Yes, you read that correctly! This year THE UNLEASHED FESTIVAL will cost you zero charge to attend! For both days! How good is that?
Kicking off on Friday 24th of August, the line up boasts a thrasher’s wet dream, as the finest ensemble of beer-drinking, riff-monsters take to the stage in Fibber Magees featuring;
PSYKOSIS
Having graced the stages of Metal Days and Bloodstock in the last few years, Psykosis are no strangers to causing all kinds of glorious chaos when put in front of a rabid, tanked-up crowd of maniacs and when they headline the opening night of UNLEASHED 2018, you can expect all kinds of mayhem
Their 2016 debut, “Welcome to the Psyko Ward” has earned them an impressive level of credibility from thrashers around the globe with staple berzerker anthems such as ‘Driller Killer‘ and ‘Terror at 3 AM’.
For more information on Psykosis, please visit this link.
ANIMATOR
© Down The Barrel Photography 2018
If that wasn’t enough to get you reaching for the hi-tops, then prepare to get your head blown clean off by the mighty force of ANIMATOR! Their crushing live performances come box-fresh and loaded with a plethora of riffs and pit-friendly anthems, that will have bodies tumbling through the air as soon as they strike the first chord!
Having blasted through 2015’s Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses back in 2015 as the winning band, the four-piece have proceeded to tour the UK many times, even stretching as far as shows in Spain and Germany (Wacken Festival).
Last year saw the release of ‘The Venom Within‘, followed by a guest slot opening for Sacred Reich, all the while swelling their popularity both here and the UK. Animator will be also performing at this years UK Amplified Festival in June, alongside the likes of Evil Scarecrow, Therapy? and Soil.
For more information on Animator, please hit this link.
SCIMITAR
Hailing from Belfast, SCIMITAR specialises in filthy, dark thrash metal, and boy, do they do it well! Featuring band members Jonny Gray – Vocals, Chriz Baird – Bass, Ryan Atkin – Drums and John Thompson – Guitars, this four-piece know a thing or two about laying waste to venues. Check out their video for ‘Behead The Beast‘ below;
Having formed back in 2011, Scimitar have been chosen by Irish promoters for slots with world touring bands such as Exhumed, Gama Bomb, Hatred, Evile, Arnocorps, Power Trip, Thrash Metal legends Onslaught & Teutonic Thrash master’s Sodom.
For more information, please visit this link.
CROSSFIRE
Dublin-based CROSSFIRE have been making an unholy and glorious racket for what seems like forever, actually 2012 to be exact! Their most recent release – ‘Bound in Skin‘ – was released on March 9th, has seen the band take a huge step-up with reference to their ability to pen neck-breaking tunes and rightfully earned them a serious amount of respect from the flourishing Irish metal scene. Do not miss their sonic assault at this years UNLEASHED FEST!
For more information on Crossfire, check out this link.
TWISTED AUTOCRACY
The politically-charged fury of TWISTED AUTOCRACY is a sight to be seen live. Just ask anyone that has witnessed the Dublin-based four-piece and they will confirm that you best either commit to the pit or stand the fuck back!
Their self-confessing mission statement reads ‘Here to Thrash and love the governmental establishment for all its illustrious wealth“, so you better believe that they will not be holding back when they take to the stage in Fibber Magees on Friday, August 24th.
For more information on TWISTED AUTOCRACY, please visit this link.
Click here for custom drum heads, backdrops, scrims and much more!
CATASTROPHY
Formed in 2015 by Adam Treacy and Jamie Murphy. They quickly recruited Gordo Casey, Darragh O’Connor and Marty Dunbar and began the writing of Catastrophe’s first songs.
At the end of 2015, the first demos were released. Catastrophe worked on establishing themselves on the local scene by playing gigs throughout Ireland. After a lineup change in 2016, Connor Middleton joined the band on drums and Catastrophe embarked on a UK tour in support of the EP “Terror Campaign“. Upon returning from tour Catastrophe entered the studio and in February 2018 they released their debut single “The Eyes of Kryon”.
For more information on Catastrophe, click this link.
SAINT SLAUGHTER
Saint Slaughter bring a heavy, fast, groove-laden brand of thrash to this year’s UNLEASHED FEST, and will be wasting no time in laying down some serious riffs that will no doubt see a few neck muscles getting a workout.
Influenced by the likes of Testament, Annihilator, with flavours of Iron Maiden and Lamb of God thrown in for good measure, Saint Slaughter will be opening this year’s UNLEASHED FESTIVAL, so make sure you get down early to catch the guys as they are due to hit the stage at approximately 7.30pm.
Click here to order your custom stage backdrop.
