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While half of metal Germany is pitching tents at Wacken, NRW is anything but quiet: from 27 July to 2 August, hardcore legends, death-metal festivals and melodic-death heavyweights are packed tightly between Cologne, Dortmund and the Ruhr region. Even if you're staying home this week, you're spoiled for choice — here are the highlights.
Hardcore Kick-Off: Madball, Evergreen Terrace & Unearth
The week opens with heavy artillery. Evergreen Terrace play a little Ruhr run — Monday at Cologne's Sonic Ballroom, Tuesday at Don't Panic Essen (with Duisburg metalcore locals Call Of Charon) and Wednesday at Bastard Club Osnabrück. Also on Tuesday, New York hardcore institution Madball bring their breakdowns to Gebäude 9 in Cologne, while punk veterans The Dickies celebrate nearly half a century of band history at Düsseldorf's Pitcher.
Wednesday turns metallic at Kulttempel Oberhausen: metalcore veterans Unearth bring Call Of Charon (celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2026) and Arriving Home along for the ride.
Thursday: From Skate Punk to Nu-Metal
Thursday is a feast for every taste: skate-punk heroes Lagwagon at zakk Düsseldorf, masked nu-metallers Mushroomhead at Don't Panic Essen and Swedish rock-'n'-roll powerhouse Thundermother at Musikbunker Aachen. Blues-rock guitar god Walter Trout, meanwhile, stops by Scala Club Leverkusen.
Festival Weekend: Dortmund Deathfest, Zur Wilden Hilde & Krach am Bach
The weekend blows the region wide open. At Dortmund's Junkyard, the Dortmund Deathfest celebrates two days of the most brutal death metal — Friday with Asphyx, Benediction and 200 Stab Wounds, Saturday with Deicide, Immolation and Cryptopsy. In Viersen, the punk open-air Zur Wilden Hilde welcomes Jaya The Cat, H2O, Kadavar and A Wilhelm Scream, and in Beelen (Münsterland) the Krach am Bach roars with the finest stoner rock from Fu Manchu, 1000mods and Dead Meadow.
If you prefer it in a club: crossover legends D.R.I storm Cologne's MTC on Friday, and Saturday sees New York hardcore icons Cro-Mags arrive at Gebäude 9. Things get a touch catchier at the hometown show of Fury In The Slaughterhouse at the Amphitheater Nordsternpark Gelsenkirchen.
Grand Finale on Sunday
Sunday is a monster. Melodic-death force Arch Enemy — and right in a club: Cologne's Club Volta is going to shake. Next door, Deafheaven turn Die Kantine into a wall of blackgaze. Thrash veterans Sacred Reich invite you to their "Sunday Matinee" at Bastard Club Osnabrück, and Don't Panic Essen hosts the big skate-punk night with Pulley and The Suicide Machines.
Hidden Gems from the Clubs
Between the big names, the smaller ones are well worth a look: Düsseldorf industrial punk from 100blumen at AK47, dark theatrical sounds from Maria Iskariot at Ratinger Hof, Aachen punk from Kommando Marlies and newcomers Farewell Spit and Split Dogs in Düsseldorf and Essen.
Everything at a Glance in the KRACH App
Over 30 shows in seven days — find the full overview, tickets and audio previews in the KRACH app. Have fun making some KRACH!
