Day one of Damnation 2026 was a brilliant day all around. What would day two of the festival have in store? Plenty of legends old and new, for sure.

Read our day one round up here.

DAY TWO

Day two of Damnation 2026 kicked off with the same air of anticipation but with an announcement that Lik and Eyes had to pull out owing to travel issues.

The stage times were quickly twigged and before we know it, Swamp Coffin are opening day two. A cry of ‘Yorkshire!’ comes from the crowd, to which singer Jon Rhodes replies, ‘Bastard!’ This is in keeping with the brilliant footy shirt the band had on sale. The trio boot off the day in blistering fashion. “We’ve waited six years to play this show!” they say. Immediately, the excitement and energy in the room builds. For a trio, the band make an absolutely terrific racket. In amongst their death-doom stylings are plenty of flecks of variety that make them a great opening band for the assembling masses. In true Swamp Coffin fashion, they initiate their slow wall of death which people lap up. The band leave to a huge ovation at a job well done and certainly one of the highlights of the weekend.

Hippotraktor open up the main stage. The Belgian’s are here on the back of their latest LP, Annihilist. “Time to wake up and move!” hollers singer Stefan de Graef. With members of the crowd either a little fragile or a bit bleary eyed, it takes a bit of time for things to kick in but when it does, Hippotraktor themselves, sound phenomenal. They are let down by some sound issues that detract from the experience. That being said, the band are energetic and full of enthusiasm. Annihilist is a great record and it is superb hearing songs from the album. They have the ability to shift from glorious serenity to complete sonic assault. When it is executed well, it is a devastating thing.

DESPAIRING AND PUNISHING

Mastiff have been on the scene for quite a while. They’re a group that know exactly what they are doing. “We’re Mastiff from Hull…if you’ve seen us before, we’re horrible and you know it! If you haven’t seen us, we’re still horrible but you don’t know it!” With Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer playing them on, the atmosphere is full of buzz. With the running times slightly amended, Mastiff get a larger crowd as they are the only band playing. A mix of songs from the bands sludge ridden discography ensure that the band get everyone moving and blow away any remaining cobwebs.

After an opening trio of bands that go hard for different reasons, it is great to see some black metal on the card for a day that is topped by black metal royalty. Ultha arrive with a reputation of being a band that are totally transcendental. They do not disappoint. “What a please to play this venue and festival,” say the band before following up; “We’re going to play 4 songs that will take 45 minutes.” There is nothing like full disclosure and efficiency.

Ultha showcase themselves against a largely static red hue which helps add to the mesmeric nature of proceedings. Like any great music, you need it to make you feel; Ultha are incredible at this. Cascading black metal motifs are only the tip of the mix. Vocally, the delivery is utterly despairing throughout and added layers of synth give the music a deeper texture. This is the kind of music that you can close your eyes to and paint a world you want to be in.

DEATH METAL ROYALTY

Benediction arrive after landing from Brazil the day before. They show no signs of jet lag as they get straight down to business. 2025’s Ravage Of Empires makes up a fair crack of the setlist and it is Engines Of War that opens their set. Massacre vocalist, Kam Lee, is now front and centre on the mic after Dave Ingram stepped away. He has all the patter of a man now into his 60th year. He gets the crowd working superbly and the band play hard and fast. Peter Rewinsky and Darren Brookes traverse the stage laying down savage riff after savage riff.

They give thanks to the crowd for sticking with them for the past four decades. In celebration they dip back into the back catalogue with classics like Unfound Mortality and The Dreams You Dread; the set closer. Throughout, there are a swathe of crowd surfers and plenty of pit action. After having a brief chat with Brookes after the event, he stated that not many people want to book the band in the UK, so it feels like a huge treat to see them on such a big stage at one of the UK’s premier extreme music festivals.

Up next on the main stage are Walls Of Jericho, who are a veteran metalcore act from Detroit, Michigan. Singer, Candace Kucsulain, is a fearsome presence as she bats around the stage encouraging the crowd to move. Absolutely zero prisoners are taken in the bands delivery. They are energetic as hell, throwing everything into their performance.

UNCOMPRIMISING EXTREMES

After the beatdowns of Benediction, the next run of bands serve up extreme in different ways. Machukha are Ukranian, but based in Berlin. Their debut album, Mochari, is performed in full. Meaning ‘step-mother’, Machukha sing exclusively in Ukranian and their music is utterly terrifying. With the lights completely out, the screen behind the band flickers ever so slightly making the whole experience very immersive.

When the crescendos hit, the light is blinding and the shivers are plentiful. Anguish is the overriding feeling, as well as mounting dread, which is also amplified by the use of a droning saxophone. It us utterly compelling. When the slower passages arrive, again the light is dragged down with it creating a suitably eerie atmosphere. There is a feeling of being stuck inside a folk-horror movie and not being able to escape. The only downside of such a visceral performance is the sound of other bands sound checking and the murmur of people chatting detracting from a performance of this gravity.

Elsewhere, Final Dose are also immense. Like Ultha, they play in saturated, dense red light with vocalist in a black hood. Having seen the band earlier this year with Spectral Wound, it is great to see the band taking their chance on a bigger stage. And they are also on the road with Wolves In The Throne Room. This is black metal on the aggressive end of the spectrum. It is abrasive and vitriolic with no subtlety while being hypnotic, drawing one in with pulsating rhythms. Damnation are really into it, showcasing another strand of extreme.

