The Metal/Punk/Rock Thread

[Merzbow]

That supposedly North Korean black metal band is back with yet another one on this split, sleuths have decided they're actually South Korean through accents and certain language used but either way they're a genuinely solid act.

 

[Accident Prone]

Thanks for the reccs @WyattSheepMask! I'll check those out first before deciding if it's worth trip.

[Egg Shen]

On 5/28/2026 at 9:18 PM, WyattSheepMask said:

In a move that I imagine has cost them an absolute fortune, Damnation have landed The Berzerker (insert your John Nord jokes below) for a European exclusive and their first show in 18 years.

I saw The Bezerker back in the day. I don't remember much about it really, those days are hazy. It was advertised as not being a musical a event and more a noise experiment or some bollocks. 

[d-d-d-dAz]

23 hours ago, Accident Prone said:

I'm selling my 2000 Trees ticket this year due to royally fucking up my back and thus not being able to camp (must be absolutely honest and say that the line-up being a tad underwhelming, especially after Thursday pulled out, made it an easier decision). I'm putting the money towards a more decent hotel for Deftones at Vic Park, as I did have one of those cheap Olympic box hotel rooms but now I'm going to spring for one of those Yotel apartment gimmicks and get there a day early so I'm in no rush.

I would've loved to do ATG to catch Primus and Cult Of Luna+Julie Christmas, but as that clashes with the same weekend as Deftones, I'd like to try Damnation out this year to catch CoL but I'm not overly familiar with everything else on the bill so I'll have to dive into those bands before I mage a decision. Does anyone have any recommendations, regardless of genre? (Line-up below lacks Berserker, who I'm also unfamiliar with):

I'm squeezing in Primus at ATG and Deftones. 

The Damnation bill is pretty special this year I think;

Cult of Luna one of my favourite bands. I pretty much enjoy any genre with the 'post' prefix.

Carcass are excellent. HEALTH sound like Nine Inch Nails crossed with Pet Shop Boys, but are decent live. Crowbar are sludge legends. So are EyeHateGod. Wolves in the Throne Room are excellent black metal/atmospheric black metal. Car Bomb are very good math metal if that's your vibe. Pelican are another of my favourite bands, in that instrumental post-metal space. Frontieres are incredible; their albums Oxidized and Orange Mathematics are both great (sort of Dillinger crossed with noise and industrial influences). MOL are my favourite of the post-black metal/atmosphere bands. LIK are pretty good scandi death metal with good lineage; they have members from bands like Bloodbath etc

Satyricon are legends so, i'm not a huge fan but ill watch and enjoy i'm sure. Gorerotted are sort of legends in their own right.

They've also just added The Berzerker for their first show in 20 years, which is sort of extreme industrial death metal with a full visual show etc..

I think it's my line up of the year, with COL/Pelican/WITTR/MOL/Frontieres being the highlights.

Edited May 30 by d-d-d-dAz

[Egg Shen]

For the last couple of years ive wanted to go but then other stuff gets announced closed to it and i sack it off. They keep pulling it out the back with the lineup.

[Accident Prone]

Thanks for the reccs, @d-d-d-dAz! I look forward to diving into it all during work next week. That and I snapped tickets for Mangata fest in September on the back of the Nordic Giants and Overhead, The Albatross hype, so there's a whole lot of new music for me to dig into.

[WyattSheepMask]

I got sick of hearing about Overheard, The Albatross because Gav kept mentioning them on 2 Promotors 1 Pod, which is a shame because I actually  really liked their ‘I Leave You This’ album. I had to stop listening to that podcast because they just kept going on about either O,TA or Kneecap all the fucking time, and because Gav is a bit of a knobhead. I enjoy him and James sharing their knowledge of the industry and have learned a lot from it, but the pair of them come across as loving the smell of their farts most of the time 

Edited May 30 by WyattSheepMask

[WyattSheepMask]

Fortress 2027 first headliner got announced last night

No word on which variation of lineup it’ll be.

2027 UPDATE:

Early bird allocations of tickets, released in two separate batches, both sold out in just under an hour. 50% of tickets already gone

Edited June 1 by WyattSheepMask

[Merzbow]

 

I think there'd be a few here up for this tour, I think Nailbomb is just Max and Igor right now but with touring members including Alex Cha from Pig Destroyer and the drummer from Misery Index.

[TibBo]

Must be a ballache for them getting their flight cases through customs

[Ironic Indie Lad]

Rush started the 50 Something Tour at the Forum in LA over the last few days. They have played 2 of 4 nights so far.

