The Wildhearts: Sticking Around For The Punchline

Photo Credit: Andy Ford
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“There was only two ways it was going to go. I was going to end up in jail or in the ground.” When THE WILDHEARTS announced their hiatus in 2022, it appeared that the wheels may have well and truly come off the band. Although its members ploughed on with various solo projects, it also seemed like this disintegration of the group might take frontman Ginger Wildheart down with it.



“My life had spun out of control,” Wildheart candidly shares. “I ended up getting sectioned, which turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.” Known as one of rock’s most prolific artists, taking his foot off the pedal was exactly what Ginger needed to take stock. “It allowed me to just stop everything and refocus – and focus on myself.” However, the temporary cost was his lifelong passion for creating music.



“When I came out of the hospital, I had no interest in music. None at all. And obviously, I had no songs.” Considering Ginger’s near hundreds of song-writing credits over the years, it was an atypical position for the Geordie troubadour to find himself in. Dedicating time to his own recovery however led to inspiration eventually striking. And it struck hard. “The songs just started coming! It was like a dead direct line, a hotline to something bigger than me.” Wildheart chortles and adds, “The material was coming in so fast and furious, I was having to say, ‘look, can you fucking slow down?!’”

To say the recovering Wildheart was caught off-guard by the sudden inspiration would be an understatement. “I literally didn’t want to play the guitar. I hadn’t played for so long, I couldn’t play!” But that rustiness proved reinvigorating too. “It was like starting out again. And that’s where I found the magic was.”

Unexpectedly armed with a wealth of material after this particularly difficult patch in his life, Ginger found himself in the position of now trying to get an album off the ground. After recording demos, an offer was soon on the table from Spinefarm, though with a key condition, as Ginger explains. “We can do a deal, provided you don’t do this with the last lineup.”


For longtime fans of the band, particularly its “classic” line-up (debatably Ginger, CJ, Danny McCormack and Ritch Battersby), this may seem like a bit of a surprise, but not to Ginger. “I don’t blame them,” he admits. “As exciting as anyone might think a bunch of 50-odd year olds getting drunk, taking drugs and getting into trouble is, it’s not.”

Was it that easy to close the door on the old line-up however? “I’m fatally loyal sometimes,” Wildheart begins. “Which is probably something that people won’t believe about me because you know how many changes there’s been in the band,” he adds with a self-aware smile. Before recording began proper, Ginger reached out to both CJ and Battersby, sharing the material and asking if they’d do the record. They both turned it down, providing Wildheart with the closure he needed. “Great, you’ve both allowed me to move on,” Ginger adds gratefully.



That did however mean rebuilding the band ahead of recording this new album, for which Ginger tapped a few familiar faces from his pool of collaborators. Jon Poole, ex-CARDIACS member and often-times WILDHEART himself, was a no brainer for the bass. Ben Marsden, who Ginger describes as “the man most biologically predisposed to be in THE WILDHEARTS” slotted in to the other guitar slot naturally. Rounding out the lineup for recording was Cheb Nettles who had played on the demos. With the pieces in place, recording went uncharacteristically smoothly. “We did the album and it was one of those magic sessions where, from the first beat that went down, everything worked,” Ginger beams.

The resultant record, Satanic Rites Of The Wildhearts, feels like a departure of sorts from the last few releases under THE WILDHEARTS banner. Ginger notes, “there was an innocence about this one where we weren’t questioning any part of the process – is that song too poppy, is that song too heavy?”

Rather than be hemmed in by what THE WILDHEARTS should sound like, Satanic Rites… sees the band stretch their musical focus beyond punk-thrash melodic aggression. Instead, it taps into the more experimental vein of releases like Fishing For Luckies and Ginger’s varied solo material. It’s a course correction for the band that Wildheart implies has been coming since their second album, 1995’s P.H.U.Q.
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“P.H.U.Q. was supposed to be a double album and I had this vision that we were going to be able to go anywhere. And then the record company said, ‘We’re going to cut all the long and interesting songs and we’re going to try and make a carbon copy of the first album.” While the excised tracks would soon resurface and become classics in their own right (first as part of the aforementioned Fishing For Luckies and eventually in 2022’s P.H.U.Q. Deluxe), Ginger took the pushback to heart. “It killed me. It killed my spirit.”

Satanic Rites Of The Wildhearts is both the first step in this new chapter for the group and an opportunity for Ginger to let go of some of the band’s past. “You’re dragged down by the past,” he reflects. “The present is the only place you’ll ever be. So that’s how I’m approaching everything now. And that means putting things to bed!”



