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Festival Week in the Ruhr: Between Club Sweat and Festival Fields

This week shows no mercy: 70+ shows between Rhine and Ruhr, and the summer's biggest festival weekend throws open its gates. From sludge legends and hardcore originators to local heroes – and at the end, the festival field calls. Here are the highlights.

The week's heavy hitters

We kick off with a true force: Mastodon bring their progressive sludge thunder to FZW Dortmund on June 17 – with Brits Loathe in tow, whose atmospheric metalcore is already cult. Two days earlier it gets filthy: Eyehategod, the NOLA sludge institution, play twice – June 15 at Bastard Club Osnabrück and June 16 at Pitcher Düsseldorf.

New York hardcore history is written by Cro-Mags on June 16 at Turock Essen. And every Death disciple should mark June 20: Death To All celebrate the albums "Spiritual Healing" and "Symbolic" with former Death members like Gene Hoglan – also at Turock, and long sold out.

Underground gems and local heroes

The Ruhr breeds its own heroes: Scalpture from Bielefeld ignite their old-school death metal at Sputnikhalle Münster on June 19. June 20 goes double-local: Helden Schwarzer Tage from Duisburg rock Helvete Oberhausen, and NDH flagship Unheilig (from Aachen) fills Sparkassenpark Mönchengladbach.

Stoner tip: Kadavar and Elder share the stage on June 20 at Junkyard Open Air in Dortmund (more below).

From hardcore to darkwave

Punk veterans The Adicts open the week on June 15 at Live Music Hall Köln. Hardcore force comes from DRAIN (June 18, Luxor Köln) and post-hardcore legends Quicksand (June 20, also Luxor). Glam fun is guaranteed by Steel Panther on June 17 at Essigfabrik Köln.

It gets darker with Rosegarden Funeral Party (June 17, Die Trompete Bochum) and the ecstatic black metal of Agriculture (June 18, Helios 37 Köln). The indoor finale belongs to A Perfect Circle on June 21 at Mitsubishi Electric Halle Düsseldorf – their first tour in seven years.

Festival weekend: time to head outside!

From June 18, the field becomes the stage. Right on the doorstep: Traumzeit Festival at Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord (June 19–21) with Meute, Apparat and Kettcar among the blast furnaces. Metalheads head to Dessel, Belgium for Graspop Metal Meeting (June 18–21) – topped by Metallica, Tool and Iron Maiden, plus Kreator, Lamb of God and Spiritbox. Going further afield, Hellfest awaits in Clisson, France (June 18–21). And Dortmund celebrates its 10th Junkyard Open Air (June 20) with Kadavar and Elder, while Bruch Open Air in Kettenkamp lets Grave Digger loose.