The date was set for the extreme strike on Kolkata (Calcutta). But then the inevitable had to happen, guess it's what is keeping the Kolkata scene from rising up to the highest of levels. The headliners of Ritual Ascension Fest II, Nafarmaan, got bombed and battered on their way, you could guess that the people understood their fake nature will be ripped wide open by these guys, hence this made it impossible for the virtual earthquake to hit the Indian ground! But can this really prevent the love and support for Extreme Metal to up rise in Kolkata? Hell no! And that is how Ritual Ascension Fest II was carried out.

Yes, many didn't turn up due to various reasons, but there were enough to show their passion and rage on the Extreme Metal wagon! We all got the unfortunate news that, Nafarmaan could not make it, but those who made it were looking forward to how the Putrid Ascendancy hordes would respond and they sure didn't disappoint! Though it started a tad late, but that's bearable if the show is a great one, read on for what transpired!

The first on stage was Armament, from a general point of view we have seen how these guys have gone from strength to strength, almost making the Black / Thrash Metal genre their own for good. They started with "From The Past Comes The Storm" (Sepultura tribute), a cover which the band is perfecting with each passing day. The gig started off on a real high note, although this was a slightly down performance compared to the other Armament performances witnessed beforehand. It seems that way because of the high standards fans come to expect from these guys. Their originals as always had the crowd really gripped onto them, and the demo video of  "Gas Chamber" released a few days before only made it better. But it was really the last two covers which was the highlight for these guys. "Crush Kill Destroy" (Sarcofago tribute) left the crowd really wanting to crush down the false people, and then came the big moment. The ex-guitarist of Armament, "Syd Myers", joined forces for what was to be a nostalgic performance from Ritual Ascension Fest I. They paid tribute to the mighty "Sodom", with "Remember The Fallen", although there were a few glitches here and there but it was the moment more than the song which was important in this one! With this Armament completed a set list with full of the extra ordinary energy these guys bring on stage and some moments of absolute brilliance! They go on to play Thrashfest in Mumbai, and rest assured Mumbai will experience what the cream of the Kolkata scene can offer!

Complete Set list:-

1. From the Past Comes the Storm (Sepultura tribute).
2. Hammer of God.
3. Wings of Death. 
4. Gas Chamber.
5. Crush Kill Destroy (Sarcofago tribute).
6. Remember the Fallen (Sodom tribute).

[Armament at Ritual Ascension Fest II - War.Cult.Supremacy.]

Next up we had Kapalin. This band has gone a long way from their debut performance at Morbid Death Fest II. They understood what was missing and in time added a new vocalist, released the bassist from vocals duties and recruited a drummer to have a complete line up. Black / Death Metal has to be one of the toughest genres to play and applause must be given to the guys for attempting it. This time around Kapalin showed why they have great potential for the future. Maybe it was the occasion, maybe it was the more complete line up, maybe it was more rigorous practice but these guys sounded at least 100x better than what was displayed at MDF II. They paid some essential tributes to the gods of the genre in "Blasphemy" and "Bestial Warlust" by covering "War Command" and "Till The End" respectively. In amongst these gems they inserted their originals filled with rawness in the form of "World War III" (original, not the Exciter number), "Warstrike", but the best moment of their performance was the original "Funeral Sleep". This is the number to really look out for. Overall a much tighter performance and it will be really interesting to see how these guys go about in the future!

Complete Set list:-

1. Intro
2. War Command - (Blashphemy tribute).
3. World War III
4. Warstrike
5. Till The End - (Bestial Warlust tribute).
6. Funeral Sleep
7. War.Terror.Rape.

[Necrodeity at Ritual Ascension Fest II - War.Cult.Supremacy.]

Then we had the guys in Purgation hitting the stage. Fresh from their debut EP release "Exterminated Malfeasance" and the epic Banish the Posers Fest, Bangladesh unleashed their brutality with full force! Like Kapalin, there was major improvements in the performance by these guys from last time. Maybe it's the effect of the Bangladeshi winds which have helped these guys grow even further! They played their originals which all featured on the EP and also unleashed a new song which they just started working on about 2 weeks ago, and by the look of it something really cool waited on the other side, after the song is completely worked upon! Purgation also covered the song which is now almost a necessity in every Purgation performance, "Charred Remains" from Death Metal masters Autopsy. Overall a tidy performance and would be really cool to see how Purgation goes about their new Original(s) and probably a full length is not far off!

Complete Set list:-

1. Uncanny Obsession
2. Repugnant Flesh
   
3. Charred Remains (Autopsy Tribute).
4. Untitled New Original.
5. Immaculate
6. System Impaled
7. Communal Carnage
   

London's Alternative Experimentalists Cypher16 are delighted to reveal their ONLY headlining London in 2014. Fronted by Jack Doolan (vocals / guitars) and Will Cass (guitars), the London lads are joined on live performances by Silent Descent's drummer Jerry Sadowski. Cypher16 will be performing at The Underworld in Camden, London on the 19th September.

We spoke to Jack Doolan about their headline show this is what he had to say:

"Well, it's set to be our only London 'Headline' show of 2014, and it's the biggest one that Cypher16 has done so far, so we're pretty excited by that of course. The Underworld is a venue where we have cut our teeth, so to speak over the last few years as a support act to bands like Dark Tranquility and Death Angel, so to finally be headlining it is a big step. The show is a little way off yet, which might seem a little odd to some people, but it'll all fall into place as we reveal our touring plans in the months leading up to the show".

All those who purchase tickets in advance will receive a free-exclusively designed t-shirt at the show, to get this awesome package for a jaw-dropping price of £8, head over to this link (and don't forgot to bring your ticket on the day!):

www.seetickets.com/event/cypher16/underworld/759930

https://www.facebook.com/Cypher16/info