It’s certainly not the first rebirth of THE WILDHEARTS and who knows if it’ll be the last. But with a new record on the horizon and a tour kicking off just as the album drops, Ginger’s enthusiasm for this moment is infectious – though he’s well aware of the sceptics. “I’m really excited about where this is going. And everybody who’s going to accept change and wants to follow us on board, it’s going to be very exciting for them!”

After over thirty years in the game and weathering countless setbacks with THE WILDHEARTS, Ginger’s resilience and longevity is driven by one key lesson above all: “Don’t die. Stick around for the punchline.”

Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts is out now via Snakefarm Records.

Like THE WILDHEARTS on Facebook.

LIVE REVIEW: Unleash The Archers @ Slay Glasgow

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Power metal is an incredibly popular subgenre, yet in recent years, fans say that the genre has fallen into a rut. It’s hasn’t quite innovated or pushed the envelope, unlike, say, black or death metal. As a result, the list of bands that have broken into the upper ranks of popularity in the last twenty years is short. One of those bands is Canada’s UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, a four-piece that completed their mission of hybridising melodic death and power metal compellingly. As the years passed, they dropped the melo-death and kept smashing through the max popularity ceiling. Despite the rising number of power metal fans in the UK, it seems that fewer bands are including London, let alone anywhere else in the UK, on European treks that would have certainly touched down in the capital over ten years ago. So it’s perhaps no surprise that when UNLEASHED THE ARCHERS announced a London date for earlier this year, it sold out in four days and was upgraded to a roomier venue. Naturally, all the extra tickets vanished rapidly, prompting the band to actually listen to the fans for once and come back a few months later to travel elsewhere in the UK.

All For Metal live @ Slay, Glasgow. Photo Credit: Duncan McCall

The Glasgow show takes place on a Tuesday, and Slay is absolutely crammed with bodies. The room is so rammed that there’s a security person who’s sole job seems to be to get people to shuffle forward away from the exit to allow more attendees to squeeze in. The only support tonight is ALL FOR METAL, a power metal band of dubious origins. There’s an argument to be made that power metal is struggling in the light of bands that dress up and get popular on social media due to their wacky, cartoony looks over musicianship. This German/Italian collective was artificially assembled by the record label AFM (hence their initials), instantly given a huge marketing budget, popular tours and festival slots. Formed in 2022, they already have two albums and approximately 15 music videos.

You can imagine what they sound like: generic and uninspired power metal that takes cues from SABATON, HAMMERFALL, MANOWAR, DYNAZTY etc. There are two vocalists: Antonio Calanna with a traditional power metal higher range complete with a piercing falsetto, and Tim Schmidt who sounds similar to the gruff deeper tones of SABATON vocalist Joakim Broden. Their stage presence is very pantomime-y, which may appeal to those who prefer crowd interaction over music, like those dragged along to the show. The music itself is the typical kitsch heavy/power metal themes with the exact same metal, Viking, warrior and camaraderie themes that MANOWAR, DREAM EVIL, RHAPSODY and a thousand other bands have adopted since. Songs played are titled Raise Your Hammer, Born in Valhalla, Gods of Metal, and Goddess of War.
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All For Metal live @ Slay, Glasgow. Photo Credit: Duncan McCall

The venue’s sound makes the guitars scratchy, but the audience is up for this cliché performance, given the hearty responses given to the band on request. Perhaps the most surprising inclusion is a bass solo by

Rating: 4/10Unleash The Archers live @ Slay, Glasgow. Photo Credit: Duncan McCall

Just before Canadian power metallers UNLEASH THE ARCHERS take the stage, you can feel the lofty expectations in the air. The five-piece immediately ignites the performance to remember with the self-titled song from Abyss. This dynamite-laden anthem is hampered by singer Brittney Slayes‘ vocals being criminally too quiet. Fortunately, this is rectified very quickly, and just as well. Slayes‘ voice is fantastic on record but live, they’re jaw-droppingly incredible. Effortlessly, she smashes out sustained falsettos and belting vibratos, wielding her enviable vocal talent like a broadsword. Soulbound and Faster than Light from the same album continue the rampage, dazzling the audience, who eats up every note from the band.

