N.E.W. Metal Fest 2026
N.E.W. Metal Fest 2026
XS Wrexham
25th – 26th September 2026
Review and photography by Beth Morait
Man, it’s been a long time since I’ve been to a NEW Metal Productions party! Life got seriously in the way of all the good stuff, but now I’m putting that right again! So, myself and the good Steve M, headed down to the interesting little club that is XS Wrexham for a day and a half of fun, music, and friends!
Friday
After nearly dying at the price of beer these days, it was time for music!
Horsemeat were first up! A late replacement for resurrection, these guys promised Grundy punk goodness and they brought it! Sludgy and downright dirty 90s-style, this was a great way to start! For a three-piece they make a hell of a full sound! Rumbling bass took charge throughout their set, but when the guitar needed to be heard, it was a lovely clean lilting tone, rising out of the murky depths! And then all of a sudden, it was just punk for a bit! I knew I should have brought my cheery reds and emergency decorative safety pins! In all seriousness though, brilliant! Absolutely got things going straight away.
https://www.facebook.com/horsemeatbandyk
Is it Darx or Dark? That’s the debate of the hour when it comes to Dark Winter, who were next up! I didn’t catch the full conversation, but it involved logos and misprints. To be fair they could be called Cheesy Nut Flaps and I would be fine with it, because the name doesn’t matter, it’s what’s going on on stage that makes the difference! And these guys are spectacular! They’re a cheshire-based five piece who pump out groove after groove of old school underground Metal, with Timmis on front man growling duties, like he was born on a stage! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, our little Timmis, who’s been a silent observer on our local scene for years, sitting behind Thrashatouille’s merch stand, not saying boo to a goose, becomes this whole different person when he takes his position front and centre, removes his cap and glasses, and picks up the mic! Ferocious, captivating, and powerful and it seriously makes me kinda emotional – like watching your kid doing something spectacular. They tick every box as a band too – musicality, performance skills, crushing thundering heaviness, energy, riffs. It’s a big YES from me, and Steve, who looked like he’d just been given the most amazing gift ever all the way through this set! They quite literally had the whole place bouncing. Anyone who’s been to this venue knows how small it is. But they managed to get a pit going, and that basically says all you need to know!
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558356365880
War Shepherd were the penultimate band of the evening, and fair play they’d had a hefty drive up here, all the way from Devon. They are a Melodic Death Metal band, and yet another brilliantly tight, talented bunch of performers who eat stagecraft for breakfast with a pint of blast beats and a Rrrraaaaaawrr chaser! They also feature ex Torqued guitarist, Rimmy, on bass, and it was great to see him on stage again. More enthusiastic pitting happened during their set, and the room was filled with electric energy once again! The guitarists spent an unhealthy amount of time running around like kids who’d been fed too much sugar, making use of the whole space and getting in amongst the crowd. To have that much energy after the mammoth journey they’d had up here is very commendable, and I enjoyed their set a lot.
https://www.facebook.com/warshepherdofficial
Dystopian Sun brought the evening to a close. Now, I will say straight away that they’re not my cup of tea musically. They’re Technical Deathcore, and it’s a genre that generally I just don’t quite get, and that is very much a me problem! But watching as an objective bystander, they are, yet again, bloody awesome musicians and excellent performers. The crowd loved their energy, and yep, there were pits. To have the level of energy that there was in a small room, and sustain it for an entire set, really does speak volumes. They have bags of epically precise riffs, blast beats coming out of their ears, and a dropped bass sound that should come with a health warning (pretty sure some of my ribs popped under the pressure), and by heck did they like to break the fourth wall! Pretty much every member of the band spent a good part of the set in the crowd, and in the pit! I think the drummer would have been down there too if he’d had enough hands to carry the kit and play at the same time! Their new female guitarist is kick-ass, and trumped the gents for energy for sure! They were very worthy winners of M2TM a few years back, and an excellent headline choice here. And I think I actually liked them a lot more tonight than the first time I saw them. They have grown as a band without a shadow of a doubt… I might be being converted!
https://www.facebook.com/DystopianSun
Saturday
The best thing about living a mile away from XS is that we could fit in the Grand Prix before heading down to the venue for Saturday shenanigans and still be there in time for the first band!
That band was Satellite, a group of youngsters, who were here playing only their second gig ever. They’re kind of 90s Indie Grunge, and I got a bit of nostalgia listening to them. It took me back to 1997 – Yale College BTEC Performing Arts, when I was playing keys in a band just like this, dreaming of becoming a rock star, making a start on my musical journey, and discovering new things every day. I remember the nerves, and how it felt like the biggest thing ever getting up in front of a room full of people, but how I felt like Bono after just playing to thousands when I came off stage… I miss those days. Fair play to these chaps, they brought a decent crowd with them too, and the room enjoyed their set very much. Keep playing and honing your craft lads. Well done. Being the opening band anywhere is a tough gig, but you did it well.
