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From Death Metal to Post-Punk: NRW Delivers on Every Level This Week
Over 120 shows in one week – NRW and surrounds are going all out. From a death metal massacre at the Essigfabrik to a stoner rock double bill at Die Kantine, a medieval festival on a real castle, and NRW local heroes at Zakk: here are the highlights from April 20 to 26.
This Week's Metal Heavyweights
The absolute highlight drops on Thursday at Essigfabrik in Cologne: Hypocrisy bring three heavyweights on the "Beauty And The Beast" tour – Abbath, Vomitory, and Vreid. Death metal, black metal, and Norwegian extreme metal in one night – it doesn't get better this week.
On Wednesday, Masterplan kick things off at Musiktheater Piano in Dortmund. The power metal institution is presenting their new "Metalmorphosis" album – a must for every melodic metal fan.
Friday night, modern metal takes over Luxor in Cologne: Solence bring Dream State and Written By Wolves on their "Angels Calling Tour". If you're into nu-metal and metalcore, this is your night.
Festival Alert: Hexentanz on the Castle
The Hexentanz Festival at Burg Lichtenberg runs Friday through Sunday and is a world unto itself: medieval rock meets gothic meets metal – with Schandmaul, Lord Of The Lost, Lacrimas Profundere, and Fiddler's Green headlining. 14 bands on a real castle – the atmosphere is unbeatable.
Smaller but no less loud: the MOSHnMAY Festival in Schapen also kicks off Friday with Enemy Inside and Rogers, before Emil Bulls and Suicidal Angels take over on Saturday.
Stoner Double Bill and Local Heroes
Thursday night, Die Kantine in Cologne becomes a psychedelic cathedral: Colour Haze and My Sleeping Karma on the "Karma Haze Tour" – two of the biggest names in German stoner rock on one stage. If you've ever wanted to know what collective trance feels like, here's your chance.
On Sunday, Zakk in Düsseldorf belongs to the NRW heroes: Samurai Pizza Cats team up with From Fall To Spring and Flash Forward (both local heroes!) for a stacked metalcore lineup. And on Saturday, Soulbound play a hometown show at Live Club Barmen in Wuppertal – NRW industrial metal on the "sYn Tour".
From Punk to Gothic – The Full Spectrum
Swedish skate punk legends NO FUN AT ALL close out the week on Sunday at Turock in Essen – fast, melodic, unmissable. Also in Essen: Grade 2 at Don't Panic the same evening. Streetpunk on a Sunday – what more could you want?
Saturday night brings dark and emotional vibes to Gebäude 9 in Cologne: The Twilight Sad bring their melancholic post-punk to NRW. If you're into effects-laden guitars and big emotions, this is the one. And for those who want it even darker: Corpus Delicti play Hirsch Q in Dortmund on Friday – old-school French deathrock.
Don't Miss Out with KRACH!
Over 120 shows from Monday to Sunday, from death metal to post-punk, from festivals on castles to streetpunk Sundays in Essen. Find all dates, tickets, and info in the KRACH app. 🤘