UNNERVING TONES

Groza are another German band who fly the flag incredibly for black metal, and their nation. Having witnessed Groza at Fortress Festival 2026, it comes as no surprise to this writer just how good they are. All decked out in black, and with their trademark hoods up, the four piece deliver a masterclass in the atmospheric. The blend of epic and atmospheric taped effects and the vicious sound is excellent. A simple backdrop adds to the vastness of the music making the all round Graza experience a completely memorable one.

From Germany to Norway, experimental, avant-garde metallers, Shining, take the stage. In truth, they are hard to label. Vocalist, Jørgen Munkeby, fist bumps the front row before starting. His saxophone is prominent as the band prowl the front of stage. They get up close with the front rows as their jazz inspired progressive tinged metal fills the room. The band are in good spirits as the crowd lap it up with some good pit action to boot. There is an intensity in the sound but also an air of fun.

EXTREME ROYALTY

When it comes to the writing of the book on extreme metal, you can include the name of Thomas Gabriel Fischer aka Tom G Warrior as the author. As a member of Hellhammer and later Celtic Frost and Triptykon, he knows extreme. “Good evening Manchester…it’s an honour to be back in the UK. Most of you know how closely related the bands I have been in are to the UK.” Naturally, Manchester greets this with massive applause, as well as plenty of ‘urgh’s’ from the crowd; the vocal noise that Warrior is famed for.

The whole of Triptykon look extremely relaxed, jovially interacting with each other and playing with as much of a smile on your face as you want your extreme metal to have. Warrior has his trademark beanie on, with Vanja Slajh (bass) and V. Santura (guitar) left and right of him. Hannes Grossmann (drums) powers the band forth with his drumming.

“It’s a bit noisy on stage tonight – it’s like the 70s. But that’s ok. We’ll do our best. We can manage for one night! It’s not exactly Beethoven is it?” announces Warrior as the band play a set heavy with Celtic Frost and Hellhammer tracks. Circle Of The Tyrants and Dethroned Emperor bring a massive roar from the crowd. Those of a certain vintage will have been there when these songs arrived first time around. “This is the first song Martin and I wrote in Hellhammer,” says Warrior in his introduction Messiah. Bookending their triumphant set is the Triptykon classic, Aurorae. It is an atmospheric end to a wonderful and celebratory hour of music.

MORE AVANT-GARDE

In addition to Shining, Igorrr provide another opportunity for the avant-garde and the quirky. The flamboyant French outfit have been riding the crest of a wave over the past couple of years, and right now, they are a well oiled machine in the live arena.

Their latest album, Amen, is a real step up for the band and opening with Daemoni is perfect. The aesthetic is brooding, and the sound is dark. JB Le Bail is a frightening presence on vocals. Gerda Iguchi adds mezzo-soprano vocals replacing Marthe Alexandre. Iguchi herself is just as imposing and fierce offering light to the dark on vocals. Igorrr mastermind, Gautier Serre moves from electronics to guitar to percussion to recorder seamlessly. He is the architect and he stands atop his podium overlooking the band unfurl a hugely successful set.

Blastbeat Falafel, Spaghetti Forever, ADHD and Headbutt are all highlights as the French outfit prove another great booking for a festival that manages to mix the different extremes to suit many different palettes.

BLACK METAL LEGENDS

With Satyr in his now familiar white denim cut off, behind bespoke mic stand, and Frost a blur of perpetual motion behind drums, Satyricon are undoubtedly a huge draw of Damnation 2026. This is Norwegian black metal but it is perhaps a little more clinical than their peers. That being said, it is no less intense.

Midnight Serpent opens the set before Our World, It Rumbles Tonight sounds as heavy as bitumen with slab heavy riffs pummelling the front row. For the heaviness, Black Crow On A Tombstone brings melody to the fore with the crowd singing along loudly. The crowd being loud is a key feature of the set; it is clear that there is still plenty left in the tank after two days of music. When they arrive at The Pentagram Burns they show that they are as aggressive or fast as many other black metal bands but their intensity burns slowly, pulling you into their icy realm of Norse landscapes.

With things moving rapidly to an end, Mother Earth throws its name in the hat as the best black metal song ever. Its epic, distinctive intro builds to a majestic classic combining soaring melody with blast beats and battery. Crowd surfers respond in numbers! K.I.N.G brings to an end a triumphant, enthralling set.

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM

In complete contrast to Satyricon, Wolves In The Throne Room’s approach to the genre is far more ritualistic with tracks coalescing to form one passage of sublime music.

White noise, ambience and field recordings anchor the tracks anchored. An incense ritual by candlelight begins the set. As a closing set, the entire piece is full of mysticism and the ethereal. Played in near darkness and appearing as shadowy silhouettes a lot of the time, WITTR touch on parts of their back catalogue as well as a pair of songs from their recently released new album, Estuary (our review here).

In a set like this, it is perhaps hard to cater for every persons singular wants, but The Old Ones Are With Us from Thrice Woven is a mid set highlight. The band close out their set with a massive version of I Will Lay Down My Bones Among The Rock And Roots. It’s a fitting title to end a great weekend on. Many people live for festivals like this; many give their time, many give their bodies, many give their hearts and souls.

To the organisers, crew, security, BEC staff and the thousands in attendance, thank you for a brilliant weekend. We will look forward to what 2027 brings (especially Black Breath back on UK shores!).

Read our day one review here, and keep your eyes peeled for our huge gallery reviews in the next few days.

Tickets for Damnation Festival 2027 are available now, here, with a handful of bands already announced.

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