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:

Epica: Music Connects Us As Humans

Photo Credit: Tim Tronckoe


Forging their own path through the ranks of symphonic metal, the mighty EPICA bring us album number nine Aspiral and once again demonstrate their mastery of this style of music. Now at over twenty years since the band came to be lead vocalist Simone Simons reminisces over the leap of faith she took when beginning her long journey with EPICA.
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“Everything went really fast when I decided to quit high school and pursue a career in music. My parents were not thrilled with that decision, but I was very headstrong. I just needed to know where that would take me but I had no idea it would become what it is now. We got on that high speed train as EPICA and we never really stopped. Recently a fan tagged me on a post on Instagram of me doing some vocals for the very first album. It asked ‘did Simone back then realise what she would become twenty two years later’ and the truth is I had no idea I was just guided by intuition and a passion for music.”



Despite achieving every young person’s dream of leaving school to become a successful musician, Simone does have words of caution for those who may consider following her example.

“It’s quite rare for that to happen, dropping everything to join a band and it paying off so well. I wouldn’t recommend it to everybody but I do always like to encourage people to follow their dream and not think you are stuck living your life the same way as everyone else. But of course it is hard work and comes with a lot of sacrifice. We had connections to get on tour early on but those first few years we didn’t make money. I had to use allowance money from my parents to buy batteries for my in ear monitors or we slept on couches with our friends and families. If you want to drop out of high school and dream of being a famous musician overnight, that’s not how it works. You have to put in more hard work, perseverance and persistence than you think.”

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Nine albums later and becoming one of the leading bands of symphonic metal, Aspiral once again showcases EPICA as one of the most grandiose and epic bands in the scene. When considering how Aspiral came to be, Simone says, “after our last album, Omega, we released an EP called The Alchemy Project where we worked with other talented musicians and we experimented there a little bit by trying new things. We wanted to see how the metal community would react to something like that and the response was very positive so we felt like we had more freedom for whatever came next. It was a chance to rediscover EPICA and that’s really what kickstarted Aspiral. Each song individually has a different source of inspiration. The lyrics on the title track for example were inspired by an art piece from a Polish sculpture. That’s just one of many of course, every song has its own meaning so you could say our biggest inspiration is just a love of music and art.”

A number of tracks on the album are part of EPICA’s long developed epic masterpiece, A New Age Dawns. With parts appearing across various EPICA releases, Aspiral brings three more parts bringing the total up to nine parts. After years of adding to this sprawling musical narrative, Simone reveals that the song finally feels complete. “Mark intended this song to end with this, our ninth album. This is the conclusion of A New Age Dawns intentionally on album nine and with nine total parts. The number nine stands for completion and wholeness. I couldn’t tell you if that was his plan all the way back when the prologue was written way back when, but certainly when writing for this album the conclusion felt right.”



Despite this chapter of EPICA closing, the band are always looking ahead to whatever story is coming next. “There will definitely be another epic journey to come. We’re very philosophical in this band, very spiritual and incredibly passionate. I’ve mentioned this a lot already but the passion for music is what has driven us and still does to this day as well as seeing the response to what we do. Music is one of the most beautiful things in life and it’s what connects us humans all around the world. We’ve been a hard working touring band but we have a big team of people that make it all happen. It’s not one person, it is a whole team of people that are equally important and vital in their own way and together we are EPICA.”

Aspiral is out now via Nuclear Blast Records. View this interview, alongside dozens of other killer bands, in glorious print magazine fashion in DS121 here:

The Callous Daoboys: Welcome To the Museum of Failure

“Luckily, we’re a pretty polarising band!” Carson Pace, vocalist with Atlantan mathcore mavericks THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS is sat on the other end of a Zoom call, a few weeks ahead of the release of their hotly-anticipated – and utterly phenomenal – third album, I Don’t Want To See You In Heaven. Asked about the pressure of expectations following the smash Celebrity Therapist, he’s animated and passionate about discussing it and how they approached creating it entirely on their own terms. “People are already expecting the unexpected,” he smiles of their ability to upend expectations at a moment’s notice.



One of the big reasons for I Don’t Want To See You In Heaven’s success is that the band refused to replicate previous successes. “Pleasing people wasn’t a part of it,” Pace explains. “The pressure was to make sure that we made something good, the focus was on the song, and instead of being ‘let’s write a song with a big breakdown’, let’s make sure it’s an actually good song. That also happens to have a big breakdown,” he grins. The seeds started to be sown for this new era far earlier than people might realise, too.