10+ years away from touring, Alex and Geddy are both 72 now, new drummer replacing easily one of the GOATs of drumming. It was difficult to know what to expect.

From the accounts I have read and the videos I have seen, they have absolutely knocked it out of the park.

Highlights include:

Opening with Xanadu

Playing the entire first side of the 2112 record

Playing almost the entire Moving Pictures record across two nights

Some very moving Neil Peart tributes

Aimee Mann joining them on stage for Time Stand Still

Songs not played in a really, really long time such as The Trees and By-tor And the Snow Dog.

Truly career spanning setlists with even songs from Counterparts, Snakes and Arrows etc. getting a look in. 

Cannot wait for the UK shows now. Buzzing I am going to two nights !

[Merzbow]

A surprise release from Devourment today, disgusting Slam Metal at it's best.

 

[cobra_gordo]

Ooooof I'm liking that. Got to love that typewriter kick sound and when the snare is as loud as the vocal.

[Ironic Indie Lad]

3rd Rush show and they played the entire Moving Pictures record in order in the middle of the set.

STILL ZERO SONGS FROM POWER WINDOWS FFS

[d-d-d-dAz]

Popped along to Download yesterday for the day.

Enjoyed the day, even if I didn't love many of the bands.

Caskets were on first. Charming, but sounded like all melodic metalcore. Seemed to mean a lot to them.

Watched POD for old times sake. Pretty rubbish. The singer gives off big 'trains jiu jitsu and listens to Rogan' vibes.

Creeper are one of the worst bands i've ever seen live.

Paleface Swiss are baby Slipknot, from what I could tell but lots of fun. First band of the day I actively enjoyed, even if i'd never listen to them in my own time. I did try an album on the coach home but... no. Leave the memories alone.

Periphery were the band on the bill I liked most before going, and around 5 years ago or so I saw them and it was 10/10... but they were disappointing. Like seemingly all bands now, they always play to a backing track (incl not just string and ambience but the bass line as they don't have a bass player) - but the guitarist and synth player hadn't travelled so lots of key guitar and keys parts were also on track. The singer was singing to a track too, at times. Periphery's biggest USP is how technically excellent the singer is, too, but he blew a few high notes. Gutted.

Saw the backend of Sleep Theory and they were about as good as a band I automatically know aren't for me can be. Tight, good singer, heavy and melodic blended well. 

Story of the Year. Now. This really isn't my cup of tea. I know Page Avenue from when I was a kid but that's it. So, colour me perplexed that I have to give them close to top marks. Really good live band. Thought they used the short festival set perfectly, had the whole place in the palm of their hands. Really pleasantly surprised. Band of the day. Listened to their new album on the way home and enjoyed it, even if it's not my usual thing; still buzzing off their set, I think. UNTIL THE DAY I DIEEEEEE.

It probably helped they were on in the tent, which automatically sounds better than outdoor stages.

Limp Bizkit closed my day. The reason I went. Not that i'm a fan now, but they were the band that got me into guitar music and wanted to tick them off the bucket list. They were as good as Limp Bizkit possibly could be in 2026. Good fun nostalgia, with an absolutely feral crowd. 

Fred Durst's reaction to that person who had a life threatening emergency was very professional, and I thought he was a surprisingly likeable and fun frontman throughout actually. The show was stopped for a long time, but checking their recent setlists we didn't actually miss a song, just a clipped ending for My Way. I didn't love the intermissions between songs where they just played pop songs.

There was a lot of people in the crowd who don't seem to have gone to heavy gigs before. There was a lady near me who was going absolutely mad at people for standing too close to her. Really made it awkward. If you're a bloke being told you're too close to a young woman you obviously have to move, but there aren't many options when everyone is close to everyone. The merch stands also seemed to have lots of families trying shit on, too, like they were at Debenhams.

Good day. Enjoyed it. Went home a fan of a surprising band. Arcantangent and Damnation will be better. Ban backing tapes, though.

For anyone keeping track of my stupid year of '100 gigs before I turn 40', the best bands i've seen this year so far are (criteria being I scored them 9 or more out of ten);

Thrice, Kreator, Dragged Into Sunlight, Green Lung, Earthless, Goose (not Geese), A Perfect Circle, Story of the Year.

Honourable mentions to Full of Hell and Joe Bonamassa.

Edited June 13 by d-d-d-dAz