Though only ever touted as a mini-festival, when half of Candlefest’s billed bands are no-shows it feels a bit of a stretch to mention the f-word at all. Still, the show must go on and, given that it’s their first ever show on home turf, Falloch know that better than anyone. Rich in heartfelt, crystalline vocals and distinctly lacking in 200 bpm blastbeats, they make for an emotional change of pace.

Winterfylleth’s set shows that, sometimes, a round of fast-footed drumwork and a strong enough sense of melody can work wonders. The Mancunians’ riffs are simple enough to lodge themselves in the part of the brain that normally only registers 80s pop while still delivering enough violent sideswipes to keep attentions from wandering, with partial credit going to Chris Naughton’s haughtily proud vocal effort.

If Winterfylleth are sticking closely to the black metal code of conduct, Altar Of Plagues are tearing it up. Playing in the barest of light with breakneck intensity, they quickly envelope the room with a richly textured wave of distortion that says more between the notes than during them. Moments of fury fly past easily enough, but when the pace lets up and chords are left suspended for hours on end the air crackles with a tense energy that few bands can replicate.

Unfortunately, Anaal Nathrakh’s co-founder Mick Kenney won’t be attending tonight either due to unscrupulous US immigration practices but it’s of little consequence to Dave Hunt, whose distinct brand of misanthropy is enough for two. From the sudden impact of opener ‘Drug-Fucking Abomination’ right through to ‘Pandemonic Hyperblast’, less a song and more an act of GBH, there’s enough hate, bile and crash-landing metallers on stage to even prompt the occasional smile from Hunt himself. But it’s hard to blame him; when this much chaos can be caused in a half-full venue with a half-complete line-up, he has the right to feel pleased with himself.

David Bowes