Spain’s premier black metal festival is back. Following a sold-out inaugural edition, 2026’s Winds of Agony promises a return to a stellar lineup of black death metal, from enthusiastic newcomers to legendary veterans. Dedicated metalheads from all over the continent have pilgrimaged to Granollers, on the edge of Barcelona, to Sala Nau B1 for a taste of extreme music supremacy. The first day is already sold out ahead of the fest with tickets dwindling for the Saturday too.
Friday – April 17th
OPOSITOR
Opening the festival is local bombardment OPOSITOR. Formed in 2014, these Spaniards have altered the course of their stylistic output. In 2018, their sole album Steppe Climax Mysteries unleashed foreboding and suffocating death metal atmospherics. Recently, their 2024 self-titled EP aligns with the popular war metal style. However, unlike all the unoriginal clones from this microgenre that have materialised and genre-hopped recently, OPOSITOR keeps that smothering atmosphere. The end result is reminiscent of NUCLEARHAMMER‘s aura, and is beastly, filthy and oppressive, translating formidably live. Fantastic sound and an energised stage presence already mark this as one of the fest’s top performances, and the smaller-sized audience who witnessed it should count themselves lucky.
Rating: 9/10
COSCRADH
It’s encouraging to see Irish black/death tribe COSCRADH getting more attention in the underground. Expect that focus to keep swelling as the four-piece released their outstanding second album Carving a Causeway to the Otherworld on the beloved label 20 Buck Spin this year. Their metal lurks between vituperous and speedy carnage and intricate, neurosis-inducing, slower passages. While the death brigade takes no prisoners and ticks all the boxes for a vitriolic live show, the sound is messy, transforming the songs into an indecipherable wall of noise. Nonetheless, their playing is tight, their performance menacing and the growing crowd salutes the band heartily after each song.
Rating: 7/10
BLOODY VENGEANCE
German black/death/thrash metallers BLOODY VENGEANCE are always a welcome and trusted addition to any metal festival. As their name suggests, they pay homage to classic 80s Brazilian metal bands in the same genre while augmenting the sound with war metal. Genocidal Cleansing, Six Days of Doom and Cidade de Morte are exceptional, and the band shows their other influences with a few covers. One Foot in the Grave by the outstanding Canadian thrash metal band SLAUGHTER evidently isn’t recognised by most of the crowd (for shame), but it’s a fantastic tribute. A cover of DISCHARGE‘s The Possibility of Life’s Destruction solicits a bolder response, but another SLAUGHTER song The Curse gets a moshpit going. This is presumably because CONQUEROR covered it, and fittingly, CONQUEROR and BLASPHEMY guitarist Ryan Förestor comes out for the track to beat a free-standing drum. With brilliant sound engineering, this set is another highlight of the weekend.
Rating: 9/10
THORYBOS
Up next are the Germans in THORYBOS and their take on war metal. They’ve been creating chaos since 2008 and feature the esteemed Ryan Förestor on bass as of 2022. They scarcely perform shows these days, so this is a rare moment, and the room is busy. Their bestial black metal is furious and unrepentant, barely offering any mid-paced moments for a breather. There are nonstop blastbeats and tremolo riffing, orchestrating pure savagery for their entire show. While their violence can’t be understated, the full set feels exhausting, like being run over repeatedly. Their one-track mind for brutality is undoubtedly their mission statement, but it gets stale in the live environment, especially following the first-rate musicians that have already played today.
Rating: 6/10
ARES KINGDOM
Death/thrash metallers ARES KINGDOM were formed by Chuck Keller and Mike Miller in 2009 from the ashes of their previous band, the seminal ORDER FROM CHAOS. Unfortunately, ARES KINGDOM didn’t receive anywhere near as much infamy as their previous act, but they’re well worth plugging into your eardrums. Insistent and robust, their songs advance like a tank. There are selections from throughout their careers; Basilisk Flame shoots out a face-melting solo, Firestorm Redemption unleashes vintage thrash metal staccato strikes and Priests of Pallas pukes out punky provocations. These guys are devout metalheads and usually cover one of their influences live. Tonight at Winds of Agony, it’s the Australian death thrashers SLAUGHTER LORD‘s Die by Power, and this tribute is nothing short of superb. But they up the ante even further when ORDER FROM CHAOS frontman Pete Helmkamp replaces Alex Blume to reprise the band with a cover of Plateau of Invincibility. Naturally, headbanging and a maelstrom mosh pit take over the maniacs.