DEAD LABEL
Dead Label 2015 By Fiaz Farrelly © 2018
For the second day of festivities, Fibber Magees will no doubt be rammed to the hilt for the return of Ireland’s very own DEAD LABEL, who have been wrecking venues and festival stages around the globe including Download Festival, Hammerfest, Bloodstock Festival, Metal Days, not forgetting their stint at touring with the likes of Machine Head, Fear Factory and Gojira.
The bands most recent video – ‘Pure Chaos‘ has been polluting ears and hacking brains around the globe since the band released it last year. Check out the video below;
For more information on Dead Label, please visit this link.
WARPATH
Ireland’s most brutal Death Metal specialists, WARPATH return to Fibber Magees for what we can only imagine will be a skull-crushing set from the Dublin-based five-piece.
Having toured extensively and graced many a festival stage during their impressive career, WARPATH have the ability to open up the very gates of hell during their live shows. Their most recent release, “The Ambiance of War” has just about everything that you could ask for when in search of something brutal, heavy and fucking relentless!
Having just recently played at this years Hammerfest in the UK alongside Sepultura, Raging Speedhorn, GloryHammer and many more, WARPATH are seasoned veterans that will absolutely fucking destroy as soon as they hit that stage. You have been warned!
For more info on WARPATH, please hit this link.
CUSTOM STAGE BACKDROPS – CUSTOM DRUM SKINS – BAND EPKS AND MUCH MORE! CLICK HERE!
WORDS THAT BURN
© Down The Barrel Photography 2018
Another fantastic jewel in the Irish metal crown! WORDS THAT BURN are surging forward with one thing on their minds. And that’s domination!
Having reached the number 1 position in Irelands Rock/Metal iTunes chart for the release of their debut album ‘Regret Is For The Dead‘ back in 2016 the band headed out on tour with a plethora of shows the length and breadth of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, followed by the video release of ‘Mirror Perfect Mannequin’, which led to a slew of European dates in Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Poland and the Czech Republic, including a main-stage performance at the Exit Festival in Serbia alongside Destruction, Discharge and Black Dahlia Murder.
For more information on Words That Burn, please visit this link.
THIS PLACE HELL
The Place Hell – Photo Olga Kuzmenko © 2018
Assuming everyone who’s got an interest in metal, that lives in Ireland has either seen or heard of THIS PLACE HELL? Formally known as The Devil Wants Her Swagger Back, the Dublin-based five-piece don’t fuck around when it comes to their live shows.
2017 saw them bring their brand of frantic, groove-based, crushing metal to Russia for a selection of dates that saw them triumph amongst the Eastern Metal fans. Having played at last year’s Mammothfest in the UK, as well as various festival throughout Europe, THIS PLACE HELL are a force to be reckoned with.
Their latest studio release, ‘Contempt‘ (2017) continued where 2016’s ‘Malice‘ left off – delivering a powder-keg of structured violence and organised chaos to the Irish metal scene. The guys have been busy writing new material and have just returned from the UK where they were recording with former SikTh vocalist, Justin Hill.
Check out the video for “(Un)Natural Selection” below:
For more This Place Hell info, hit this link.
OUTBREAK
A heavy metal band formed in Dublin, Ireland. Not categorized as a single sub-genre as the band writes preforms and produces various types of metal. The band consists of five members Craig Murphy – lead vocalist, Dylan Ward on guitar, Neil Doyle on guitar, Edgar Abram as bassist and Glenn Donoghue on drums.
Bringing together various influences from a large variety of music but focusing on creating heavy metal with a unique blend of sound.
For more information on OUTBREAK, please visit this link.
ANTIDOTES
Antidotes are a 4 piece Metalcore from Dublin, Ireland. Influenced by bands such as Northlane, Architects and While She Sleeps, the band is always striving to combine the technicality of metal with catchy and hook-filled song-writing found in rock ‘n’ roll music.
Formed in 2014 by Rob Gaffney, Donal Bowens and Stephen Cannon, after befriending each other in BIMM music college, the band set out to take the Irish metal scene by storm with a unique brand of metalcore. Not to be missed!
© DOWN THE BARREL PHOTOGRAPHY 2017
For more information on Antidotes, please visit this link.
ROUEN (R/N)
ROUEN came bursting out of the Irish heavy scene with all of the promises of any of their peers, who have been at the same game for many years. Imagine a brutal, groove-based punch in the face, while a building of riffs collapses right on top of you! Yes, ROUEN are that fucking good!
Having only been on the Irish scene for what only seems like a hot minute, ROUEN have the makings of a band that will be headlining events like this in no time.
For more information on ROUEN, please visit this link.
The 2018 UNLEASHED FESTIVAL will take place in Dublin’s Fibber Magees on Friday, August 24th and Saturday 25th. Admission is FREE and doors will be from 7 pm each day. Please check with EHT Promotions for stage times closer to the event. Please use the official UNLEASHED FESTIVAL link, here for more details.
Oran O’Beirne
© www.overdrive.ie 2018
