Tynebound Festival 2026
Tynebound Festival
Anarchy Brew, Newcastle Upon Tyne
05-06 September 2026
Live Review by Oli Gonzalez
How successful can Tynebound Festival become? Is there room for another black metal festival in the UK?
Brought to us by Reaper Agency, the curators of the world class Fortress Festival, 4 sell outs in 4 attempts for the bigger sister festival means that Scarborough has well and truly been conquered. Next in the conquest, Newcastle! Will they be able to establish a new stronghold in the North East of England with this, the inaugural Tynebound? Did they bite off more than they could chew ? How would the city centre Anarchy Brew contrast with the majestic Scarborough Spa, overlooking the British seaside? Some questions I’ll look to answer here, and more…
The Lineup
The lineup featured was propped up with a solid showcase of British talent, alongside a few of the usual suspects, as well as some rare appearances, special sets, and even a live debut! Though imports from across the Atlantic Ocean and from mainland Europe elevated the lineup way beyond a standard offering and served as a statement of intent for the festival.
Best Of British
Kicking off the inaugural Tynebound Festival was the live debut of Magnetar, a supergroup of ex/current members of prominent extreme metal bands, including Foetal Juice and Winterfylleth. “Hope we don’t fuck it up too much” were the succinct and on-the-nose words from the band’s front man Nick Wallwork. A brand new song in the shape of ‘Gates Of The North’ and a melodic twist from the firm traditional black metal roots with ‘Adorned In Flames’ ensured the very respectable early crowd were sufficiently warmed up.
Though The Sun’s Journey Through The Night turned up the ante significantly! After a period of absence, they had returned with an absolute statement, reminding us exactly what we had been missing! Their energy was contagious and solidified themselves as a major force in the UK’s underground black metal scene! If memory serves, this was a new look lineup and minus a bass player, though there was no lack of thunderous low end rumble! A solid set indeed.
They weren’t the only band making a return! The Infernal Sea had also disappeared into the wilderness, only having returned to the live arena a few weeks prior. The absence of masks the band had become known for was odd at first, but it meant forging a real human connection with the band. Especially seeing the whites of their eyes as they rampaged through a special 10 year anniversary set for “The Great Mortality”. A guest appearance from Dez (Burial, Wolfbastard, Foetal Juice) on vocals was a statement of solidarity and comradery from within the black metal scene too, and a pleasant surprise.
Darkness From The North
A handful of bands from Scotland made their way down to Newcastle for the first time in years, or in the case of Aristarchos, the first ever.
Only their third ever live appearance, the mysterious and elusive Aristarchos took to the stage late on Saturday night. Though they sounded like a band who had been battle hardened and spent years in the trenches of live venues. Sadistic guitar leads pierced through the night like a knife slicing through ribbon, turning the lifeless steel and brick shell of the Anarchy Brew in a spectacular ritual of the most fierce of atmospheric black metal! The intensity from the band was relentless right from the outset, more than justifying a special guest slot on the card. An Aristarchos set is extremely rare and you should do everything in your power to see them!
We also had Cnoc An Tursa, who had spent nearly a decade in the Scottish wilderness before returning earlier in the year. They marked this return with the impressive “A Cry For The Slain” album. No doubt their set was occupied by tracks from this, tracks infused with Gaelic inspired melodies which were a breath of fresh air amongst the chaos and noise from the weekend. One of my must sees and they did not disappoint.
Extreme Palette Cleansers
There is too much of a good thing. Ice cream, beer, black metal. Pick your analogy. Which is why Reaper Agency lineups always feature one or two bands that sit outside the realms of black metal. Whether it’s Obsidian Kingdom or Ulcerate at Fortress Festival, or Krypts at Reaper Festival, they all guard against staleness. Tynebound was no different.
Take Lynchgate for example. They provided a visual and sonic contrast to proceedings, with their avant garde and technically proficient sound blurring the boundaries between black and progressive death metal. 8 string guitars and a 6 string bass ensured they could delve into a vast repertoire of sounds and sonic depth that no other band could on this day, whilst their slower psychedelic spiced hypnotic aura provided a stark contrast to anything else we had heard this weekend!
Early on the Sunday, Vacivus took to the stage and provided a sonic palette cleanser with their sound firmly rooted in death metal. Which is a strange way to describe a band with their sound, but the shift from shrieking vocals and tremolo picked guitars to guttural roars and downtuned beefy riffs was welcomed. Even if the 3pm crowd hadn’t really woken up yet and were still nursing their hangovers. Had they been on later, there would have been absolute carnage.
They weren’t the only band with a death metal spine, as Ireland’s Croscradh took to the stage late into Sunday. Having released the rather splendid “Carving The Causeway To The Otherworld” in the build up to the event, we knew to expect a blackened death metal sound. We didn’t expect this to be delivered with so much venom and a crushing brutality though! Genuinely, they sounded monstrous up there, with Bolt Thrower-like savagery and atmosphere, but also delivered with mechanical precision!
