Rabidfest 2024: SIX possibilities for SIX remaining slots!

It’s raining cats and frogs outside but the biscuit tea is piping hot so thank heaven for small mercies; it’s time for some idle speculation about the remaining six as yet to be announced bands to take to the Devolution Magazine sponsored main stage at this years sixth incarnation of Oxfords biggest metal weekender Rabidfest. Why? Because it’s all good clean fun! Blood, sweat and beers will be spilled in the mosh put at The Bullingdon over the weekend of 2nd and 3rd of November this year as no less than 20 bands make this one to live long in the memory banks! Before we get right in about it, here’s the line up announced (so far) in full…

Evile (Saturday Headliner)
Viscera (Sunday Headliner)
Cloven Hoof
Fury
Recall The Remains
Voidwalker
From Her Ashes
Imperium
Eschalon
Draconian Reign
Existentialist
Damaged Reich
As The World Dies
Rats Eat Rats

Let’s start with the obvious… Having survived Rabidfest in 2019 and 2021 respectively, Oxford Death Groove collective Bloodshot have released an EP titled “Absence” this month and it’s an absolute belter. So what could be better than a swan dive into the asphalt? The return of the Kings to The Bullingdon, that’s what! They’ve paid their dues and with cuts like “Dead Horizons” and “Demarcation” have plenty to shout about so we’d love to witness then reducing the venue to rubble once more!

Next up are Hardcore injected Punk three piece My Latest Failure, a band currently beavering away on building a damn to prevent their next EP, the cunningly titled “Vol. 3” from leaking out ahead of time. They need to break out from the studio so what could be better than a little on stage rage to let off some steam and perhaps share one of those new and unreleased cuts with the masses along with classics like “Voices“? A mid afternoon slot would be perfect…

Although the headliners have been announced and Rabidfest have never had a band hailing from overseas take to the stage, American Nu-Metal outfit (hed)p.e. would work very well for the event. Perhaps they could be persuaded to bring their next European run to Oxford with new album “Detox“, play a matinée slot for an hour and then head off down the road for an evening headliner elsewhere? If you’re going to dream, you may as well dream big right? They had Blaze Bayley so why not make a little more history?

If there is one thing that Rabidfest have always done well it’s putting on bands that build up to and are in keeping with their headliners. That takes time and effort and deserves a lot of praise. So who would be a perfect fit around the already announced Viscera and Draconian Reign? How about Nottingham Blackened Death Metal outfit Kryptess? They’re currently preparing for a run of shows and a couple of festival in May and have a ripper of an EP out in “One Girl, One Thousand Lacerations“…

Also in keeping with the already booked bands would be Essex Death Metal outfit Beyond Extinction, a band who have been inciting mosh pit violence since they first appeared on the scene. Their rise has been nothing short of phenomenal with last years EP “Nothing More Wretched” receiving an awful lot of praise and according to Metal Hammer Magazine inducing “sheer sonic dread“. They might even be able to pursued someone from Harbinger to make a guest appearance given that vocalist Jasper Harmer has been moonlighting as their merch guy in recent times…

…And that brings us to our wild card pick and a Birmingham based band who have received a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons lately in Oceans Ate Alaska. Now a four piece with new vocalist Joel Haywood of Silent Screams fame front and centre they would certainly make for an interesting watch after their imminent European tour with Currents. We know new single “Endless Hollow” is solid but can Haywood match Jake Noakes vocals on the bands over of “Drunk In Love” or James Harrison’s vocals on “Blood Brothers“? Only time will tell…

Yes. We said six… but if any band should pull out of the running at the 11th hour, wouldn’t it be great to witness Woking Groove Metal four piece Gutlocker back at The Bullingdon after last years skull shattering, spine juddering performance? The evidence speaks for itself, you will know by the trail of bodies from the mosh pit to the bar just how effective they can be…

We’re proud to be a Media Partner of Rabidfest again this year alongside Red Death Media, Moomin Merchandise, Metalplanetmusic, Moshville Times, GraphicsFix, TwoFace Promotions, Blackstar Amplification, DC Sound Attack and main stage sponsor Devolution Magazine. The Festival is all for charity and next year the profits will be going to the The Sophie Lancaster Foundation!

Rabidfest will take place at The Bullingdon in Oxford over the weekend of the 2nd and 3rd November 2024:

Get your tickets here -> https://www.rabidfest.co.uk

Get your merch here -> https://shop.rabidfest.co.uk