A glance upon Temples Festival’s social media in the wake of the 2014 event, one comment left was “Neurosis were so loud I nearly shit myself”. Well, if last years apparent bowel-shattering line-up was loud, then Temples Festival 2015 will surely reduce patron’s skeletal composition to a mere pile of dust, and leave their minds as nothing more than a shadow of their former selves.
Set in the South West of England at the Motion venue in Bristol, this 100% independent festival will once again provide one of the most diverse, and well-constructed festival line-ups that the UK has seen. Covering drone, metal, hardcore, doom, punk and almost every aspect of the aggressive music world across 3 stages, Temples Festival is one now one of the most revered events in the country, and with such a staggering array of bands its easy to see why.
While trying to pick a selection of bands from the weekend was a difficult task, we are bringing you what we believe are 15 of the most vital bands playing across the 3 days, and where you can find them.
Lets start with Friday..
Throats
Main Stage: 14:30 – 15:00
When they broke up in 2010, a huge hole was left in heavy music within the UK, and while we have a thriving hardcore scene here, there was unquestionably no band quite like Throats. Thankfully, they are back to lay waste to the main stage at Temples with their blend of intense hardcore, d-beat, and crust punk, which will no doubt be chaotic and enthralling.
Harms Way
Main Stage: 15:30 – 16:00
Since releasing their critically acclaimed album ‘Rust’ earlier this year, Harms Way have gone from strength to strength. Their monolithic hardcore draws from a traditional ethos and adds a heavier, metallic crunch to it, making them an unstoppable force that will turn the dance floor into a war zone on the Friday afternoon.
Young and In the Way
Main Stage: 17:30 – 1800
Another one of several Deathwish Inc. bands playing the weekend, the controversial YAITW will make their UK debut at Temples. Crossing boundaries with their blackened crust, last year’s album ‘When Life Comes to Death’ too the world of aggressive music by storm. This will not be for the faint of heart, but also unmissable for anyone in attendance.
Nails
Main Stage: 21:30 – 22:15
The brainchild of guitarist Todd Jones (Terror, Carry On, every hardcore band ever), Nails’ short, sharp and abrasive hardcore punk has garnered them a highly adoring fan base, but are worthy of all the praise they receive. With songs averaging at under a minute in length, their main stage set will be a cacophonic whirlwind.
Pig Destroyer
Second Stage: 22:30 – 23-30
Iconic, incomparable, and always relevant, Pig Destroyer are every bit as menacing as their name suggests. They are one of the quintessential grindcore bands, and due to the vast nature of their back catalogue they will headline the second stage on Friday, then head to the Main Stage on Saturday for a completely different set.
Converge
Main Stage: 23:30 – 00:30
What can be said about Converge that hasn’t been said before? Probably nothing, but their live performance often increases the intensity and emotion of their records tenfold. Surely bringing out classics such as ‘Concubine’ and ‘Eagles Become Vultures’, they will show Temples Festival why they are still one of the most important bands in aggressive music.
And on to Saturday…
Celeste
Main Stage: 14:30 – 15:00
With an ominous combination of furious black metal and a hardcore punk attitude, this French band are set to provide one of the most spellbinding sets of the weekend. Celeste do not deal in half measures as their last album ‘Animale(s)’ proved, and live, they are even more powerful.
Svalbard
Third Stage: 16:30 – 17:15
They have been around for a while now, but Svalbard are fast becoming one of the UK’s finest underground bands. They draw elements from crust punk and post rock to create a truly cosmic, yet unsettling experience. They are over on the Third Stage now, but it won’t be long before they are headlining events like this themselves.
Torche
Main Stage: 16:30 – 17:15
When a band is given the tag of “doom-pop”, it makes them sound either awful or brilliant. Thankfully for Torche, they fall into the latter category by applying soaring melodies to an otherwise dense sound. They moved back to a heavier sound of old on their latest album ‘Restarter’, and will shake Temples Festival to its core on Saturday afternoon.
Triptykon
Second Stage: 21:00 – 22:15
The musical project of Celtic Frost legend Thomas Gabriel Fischer have gained critical acclaim over their years, and Temples Festival they will undoubtedly prove that such accolades are justified. Dark, brooding, and intense, they should not be missed at all costs.
SunnO)))
Main Stage: 22:20 – 00:20
The incomparable and iconic SunnO))) are regarded as one of most influential doom bands of all time, and it’s easy to see why. There are few that can make as much dense and powerful noise as this duo can, and at the volume they play at they will be a truly mesmerizing experience. Bring earplugs.
Finally, on the Sunday…
Ohhms
Main Stage: 14:30 – 15:00
Fast becoming one of the premier heavy bands in the UK, Ohhms trade in long, slow, and monolithic compositions. With a new record ‘Cold’ on its way next month through Holy Roar, they are proving to be an unstoppable force and will prove why during their main stage slot.
Pallbearer
Main Stage: 19:30 – 20:30
Following last years excellent ‘Foundations of Burden’ LP, Pallbearer have been critically acclaimed by all corners of the heavy music community. Their apocalyptic doom metal is nothing short of incredible, and will no doubt be one of the highlights of the festival.
Between The Buried and Me
Second Stage: 20:30 – 21:45
For 15 years BTBAM have been producing mind-bending, progressive metal that has to be seen to believed. On the cusp of releasing their 7th album ‘Coma Ecliptic’ this summer, their second stage headline performance is going to be a truly special experience.
Earth
Main Stage: 22:00 – 23:30
Earth are arguably the most pioneering band on the bill, and one that has influenced almost every band playing Temples Festival this year. Whether they are at their most minimal or most droning, Earth will take you to another dimension, and bring the festival to a close in style on the Sunday night.
Of course, this is just a handful of the bands that are playing, and we could write for hours about how fantastic the line-up is but the only real way to enjoy this festival is to be there, and as the website states, they are expecting you. Unfortunately, Temples Festival is now completely sold out and has been for some time, but to those fortunate enough to have grabbed tickets, we will see you there.
Temples Festival takes place between the 29th and 31st of May at Motion in Bristol, with a pre-show on Thursday 28th featuring the UK’s very own Bossk, and …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead kicking off proceedings for the weekend.
All the information you need about the festival can be found over at the Temples Festival website.