https://www.instagram.com/satellite.band.uk
Crisis were up next! Kind of Hard Rock/ NWOBHM and just what the doctor ordered for a Saturday afternoon. Great energy, great sound, and the front man has one hell of a set of pipes! Kind of Josh Homme vibe, but a bit heavier! And for a 3-piece, they made an extremely full sound. They’re a more mature band, and the experience really shows in the way they playSadly, the room emptied out a lot for them, which is a real shame, because they were really frikkin good! If you like anything in that Rock-Metal middle ground, you should definitely give these guys some of your time.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570827327308
Onion Mash took to the stage next. Hard Rock/ Heavy Metal from Manchester, with almost a late 70s Psych feel. I really enjoyed these guys, and vocalist Rach has one hell of a powerful voice. Clean, but with enough rock rasp and power to keep things heavy. It reminded me a bit of Jefferson Airplane, but with heavier music. Decent. I Think these guys would be great for a mid summer open air festival: sun shining, chilled beverages, and the summer heat would go really well with their sound. Great name for a band too! I bet there’s an interesting story behind it, that likely involved some form of alcohol!
https://www.facebook.com/OnionMashofficial
In case we hadn’t yet been woken up properly, Mother Thunder were up next to finish the job off. Classic Hard Rock/ Heavy Metal, and if we thought we’d see a set of pipes on Onion Mash’s front woman Rach, we were in for another shock. By ‘eck Melissa can hold a note to within an inch of its life, and then beat it up a bit more! Again, great energy, great sound. Some really intricate soloing from the guitarist, and everything was held together well by the rhythm section, with metronomic drums, and some really skillfully executed bass play. A great performance all round, considering they were missing a guitarist (get well soon Andrew)! Speaking to Melissa afterwards, it transpired that this is the first band she’s ever been in, and she’s only done a couple of gigs with them so far! I was blown away by that because she’s got so much stage presence on top of her phenomenal voice. Well worth a watch!
https://www.facebook.com/MotherThunderRockBand
Saturday at NEW Metal Fest was definitely a Hard Rock Haven, as Kath and the Kicks took to the stage next. Grungy, a little bit Punky at times, and very seasoned and professional, they took the room up a level. Again, considering there’s only three of them, they put out a hell of a powerful punch! Another great set! There’s a certain finesse that comes with having been a performer for a decent amount of time, and these folks all had that. They all knew exactly what every member in the band was thinking, playing, and doing at any given time, which made the performance feel effortless. And thankfully the room was starting to fill up nicely again!
https://www.facebook.com/kathandthekicks
And then, out of nowhere, WIZARDS! Groom The Giant shaped wizards, in hats (although I think drummer Laszlo might have missed the memo, as his hat was more ‘if a Pinata went on holiday to Australia’)! They are a local Stoner Grunge ‘Wizards Doom’ band, and were this year’s North Wales Metal 2 The Masses winner. This was the first time I, Steve, and indeed my right honourable Ever Metallian, Al ‘Mr Doom’ Jones had seen them play. We were all blown away. Swampy thick bass tones, psychedelic keys and synths, deep, thuddy drums and grungy guitars, all topped off by the “If I was sober, I’d probably be angry” vocals of front wizard Jake Aston and psych synth wizard Taran Charlton-Blore! They base their music in the Celtic Folklore of the Mabinogi. I can’t hear lyrics at the best of times, let alone on top of soupy tunes in a live setting, so I couldn’t tell you what any of their songs were about, but they were all epic! They made me excited about a form of Doom, which is virtually impossible!
https://www.facebook.com/groomthegiant
The end of the evening was fast approaching, meaning penultimate band Bloodyard were next to take the stage. I just love these guys. I always have and I always will. I bought a t-shirt this time too! I’ve been meaning to for ages but I’m always too skint! As expected, they were fucking ace. The energy of every single member is what makes it so captivating. They sum up what loving your craft is all about. Death Metal should always sound like Bloodyard. Full stop. Tight as hell, complex riffs, stunning precision drumming, and the vocal power of Donna up front. And apparently she was feeling a bit under the weather, although from her performance you would never have known – if that’s what a ‘not quite fully on it’ performance is like, then everyone else needs to up their game! Everyone needs Bloodyard in their life – they are my emotional support band for sure!
https://www.facebook.com/bloodyard666
The final band of the night… Ward XVI. I’ve loved these guys since I first heard them, which is more years ago now than I care to think about, as it reminds me that I am indeed quite fucking old now. But that’s besides the point. They are in a league of their own. Shock Rock, Horror Metal, whatever you want to call them, I just call them HELL YES. They are the complete package when it comes to storytelling and stage shows. And in a small venue like this, they still managed to pull off a spectacle that was worthy of a far bigger audience. Front woman KBerrie Nutter was up on tables, there was a person size wooden train, a cage, a coffin, a chainsaw, stage props a-plenty, god knows how many costume changes, and generally one hell of a good time was had by all. The fact that they’re also bloody ace musicians is like the cherry on top of the theatrical insanity cake! There is literally nothing that is not right in this band, and the performance they gave here was another league up again. They are, without doubt, one of the hardest working bands on the UK scene right now, and that dedication to not only the music and the theatrics, but also to the brand, is simply magical. Outstanding performance, outstanding band.
https://www.facebook.com/WardXVI
So, another festival down, and another good time had by all! Bands of the weekend for me were Dark Winter, Groom The Giant, Bloodyard, and of course Ward XVI. Many thanks again to all the bands, but mainly to Fozzy and Beany of NEW Metal Productions for refusing to let Metal in Wrexham die!!
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Disclaimer: This review and photographs are solely the property of Beth Morait 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.