Next, two selections from 2017’s Apex, the headliner’s breakthrough album, are presented – The Matriarch and Awakening. The metal is technical without being distractingly so, with nods towards SYMPHONY X. Guitar harmonies, sparingly used growled vocals and electrifying solos are the order of the night, all configured to make outstanding power metal that excels in the live environment. The following two songs are
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Unleash The Archers live @ Slay, Glasgow. Photo Credit: Duncan McCall

Last year, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS released Phantoma, so they play four prime cuts from this, including Ghosts in the Mist, Green and Glass and Gods in Decay. On stage, they don’t seem to stop headbanging, and it’s refreshing to see a band still having fun playing live. They’re constantly swapping smirks and private jokes with each other throughout. It seems they hold all the cards for being an all-around excellent metal band. They last played Scotland in 2017, and when Hayes asks how many were at that Edinburgh show, about five people put their hands up. Clearly, word of how outstanding they are has rightfully travelled. After Blood Countess, the cool Canadians leave the stage, only to return for their encore. This is a cover of the STAN ROGERS folk song Northwest Passage, their most played song on Spotify, almost double the number of listeners of their second one. Far from their best song, this example of patriotic Canada sees large swathes of the fans singing along to each lyric. It certainly rounds the rest of the set out sublimely, and the ovation UNLEASH THE ARCHERS receive is epic. They absolutely must return to Glasgow again.

Rating: 10/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Glasgow from Duncan McCall here:









































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Desaster release new song ‘Throne of Ecstasy’

Photo Credit: Omer Barzilai


German black thrash metal veterans DESASTER have released a brand new single!



The new single, titled Throne Of Ecstasy, is the latest track lifted from the band’s upcoming full-length studio album, Kill All Idols, which is scheduled to be released later this month, via Metal Blade Records.



Speaking about the new song, founding guitarist Infernal says, “The song is a traditional DESASTER black/thrash song, which immediately encourages headbanging and fist-raising in the middle part. The riffs were created spontaneously in the rehearsal room during one of the legendary sessions with lots of (of course legal) stimulants and only had to be arranged a little. It was an easy birth! The songs that emerged from jams are usually our best.”

Listen to Throne of Ecstasy here:


Kill All Idols is set for release on August 22nd via Metal Blade Records. Pre-orders are available now and can be purchased here.

For more information on DESASTER like their official page on Facebook.

FESTIVAL REVIEW: Fortress Festival 2025

Having established itself as the leading black metal festival on UK soil last year, it feels like that Fortress Festival 2025 is bigger and better than ever before. Having AGALLOCH as a European exclusive headliner certainly helps, with the festival being sold out months in advance. As the sun shins against the backdrop of the historic Scarborough Spa on the seafront and aural darkness booms from within, a truly international collective gather to bask in the black metal festivities. Here’s what went down.



Saturday, May 31st

NEMOROUS – Main StageNemorous live @ Fortress Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography

Formed from the ashes of underground favourites WODENSTHRONE, new entity NEMOROUS arrive to kickstart the weekend with a triumphant display of UK black metal. Arriving against the backdrop of Scarborough Spa‘s grand main room, demonstrating their collective years of experience, NEMOROUS are atmospherically thick, and their confident stage presence ensures their musical delivery packs a punch. Performing their upcoming debut album in its entirety to a packed crowd thanks to effortless ticket exchange from the festival crew, NEMOROUS set the bar for the weekend’s action high, and it’s a bar that rarely dips.

Rating: 8/10

PERENNIAL ISOLATION – Ocean RoomPerennial Isolation live @ Fortress Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography

Making their UK debut, Barcelona’s PERENNIAL ISOLATION may be blessed by the Mediterranean sun, but their blend of atmospheric black metal is icy sharp. Their set at Fortress Festival sees a full album run through of 2021’s Portraits – a criminally overlooked record in the black metal world – and we’re treated to a performance that is razor sharp. The smaller confines of the Ocean Room work in favour for the quartet, with a heavy atmosphere swirling from moments of aural bliss through to passages that tremble with ferocity. Renditions of Autumn Legacy Underlying the Cold’s Caress and Unceasing Sorrows from the Vastness’ Scion sees the band soar, cementing their addition to this year’s stellar lineup.

Rating: 9/10

AQUILUS – Main StageAquilus live @ Fortress Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography

Having travelled from literally the other side of the planet to perform exclusively at Fortress Festival, there’s an instant admiration towards Australian outfit AQUILUS. And for good reason too. Helmed by band mastermind Waldorf, the band’s presentation of folk-infused atmospheric black metal sounds absolutely stunning against the backdrop of the Spa‘s main room, a running theme over the weekend. Flanked by his live band, Waldorf leads his compositions with confidence, and the harmony with his bandmates – in particular violinist Hayley Anderson – helped keep the sound incredibly immersive. And for music of this ilk, in the live environment especially, that is essential. Here at Fortress Festival, consider it a job very well done.

