Rabidfest 2023: The ULTIMATE Rabidfest Opener…?!

Like the best Motorway roadworks, one good detour deserves another. So extending the break from our breaking down the bands of Rabidfest 2023 series, this week we’re bringing to the table something a little different. After last week’s ultimate Rabidfest headliner discussion piece, the question is… when it comes to the lesser lights of heaven, who would be the ultimate Rabidfest opening band? We’re talking local heroes, bands in the United Kingdom Underground Metal scene, your brother’s band who tried to record the sound of a chainsaw and sliced through power cables in the process… But before we into the action, here’s the line up in full for this years fifth anniversary…

Bound In Fear
Blaze Bayley
Absolva
Ward XVI
Mortishead
Tribe Of Ghosts
Gutlocker
Imperium
From Her Ashes
Draconian Reign
Monasteries
Reveller
LestWeForget
Johanna Rey
Cage Fight
Stone Soup
Second Hour
Depolarize
Indecorum
Sworn Amongst

and if you want a ticket (you mean you haven’t got one yet?!) then the links are below…

Our first choice is Fall Of Saturn. Hailing from London the Groove Metal quartet who formed in 2020 have been making a name for themselves in recent times, sharing stages with the almighty Concrete Age before unveiling their first two commitments to tape. Quality over quantity is the basic requirement these days and in “MathemEthic” and “Knowledge Is Power“ they have given us exactly that.

Having played the Jericho Tavern as part of this years Metal 2 The Masses competition, the Oxford audience will know what Bring To Bear are all about. Folk Metal soaked in  Melodic Death and a touch of the Symphonic, they even have the audacity to have an accordion playing screamer in their ranks in Ian Tarboton. Mind you, the six piece might struggle to get on the stage physically at The Bullingdon…?

It has to be said that the scene in Bristol seems to be on the rise so if we’re going to start Rabidfest strong, how about Born In Dissonance? A Metallic Hardcore crew who Carlsberg say are probably named after a Meshuggah classic, they’ve only committed five cuts to tape and yet have a reputation as creating a furnace of an atmosphere at their live shows!

Sometimes it requires a little audio violence to wake up for a day of wall to wall riffs and thunderstorms of percussion and so Perp Walk are the band of choice to fulfil that need. Sitting at the cross roads between Punk and Hardcore while citing influences in Power Violence, they’re ready to start a fight with just about anyone as “Dogwhistle” proves.

Last but by no means least, our wildcard option has to be Hardcore injected Punk trio My Latest Failure. While they’re arguably a little on the big side to be raising the roof early on, they have all the sing-a-long moments and mosh parts to warm a crowd up perfectly on any occasion. You only need to listen to the classic that is “Voices” to know and enjoy. They’re currently working on EP number three as well as plotting live shows with We Punch Tigers…

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

Rabidfest will take place at The Bullingdon in Oxford over the weekend of the 4th and 5th November 2023:

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

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