Offal Fest 2025 – A Preview
Offal Fest 2025 – A Preview
Words by Oli Gonzalez
Festival season is well and truly here in the UK. Incineration has come and gone, the post-festival blues from Fortress Festival and the blistering headline set by Agalloch have begun to shift, while the last few notes from Download have finally stopped ringing. While others are getting their tents ready for Bloodstock and ArcTangent, there’s other festivals closer to home here in Manchester that are certainly worth shouting out about. It’s harder than ever for promoters to get themselves set up in this competitive landscape and to make themselves stand out. Though Offal Fest has done exactly that and done an exceedingly great job in the process, as this is the third instalment of the festival. They’ve tapped into the city’s love of Brutal Death Metal and all things Slam, and clearly the appetite (or bloodlust) is there as 3 day tickets are currently sold out!
I’ll admit, this is in many ways a step into the unknown world of Slam and Brutal Death Metal! Far removed from my usual comfort zones of post-rock/Metal, and Black Metal – though I’m familiar with some of the acts. I still remember Basement Torture Killing’s brutal set at Techfest 2023, while I still have scars from a vicious Foetal Juice pit at a local festival way back in 2021. Exhumation have been a permanent fixture in the North West Extreme Metal scene for the last decade or so, while having also graced the stages of significant festivals in the UK and further afield!
Skinless turn back the clock with a full-length playthrough of debut album “Progression Towards Evil”. Having had a quick stream on Spotify, ‘evil’ seems adequate to describe the sound of this brutal record, and they headline the Saturday night.
Internal Bleeding pulling out may have been a blow to some, if social media reactions are anything to go off. Though Wormed have been drafted in as replacements, and if anybody has any energy left late on Sunday night, they alongside headliners Defeated Sanity will finish any survivors off.
The lineup is stacked with UK exclusive appearances with Plasma, Imperious Mortality, Cerebal Effussion, and more making their sole appearance on the island this year.
Rebellion will play host to this 3 day onslaught and is suitably equipped having hosted some brutal nights of Extreme Music in the past. Being in such a familiar environment is a small grain of comfort in what I’m sure will be one heavy weekend! I’m still quite sure what I’ve got myself in for but I trust in the very capable hands of Offal Fest in delivering what will be a solid weekend of what surely will be some of the most brutal music I’ll perhaps ever bear witness to.
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