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Death Dominion in Leipzig, a farewell in Wuppertal and 20 years of Bloodspot
This week there are 1,010 shows in 302 cities across Germany, Austria and Switzerland, including 30 festivals. Saturday alone brings 331 concerts, and almost everything that makes this week special happens on it: a band anniversary at the Altes Kalkwerk, a hardcore weekend in Schweinfurt and a full death metal day at Leipzig's Felsenkeller.
The big ones
Converge play the Backstage in Munich on Thursday and the Substage in Karlsruhe on Friday, and the package is a strong one: Sanguisugabogg bring the slime, Blackbraid the atmospheric black metal, Pupil Slicer the mathcore. Four bands, four completely different ways of being loud.
The Death Dominion tour stops at the Arena in Vienna on Thursday and becomes a whole festival day at the Felsenkeller in Leipzig on Saturday: from 16:30 Dogbite, Sun Eater, Hagen slam institution Stillbirth and Gates To Hell, then Suffocation, Despised Icon and finally Carnifex at 22:10. If you want New York death metal from the source, be in front of the stage at 19:50.
Hatebreed and Life Of Agony play the Haus Auensee in Leipzig on Saturday and Berlin on Sunday, there with End It. Note: the Berlin show has moved from Columbiahalle to Huxleys Neue Welt, tickets remain valid.
In Switzerland, Amon Amarth play The Hall in Dübendorf on Wednesday with Soilwork and Orbit Culture. Archspire are on the road with Crown Magnetar, The Zenith Passage and Analepsy: Tuesday at Backstage Werk in Munich, Wednesday at the Substage in Karlsruhe.
Underground gems and hidden tips
On Friday and Saturday the Eventground in Wuppertal says goodbye with a closing weekend. On Friday Night In Gales from Voerde play there with Crypts, Selfdevoured and Serpent Icon. On Saturday Night In Gales are back on stage straight away, at Evil Horde Fest II at the Parkhaus in Duisburg-Meiderich with Rezzra, Hellgrav and Enemy Within.
At the Helvete in Oberhausen, Milking The Goatmachine play with Endseeker on Friday, the same package hits Urban Spree in Berlin on Saturday. In Selb, the Rockclub Nordbayern has Disbelief with Torment of Souls and Teeth of Lamb on Friday. And at the Kulturhalle Abdera in Biberach, the "Düschda" night on Saturday brings Groza together with Drud and Halls Of Oblivion: atmospheric black metal from Mühldorf am Inn, released on AOP Records.
DUST BOLT have a busy week: on Friday they play the Sonnenkeller in Balingen with Zerre as tour guest. On Saturday they are the secret headliner at Bloodspot's anniversary at the Altes Kalkwerk in Limburg, more on that in our separate article.
Bands and clubs who run their own KRACH page
More and more bands and venues look after their KRACH profile themselves. Many of them play this week, and that's worth a section of its own.
Slaughterday from Leer, the old-school death metal duo with a soft spot for Autopsy, play the Zollkantine in Bremen on Saturday. The occasion is Final Plague's release show for the "Downwards" EP, joined by Anasarca and Delight To Divide. The same evening the youth centre in Schwelm hosts Eisenfest: Cologne's Andradite bring modern metal with female vocals and electronics, alongside Ignition, Call Of Charon, AXE VICTIMS and Anger. Entry is 20 euros.
In Everswinkel near Münster, the local Kulturkreis hosts "Underground before Xmas – Metal Edition": Taskforce Toxicator headline, with The Wolf I Feed and METALSTORM, who have been playing Münster thrash since 1984. Basel's Total Annihilation play the Ferryman Festival at the Epplehaus in Tübingen on Saturday at 21:00, with their new album "Mountains of Madness" in tow.
On Friday Noctide from Sprockhövel headline the RS Metalnight at the Kraftstation in Remscheid, with Lhoze and Inside Of The Heartless. In Berlin, That's Why I Left play a "Kharkiv Hardcore Support Show" at K19 with United & Strong, Senpais and Contact Zone. Berlin punks Unglaublicher Vorfall are at the KulturLounge in Leipzig on Friday and the JUWEL in Gotha on Saturday. In Hamburg, Soulsplitter open for Changeling and Obsidian Tide at Bambi Galore on Thursday.
At Metal Militia 12 in the Heimathaus in Rotenburg (Wümme), Lüneburg groove metallers DogTak play on Saturday, with Ravager and Krefeld grind veterans Japanische Kampfhörspiele. At SG Waldeslust in Regenstauf, Abyss from Dorfen play melodic black/death metal with Waldgeflüster, Sterbenswille and Dark Monument.
Three clubs also keep their programme on KRACH themselves: the Pitcher in Düsseldorf has six nights, from a Rory Gallagher tribute to the Ghost night on Saturday, with Düsseldorf's Korsakow in between. Next week The Vintage Caravan are coming. The blackbox. in Nuremberg has Euthymia on Thursday, and the p.m.k. in Innsbruck hosts Core Carnage with Vienna's Mastic Scum on Saturday.
From hardcore to darkwave
Schweinfurt has a hardcore problem this week, and a nice one. On Wednesday Ignite and Cancer Bats play the Stattbahnhof, on Friday and Saturday the Stäbruch Fest follows there with Sheer Terror, NASTY, Combust and SPY. There's a separate article on that too. Ignite and Cancer Bats are also at Gebäude 9 in Cologne on Thursday.
Cold Hearted Festival brings the darkwave and post-punk scene to the Markthalle in Hamburg on Friday, where Gvllow close the night. On Saturday at the Alter Schlachthof in Dresden, She Past Away join and play last at 23:15, after Paradox Obscur and Ash Code.
In Vevey, Saor play the Rocking Chair on Friday with Cân Bardd and Brévine. The same night the Lindenkeller in Freising has brutal death metal from Cytotoxin.
On Sunday the week ends in Berlin, with Hatebreed and Life Of Agony at Huxleys Neue Welt.
Never miss a show with KRACH!
All 1,010 shows of the week are in the KRACH app, with a map, radius search and a reminder before doors. And if your band or club doesn't have its own KRACH page yet: claim it at krach.app/bands. 🤘