Rating: 8/10

DARKHER – Theatre

Normally utilised for the festival’s supporting In Conversation series, day one of Fortress Festival sees the all-seated theatre transformed into a series of sublime palette cleansers. Having impressed on previous metal festival circuits – including Damnation Festival in 2016 – DARKHER‘s band of reflective doom-tinged neofolk is an experience that is nothing short of transcending. Supported by an accompanying percussionist, project mastermind Jayn Maiven has a spellbinding impact on the seated spectators with the power of her voice alone, allowing of subtle changes in pitch and tone to have an enormously emotive affect on those experiencing it. This is music that speaks to the soul.

Rating: 9/10

SULDUSK – Ocean RoomSuldusk live @ Fortress Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography

It’s another Aussie debut for SULDUSK who arrive at Fortress Festival having only recently taken to the live circuit. Since 2016, helmed by Emily Highfield, the band’s approach to blending black metal with neofolk is nothing groundbreaking, but by God, it sounds incredible live. Showing no signs of inexperience live, SULDSUK captive from start to finish in a strong contender for set of the festival. Complemented by Hayley Anderson‘s stunning work on the violin (for the second time today), the band’s sound croons with melancholy before building to explosive crescendos. Material from last year’s Anthesis – Verdalet and the title track – sound impeccable and Highfield‘s vocals cut through the mix with the utmost ease. With a sound that go toe to toe with the heavyweights of their style, SULDUSK are a special, special band and their performance will live long in the memory.

Rating: 10/10

THE GREAT OLD ONES – Main StageThe Great Old Ones live @ Fortress Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography

It’s appropriate that against the iconic Scarborough Spa, the tide crashes against the seawall. Enter THE GREAT OLD ONES. The Lovecraftian disciples have forged a distinct sound since emerging from Bordeaux in 2009, and at Fortress, they unleash a sound that soundtracks the awakening of Cthulhu from the ocean depths. Splashed with progressive flourishes, their black metal twists and contorts and echoes moments of sinister melody, with material from this year’s excellent Kadath (In The Mouth of Madness, Me, The Dreamer and Under the Sign of Koth) all sounding utterly monstrous on the big stage. Although material from 2017’s breakout album – E.O.D. (A Tale of Dark Legacy) – is glaringly absent, it’s a strong and confident set from one of black metal’s rapidly rising cults.

Rating: 8/10

SYLVAINE – Theatre

Judging by the fact the queue is snaking down the stairs into the lower foyer of the venue, there is great anticipation for SYLVAINE to close the Theatre. Helmed by multi-instrumentalist Kathrine Shepard, rather than her usual amplified post-black metal affair (which is fucking excellent in its own right), at Fortress, Shepard guides us through a much sombre and reflective live experience, and it is absolutely breathtaking. Holding the room at bursting capactiy to stunned silence where you could hear a pin drop demonstrates the sheer power of Shepard‘s musical ability, her voice speaking directly to the heart. In a day of wave after wave of blastbeats, to have a moment of tranquillity like this makes what we experienced all the more special, and moving to a few to tears with the power of her voice alone speaks volumes. In SYLVAINE, we have a real gem on our hands.

Rating: 9/10

AKHLYS – Ocean RoomAkhlys live @ Fortress Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography

AKHLYS took listeners on a mesmerising journey into the realm of atmospheric black metal, artfully blending haunting textures with powerful instrumentals. Their immersive soundscapes crafted an ethereal world where guttural vocals and intricate riffs stirred a distinctive sense of dread. This emotional richness was further enhanced by ambient elements, broadening their musical horizons and weaving together themes of darkness and existential reflection. The live performance at the Ocean Stage left a profound mark, as the quartet’s intensity and passion resonated deeply with the audience. Each member infused their unique energy into the set, contributed to a captivating atmosphere that kept the crowd spellbound. Every song evoked intense emotions, making the experience unforgettable. AKHLYS not only delivers a concert but also invites fans to delve into profound themes through their art, ensuring their impact lingers long after the final note fades away.

