Punktastic Second Stage
The Catharsis
As the first band on the last day, The Catharsis had a challenge ahead of them. Yet a solid crowd formed and their sound filled the tent as if they were playing an arena. From the outset, they erupt with punchy riffs, mathy rhythms and the energy of a 6 year old who’s had too much Ribena. It’s not a surprise that they’re moving up the ranks and touring with big names, because from just 25 minutes of audible pleasure, we’re already hooked. 4/5 LH
Acres
The Southerners, better known as Acres, approached to the stage mid-afternoon in front of a decent crowd. But, only some of those would have expected the blistering ambience that preceded. Equipped with strong soaring melodies, alongside trippy rhythmics and gruff catharsis oozing from the vocals, they took the festival by storm. 4.5/5 LH
Dead Harts
Saturday second stage slayed it with one incredible band after another. By the time we had recovered from The Catharsis and Acres, Dead Harts were ready to ravage the stage. The band forms this lunacy of berserk movements whilst somehow retaining nun tight aberrant riffs, robust drums and bass that makes your toes tingle. It seems fitting that their latest release is titled ‘Cult For The Haggard Youth’ as the crowd alters and almost mirrors Dead Harts with limbs flaying and torsos thrashing as if conducted by titan tracks like ‘Leech’, ‘Pit Talk’ and the renowned ‘Smoke Wagons’. 4/5 AC
Empress AD
Empress AD never fail to impress, they drive these incredible tracks that build into a storm of melodies that create beautiful and indescribable soundscapes. You can never quite tell at what moment Ollie Loring is about to sink into is ferociously beastly vocals. ‘Deeper In Disguise’ ignites half way through their set in erratic time frames that enraptured the crowd. Empress AD continue to astound us with every set with manage to catch and with their debut album ‘Still Life Moving Fast’ due for release next month we cannot wait to hear what is next from one of the most distinctive bands around at the moment. 4/5 AC
Heights
As one of their last shows, the Hertfordshire lads of Heights didn’t seem in the slightest bit disheartened. Entertaining both the fans wishing them a final farewell and the casual wanderers, Heights did themselves proud. No, they weren’t record perfect, but with their stage presence they made up for it threefold. Ending on ‘The Lost And Alone’ frontman Alex Monty bounced around the circle pit as if marking his territory for the last time. 4.5/5 LH
68
Drum set side on, mic hunched, ’68 well and truly tore up Hevy Festival. As the band come to the end of the UK leg of their European tour it was an incredible atmosphere as bands who had the privilege of playing the band during the tour climbed on stage and turned the tent into what felt like a floor show as crowds gathered both in front and behind ’68. Michael McClellan is mesmerizing to watch drum, limbs wildly rotating in a blurring fashion that mirrors Josh Scogin’s fits and starts. Closing on track ‘R’ as the room erupted in ‘Never Really Lost My Innocence.’ Genuine exceptional talent that was a remarkable point of the entire festival. 5/5 AC
