Voivod & Midnight / Rescue Rooms / Nottingham
I really probably should have got an early night…. Tomorrow its an early start as we head to Download XXIII. But, how could you miss a night like this? As Canadian metal legends Voivod head to the Rescue Rooms on their 2026 joint headline tour with Midnight.
First up on stage are progressive thrash metal merchants Crytposis from Holland who give is a 30 minute support set. Focusing on themes of technology, science fiction and future Dystopian worlds, they released their debut album “Bionic Swarm” in 2021, and the excellent “Celestial Death” in 2025.
Cryptosis put on one hell of s show, delivering some blistering thrash. “Celestial Death” is a fantastic album, and on the recording, there is a depth and intricate nature to their sound, but in the live environment it comes alive, for example in the excellent Absent Presence which delivers intricate melodies as well as down right dirty riffs.
Cryptosis are a true live force, Laurens Houvast delivering some powerful riffs and pitch perfect vocals. There’s a real mix of sound, from the more mellow tracks and others that are much heavier and intense. Death Technology is a great version of the latter, fast, intense and brutal in its delivery, Marco Prij delivers a masterclass of frenetic drums. Frank te Riet on bass struts the stage, pulling faces, raising his devil horn fingers and encouraging the crowd to get involved. The Rescue Rooms is digging the intense groove.
The brutality continues with Transcendence one of my favourite Cryptosis tracks, with a hint of Slayer in the short sharp vocal lines. It may be a short set, but boy is it harsh, unrelenting and exciting, what more could you ask for.
Setlist
Full setlist unavailable
Tonight it’s American black metal /speed metal merchants Midnight to take the frist slot in the co-headline show. Both Midnight and Voivod give is full 60 minutes sets. Formed in 2003 in Cleveland, Ohio Midnight by Jamie Walters who goes by the stage name of Athenar. Midnight is simila to Kanonenfieber a project by Noise, who like Athenar plays all the instruments in the studio, but tours with other musicians. Midnight dropped their debut album “Satanic Royalty” in 2011. Their seventh and most recent release being 2025’s stellar album “Steel, Rust and Disgust”.
Midnight are a visually stunning outfit on stage. With black hoods and full face black metal face coverings, but with old school leather, bullet belts like a cross between Mgła and Motorhead. And the performance is an equally mix of styles and influences. Midnight are masters of chaos and mayhem on stage, delivering stunning brutal riffs and visceral vocals. The masked guitarist doesn’t let the crowd rest once, if the energy levels drop just a fraction, he’s on the mic, calling it out and demanding more…. And the crowd respond every time, and the atmosphere in the crowd ratchets up yet another notch with a pit circling in the middle of the small room.
Athenar is like a man possessed, spinning, jumping off the drum riser at every opportunity, the energy is so impressive as they pour everything into the performance whilst delivering some impressive bass tones and harsh vocals.
Most of the set comes from 2011’s “Satanic Royalty” and delivers some intense and brutal stuff such as the title track Satanic Royality. The highlight for me though is Black Damnation that delivers a stunning more melodic black metal sound, somewhat in the league of Mayhem’s Freezing Moon.
They end the set with the blistering F.O.A.L. the final track from 2024’s “Hellish Expectations. The drums pound out an unrelenting beat underpinning some fast, furious riffs. The vocals have a power metal feel and it’s a real crowd pleaser. A great track to end a show with – raw, visceral and intense.
Midnight leave nothing out. They pour every ounce of energy and emotion into the performance… and it shows.
Setlist
Unholy and Rotten
Evil Like a Knife
Satanic Royalty
You Can't Stop Steel
Necromania
Black Damnation
Rip This Hell
Lust Filth and Sleaze
Violence on Violence
Savage Dominance
Holocaustic Deafening
Shock Til Blood
Fucking Speed and Darkness
F.O.A.L.
The night has just flown by, and now it’s time for tonight’s headliners Voivod. A Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Quebec formed way back in 1982, their sound has changed over time, developing from speed metal, developing and building all the time, adding elements of prog metal and thrash to the mix, creating something truly unique.
The line up consists of founding members Michel "Away" Langevin (drums), Denis "Snake" Bélanger (vocals, who left the band in 1994 and returned in 2001), who are joined by Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain (guitar) and Dominic "Rocky" Laroche (bass).
They’ve released sixteen studio albums from 1984’s debut “War and Pain” to 2023’s “Morgöth Tales”. They’ve just released a new live album this year called “Symphonique”.
The sound system fades to silence and the lights dip as smoke swirls round the stage, onto which Away, Chewy and Rocky step to huge cheers from the assembled faithful. As the first riffs of Experiment burst forth, out steps Snake to huge cheers. The bass dominated riffs have an almost erratic jazz feel to them whilst Snake delivers some searing and demented vocals over the top. It’s chaos personified and sets the scene for the set perfectly. It’s a Voivod staple, as they experiment with metal norms, as do bands like Sunn O))) and Imperial Triumphant. They challenge the norms and expectations. And why not, because this kind of thing is where you find something different, unique and beautiful in it’s own way.
Snake paces the stage throughout commanding his platform as the crowd nod in unison soaking in every nuance of the performance. Chewy on guitar is simply beaming, enjoying every moment as they dive into Tribal Convictions, from 1988’s “Dimension Hatross” with a more melodic feel, but no less intense, as he with Rocky pose rocking their guitars in unison.
The chaos continues with Korgüll the Exterminator from 1986’s “Rrröööaaarrr”. The star for me has to be Away on drums, a master technician, delivering the heartbeat of every track, managing the changes in complex time signatures with apparent ease.
As the set grows, we enjoy Tornado from 1987’s “Killing Technology” which has a downright dirty beat to it before it explodes into a wall of intense riffs that pound out from the speakers into our very souls. It’s followed by a cover of Pink Floyd’s classic Astronomy Domine released in 1967 on The Piper at the Gates of Dawn”. Voivod released it in 1989 on “Nothingface”. Their version is close to the psychedelic original but somewhat heavier, but just as stunning.
The night draws to an end with the self-titled Voivod the opening track from their 1984 debut “War and Pain”. It’s a moment of magic and nostalgia for the long time fans. A slow meandering opening gives way to some extreme vocals and noise. Its chaos personified, full of life and vitality, and sounds just as amazing now as it did 40 years ago (OMG really ?!?!).
Voivod deliver a stunning performance, and show there’s plenty of life left in the old dogs. Paired with Midnight and Cryptosis, it was a night of heavy and brutal metal, with three different takes on the genre.
Setlist
Experiment
Tribal Convictions
Korgüll the Exterminator
Nanoman
Tornado
Into My Hypercube
Mechanical Mind
Condemned to the Gallows
Astronomy Domine (Pink Floyd cover)
Voivod
