Desertfest 2026 – Saturday : The Review
The busiest day of the weekend, Saturday saw Green Lung headline the UK's leading independent multi-venue stoner rock, doom, psych & sludge festival, in Camden. Words from Niall Creane and Cece Lawless.
Isak
Kicking off day two at the Black Heart, this doom-stoner outfit drew one of the weekend’s most suffocatingly packed crowds, with security operating a strict one-in-one-out policy. Whether fuelled by genuine hype or simply the luck of being the first band on, this turnout is fantastic for the time of day. Their riffs arrive slow, crushing and gloriously overdriven, igniting a sea of nodding heads beneath the venue’s already sweat-slicked ceiling. In a venue room renowned for making heavy bands sound incredible, Isak let the sheer technical weight of the performance do the talking while maintaining an almost meditative stage presence. By the time the final notes ring out, the crowd still seemed suspended in the set, reluctant to let the sonic journey come to an end. – CL
Photo Credit: Tim Bugbee
Instar Sling
Instar Sling take the stage amidst a sea of green lights and a wall of droning feedback; the blacked-out, dimly lit venue affords them a suitably gloomy atmosphere. Instar’s oppressively heavy doom metal, though performed well enough, is not particularly inspiring and gets tiring quite quickly. They certainly do a job, but there are undoubtedly much more interesting things happening this weekend. – NC
Molten Slag
Playing to a still tightly packed room, Molten Slag fuse dreamy, reverb-soaked vocals with towering riffs that seem to swallow the venue whole. Their set balances volume with an otherworldly tenderness, unfolding with the kind of confidence that gradually pulls the audience in. The performance feels dense, hypnotic and immersive enough to transport the room beyond Camden. A rare moment of levity arrives when vocalist Laura Norman borrows from Kat Slater’s immortal EastEnders line, “I didn’t just become a slag; I became a Molten Slag,” before the band detonate a riff that attempts to shake the thick black paint from the walls.
Photo Credit: Tim Bugbee
Inhuman Nature
Fast, furious and completely unrelenting, Inhuman Nature tears through the Roundhouse with the kind of set that leaves little room to breathe. Desertfest has flirted with hardcore and thrash in its lineups previously, but amid a weekend dominated by sludge and doom, this appearance feels like a jolt of electricity to the system. They are a brief but welcome blast of pure speed and aggression. Despite the early 3.30pm slot, the crowd is more than ready, with hair, limbs and shirts spinning wildly in time with the band’s thrash-tinged riffs. There is no sense of restraint from either side of the barrier as the mosh pit begins to open up. Above all, it confirms what many in the room already know: Inhuman Nature are simply a force to be reckoned with. – CL
Photo Credit: Sam Huddleston
Harrowed
Harrowed takes to the stage at The Underworld with a furious intensity. Those packed in at the front dance with reckless abandon, feeding off every crushing riff. The drums carry a warm, rounded tone that drives the chaos forward without ever swallowing the rest of the band whole. Harrowed remain, as ever, a band whose live shows feel like a visceral moment and one to watch live. – CL
Ian
Come evening, The Dev beckons, and it is beyond packed for hometown post-metallers, IAN. People are lining down the street, with no chance of getting in, pressing their ears to the venue walls to hear what they can because of how rammed it is. Clearly, some good press and word of mouth have worked wonders for IAN because there is an unbelievable buzz around the room as they just about squeeze their way onstage. Even a recent shoulder injury doesn’t stop vocalist/guitarist Ted Reynolds from producing the nastiest of riffs, although his compatriot Craig Murray deserves equal credit there. Blending gorgeous cello arrangements with a devastating sludgey rhythm section, their 45-minute set goes by in a flash. Probably the band of the weekend. – NC
Photo Credit: Sam Huddleston
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs
An announcement rings out at The Roundhouse: ‘Introducing, at a collective weight of 830 lbs, the heavyweight champions of the world hailing from Newcastle upon Tyne, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs‘ which prompts a continuing chant from the audience. From the jump, this performance is intense, and the vocals echo across this stunning venue, a perfect setting for something this epic. Vocalist Matt Baty fills the entire stage with his energy, making the most of the space and the later slot. This drove of pigs is a tremendous force on stage. – CL
Photo Credit: Sam Huddleston
Green Lung
Closing out Saturday’s frivolities, Green Lung provide a stark contrast to the previous sets, bringing a heady mix of stoner metal, doom metal and occult rock alongside plenty of onstage theatrics and antics. A few wardrobe malfunctions ensue, including the head falling off an eight-foot goat, while several gloriously unclear references are thrown into the mix. Lesser bands might crumble under the chaos, but Green Lung’s wicked sense of humour means they take it all in their stride. The Roundhouse is packed for this crowd-pleasing set, with fans from every corner of the scene singing every word back at the band. – CL