Damnation Festival 2026 LINE-UP
BENEDICTION
Benediction are one of the most enduring and respected names in British death metal, formed in Birmingham in 1989 and emerging from the same fertile scene as Napalm Death and Bolt Thrower. Known for their crushing, riff-driven sound and uncompromising heaviness, the band helped define the brutal yet groove-laden style of early 1990s UK death metal with albums such as Subconscious Terror and The Grand Leveller. After periods of inactivity and lineup change, Benediction returned with renewed force in the 2020s, releasing critically acclaimed records that reaffirmed their relevance and power. Their music remains rooted in classic death metal traditions, combining relentless aggression with memorable, muscular songwriting and a live presence that is as commanding as it is punishing.
Genres: Death Metal, Old School Death Metal
BLACK SHEEP WALL
Black Sheep Wall are an American sludge and doom metal band from California, known for their suffocating heaviness and emotionally harrowing sound. Formed in 2006, they create monolithic, down-tuned compositions that blend elements of sludge and death metal into vast, oppressive soundscapes. Their music is characterised by slow, crushing riffs, anguished vocals, and a bleak sense of atmosphere that often explores themes of isolation, despair, and psychological struggle. Albums such as I Am God Songs and I’m Going to Kill Myself have earned them a reputation for uncompromising intensity and raw honesty. Black Sheep Wall’s work is both physically overwhelming and emotionally draining, placing them among the most extreme and cathartic acts in modern heavy music.
Genres: Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, Death-Inflected Sludge
CABAL
Cabal are a Danish deathcore band formed in Copenhagen in 2010, recognised for their ferocious blend of modern extreme metal, crushing breakdowns, and bleak atmosphere. Drawing from death metal, hardcore, and industrial textures, their sound is both brutal and contemporary, marked by downtuned riffing, relentless rhythms, and visceral vocal delivery. Releases such as Mark of Rot and Magno Interitus have established Cabal as one of Europe’s leading forces in heavy, modern deathcore, balancing technical precision with sheer physical impact. Lyrically, they explore themes of nihilism, inner conflict, and existential collapse, reinforcing the oppressive tone of their music. Their live performances are renowned for their intensity, turning their tightly wound studio aggression into an overwhelming, crowd-engulfing experience.
Genres: Deathcore, Death Metal, Hardcore
CAR BOMB
Car Bomb are an American extreme metal band from Long Island, New York, formed in 2000 and widely regarded as one of the most technically unorthodox acts in modern heavy music. Their sound fuses mathcore angularity, djent-informed heaviness, and industrial precision into rhythmically disorienting compositions defined by abrupt structural shifts and mechanical execution. Albums such as w^w^^w^w, Meta, and Mordial showcase a relentless pursuit of innovation, pairing complex rhythmic architecture with crushing physical impact. Car Bomb’s music is immersive, confrontational, and engineered for maximum intensity.
Genres: Mathcore, Technical Metal, Djent, Experimental Metal
DÖDSRIT
Dödsrit are a Swedish black metal and crust punk band whose music fuses the ferocity of traditional black metal with the raw urgency of hardcore and d-beat. Formed in 2015, the band create sweeping, emotionally charged compositions that move between blistering speed and expansive, melancholic passages. Their sound is both savage and atmospheric, often evoking themes of loss, longing, and spiritual desolation, while maintaining a powerful sense of momentum. Albums such as Dödsrit and Mortal Coil have been praised for their ability to blend aggression with melody, resulting in music that feels both cathartic and epic in scale. Dödsrit stand at the intersection of black metal and crust, delivering a sound that is as uplifting as it is devastating.
Genres: Black Metal, Crust Punk, D-Beat, Atmospheric Metal
EYEHATEGOD
Eyehategod are one of the most influential and notorious bands to emerge from the New Orleans underground, pioneers of the sludge metal sound since their formation in 1988. Fusing the slow, oppressive weight of doom with the nihilistic attitude of hardcore punk, their music is steeped in distortion, feedback, and a sense of urban decay. Albums such as Take as Needed for Pain and Dopesick are regarded as cornerstones of the genre, capturing a raw, drug-fuelled intensity that is both confrontational and deeply personal. Despite decades of adversity, lineup changes, and personal tragedy, Eyehategod have remained a vital and uncompromising force, delivering music that is as abrasive, unsettling, and emotionally honest now as it was at their inception.
