It’s not been that long since Dr Who’s TARDIS touched down in Liverpool to pick up John Bishop and it looks like some of the Time Lord’s energy has slipped across the Mersey to Birkenhead. Future Yard looks unassuming at first glance, a small coffee shop selling cakes and biscuits. But once you go into the back room you realise that much like the TARDIS it’s a lot bigger on the inside. This is more than just a music venue though; it’s a community space serving the surrounding area.
His Name Is Delores start off the day. It’s loud and heavy which looking at the bands that are playing will be a theme for the whole day. If the rest of the bands sound this good it’ll be a great day’s music. They get some guest vocals (Lewis from False Monarch) on early and then it’s back to just their lead singer Will until they bring Lewis back for the last song.
Divinitas don’t hold back, their lead singer starts off in full operatic mode before screaming into the mic. It’s technical on so many levels, and really heavy. It’s also a good sign that the crowd is slowly increasing in size this early on.
Ogun are Liverpool’s answer to thrash metal. Definitely more Slayer than Metallica, it’s fast furious metal made for head banging which the crowd is more than ready to do. Again the crowd is growing, it’s now a fairly reasonable size and would put the scene in Oxfordshire to shame for this time of day.
Visions Of Disfigurement are like a tear in reality, they are that heavy. The pig squeals sound like a slaughter house party going on and party is the appropriate word as these guys don’t take themselves too seriously. Who knew something this heavy could also be fun?
Godeater start late due to issues with the main mic, looks like the cable’s gone. A quick swap and they don’t wait around. It’s loud and heavy as you would expect and they plough through their setlist like a freight train. It’s been a while since they last played this part of the country so this Glaswegian band are making the most of it.
We’re back to the local bands with Crepitation from Liverpool and we’re back to the pig squealing. With 2 singers it’s like a steam roller through a pig farm, but with jokes instead of carnage. They’re great fun even if you have no clue what they’re actually singing. Judging from some of the song titles this may be a blessing in disguise.
The Five Hundred from Nottingham bring things down a bit with their melodic metal. They also bring the lights down for an atmospheric set. We get the first proper mosh pit of the day, but it won’t be the last one. The only real surprise with this band is that they aren’t further up the bill, but that only goes to show the quality of the bands that the festival organisers have managed to book.
It’s time for a Devolution favourite as Cambridge’s Eschalon bring the technical metalcore to the event. It’s loud, heavy, and dark. The strobing lights punctuate the music and keep the crowd on their toes.
Cage Fight put on a fantastic set, it’s loud and heavy and singer Rachel does not miss a beat as she growls and screams her way through the intense set. This isn’t a show, it’s a workout, and everyone can safely skip their local Zumba class after this weekend.
Confessions Of A Traitor get the crowd jumping. It’s high energy on and off stage. Stephen’s not content with staying on the stage and makes good use of the wireless mic as he jumps into the crowd repeatedly to bounce along with them. They’re a great band to finish the night with and they only have one more UK show before they head off for their US tour . It’s no surprise that the most energetic mosh pits are saved for last and you can’t even keep the wheelchairs out of the circle pit. The wall of death is more like a wall of hugs and by the end everyone is ready to head into rain and down the road to the aftershow party at Molly’s
It’s a credit to Dark Reign Festival and to the local area that such a small event can pull in such quality talent, both from the local area and from the rest of the UK. It’s a line-up that an event anywhere would be proud of, many of the bands playing are often seen at much larger events such as Uprising and Takedown Festival. We look forward to their fourth year in 2027.
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Review and Photos: Mark Bestford (Alienation Photography)
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