Metal before “The Virus“, one of the highly underrated songs he wrote with Iron Maiden sets things off in the mosh pit. The haunting introduction to “Stare At The Sun” has all the drama of the studio version while the extended solo is a fretboard smouldering one that a packed house go crazy for.

We’ve been proud to be a Media Partner of Rabidfest again this year alongside Red Death Media, Moomin Merchandise, Metalplanetmusic, Moshville Times, GraphicsFix, Unearthed Music and main stage sponsor Devolution Magazine. The Festival is all for charity and in 2023 the profits will be going to the The Sophie Lancaster Foundation!

Get your merch here -> https://shop.rabidfest.co.uk