If you managed to make it over to Nottingham for Mangata Festival last Saturday, you already know what an amazing day it was. However, if you were unable to make it, I imagine you’ll want to know exactly how it went down. Or maybe you missed a band and you want to know if they were good still? Well lucky for you, we have the first of our reviews ready to read. This one’s gonna cover the Black Iris Brewery Stage, and damn was it a good showing here.

Firmament

We start with a good sized turnout for the first band on the Twisted Tavern Spirit’s Stage and I can see why. Instrumentally, Firmament are impressive. With melodies that sound almost theatrical in places, and catchy riffs, they’re a solid metal band. The band let us know the vocalist was actually unwell but you’d never know. With deep raspy vocals akin to Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, the powerful vocals are something I’d definitely consider a big selling point to this band. Whilst the song length times were slightly too long for my personal liking, this was still a very solid set.

Ofnus

Now this band hits my heavy music palette extremely well. From the start to the end, I was enchanted by their style and presence which glistened across the black metal genre with grace and sorrow. A sombre tone stunned the room while equally melting the chest with fast, earth-shattering drumming. They asserted on-stage to captivate the crowd with an almost relaxed energy while they let the music speak for itself.

I felt equally immersed and mesmerised, and couldn’t look away for a single moment. Expertly crafted bridges in the songs cemented their talent in musicianship – allowing the dark and heavy tones to be uplifted with joy and hope simultaneously. I will definitely be returning to their discography and cannot wait to experience this again.

Ael-Fierlen

The fact that this venue was so full that we had to wait in queue to see Ael-Fierlen speaks volumes. Similarly of a black metal genre – this band adds their unique twist including shoegaze and post-metal elements. Self-described as “Ethereal” – they definitely live up to this description. They eclipsed the room with a range of pacing, delivering an emotional journey that takes your soul to another plane of existence. 

We heard comments about the initial mixing at the start of their set but this was seemingly resolved once we could get in and experience this spectacle. Haunting vocals flowed through the beautiful melodies, carrying them towards a dark, epic finale. I wish I could’ve witnessed the entirety of their set – we will be keeping an eye on their return for certain.

Hidden Mothers

Unfortunately we didn’t get to catch much of Hidden Mothers set as Rock City Beta was so full for them they were letting one-out one-in, but what we did catch didn’t excite me much. Whilst clearly very talented musicians, their prog-laden metalcore didn’t make me want to get up and move, pit, cry, scream or anything at all really. While this one wasn’t for us, It is very clear that they went down really well with those that made the effort to see them. Packing the room out to the point of one-out one-in is an achievement in itself.

Nordic Giants

I didn’t know what to expect when I went to see Nordic Giants. Google just tells me they are a post-rock band but that is just the tip of the iceberg. 2 members sit left and right side of the stage, with a projector being the focus of the stage and after not long, I can understand why. They play what is essentially an instrumental film score whilst their own short films play, and you truly do need to see the films to get the full experience. The music is absolutely beautiful and enthralling, and put together with the short films, it creates an experience that is almost impossible to describe. The only way I can describe it, and even this doesn’t do it justice, is to say it gives you that same feeling of awe you get after seeing an amazing film at the cinema, and I mean specifically at the cinema, where you are completely IN the experience with no distractions. To say they were the best band of the weekend wouldn’t be correct, because they are so much more than a band. They are an experience. They are art. They are emotion. They are creativity at its finest.

Tickets for next years Mangata Festival are available now on the Mangata Festival website.

https://www.mangatafestival.co.uk

Additional words provided by @mihir-miyangar