Rating: 8/10
GRAVE MIASMA
Representing the UK are cavernous death metal peddlers GRAVE MIASMA, one of the first acts to popularise old school death metal in the 2000s. Their murky music is ripe with riffs that sound like they’re coming from a mausoleum and doom-laden meanderings. This is what this large congregation has gathered to witness. The band serves up cuts from the latest album Abyss of Wrathful Deities, like Rogyapa and Guardians of Death. However, it’s the more atmospheric older songs, such as Gnosis of the Summon and This Tomb is My Altar, that are more intriguing. Being one of the earlier acts to revive retro death metal, GRAVE MIASMA have had to endure waves of clone bands replicating their style. The result is that their music no longer sounds as refreshing as it once did. Despite an emphatic presence, the quartet are faced with a subdued audience. They may not make the impression they once did 15 years ago, but their dedication to the craft is admirable.
Rating: 7/10
URGEHAL
Norwegian black metal horde URGEHAL headline tonight for the anniversary of their underrated Goatkraft Torment album. Formed in 1992, the band effectively broke up in 2012 following the death of their frontman Trondr Nefas. Guitarist Enzifer and drummer Uruz reformed for some performances in 2022 and 2023, and again this year for the 20th anniversary of the aforementioned album. Providing beastly vocal duties now is Sorath Northgrove from BEASTCRAFT and VULTURE LORD. They ignite their show with their most popular song, the self-titled track from the aforementioned album, performed with perfect ferocity and misanthropy. The rest of the release’s songs follow in order. Northgrove is fantastic as a substitute and paces around the stage menacingly alongside Enzifer, who dons his usual pinhead-style headgear.
Goatkraft Torment is a model example of acerbic black metal spliced with some black ‘n’ roll moments for unbridled headbanging fury. The crowd is fully behind these Norwegians. It’s hard not to be, as they drench the hall in Antireligøs, Satanic Black Metal in Hell and Gathered Under the Horns. If black metal has to be performed live, this is the best kind. It’s raw, battering, blistering and thoughtfully composed. As Mirror Satan from the Through Thick Fog ’till Death album closes the set, the band has left behind a truly honourable tribute to Nefas. It’s a damn shame these Norwegians were never deservedly appreciated when the mainman was still alive. Nonetheless, URGEHAL have tastefully boosted their following posthumously, and it’s easy to see why at nights like these.
Rating: 8/10
CRAFT
Swedish black metallers CRAFT have been spreading their nihilism since 1998 and have been active on the festival circuit over the past few years. These Swedes are gifted at composing compelling, varied black metal, especially on their most lauded release, Fuck the Universe. The music can be bristling with spite, bitter with anguish or expansive with mid-paced, sinister soundscapes. Last year saw them attain their third vocalist, Markus, who blends into the lineup and arms the band with the detached, heartless demeanour that their music portrays. Songs Fuck the Universe and Assassin 333 are examples of CRAFT‘s multi-fold songwriting capabilities. While they’re perfunctorily performed, the audience reaction is subdued, although this is likely because it’s pretty late into the night and perhaps too many beers have been ingested.
Rating: 7/10
Saturday – April 18th
ABYSMAL LORD
ABYSMAL LORD rattled around the subterranean for many years in their home county of the United States before they got much international attention. War metal’s popularity projection has finally given this duo some exposure in Europe this decade, and this show is one of their first on this continent. Despite an earlier slot, the venue has filled out a commendable amount. They take the stage with a live drummer and a very typical war metal that slavishly walks the path that mostly BEHERIT but also BLASPHEMY already did decades ago. The music is predictable, with barely any creativity and feels stale for a whole set. People peel away from the audience in substantial numbers as the show progresses – even someone in an ABYSMAL LORD shirt.
Rating: 5/10
NECRORACLE
It’s time for a Spanish act: NECRORACLE. Formed in 2017, they released their debut album Arcane Impious Sorceries only in 2024. Just by looking at their cloaks (not worn by all the members, though), candelabras, human skulls and bones, a black metal veteran could make a comfortable guess that the band plays occult black metal in the style of the Nidrosian acts that were particularly popular throughout the 2010s. And they’d be correct. Some tracks are steeped in alluring atmosphere, whereas others are unrepentantly bellicose. They showcase a wealth of variety in the music, which keeps the set intriguing and watchable. Their stage presence is ritualistic, and it truly feels like witnessing a ceremony. This performance was perhaps the most entrancingly unholy of the festival.
