Summer Bash 2025: An Introduction to Black Skull Ritual!

Roll up! Roll up! Read all about it! Reading Progressive Death Metal trio Mercury’s Well are bringing their Hawaiian themed beach party Summer Bash back to The Facebar in the aforementioned Reading for a seventh time! The annual one day festival which will see them joined on stage by no less than 10 other bands will take place on 26th July and you’re all invited! There will be fun for all the family with mosh pits! Inflatables! Riffs! Flower Necklaces! Blast Beats! Hawaiian Shirts! Sing-a-longs! Grass Skirts! Sweat! Cocktails and more! So head over to Skiddle and get your tickets here!

Here’s the line up in full:

Hidden Mothers
Masquerader
Black Skull Ritual
Buds.
Tape It Shut
Turning Point
Skin Reaper
Mercury’s Well
Gutlocker
Remnant
Killswitch Enchambers (Killswitch Engage Tribute featuring former members of Kill Chambers)

In time honoured fashion you ask: who the f*** are Black Skull Ritual? Self describing as two Punks that Doom with a Drum Machine that create Electro Punk Doom Metal to shake buildings like earthquake tremors, Black Skull Ritual have been around in concept at least since 2006. However it wasn’t until September 2016 when they fired their first shot in anger – a full length album titled “Heart Full of Hate: The Practiceroomz Tapes“. From there s*** went south pretty quickly with guitarist Karl Lawrence and multi instrumentalist Baron Von Strange (not limited to vocals, bass, drums and programming) unleashing two further full length albums, two live albums and two EPs in seven years, not necessarily in that order. All the while having the audacity to play live. How very dare they.

We jest of course because the duo are actually pretty damn interesting, creating dark, twisted and biomechanical music with their diesel fuelled drum machine providing the backdrop to their dirty riffs and vocal tirades of righteous anger, death and injustice. Their 2023 album “Death Is Forever” is arguably their most diverse, crossing the territories of 80’s Darkwave, Crust Punk and Doom Metal in a sonic cocktail so potent it will put you in a coma. Imagine if you will, Type O Negative playing Sex Pistols covers with Gary Numan and Al Jorgensen from Ministry at the Whiskey A Go Go in West Hollywood on a Jam night. Just rockin’ out and for s*** and giggles. Except less cool and more snot nosed, eighties punk style with a safety pin or better still a nail through the septum for good measure.

We’re proud confirm that Metal Noise dot Net is returning for a third consecutive year as the Media Partner for Summer Bash! Mercury’s Well will be hosting the seventh incarnation of their annual Hawaiian beach party themed event on 26th July 2025 at The Facebar in Reading.

Get your tickets -> here