“We finished recording Celebrity Therapist in September 2020. People don’t realise we sat on that for two years,” he begins, explaining that the writing process began before the actual release of Celebrity Therapist in September 2022. “I would say about 50% of this record was written last year, but the other 50% is from 2021 to now.” As we talk, it becomes clear that Pace and his bandmates have taken as much time as they could to learn as much and write the best songs they could. “So many people get caught up in trying to redo older songs, or fix their errors,” he starts, “but my philosophy has always been, you can always write something better.”

If it sounds simple on the surface, it was harder to put into practice, with the band bouncing demos back and forth, asking each other whether they felt songs were too indulgent or if they were on the right track. The ultimate goal was to create the best possible album they could. When asked if he feels this is a more mature record, he agrees to an extent. “It’s mature in that we are older now and have different tastes. When I was writing Die On Mars the only thing I wanted to do was be an insane mathcore band. We’ve done that, and I’m glad we kind of still are an insane mathcore band. But the philosophy of this album is that you only have one chance to immortalise yourself through art.”


A lofty goal, to be sure, but one that Pace is committed to pursuing. “We were like, how do we quit our jobs forever,” he admits simply, “This is the only thing I’m good at. I’m incompetent in most other areas of life. This is the only thing I like doing, I don’t like working a customer service job, I don’t even really like money. I like having enough to live, so I was asking, how do I keep this going and make something timeless?” If you’ve heard I Don’t Want To See You In Heaven, you know for certain that they achieved that goal.

Although, it perhaps isn’t a more mature record in some ways, Pace grinning, “I yell ugga ugga boo ugga boo boo ugga, so is it really more mature?” (referring to the wonderfully-named Douchebag Safari that also opens with a Wii Sports-esque jingle). Their ability to poke fun and have entertaining song titles is extremely intact – see also Idiot Temptation Force, for instance – but the music itself takes itself as seriously as Pace takes his desire to be in a band full-time, making art that he loves. “The goal was to make something so undeniable that it becomes our everything.”
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The idea of immortalising themselves through art also became a way to frame the record; with two tracks, the intro Collection Of Forgotten Dreams and penultimate Opt Out, creating a museum setting that posits the existence of a Museum of Failure 300 years in the future, in which the album is displayed as an exhibit. The album then, naturally, asks the question of whether it was a failure at all, given the album has lasted 300 years and is now in a display. But just don’t call it a concept album, as Pace isn’t the biggest fan of the title.

“When bands of our ilk do concept records, I truly hate it. I think it’s so stupid. There’s something inherently fedora trenchcoat about concept albums,” he opines. “But then, [our album] also is, in the sense that it’s being presented conceptually.” The idea itself is one that Pace is very fond of, enjoying not only the concept of a Museum of Failure but the way in which a world can be established that the album exists in. “I’ve never really heard a band do that, and it was such a cool idea. Plus there’s all the packaging of the album like a museum brochure.”

There are still tie-ins; as the album’s press notes explain, the album does examine failure in a sense, but it also chronicles Pace’s own feelings and mental state over the course of its creation. There’s lines singling out working at Guitar Center (“I don’t care if my former coworkers see this, that was the worst job I ever worked in my life. I hate Guitar Center!”) but there’s also an entire song dedicated to the love and gratitude he has for this iteration of the band, as the mid-career FALL OUT BOY echoing Distracted By The Mona Lisa shows.

Throughout its many twists and turns, from the JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE-referencing Lemon to the mathcore freakouts of Schizophrenia Legacy and flirtations with beatdown hardcore on Tears On Lambo Leather, despite the disparate threads that make up the album and its frequent, baffling turns across a myriad of genres, it’s a remarkably cohesive piece, not only because of its conceptual framing device.

There’s clearly been a huge amount of dedication and work gone into the album, with Pace’s declaration that they didn’t want to repeat themselves ringing particularly true. There’s no Star Baby to close, sure, but Country Song In Reverse is without a doubt one of their finest-ever moments, as its twelve minutes ricochet from mathcore to lounge samples to ambient and brass-infused post metal.



One recurring theme across I Don’t Want To See You In Heaven is sacrifice, and how much Pace and his bandmates are willing to give up to make THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS work without the need for a day job. Distracted… is the clearest summation, in some ways, of this. “That’s me saying you people [his bandmates] make all of the sacrifices worth it. I’m so grateful for the people I’m in a band with, I don’t think every band gets this lucky. We are, truthfully, just six people that love hanging out with each other so much. They get on my fucking nerves all the time, but they’re my family and we truly love what we do together. I’m proud to say I’m in my favourite band.”

