Was it good for metal?

[Graham]

I was at Damnation Festival in Manchester this weekend, two days of music from various parts of the extreme metal end, so to answer the eternal question of "is this good for metal?" In a slightly tongue in cheek way, I thought I'd catalogue all the basses and amps I saw across the weekend.

 

I was working the festival and saw a couple of pedalboards, so mentioned pre-amps if I saw them; everyone used House Ampeg 8x10 classics except for Bossk and Electric Wizard augmented with a second bass amp

 

 

Friday

The Sun's Journey Through The Night (Black metal) - Fender P/J,(VVT), House SVT 3-Pro

Deadguy (hardcore) - Precision, House SVT II-Non Pro

Celestial Sanctuary (death metal) - Deluxe Jazz, SVT III-Pro, B7K Ultra, Sansamp

Viking Skull (Motorhead like heavy rock/punk)- Jazz, Marshall VBA400
 

Inhuman Nature (thrash) - Thunderbird, an old Peavey head I think
 

Ninkharsag (black metal)- Warwick Streamer Stage II, Peavey TNT head

Bossk (post-metal) - Fender Marcus Miller, Darkglass M900, unknown cab (8x10 with an omega badge)

Din Of Celestial Birds (post-rock) - Ibanez EHB1005, House SVT II, Origin Super Vintage, Darkglass Alpha Omega Ultra

Heriot (industrial/hardcore/metal) - Jackson(?) RIc like bass, House SVT II

Katatonia (doom/prog metal) - Schecter, Kemper (I think)

Sat
Electric Wizard (doom) - Ric, SVT Classic + Orange head & cab

Anaal Nathrakh (black/death/grind) - Dingwall Combustion 3/4, SVT III (house)

Coffin Mulch (death metal) - jazz (Geddy Lee?), house SVT III

Crepitation (brutal/slam death metal)  - Traben 5 string, Darkglass Alpha Omega head

Khemmis (doom) - Spector LX(?)4, House SVT Classic

High Command (thrash) - Ric, Orange AD200

Unearth (metalcore)- Stingray HH, house SVT Classic, Darkglass B7K

Julie Christmas - Precision, Orange OB1 (mic'd cab only, no DI)

Undeath (death metal) - Warwick Fortress, house SVT III, Sansamp

Rotten Sound (grind) - Jazz, house SVT III

 

For my money, Unearth, Bossk, Julie Christmas and Electric Wizard had the best bass tones and as is par for the course at metal gigs and in big arenas, the bass was often inaudible or at least inarticulate.

 

Also the bands with the best bass sound tended to be the ones where (no surprise) there was sonic room for the bass frequencies, the full on death metal bands were more likely to have rumble, bottom heavy tone

Edited November 6, 2023 by Graham