Feature

September Means… London Metalfest! A Guide To This Year’s Edition Of The Festival

Band Photo: Candlemass (?)

Something we all want more of is value for money. This is especially true when it comes to live shows, as touring costs have risen astronomically, bands have no choice but to raise the prices of tickets and merchandise, meaning it can be very easy to spend over a hundred going to a gig, let alone travel costs etc. Last month, I spent £43.50 on a ticket to see Kittie in Islington, who were absolutely fantastic by the way, but it does feel like too much for one show. Fortunately, just down the road in Camden on September 12th, and for only £1.50 more than I paid for the aforementioned concert, headbangers have the opportunity to not only support an up and coming festival, but see some truly legendary bands across three venues too, as the first edition of London Metalfest kicks off.

There are no shortage of festivals in Camden, which itself is famous for its arts and music scene, hosting such venues as The Underworld, The Electric Ballroom and The Black Heart where so many metal bands have appeared for decades. Desertfest, Incineration and Camden Rocks are just a few of the events which take place in the north London town regularly and now there’s a new contender on the scene, as London Metalfest brings some of the most exciting bands from across the world to the English capital to celebrate the music we love so dearly. Across the Electric Ballroom, The Underworld and The Dev (aka The Devonshire Arms, if you’re trying to find it on Google Maps,) there’ll be no shortage of excellent bands vintage and new to enjoy.

The Electric Ballroom

Perhaps the most enticing place of the weekend is The Electric Ballroom. Easily my favourite venue in Camden, the landmark club will host many of London Metalfest’s biggest names, and will be headlined by one of doom metal’s most revered bands, Candlemass. The Swedish pioneers have been stomping across stages since 1983 (albeit with a few years on hiatus,) and are rightly recognised as one of the sub-genre’s most influential groups. They’re currently in the midst of writing new music so fans will be hoping for a glimpse into what’s to come, as well as some of the anthems that have kept them so beloved for over forty years.

Before Candlemass takes to the stage though, fans will see the Ballroom open with a bang as “the world’s sexiest rock band,” Genitorturers get proceedings underway. They’re a bucket list band for me and I unfortunately missed out on seeing them during their visit to the UK last year, so this is one I want to be front and centre for! A band I did see last year though was High Parasite, who were absolutely superb opening for Paradise Lost on their last British tour. They’ll be on after Genitoturers and are sure to be a highlight of the day with their self-described “death pop,” boasting memorable hooks and crushing riffs.

There are also some thrash metal legends, as Acid Reign, who graciously stepped in as replacements for Burning Witches, will once again electrify London. Anyone who’s seen them before knows that they’re not to be missed, delivering all the excitement of old school hardcore punk along with the metal thrashing madness that saw them become one of Britain’s premier thrash bands. Finally there’s Dool, the progressive metal band from the Netherlands who may not be as energetic as the others on the bill, but they’re hard to beat in terms of atmosphere and musicianship. They all come together to create a varied lineup which is guaranteed to thrill headbangers of all tastes.

The Underworld

The Underworld has not only hosted many legendary names over the years, but for one day only, it will become one, as it will be known as the Peter Steele Memorial stage at the festival, in honour of the late Type O Negative frontman. Initially, the headliners of the stage were a secret, with the only thing being known about them is that they’re from the USA, though that didn’t stop some people guessing bands from the UK, Germany or Sweden. As it turns out, The Underworld will be ruled on the day by none other than Crobot, the Pennsylvania hard rockers who over the past fifteen years have risen to become cult favourites across the globe. It’s an exciting time to catch them too, as it was only in May that they released their sixth studio album, “Supermoon,” which will no doubt be represented very well in London.

The Underworld will be the busiest venue of the day, as it opens a good two and a half hours before The Dev, where things will get going via Enquire Within, who have become a staple of the British festival circuit and put in a great shift supporting Acid Reign at the same club only a few months ago. Belgium’s Cobra The Impaler will be the penultimate band in the downstairs club, still celebrating the release of their sophomore album, “Karma Collision,” which offered something for fans of progressive metal, stoner, metalcore and groove metal, which will surely bring headbangers of all persuasions together for their set.

Other names honouring Peter Steele on the day will include Devere, who were described by Metal Talk as “London’s loudest band,” so it’ll be interesting to see if the foundations of the building can handle their unbridled power! Suffolk hard rockers Aethoria will also be heading west to perform at The Underworld and have a very fresh offering for audience members, as their debut album “Fool’s Gold” was released at the end of August, so you know they’ll be fired up to perform these songs live! Not to mention, The Heritance are back in the UK to bring their take on melodic death metal, Kent death/thrash flag bearers Wretched Soul will be pulverising those in attendance and so will their countymen Unnatural Order, who were crowned winners of Kent’s Metal 2 The Masses contest. With all this on offer, The Underworld is going to create some real headaches for attendees not wanting to miss out on anything!

The Dev

Music in pubs goes back hundreds of years in the UK, and why should a metal festival be any different? The Dev has proved to be very popular at events such as these and sometimes, it’s the perfect home for the more casual or laid back bands, not that you should expect any easy listening in here! You will however find a bit of everything in the venue’s headliners Silas, who are just as inspired by jazz and the esoteric as metal. They were out of the game for quite some time, but will be keen to prove themselves at London Metalfest.

Things will be a little different just before them, when Fools & Ages showcase their unique brand of alternative metal, which manages to be both gritty and ethereal. Frankly, I believe they could be the surprise hit of the festival, as their songs are so impressive and promise to sound just as appealing live. It’ll be a much heavier affair when it comes to Man Band, whose sludgy music picks up where their previous band Ohms left off, while Noisepicker, who were an absolute delight when they played Desertfest 2024 and feature former Orange Goblin bassist Harry Armstrong, will no doubt be a band everyone in The Dev will remember for some time. Local alternative rockers Safe House will likely have some supporters and just as likely will create some more, while opening the festivities at The Dev will be Belgian beasts Bear, performing their first British show in three years.

So there you have it. Three venues, one day, nineteen bands! From legends to up and comers, London Metalfest has it all, including signing sessions taking place at nearby Raven Records. It’s always cool to be a part of a history, and witnessing what looks set to become an essential part of the calendar for British head bangers in its first incarnation will be a great thing to brag about for a long time to come. Tickets are almost gone, but there’s still time to get yours and spend a day in London you’ll treasure.

Ollie Hynes has been a writer for Metal Underground.com since 2007 and a metal fan since 2001, going as far as to travel to other countries and continents for metal gigs.