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Venom Inc. will headline the second Vancouver Island Metal Festival

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Get ready to be caught in a mosh!

The Vancouver Island Metal Festival (VIMF) is back for a second year Aug. 16–19, and promises to be every bit as heavy as its predecessor.

Last year brought heavy metal veterans Diamond Head to Victoria alongside a slew of local talent, and this year ups the ante with Venom Inc. headlining one night at Capital Ballroom with a special three-hour set.

Aside from Venom Inc., this year’s festival will feature the return of Vancouver’s Unleash the Archers, an exclusive one-off reunion of Victoria’s Archon Legion, who have been inactive for eight years, and Vancouver-based Anciients, among many, many others.

There will even be a free outdoor show in Centennial Square, presented by the annual Eventide Music Series.

https://www.facebook.com/VanIslandMetalFest/posts/214619102600822

Festival features local metal talent

Noel Anstey, guitarist for Victoria shredders Scimitar, says they can’t wait to make a return to the VIMF stage.

“I think VIMF is really important for two reasons. Firstly, it shows that Victoria is a destination for major touring bands,” Anstey tells Victoria Buzz. “Secondly, its an opportunity to showcase the amazing homegrown talent from and around Vancouver Island.”

Scimitar will be sharing the stage with Archon Legion for one night of the festival, which is something of a full-circle moment for the band.

“When Scimitar was first getting started in 2008, these guys were our hometown heroes,” Anstey says. “We played our second and third shows with them and were totally starstruck. [laughs] That was really impactful for us then, so we’re thrilled to see them come back.”

Casey Lazar, director of the Vancouver Island Metal Festival Society, tells Victoria Buzz that with last year’s festival, “it just so happened that a pair of pretty big shows lined up on the same weekend as each other.”

That made following it up this year, with a clearer focus on providing four days of metal, was something of a challenge. But it turns out that there was nothing to worry about.

“I think this year breaks all the expectations people had for VIMF’s follow up, and gives the Island’s heavy metal community something to truly be proud of,” Lazar says.

See you at the show! \m/

Vancouver Island Metal Festival 2018

When: Thursday, Aug. 16, to Sunday, Aug. 19, 2018

Where: Various venues; visit Facebook event for info

Admission: TBA

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Myles Sauer
Former staff editor and writer at Victoria Buzz.

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