Daufødt
Hailing from Norway, this four-piece noise/hardcore/experimental outfit are set to bring a solidly intense performance to The Black Heart on Friday. This intimate venue is perfect for a band that feeds from the energy of their audience so much during performances. Raw and violent, Daufødt is for those who like their Desertfest with a side of punk.
The Grey
Cambridge post-metallers The Grey have an impressive run in their nearly 10 years of activity, including playing our own festival a few weeks ago! No strangers to playing festivals and sharing the stage with big names, they step up and play with their hearts every time. Catch them on Sunday at The Underworld.
Praetorian
Emerging from the bogs of sunny Stevenage, Praetorian blends an intimidating sound with a sense of humour. With songs like ‘Burly Haemorrhoid’ and ‘Battery Acid Lobotomy’, it is clear what they are all about. Live performances are not for the faint of heart, with lead vocalist Tom often walking amongst the crowd, stripped to the waist and screaming at the audience, making every show cathartic. Take part in group therapy on Friday at The Black Heart.
Molten Slag
Every bit the Desertfest blueprint, heavy rock/stoner doom outfit Molten Slag will be in full effect at The Black Heart on Saturday. Expect to bathe in sludgey riffs and the kind of vocals that will make you float away on a cloud.
Coffin Mulch
Crashing into Desertfest from Scotland, this heavy/death metal four-piece are known for their technical prowess and drums to bang your head to. Playing The Dev’s SBC stage on the Saturday, this is a great moment to get up close and personal with a much-hyped band. If old-school death metal is your thing, do not miss them!
IAN
What IAN may lack in tenure, they more than make up for in ambition. The London quintet released a contender for AotY in the form of 2025’s Come On Everybody, Let’s Do Nothing! an earthy masterclass in how to fuse varied influences into something original. Citing the likes of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Amenra as influences, their grandiose, genre-bending compositions could see them climb every bit as high as their idols.
You can catch them early on Saturday’s SBC Stage at The Dev, and you would be wise not to miss it.
Harrowed
Kent’s Harrowed bring incredible musicianship to the sort of sonic violence you might expect from Converge, Napalm Death and God Mother. Criminally underrated metallic-hardcore, from a band who have put in the hard yards but who are perhaps yet to receive their roses. If getting pummelled into submission by jagged riffs and visceral vocals sounds like a bit of you, then don’t miss them on The Underworld’s Hop Stage on Saturday.
Green Lung
You know what British metal needs more of? Stonking big riffs and songs about the occult, fed on a diet of illicit substances… said no one ever, but you know what? You can say you’re stuffed, but you’ll always make room for des(s)ert(fest) if the pie smells good. One of the most appetising British acts to emerge in recent years, ginormous riffs and gargantuan choruses are on the menu, and Green Lung are ready to serve. Catch them headlining The Roundhouse Stage on Saturday night.
Blackwater Holylight
Jetting in from the sunny climes of Los Angeles (via the gloomy Pacific Northwest of Portland, Oregon) Blackwater Holylight arrive at Desertfest hot on the heels of their incredible new album Not Here Not Gone, and it is a veritable smorgasboard of alternative influences, from krautrock to shoegaze and doom metal. They headline the Underworld on Sunday and it’s set up to be a truly special performance from one of this year’s most critically acclaimed bands.
Clutch
Maryland psych-rock institution Clutch need no introduction… but in case you’ve been asleep since 1991 and missed such iconic bangers as ‘Earth Rocker’, ‘Burning Beard’ and ‘X-Ray Visions’, they are, without a doubt, the most fun live band to cross the Atlantic. Frontman Neil Fallon might be the most charming man in metal, with his syrupy southern drawl and seemingly effortless command of the audience, not to mention his powerhouse vocal delivery and ear for a cracking chorus. Big riffs and huge hooks, best enjoyed with good friends and cold pints. What’s not to like? They close out the festival at The Roundhouse on Sunday night.