Genres: Sludge Metal, Doom Metal, Hardcore Punk
EYES
Eyes are a Copenhagen-based hardcore band whose sound sits at the violent crossroads of metallic hardcore, noise rock, and punk abrasion. Emerging through the late 2010s with early releases that established their caustic bite, they have built a reputation for tightly wound songs, serrated riffing, and a confrontational, stop-start energy that feels both chaotic and controlled. Their writing often pivots between pummelling grooves and jagged dissonance, with vocals delivered in a snarling, urgent register that keeps everything at breaking point. With albums including Underperformer and Congratulations, and more recent material continuing to sharpen their edges, EYES have become one of Denmark’s most exciting heavy exports, pairing hardcore immediacy with a restless, experimental streak.
Genres: Hardcore, Metallic Hardcore, Noise Rock, Punk
FANGE
Fange are a French extreme metal band from Rennes, known for their caustic fusion of sludge, industrial, and death metal. Since forming in 2013, they have developed a sound that is hostile, mechanical, and relentlessly abrasive, driven by grinding rhythms, distorted textures, and a bleak, misanthropic atmosphere. Their music often incorporates elements of noise and power electronics, creating an oppressive sonic environment that blurs the line between metal and industrial sound art. Albums such as Punir and Privation showcase their commitment to pushing heaviness into harsher, more confrontational territory. Fange’s work is uncompromising and unsettling, appealing to listeners drawn to the most extreme and dehumanised edges of contemporary heavy music.
Genres: Sludge Metal, Industrial Sludge, Noise, Experimental Metal
GOREROTTED
Gorerotted are a British death metal band formed in 1997, known for their brutal sound and roots in the goregrind and deathgrind underground. Their early material combined blast-driven ferocity with graphic lyrical themes, earning them a reputation for extremity and technical aggression. Over time, the band evolved toward a more straight-ahead death metal approach, incorporating tighter song structures and a heavier, more modern production while retaining their savage edge. Albums such as Mutilated in Minutes and their later comeback releases demonstrate a balance between old-school brutality and contemporary precision. With their return to activity in recent years, Gorerotted have reaffirmed their place within the UK extreme metal scene as purveyors of relentless, no-compromise death metal.
Genres: Death Metal, Deathgrind, Brutal Death Metal
HEALTH
Health are an American experimental rock and electronic band from Los Angeles, formed in 2005 and known for their boundary-pushing fusion of noise, industrial, and dark pop. Their sound blends distorted electronics, pounding rhythms, and haunting melodies, creating music that is both abrasive and strangely accessible. Over the years, they have evolved from the chaotic noise rock of their early releases into a more cinematic and immersive style, evident on albums such as DEATH MAGIC and RAT WARS. Health are also renowned for their extensive collaborations across the worlds of metal, hip-hop, and electronic music, as well as their work in film and video game soundtracks. Their aesthetic is dystopian and emotionally charged, bridging underground experimentation and modern mainstream production.
Genres: Industrial Rock, Noise Rock, Electronic, Darkwave
HOLY FAWN
Holy Fawn are an American band from Arizona who blend shoegaze, post-metal, and ambient textures into a deeply emotive and immersive sound. Formed in 2015, they create lush, reverb-drenched soundscapes that balance heaviness with fragility, often shifting between shimmering melodies and crushing walls of distortion. Their music explores themes of grief, longing, and inner turmoil, delivered through a mixture of ethereal clean vocals and anguished screams. Releases such as Death Spells and Dimensional Bleed have established them as a leading figure in the modern wave of atmospheric heavy music that draws equally from metal and alternative traditions. Holy Fawn’s work is introspective, cinematic, and emotionally resonant, offering catharsis through both beauty and weight.