Rating: 8/10

1349 – Main Stage1349 live @ Fortress Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography

Given the fanfare surrounding the return of AGALLOCH on European shores the following day, it would be understandable if there was reduced anticipation and expectation for Norwegian vanguards 1349. The Norwegians deliver the icy chills, serving a reminder as to why they have enjoyed a career that is within touching distance of three decades. The likes of Atomic Chapel, Through Eyes of Stone and I Am Abomination dispatched with hellish fury, spearheaded by frontman Ravn‘s intimidating stage presence and wicked snarls. Elsewhere, tunes from last year’s The Wolf & The King slotted seamlessly into the band’s live arsenal, with The God Devourer and Inferior Pathways in particular sounding utterly monstrous. Despite early technical issues blighting the band’s initial momentum, once recovered, the band keep the momentum surging and deliver a good, if not slightly predictable, display of high octane black metal, a fitting end to the first day of Fortress Festival. And you can’t really complain with that.

Rating 8/10

Sunday, June 1st

ABDUCTION – Main StageAbduction live @ Fortress Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography

Representing homegrown talent, the rise of ABDUCTION has been one of the UK black metal’s most brightest sparks in recent years. The tail end of the 2010s saw mastermind A|V‘s profile rise, but 2022’s Black Blood and this year’s Existentialismus has seen ABDUCTION cement their status as one of our island’s top exports for the scene. At Fortress Festival, the band is tasked with kicking off day two and through a full album run-through of their latest record, what we experience is a statement of intent. In a blistering and white hot performance backed with some impressive and macabre video imagery, the band – spearheaded by A|V – are captivating to watch. It certainly helps when you have material like A Legacy of Sores and Truth Is as Sharp a Sword as Vengeance in your arsenal. A powerful and assured performance from a band that looks set to be a figurehead for UK black metal for years to come.

Rating: 9/10

BELORE – Ocean RoomBelore live @ Fortress Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography

Epic sweeping atmospheric black metal blesses the Ocean Room as French outfit BELORE start the day’s action on the festival’s second and in their debut appearance on our shores, they make a good impression. Pulling largely from last year’s Eastern Tales, the band – led by mastermind Aleevok – weave a complex and sprawling musical landscape, with The Valley of the Giants and Storm of an Ancient Age in particular demonstrating the quality on offer. It’s this uncanny ability that lies at the beating heart of Fortress Festival, quality undiscovered gems.

Rating: 8/10

DÖDSRIT – Main StageDödsrit live @ Fortress Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography

Having to withdraw at the eleventh hour last year, Swedish blackened crust metallers look to make up for lost time and proceed to give one of the best performances of the entire weekend. With the Main Stage packed to capacity, we’re treated to a band that is on scintillating form, all the more special given Fortress Festival is their UK debut. The likes of Irjala and Nocturnal Fire – from last year’s sublime Nocturnal Will – show the band at their brilliant best, with the extended lead solo work in Nocturnal Fire being dispatched to glorious perfection. Watch this space, because we have a truly special band on our hands.

Rating: 10/10

AUTUMN NOSTALIGIE – Ocean RoomAutumn Nostalgie live @ Fortress Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography

Having to follow the exhilarating DÖDSRIT is an almighty challenge, and for a portion of AUTUMN NOSTALGIE‘s set, there’s a worry that their UK debut will be one to forget. Technical problems renders the band unable to perform, but once these issues are mercifully resolved, the Slovakians conjure a hauntingly immersive atmosphere. The guitar work in particular is the key here, as the riffs intertwine and dance in shimmering tranquillity and a nice steady rhythm makes experiencing the band’s craft a pleasure. Despite the setback, a strong and impressive performance from a band who will hope for a better role of the dice next time.

Rating: 7/10

MOONLIGHT SORCERY – Main StageMoonlight Sorcery live @ Fortress Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography

Seemingly coming out of nowhere, Finland’s MOONLIGHT SORCERY may have more akin to CHILDREN OF BODOM than their compatriots in their native black metal scene, but their exhilarating and theatrical black metal is absolutely wicked. With Fortress Festival being just the third show in the band’s budding career, there’s a lot riding on whether the Finns can replicate the sheer intensity of 2023’s Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle. And boy, do they deliver. Igniting an aural maelstrom that rarely dips in its intensity, the band keep the audience breathless. The likes To Withhold the Day, The Secret of Streaming Blood and Into the Silvery Shadows of Night all highlight what a special prospect we have on our hands. Brilliant, brilliant stuff.

