Listmania: 5x Tech-Fest 2020 Possibilities! Part #1: Underground Bands!

For those not in the know, it’s time for us to spin you some yarn. You see Metal Noise was created in the aftermath of Tech-Fest in 2017, it was inspired by the four days of wall to wall Metal and so you could say that Metal Noise would not exist if it wasn’t for Tech-Fest. Subsequently we’ve attended and reviewed the 2018 and 2019 events with 2020 firmly in our sights. Now, prior to Tech-Fest 2018 we did a speculative little feature that pointed the finger at 10, well technically 11, bands that we thought could appear at the annual event at Newark Showground. It’s something we didn’t do in 2019 but it’s by popular demand (and after the first wave of bands have been announced) that we present our possibilities for the 2020 incarnation in Part #1 of a creature double feature. This one is focused on the underground bands…

This first pick in the seasons draft is kind of a cheat. Why? Well Absalom played the post Tech-Fest rehabilitation one dayer otherwise known as Techabilitation and so are already known to the organizers. Having reviewed their self titled EP back in April and has the pleasure of chatting to Stephen Brown around the Mancunians entry in our Under The Influence series, we’d love to see them at Tech-Fest 2020!

The quirks of Oslo Norway residents Navian and their nuanced Progressive Nintendicore sound has been a pleasure you can’t measure with the vibrant fun of their debut “Reset“. Having witnessed Dreamwaves open the event in 2017, Navian would be the ideal band to cut the ribbon!

Another one of the bands who submitted material for us to review in 2019 were Periphery loving Core System! Their 8 string Progressive DJent groove is ideal for a hot summers afternoon accompanied by a cold beer and in “Hand Of God” they have a crushing single that is ideally suited to Tech-Fest!

Brighton’s Derelict Dream are a powerhouse trio that we know for a fact have some summer events lined up. Whether that is Tech-Fest in July or Radar Festival in August, which members attended as fans last year, we’re hopeful  that they could play both. Either way “Human” is a ripper of a release, deserving of your attention!

Last but by no means least are Reading’s Arcaeon. Probably hinging on whether their debut full length album is completed in time to be released before July, the new material we heard at their Facebar show last year should make them a shoe in for the festival they played in 2018. They’re not prepared to compromise on perfection and fair play to them, given the quality of “Balance” we’ll just have to wait!

Tech-Fest will take place across the weekend of 2nd-6th July 2020 at Newark Showground. Tickets for the Technical, Progressive and damn straight Underground Metal event of the summer are available here. We’d like to take a moment and say that this piece is in no way sponsored by Tech-Fest and we have no inside information from Simon Garrod or any of the organizers! It’s just a piece of speculative fun!