I Don’t Want To See You In Heaven is out now via MNRK Heavy. View this interview, alongside dozens of other killer bands, in glorious print magazine fashion in DS121 here:

HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Astro-Creep: 2000 – Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head – White Zombie

“Perhaps you’d better start from the beginning.” These seven words, sampled from the 1957 Hammer Horror classic The Curse of Frankenstein, kick off Astro Creep: 2000 – Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head (or simply Astro-Creep: 2000), the fourth and final studio album from New York’sWHITE ZOMBIE. And to truly grasp the significance of both the band and this record, you have to go back to where it all began.
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Formed in 1985 on the gritty streets of New York City, back when the city still had a dangerous underbelly, WHITE ZOMBIE took their name from the 1932 Béla Lugosi horror film. They carved out a niche in the underground with a unique brand of grimy noise rock, sharing sonic territory with contemporaries like PRONG and COP SHOOT COP, but with an added obsession for horror, sci-fi, and B-movie sleaze that set them apart.



Their early albums, 1987’s Soul-Crusher and 1989’s Make Them Die Slowly, made waves in the underground scene, but it was 1992’s La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol. 1 that changed everything. The band shifted towards a groove-driven, sample-heavy sound that amplified their love of the bizarre. It was weird, wild, and it worked.

Their visibility skyrocketed thanks to appearances in the Brendan Fraser/Steve Buscemi/Adam Sandler rock comedy Airheads, and breakout tracks like Thunder Kiss ’65 and Black Sunshine dominated MTV. Perhaps most notably, Beavis and Butt-Head gave them the kind of approval that, at the time, could launch a band into the stratosphere. Suddenly, WHITE ZOMBIE were one of the biggest metal acts on the planet, emerging just as grunge was starting to lose its hold on the mainstream.



Recorded in late 1994 with legendary producer Terry Date, Astro-Creep: 2000 would turn out to be WHITE ZOMBIE’s final studio album, though they didn’t know it at that time. In hindsight, what a way to bow out.

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Now featuring drummer John Tempesta (ex-EXODUS and TESTAMENT), the lineup – Rob Zombie (vocals), Sean Yseult (bass), Jay Yuenger (guitar), and Charlie Clouser (keys/programming) – took everything that worked on La Sexorcisto and pushed it to the extreme. The result? A sleazy, industrial-tinged metal odyssey that was as outrageous as it was infectious.

Blending metal, funk, punk, and industrial with perfectly placed samples (from cult classics like The Omega Man, The Haunting, and To the Devil a Daughter, to an eerie interview with Manson family member Patricia Krenwinkel) Astro-Creep: 2000 is a fever dream of horror, paranoia, and raw energy. The lyrics, heavily inspired by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and other genre fare, only add to the nightmarish vibe.



Opening with Electric Head, Pt. 1 (The Agony), the album pulls listeners headfirst into WHITE ZOMBIE’s twisted world. It’s a relentless ride through tracks like Super-Charger Heaven, Real Solution #9, I, Zombie, and the iconic More Human than Human, songs that became bona fide anthems. Elsewhere, trippy cuts like El Phantasmo and the Chicken-Run Blast-O-Rama and Blood, Milk and Sky reveal the band’s more psychedelic, unhinged side. Together, it’s the definitive WHITE ZOMBIE experience.

With the album out, the band hit the road hard, playing with the likes of KYUSS, THE MELVINS, and the Ramones. Their UK return came at Donington 1995, personally invited by METALLICA to join a stacked lineup that included MACHINE HEAD, SLAYER, and CORROSION OF CONFORMITY. As the eerie opening of Electric Head, Pt. 1 played out over the PA, anticipation gave way to chaos. WHITE ZOMBIE delivered a scene-stealing set, repeating the feat at Reading the very next day and firmly establishing themselves as the hottest band in US metal.

Their headline UK tour followed soon after, with Astro-Creep: 2000 at the heart of the setlist. The tour was met with critical acclaim and brought in waves of new fans, many of whom had only just caught up with the band’s wild ride.



Sadly, it didn’t last. WHITE ZOMBIE split just a year later, following the release of Supersexy Swingin’ Sounds, a remix album of Astro-Creep: 2000 cuts. A massive co-headline US arena tour with PANTERA came and went, but the band never returned from its hiatus. Instead, the members moved on to other projects, with ROB ZOMBIE launching a hugely successful solo and film career.
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While Zombie’s solo work may have sold more records and filled bigger venues, he’s never topped Astro-Creep: 2000. It remains not only WHITE ZOMBIE’s finest moment, but one of the most essential and enduring metal albums of the 1990s. A record that, even in 2025, still sounds just as thrilling, chaotic and vital as the day it was released.



Astro-Creep: 2000 – Songs of Love Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head was originally released on April 11th, 1995 via Geffen Records.

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