Report

King Diamond Dazzled Mystic Festival On Day Two

All morning long, I was fighting exhaustion from the marathon of bands I covered yesterday. The upside was that I knew that it was going to be a lighter load today in regard to the number bands I wanted to check out. The rain forecast appeared to be hit or miss during the festival hours, so that was another bonus. The first band that I was going to see wouldn’t take place until early evening so that freed up my afternoon to wander the Motlawa riverbanks that serpentine through the middle of Gdansk.

Last year, there was a lot of construction on the banks of the river, limiting how far you could walk, but now it was finished and that made it possible to see more of the sights. I’m not going to give you breakdown of the shops, restaurants, etc. because this report is about Mystic Festival itself. However, if you ever think of attending Mystic Festival you should know that Gdansk is a really picturesque city and that’s a bonus if you decide to go to this underrated festival. There’s more to do and look at other than just tents and trees.

I arrived at the festival grounds a few minutes before the first band of the day, Hatebreed. Love them or hate them, they’ve been around for several decade. They must be doing something right eh? With the intro music of Quiet Riot’s “Bang Your Head” blaring from the PA, I looked around and saw an excited crowd patiently waiting for the metalcore legends to take the stage. After the show started, the crowd was vocal every time Jamey Jasta walked to the front of the stage waved his arms towards the crowd. I think he’s more popular here in Gdansk than the local resident, Nergal from Behemoth. I’m serious!

This was my first ever Hatebreed show so I was pleasantly surprised that there were some pyrotechnics involved. Fire is always a bonus! I recognized some of the songs in their set, mainly “I Will Be Heard” and “Perseverance.” I felt complete after hearing those songs and was now headed to see another 90’s band that is still going strong today, Opeth.

Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed

I saw Opeth a couple of years ago here at Mystic Festival and I wondered what the big deal was about this band. Like In Flames, this is one of those bands that started out really heavy and became more mainstream over time. I wasn’t a fan of them at the peak of their popularity and nothing’s changed since then. They’re super talented but the music and live show does nothing for me and this is the last time I’ll ever report on them. I can only report that they had some cool stage props to look at.

Opeth playing “§1”

The next band on my list could care less about what anyone thinks about them. It’s a DGAF attitude and it’s what makes Eyehategod such a fun band to see live. They secrete that N.O.L.A. trademark sludgy sound on every stage they infect. After what seemed like 5 minutes of screeching feedback, they erupted into “Agitation! Propaganda!” and never looked back throughout the remainder of their set.

Mike Williams of Eyehategod More...

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Without A Face Premiere New Music Video

Toronto, Canada-based deathcore outfit Without A Face premiere a new music video for "Resentment", taken from their current EP "Rat Poison", out in stores now. Check out "Resentment" streaming via YouTube and Spotify for you now below.

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Still In Love (Ex-BMTH, Etc.) Premiere New Single

Still In Love (featuring members of Dead Swans, ex-Bring Me The Horizon, and more) have released their second single, “Nervous Impulse,” from the upcoming debut album Recovery Language, slated for release on September 5th via Church Road Records.

Frontman Nick Worthington shared the following thoughts on the track: More...

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Trivium Premiere New Live Video For “The Deceived”

Trivium have shared a new live video for their song “The Deceived,” captured during their January 30th, 2025 performance at Co-Op Live in Manchester, UK. The footage comes from their stint on The Poisoned Ascendancy Tour, which also featured Bullet For My Valentine and others. That trek saw Trivium commemorating the 20th anniversary of their 2005 sophomore album, Ascendancy.

The band will continue their celebration of the record this fall, heading out on another leg of the tour—this time with support from Jinjer and Heriot: More...

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Clawfinger Premiere New Single & Music Video

Long-running Swedish crossover/rap metal band Clawfinger have released a new Rune Foss-directed music video for their latest single, “Scum.” While the band stop short of explicitly naming former U.S. President Donald J. Trump, the track leaves little doubt as to its subject. Featuring audio clips of Trump himself and a barrage of pointed lyrical jabs, the song delivers a scathing critique aimed squarely at the U.S. Commander-in-Chief.

Frontman Zak Tell shared the following about the track: More...

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Gridiron Premiere New Single & Music Video

Rap metal/hardcore outfit Gridiron have debuted a new music video for their track “Heavy Metal Money (Seen It All Before)“, taken from their album Poetry From Pain. The song features a guest appearance from rapper Big Body Bes.

Sharing the video, Gridiron offered the following thoughts on the visual: More...

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Judas Priest Share Black Sabbath Cover

Despite a star-studded lineup assembled to bid farewell to Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne this weekend at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK, one notable absence is that of fellow Birmingham legends Judas Priest.

Their exclusion from the event stems from an unfortunate scheduling conflict. Judas Priest had previously committed to a performance with Scorpions before being invited to take part in Sabbath and Ozzy’s final show. Frontman Rob Halford expressed his disappointment, saying he was “absolutely gutted” to miss this historic moment.

With Black Sabbath and Ozzy’s July 5th farewell looming, Judas Priest opted to honor their heavy metal forebears in a different way—by releasing the live video below of their own take on Black Sabbath’s 1970 anti-war classic, “War Pigs.”

In sharing the performance, the band offered the following tribute: More...

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