Published: Absolute Underground #54 October/November 2013
This likely isn't going to be a very comprehensive review of the Noctis 666 festival as I missed parts of it but I'll try, I didn't get out for any of the Thursday night shows bcause of travelling from the coast. From what I heard though BOLZER and STRYKER were the standouts of that night.
I finally got my ass in gear on Friday afternoon and set out to find friends for a pre-game. Getting to the Ramada and seeing the whole lobby and sidewalk full of metalheads from pretty wicked and seemed to scare a few people. After shots were had and change was found it was off to the train. We all showed up in time to see PAGAN ALTAR who I am not really familiar with. The band played really tight through an instrumental song when I first got there. Unfortunetaly as soon as the vocals started in the next song I totally lost my taste for this band. Good music but I couldn't take the vocals. So it was off to the beer garden to wait for GORGUTS to start. For a busy place the beer lines moved pretty fast, everyone was happy and pounding tall cans of pilsner. I made sure I had a perfect view for GORGUTS because I've wanted to see them for years. I think their set was only slated for 40 minutes so they started fast and kept it up. I'm no expert at their songs but they played songs from Obscura up to Colored Sands. It was intense and Luc Lemay interacted with the crowd like the legend he is. REVENGE and their style of Canadian black metal was up next. The set was intense the band was really into it. This was the perfect set-up for BLASPHEMY. This is a band that has 30 years of urban legend behind it. We've all heard the rumours and stories about these guys. What was unfortunate was I couldn't hear the whole band. I tried a bunch of different places in the hall as did a lot of other people I saw. They looked really good and the vocals were good in the spot that I could hear them but then I was off to the afterparty. It was a blur.
Saturday started with stumbling out of bed to find a bunch of texts. Most of tthem centering around "how much can we eat and drink and not miss SACRIFICE?' We succeeded in just that, catching a shuttle and being there in time to have my balls fondled by security. SACRIFICE seemed really excited to play, I guess they hadn't played Calgary in 20 years. I've really only heard most of their early work so I was totally into this set. Next up was POSSESSED and lets just say Jeff Becerra slays harder in a wheelchair than a lot of vocalists do standing. Heads were banging across the hall as this band ripped through some classics. The only time I've really ever heard of GIRLSCHOOL is when Lemmy talks about them. I was pleasantly surprised by their brand of fun 80's guitar rock. Not one of them looks or sounds as old as they are. They were the one band that didn't fit in at a metal festival but that was a good thing. Thirty minutes of fun and not taking yourself too seriously.*SCENE MISSING* Through the sound of Jager shots and university girls I heard someone say that CARCASS was starting soon. I've never left a group of girls so fast. The current lineup is their best in a while. Jeff Walker works the crowd into a frenzy and then the rest of the band helps deliver crushing brutality. They went old, they went new and they even played songs off that album you say you don't like. We all wished for an encore but didn't get one. A large part of the crowd showed up at Vern's in time for the belligerance that is OH SHIT! It looks like their skill is starting to catch up to their egos. The bar was in fine form and a fitting end to the Noctis fest for another year. Everything wasn't perfect but I wouldn't trade it away. I had a wicked time with a lot of good people. Wristbands, cracked hands and bruises. Blood, sweat and beers. I only wish it wasn't the last year.
Michael F. Carnage
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