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Megadeth, Doro & Afsky: The Week NRW Burns From Thrash to Stoner
The first week of June flips NRW into summer mode – but it stays loud. Over 50 shows between Cologne and Münster, multiple open-air highlights, sold-out special events, and a thrash legend to close it all out. Here are the highlights.
The Week's Heavy Hitters
The biggest finale belongs to Megadeth on Sunday at the Amphitheater Nordsternpark in Gelsenkirchen: Dave Mustaine brings his thrash institution open-air to the Rhine-Herne Canal, with Mammoth in support. Megadeth under open skies – it doesn't get more summer-metal than that.
Wednesday gets tight: Bad Omens Bad Omens fill the PSD Bank Dome in Düsseldorf with their massive post-metalcore – one of the week's biggest arena shows. At the same time, Papa Roach Papa Roach open the Biggesee Open Air in Olpe.
Death metal pilgrims head to Gebäude 9 in Cologne on Saturday, where Six Feet Under Six Feet Under and Chris Barnes deliver old-school brutality. Two days earlier, thrash veterans Flotsam and Jetsam Flotsam and Jetsam stop at the Kubana in Siegburg, while metalcore risers Catch Your Breath Catch Your Breath tear up the Turock in Essen on Friday.
Local Heroes and Underground Gems
The Metal Queen comes home: Doro Doro sets sail Saturday with her "Metal Queen Metal Cruise" aboard the MS RheinMagie – heavy metal on the Rhine, with the Düsseldorf native at the helm. Sunday closes on local-hero doom: Wasteland Haze Wasteland Haze drop their riffs at the Krachgarten in Wesel.
Thursday digs deeper underground at Don't Panic in Essen: Danish act Afsky Afsky brings icy, atmospheric black metal alongside Yoth Iria. Small, dark, intense. Down south, the sold-out Freak Valley Festival in Netphen (Thu–Sat) crowns stoner and doom royalty: Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats and Kylesa Kylesa top the bill.
From Punk to Disco Metal
Punk hearts, rejoice: the free Rage Against Racism festival at the Friemersheimer Mühle in Duisburg-Rheinhausen (Fri+Sat) features sleaze rockers Crazy Lixx Crazy Lixx, among many others. Argentine political punks Argies Argies tour NRW three times over: the Tröte in Meschede on Friday, the Alleehaus 161 in Wuppertal on Saturday, and Consol4 in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday. For post-punk, catch The Robocop Kraus The Robocop Kraus at Gleis 22 in Münster.
And the week's oddity: Tragedy Tragedy, the "All Metal Tribute to the Bee Gees," turn the Pitcher in Düsseldorf into a headbang disco on Friday – falsetto meets double bass. EBM fans veer off to the Kulttempel in Oberhausen, where The Juggernauts The Juggernauts fire up the machines with Tyske Ludder.
Don't Miss a Thing with KRACH!
Over 50 shows, two festivals, and a thrash legend – that's the first week of June in NRW. All dates, audio previews, and tickets are in the KRACH app. 🤘