Genres: Post-Metal, Shoegaze, Atmospheric Rock, Alternative Metal
INTERCOURSE
Intercourse are an American noise rock and sludge-inflected band from Connecticut, known for their confrontational sound and uncompromising intensity. Formed in the early 2010s, they draw from the abrasive traditions of bands such as Unsane and Today Is the Day, combining dissonant riffing, pummelling rhythms, and caustic vocal delivery. Their music is raw and physical, built around tension, repetition, and a sense of barely contained chaos. Across releases like Everything is Pornography When You’ve Got an Imagination, Intercourse have cultivated a reputation for abrasive minimalism and relentless forward momentum. Their work strips heavy music down to its most punishing and confrontational elements, offering a sound that is as hostile as it is hypnotic.
Genres: Noise Rock, Sludge Metal, Post-Hardcore
LAMP OF MURMUUR
Lamp of Murmuur is a black metal project based in the United States, recognised for its devotion to raw, melodic, and atmospheric black metal in the tradition of the genre’s second wave. Emerging in the late 2010s, the project gained rapid attention through a series of highly regarded releases that combined icy tremolo riffing, reverb-soaked production, and a strong sense of romantic melancholy. The music often evokes themes of darkness, nostalgia, and spectral beauty, balancing aggression with sweeping, almost hypnotic melodies. Albums such as Heir of Ecliptical Romanticism have cemented Lamp of Murmuur’s reputation as one of the most compelling contemporary voices in underground black metal, drawing heavily on classic influences while maintaining a distinctive emotional character.
Genres: Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal
MACHUKHA
Machukha are a Berlin-based collective whose name comes from the Ukrainian word for “step-mother”, and they craft a distinctive fusion of post-black metal, dark hardcore, and punk-inflected intensity. Their debut album Мочарi (Mochari) explores themes of resilience and the human capacity to endure trauma and hardship, with lead vocals delivered powerfully and exclusively in Ukrainian. The band’s sound blends urgent rhythmic aggression, tremolo-laden black metal textures, and raw emotional directness, with hardcore and punk influences grounding their music in visceral weight and immediacy. Through their thematic focus on confronting pain and embracing strength, Machukha have established themselves as a compelling new voice in contemporary underground heavy music.
Genres: Post-Black Metal, Dark Hardcore, Punk
MEDULLA NOCTE
Medulla Nocte were a British thrash metal and hardcore band formed in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire in 1992, with singer Paul Catten as a key creative force. Emerging from the UK underground, they blended the raw aggression of hardcore punk with thrash metal’s speed and precision, drawing comparisons to early crossover acts of the era. Over the course of the 1990s they built a dedicated following through intense live shows and fervent DIY spirit, releasing influential recordings such as the All Our Friends Are Dead 7” and the full-length Dying From the Inside, both noted for their visceral impact. Although the band split in 2001, their work remains a touchstone in the British metal-hardcore crossover scene, and Paul Catten’s voice and presence were central to their uncompromising identity.
Genres: Thrash Metal, Hardcore Punk, Crossover
MØL
MØL are a Danish post-black metal band formed in Aarhus in 2014, known for their emotive blend of black metal ferocity and shoegaze texture, a style often referred to as blackgaze. Their music combines tremolo-driven intensity and blast-beat propulsion with expansive, reverb-drenched melody and immersive atmosphere. Breakthrough releases such as Jord and Diorama established their reputation for balancing visceral aggression with shimmering, cathartic beauty. MØL’s sound is both urgent and uplifting, harnessing black metal’s force while opening it toward vast, emotionally resonant soundscapes.
Genres: Blackgaze, Post-Black Metal, Shoegaze, Atmospheric Metal
THE MOTH GATHERER
The Moth Gatherer are a Swedish atmospheric sludge and post-metal band formed in 2009, known for their dark, cinematic approach to heaviness. Their music blends crushing low-end riffs with electronic textures, ambient passages, and a strong sense of narrative atmosphere. Vocals range from harsh, tortured screams to cleaner, more fragile moments, reinforcing the emotional weight of their compositions. Albums such as The Earth Is the Sky and Esoteric Oppression showcase a sound that is both massive and detailed, moving between moments of crushing force and haunting introspection. The Moth Gatherer’s work often feels immersive and ritualistic, creating a dense sonic world that rewards deep listening and thrives in a live environment.