Rating: 9/10

ARISTARCHOS – Ocean RoomAristarchos live @ Fortress Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography

Another prime cut from the UK’s ever fruitful black metal scene, not much is known about ARISTARCHOS, but what becomes immediately clear as they level the Ocean Room, Fortress Festival have struck gold once again. Crafting an atmosphere and with visually striking robes is nothing new, but if done correctly, can really enhance the impact of a performance and here, the band deliver. Feeling akin to SCHAMMASCH in places, their black metal swirls and builds, all with pinpoint ferocity from a drummer who keeps the pace whitehot. Fuelled by two excellent full-lengths under their belt, their set at Fortress Festival stakes a claim for one of the best performances of the weekend.

Rating: 9/10

ULCERATE – Main StageUlcerate live @ Fortress Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography

Despite a career spanning over 25 years, it’s only been the last decade or so where New Zealand’s ULCERATE have enjoyed breakout success within the confines of our world. Their brand of unorthodox and suffocating technical death metal is an almighty musical beast, and with the likes of 2016’s Shrines of Paralysis, 2020’s Stare into Death and Be Still, and last year’s Cutting The Throat of God all having a stake in the best extreme metal of recent years, much anticipation awaited the trio ahead of a rare appearance on our shores. And we’re treated to a masterclass in musical extremity. Their set pulls from their most recent two records, and through merciless renditions of To Flow Through Ashen Hearts or The Dawn Is Hollow, the band conjure, instil and smother a foreboding sense of dread as their dizzying musicianship works effortlessly in a feat of masterful control of their instruments. There is quite simply not another band like them.

Rating: 10/10

FORTERESSE – Main StageFortresse live @ Fortress Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography

Having last performed a show six years ago, scoring Quebec’s FORTERESSE for this year’s festival is a triumph. Judging from the overwhelming demand for the exclusive shirt on offer, this is a big deal, signalling the festival’s ability to cater perfectly for this corner of the metal world. Performing as the penultimate act on the Main Stage, the band’s primal and relentless surge of low-fi black metal injects that much needed adrenaline for the day’s closing stages. A cacophony of blistering riffs, pummelling drums and pained howls cascade and wash over the crowd, with the likes of Spectre de la rébellion and La lame du passé being dispatched with ruthless intent. A technical mishap disrupts what should be a triumphant finale, but after dusting off the misstep with a thumping rendition of Vespérale to finish on a high, experiencing FORTERESSE felt like a “I was there” moment.

Rating: 9/10

FEN – Ocean RoomFen live @ Fortress Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography

FEN, hailing from the United Kingdom, evoked profound emotions during their headlining live performance on the Ocean Stage, supplying the audience with a deeply immersive experience. The intricate guitar work, haunting melodies, and dynamic rhythms embodied a juxtaposition of darkness and beauty. Each composition unfolded akin to an epic journey through delicate landscapes. The band’s unwavering dedication to their craft was evident as they actively engaged with the audience, fostering a profound connection that significantly enhanced the emotional resonance of their music. With lyrics frequently inspired by nature and introspection, FEN‘s performance resonated on multiple levels, leaving their Fortress Festival crowd enchanted and contemplative, while the quartet demonstrated both an impressive stage presence and a steadfast commitment to their art, establishing themselves as a prominent force within the black metal scene.

Rating: 9/10Agalloch live @ Fortress Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography

Given the immense quality of the curated billing, the festival weekend had featured many great moments, but to welcome back Portland’s AGALLOCH as returning heroes topped the list by a country mile. Having announced the band immediately after last year’s festival, in their first European appearance, their first appearance on UK shores for a decade (something John Haughm comically notes at during the set), AGALLOCH‘s headlining set at Fortress Festival had the enormous weight of anticipation, but as the opening notes of Ghosts of the Midwinter Fires unfold, a tidal wave of sheer ecstasy is unleashed. Using the adoration of the crowd as their lifeblood, the band throw themselves – quite literally – across the stage and run through an extensive walk through their discography, with each folk-laden black metal epic performed expertly well. Whether it’s the sheer release of emotion experienced during Falling Snow, the doomy and mourning croons of Fire Above, Ice Below, or the thumping Dark Matter Gods, experiencing AGALLOCH – especially after such a long time – feels euphoric, helped by the fact the band are on scintillatingly good form. A defining moment for Fortress Festival, cementing it as a set that will live long in the memory.

Rating: 10/10

Words: James Weaver, Sabrina Ramdoyal

Check out our extensive photo gallery of the action at Fortress Festival 2025 from Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography here: