Rabidfest 2024: Breaking Down The Bands #2: Evile!

What can we say? It’s July, it’s hotter than hell and it’s Festival season. But what happens when the longer nights set in, the rain starts to return (did it ever leave?) and November arrives? Well aside from that Skinny Gingerbread Latte that you think is a guilty secret but everyone actually knows about, you need to get your Metal fix from Oxford’s finest Weekender. Rabidfest will keep you warm and dry at The Bullingdon on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd November with wall to wall riffs from no less than twenty (that’s 20!) bands over the two days. Here’s the all important line up 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
Forlorn
Ocean Planet
40000 Leagues
Theorist
Dead Man’s Pistol
Halfway Home

Rejuvenated by the return of guitarist and vocalist Ol Drake after five years away from the band he originally founded twenty years ago, the past four years have been nothing short of phenomenal for Huddersfield Thrash Gods Evile. Cementing a solid line up before signing a deal in blood with Napalm Records in 2020 the riff slingers then hitting us with not one but two stunning albums in 2021’s “Hell Unleashed” and 2023’s “The Unknown“. The first of that pairing represented the bands first new material since 2013 album “Skull” and the first to feature rhythm guitarist Adam Smith, a man known for his time in RipTide. Add to the melting pot the presence of American comedian, voice actor and musician Brian Posehn on “Gore” as well as a cover of Mortician classic “Zombie Apocalypse” and you have an award winning combination.

UK and Ireland tours followed that before the 25th Anniversary of Summer Breeze Festival in Germany, Festival Rock al Parque in Colombia, Resurrection Festival in Spain and a run of shows with Crisix and Dustbolt put Evile back on the map as a live force to be reckoned with and all that before “The Unknown”  landed. Changing the pace to flirt with Doom and Sludge Metal influences while conjuring a sense of dread made for an interesting move with almost mournful shades in the riff department despite the lightening bolt leads. Same, same but different as they say in Singapore and very much in line with what happened as the Bay Area sound evolved from it’s early days. It’s not often that Oxford will witness a band with Wacken Open Air Festival on their Curriculum Vitae but by the time Rabidfest arrives they’ve have conquered it, so don’t sleep on this.

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