Rating: 7/10
TRIUMPH OF DEATH
In case you’ve been living under a rock, TRIUMPH OF DEATH is the legendary Tom G. Warrior and hired guns performing classic HELLHAMMER songs. Switzerland’s HELLHAMMER were one of the first wave black metal acts, and they continue to be incredibly influential to the genre. While the band broke up and mainman Warrior and bassist Martin Ain went on to form the equally significant CELTIC FROST, who achieved more success than their previous band. HELLHAMMER never played live and Ain unfortunately passed away in 2017, so this tribute is the closest anyone will get to the real deal now.
“Rock ‘n’ roll,” Warrior emotionlessly remarks before The Third of the Storms kicks off proceedings delectably. It’s got that youthful scrappy energy that still sounds convincingly rebellious today. The rawness of this kind of ’80s black metal and its thrash metal DNA works particularly well in the live environment, plus the sound is crystal clear. There’s a sea of fists throughout the show, and no shortage of fist-pumping classics: Massacra, Maniac, Buried and Forgotten, Crucifixion and Messiah. Some less obvious choices are served up too, like Chainsaw and Dekapitator. Warrior‘s rasps are deeper than his recorded counterparts and guitarist Andrei Mathieu handles vocals occasionally, with both sounding solid. Buzzsaw guitars and galloping drums are at the centrepiece of HELLHAMMER‘s sound, and propel the night forward with full force. Naturally, the final song is Triumph of Death, a prelude to the sound CELTIC FROST would eventually carry on. This was a solid performance that proves brilliant metal doesn’t become dated, but timeless.
Rating: 9/10
NAGLFAR
Being a melodic black metal band, NAGLFAR are a bit of a stand-out inclusion. Formed in 1992, they were a popular act for new black metal adherents to get into in the 2000s, as they released albums more often. Now that they’re less active, they seem to have been forgotten and probably serve as a trip down memory lane for many tonight. Their music is seared with haunting melodies with a sinister sense. In some ways, it’s a more melodic and deliberate take on what many Nidrosian black metal bands would later do. There’s plenty of catchy guitar leads and typical Swedish black metal double bass drumming moments. The room is busy, and the congregation vociferously appreciates the likes of Feeding Moloch, A Swarm of Plagues and Harvest. The members’ performance is spirited and dynamism is what’s needed this late into the night. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the performance, but the music just feels a bit surface-deep and what the band was noted for in their heyday, modern bands excel at.
Rating: 7/10
CAVEMAN CULT
The organisers of the festival were smart to close the event with a war metal band, which would likely draw a larger crowd. This final gang is CAVEMAN CULT, sharing its two members with ABYSMAL LORD. Bathed in blood red lighting, the band appears to be hellbent on a mission to beat the venue into the earth’s core. It’s straight-up blastbeats and poisonous, speedy riffage, drawing influence from BLACK WITCHERY. The drums resemble assault rifles and sound perfectly ugly live. Volleys from their Savage War is Destiny album penetrate deepest, especially The Bludgeoning and Crushed Altars of Enemies. Many of these songs are brief and it’s like getting peppered by M-16 fire. What a decisively deadly way to wrap up what has been another exceptional festival.
Rating: 8/10
Given the fevered popularity of the most extreme flanks of black metal, it seems absurd that there aren’t many bestial black metal multi-day affairs in Europe. While many extreme metal festivals cycle through the same large pool of similar artists, Winds of Agony thoughtfully curates bands that are not often seen. This guarantees that the entire event isn’t just another bog standard black metal fest and is one that shouldn’t be skipped by the underground faithful. Winds of Agony have teamed up with Stygian Productions to bring a similar, uncompromising one-of-a-kind festival to the UK – Stygian Invocation. While the tickets sold out completely in half an hour and getting one is going to be harder than time travel, this is the planet’s premier war metal event of 2026 and shouldn’t be missed by die-hards.
Check out our extensive photo gallery of all the action of Winds of Agony 2026 from Duncan McCall here:
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