Genres: Sludge Metal, Post-Metal, Atmospheric Metal
RWAKE
Rwake are an American sludge and psychedelic doom band from Arkansas, formed in the mid-1990s and revered for their expansive, mind-altering approach to heavy music. Blending elements of doom, sludge, and progressive metal with psychedelic textures, their sound is both crushing and exploratory, marked by lengthy compositions that shift between meditative passages and overwhelming heaviness. Albums such as Voices of Omens and Rest are celebrated for their depth, atmosphere, and spiritual intensity. Rwake’s music often carries a ritualistic quality, drawing listeners into dense, swirling soundscapes that feel as much about transcendence as they do about weight. Their return to activity has reaffirmed their status as one of the most distinctive and respected acts in American underground metal.
Genres: Sludge Metal, Doom Metal, Psychedelic Metal
SLOW CRUSH
Slow Crush are a Belgian shoegaze band whose sound combines dreamy, reverb-soaked textures with a heavy, down-tuned undercurrent. Formed in 2017, they craft expansive, emotionally charged songs built around swirling guitars, enveloping atmospheres, and soft yet haunting vocal melodies. Their music draws clear influence from classic shoegaze and dream pop while incorporating the weight and dynamics of alternative and post-metal, resulting in a sound that is both ethereal and powerful. Albums such as Aurora and Hush have established them as a leading figure in the modern shoegaze revival, praised for their immersive production and sense of emotional release. Slow Crush’s work is introspective and cinematic, inviting listeners into vast, shimmering soundscapes.
Genres: Shoegaze, Dream Pop, Alternative Rock, Post-Metal
ULTHA
Ultha are a German black metal band from Cologne, formed in 2014 and known for their long-form, emotionally intense compositions. Their music fuses traditional black metal aggression with post-metal and doom influences, resulting in sprawling tracks that balance raw ferocity with melancholic atmosphere. Ultha often employ extended runtimes, allowing themes and melodies to develop gradually, creating a sense of immersion and emotional catharsis. Albums such as Pain Cleanses Every Doubt and All That Has Never Been True have been widely praised for their depth, dynamic range, and expressive power. Ultha’s work stands out for its ability to convey vulnerability and despair through both crushing heaviness and haunting melodic passages.
Genres: Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal, Post-Metal
WALLS OF JERICHO
Walls of Jericho are an American metalcore band from Detroit, formed in 1998 and regarded as one of the most influential acts in the early development of the genre. Fronted by the powerful and distinctive vocals of Candace Kucsulain, the band combine hardcore punk intensity with thrash-influenced riffing and metallic precision. Albums such as All Hail the Dead and With Devils Amongst Us All established their reputation for aggressive songwriting and politically charged energy. Known for their ferocious live performances, Walls of Jericho deliver a sound that is both confrontational and empowering, rooted in classic metalcore traditions while retaining a timeless sense of urgency and force.
Genres: Metalcore, Hardcore Punk, Thrash Metal
WEEKEND NACHOS
Weekend Nachos are an American powerviolence band from DeKalb, Illinois, originally formed in 2004 and now active once again after a period of hiatus. They stand as one of the most uncompromising acts in the genre’s modern wave, distilling the rawest elements of hardcore punk and grindcore into short, explosive bursts of brutality. Their sound is defined by hyper-speed rhythms, churning breakdowns, and an unrelenting vocal delivery that channels frustration into concentrated impact. Releases such as Unforgivable, Punish and Destroy, and Still cement their reputation for ferocity and authenticity. Back on stage, Weekend Nachos continue to embody the DIY ethos and physical aggression that made them a defining force in contemporary powerviolence.
Genres: Powerviolence, Grindcore, Hardcore Punk
WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM
Wolves in the Throne Room are an American atmospheric black metal band formed in Olympia, Washington in 2002 by brothers Aaron and Nathan Weaver, and widely regarded as one of the key acts in the US “Cascadian” black metal movement. Their music channels the vastness and mysticism of the Pacific Northwest, blending surging tremolo riffs and blast-driven intensity with long-form ambience, ritualistic pacing, and dark ambient textures. Across landmark releases such as Diadem of 12 Stars and Two Hunters, they helped redefine black metal as something immersive and elemental rather than purely confrontational. In the 2020s, records like Primordial Arcana and Crypt of Ancestral Knowledge continued that arc, balancing raw ferocity with an almost cinematic sense of space and atmosphere.
Genres: Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Dark Ambient