North Atlantic Invasion
The influx of 2 very special sets from across the Atlantic elevated the festival from being not just a best of British but a serious statement of intent from Reaper Agency!
One of the surprise announcements given their appearance at Fortress Festival only 3 months prior, Vesperal appeared in the North East of England for the second time in 2026! Though this wouldn’t be a “La Morte De L’ame” album set, but rather a broader, more expansive dive into their back catalogue. Whereas I missed their Fortress set, this was redemption for me! Damn, I missed out! Their melodic atmospheric black metal represented a huge step up in quality, driven by piercing leads and expertly crafted synths. This fully justified their prominent spot on the Saturday card! They sounded fierce, and resulted in our first pit of the weekend, no matter how brief it was!
Whilst the band share members with Conifere, they should not be confused and are separate entities. I went in blind but was warned of an intense performance. That was exactly what we got…and more! They sounded phenomenal no matter what shape their genre fluid sound flowed to! They could stay in a more melodic and almost soothing style of black metal (think Dissection or Vinterland), before slapping you in the face with a blistering atmospheric assault on the senses! No thrills, no glamour, the intense lighting display and strobes certainly amplified the intensity. It’s easy to see why they had come with such a huge reputation!
The Headliners
The Czech avant-garde force closed out the Saturday night with an emphatic statement! Though this wasn’t just any headline set, this would be a world live premiere of their very excellent new album “The Anthropic Sophisms”. The Newcastle collective were the very first to hear these songs live. Whilst they’re great on record, they simply cannot tap into the bruising and awe-inspiring energy conjured up here, led by the corrosive guitar and bass tones roaring out of the amplifiers. No, this is an experience you cannot download digitally. Speaking of roaring, the demonic guttural vocals! Acting as a third instrument, the drone-like resonance was almost inhuman; no mortal should make those sounds! All amplified by the intense intimate atmosphere of the venue. A full circle moment given they performed at the very first Fortress Festival way back in 2023. Hopefully they’re earmarked for future Reaper Agency or other black metal shows in the UK!
Having seen the Finnish act at a previous Fortress Festival, this would make for an interesting comparison of the contrasts between this and Tynebound.
Confession time. My aching feet and sore head meant that I was considering skipping this set. How dumb that would have been! See, I had been in the Grand Hall when they made one of their first appearances on Scarborough. They closed the Sunday night in what was only their third appearance, if memory serves, and did so in spectacular style. See, this is nothing like anything you’d expect from black metal! OK, you get the usual corpse paint. But sonically, it breaks all the rules! Melodic runs on the keys and blazing lead guitar solos that have been borrowed from power metal formed the backbone of their sound. As well as a relentless cathartic energy that had everybody in the room moving in one way or another; dancing or throwing their bodies around in by far the biggest pit of the weekend. See, whilst their set was great at Fortress Festival, they likely got lost in the shuffle on such a stacked card and it was easy to overlook the significance of their set. Here, they were rightful headliners and got all the attention and respect they deserved here, allowed to shine brightly in that limelight.
There was sorrow when their set finished. How could the festival end after a set like that? Then again, who would be able to follow that up? Nobody.
The Venue
Let’s address the elephant in the room; the Anarchy Brew sitting in the middle of an industrial estate. This has nowhere near the same allure or unique pull that Fortress has, being at the British seaside. Though the smaller intimate venue provided some advantages. Namely having only one stage, which meant zero clashes and generous 30 minute changes allowing for plenty of time to fuel up, rest, and chat with friends. No anxiety about getting a good spot as the sound was great pretty much anywhere. As was the view. Even the views of the towering brewing towers didn’t affect the aesthetic, nor was there any sound interference.
Being in an isolated hub away from civilization allowed for a truly immersive atmosphere and sense of escapism (though being right next to a tram station meant this was easily accessible). Though this came with some disadvantages. The Scarborough Spa provides multiple hide out spots, whether it’s the Sun Court, the restaurant, or the seaside itself. All of which felt like a distant memory under grey early autumn clouds in a Newcastle industrial estate. The food options seemed a bit minimal; something easily fixed though. By contrast, the choices of drink were next level! Though sample a Wall Of Death at your own peril!
Overall, whilst no venue is perfect, Reaper Agency made the most of the benefits Anarchy Brew has to offer.
Closing Thoughts
So, how successful can Tynebound be?
Well, I think it’s fair to say Newcastle and the entire North East had been crying out for something like this! With the oversaturated markets in Manchester and London, and the extortionate costs of accommodation, more and more people just simply don’t want to travel to these major extreme metal hubs. Extreme metal shouldn’t just be confined to the ‘big’ cities, and after speaking to some locals, there’s a feeling of resentment that Newcastle seems to be increasingly forgotten about when touring packages roll through the UK. Well, now the tables have turned. Maybe it’s too early to say, but Reaper Agency and the UK black metal scene as a whole has not just one but two fortresses in the North East of England now!
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Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Oli Gonzalez and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
