The quiet village of Barroselas hosted yet another edition of the SWR Barroselas Metalfest from April 29 to May 2, a festival that has already reached its 26th edition and attracts “pilgrims” from all corners of Portugal and around the world. From thrash metal to black metal, this year’s edition was marked by the Portuguese live debut of the Finnish cult band Beherit, as well as Brazilian Thy Light. Other major names leading the 2026 lineup included Exhumed, Revenge, Bulldozer and many more.
Day 0
The reception for festivalgoers — the so-called “Day Zero” — featured four bands to kick off the festivities. Caos Ritual were the first band tasked with opening the event. Hailing from Barcelos, the group from the Minho region brought their dirty stoner/sludge sound to the festival, heavily driven by punk rhythms. The audience, initially somewhat shy, quickly surrendered to the fast-paced beats. Next up were the duo Morto, a band from Braga in northern Portugal. “Morto” (“Dead”) may be their name, but it certainly does not reflect their energy or intensity; with their old-school death metal/grindcore sound, they quickly had heads banging throughout the crowd. Northern Portugal continued to dominate the stage during the opening night, as Vectis from Porto brought the energy and spirit of their black/speed metal, getting many in the audience singing and dancing. The reception night concluded on a high note with Vürmo, who closed the festival’s opening celebrations with their lively punk rock ’n’ roll performance.
Day 1
The festival’s first day kicked off with the Asturian band Burnt to Death. Formed in 2021, they brought their bold and aggressive death metal sound to the festival, providing the perfect warm-up for the performances that followed. The trio played seven songs, closing their set with “Black Dragon”, the title track of their recently released EP. From Spain to Brazil — more specifically São Paulo — the quartet DeathGeist were the next to take the stage. The secondary stage, called Arena Stage, was overtaken by thrash metal, as the band won over the audience with riffs deeply rooted in classic thrash metal tradition. The São Paulo group recently released their album UnderWorld. The doors then opened to the Abyss Stage, the festival’s main stage, where the French band Venefixion became the first act to set foot on it. The atmosphere grew darker, but the intensity never slowed down. With their heavy and obscure sound — fitting for lyrics centred around black magic, death, and curses — the audience seemed completely hypnotised. Did the magic work? We would say so; Venefixion undoubtedly conquered the crowd. The ritual continued on the Arena Stage with the Portuguese band ANZV. Hailing from Porto, the quintet brought their death/black metal sound, heavily inspired by the occult and spiritualism. The audience watched the group attentively; it was a hypnotic performance, both because of their sound and their striking, ritualistic stage presence.
Back on the Abyss Stage, Vastum promised total destruction — and delivered. “Primal Seduction”, from their album Carnal Law, opened the set. The crowd went wild: heads banging, a violent mosh pit erupting, which eventually even vocalist Daniel Butler could not resist joining. The concert was defined by a performance full of weight and attitude. The energy they brought was overwhelming, leaving metal fans in absolute ecstasy. “Orificial Purge”, the title track from the album released in October 2019, was chosen to close the set — a true neck-breaking anthem. The Galician band Balmog then took over the secondary stage with their raw black metal, featuring notes reminiscent of Emperor and Watain. With cyclical riffs characteristic of their style, Balmog created an intense atmosphere that completely enveloped everyone in attendance. Twisted expressions and looks of bewilderment — that was how the audience first reacted to the trio Primitive Man, unaware that they were about to witness a physical, auditory, and even emotional experience. Directly from Denver, Colorado, the band brought their crushing death/sludge sound, driven by overwhelmingly heavy riffs that made the entire performance even more intense. Ethan McCarthy’s powerful voice made the much-criticised visual effects fade into irrelevance, creating an even darker and more unsettling atmosphere. Defined by slow, repetitive rhythms, the performance hypnotised the audience completely. Anyone who believes heaviness lies in speed clearly does not know this trio.
Vastum | photo by André Henriques (@ahphoto_gigs)
After that melancholic journey, we returned to the secondary stage for destruction and exhilaration with Corpus Offal from Texas, who conquered the stage with their ferocious death metal. While the audience had remained relatively still during the previous performance, movement here never stopped — perhaps a warm-up for what was still to come? The most anticipated moment of the festival’s first day had arrived: the Canadian band Revenge, one of the main attractions of the 2026 edition. Chaos reigned from beginning to end. Sirens opened the concert, followed by words directed at the audience as excitement steadily grew. “Swine Tumult” kicked off the set. Intense, rebellious, and relentless, the band delivered music driven by blistering speed, performing classics such as “Traitor Crucifixion” and “Excommunication”, leaving nobody indifferent to the relentless performance. The fast pace continued on the Arena Stage with Indian Nightmare. Formed in 2014, with members hailing from all four corners of the world, the group brought their heavy/speed metal sound infused with clear punk influences. Their stage presence was infectious and truly energetic, though there was also room to slow things down, as heard in “Bastion of Nightmares”. The band left the audience with a powerful and direct message: we are all equal — there is no place for racism. There was no time to relax as Gruesome took over the Abyss Stage. With unmistakable influences from the legendary Death, some may consider them merely a tribute act, but their performance at the festival proved otherwise. Matt Harvey — also a member of Exhumed — showcased the full power of his vocals. Their music was marked by deep growls and sharp yet aggressive riffs. “Trapped in Hell”, “Darkened Window”, and “Savage Land”, which closed the concert, were among the songs chosen for a performance that undoubtedly pleased death metal fans. The festival’s first day came to an end with a journey into the world of folklore and shamanism through the atmospheric black metal project Invunche. Invunche is a creature from Chilote mythology in southern Chile, said to be a guardian protecting the entrance to a society of witches. The musicians captured the audience’s attention not only through their attire, but also through their commanding presence and immersive atmosphere — a perfect choice to close the festival’s opening day.
Day 2
Lord of Confusion opened the concerts on the festival’s second day. Formed in 2018, the quartet brought their stoner/doom sound to the stage. With clear influences of Electric Wizard, the Portuguese band captivated the audience, who watched them almost hypnotised by their presence and performance. Still on the Arena Stage, fellow Portuguese band VENTR followed with their raw black metal, creating a dense atmosphere through cyclical riffs and harsh vocals. Also representing Portugal, Pestifer were the first to take over the main stage on the festival’s second day. Formed in 2000, the quartet conquered both the stage and the crowd, who could not stand still in the face of their powerful death metal performance, promoting an album whose title defines the band’s sonority: Ravaging Fury. Directly from Antwerp, Belgium, Works of the Flesh took to the Arena Stage for a destructive performance. Vocalist Tim de Meyer won over the audience not only with his voice but also with his commanding presence and contagious energy. Headbanging, mosh pits, and crowdsurfing — the concert had it all.
Death metal dominated the festival’s second day as the Abyss Stage welcomed Caustic Wound for a crushing grind/death performance. Driven by heavy, high-speed riffs, the Americans gave the audience no chance to rest, opening the concert with “Grinding Mechanism of Torment” — 27 seconds of pure brutality. “Visions of Torture” closed the set, though the only real torture was seeing the concert come to an end. Hailing from Argentina, Raptore took over the secondary stage and delivered a fun, infectious performance of evil-themed classic Heavy Metal that won over many metalheads in the crowd while performing songs from their “Renaissance” album. Back on the main stage, and returning to death metal, came the Dutch band Pentacle. “Behold… Denial… Despair” sent the audience into a frenzy, with the mosh pit becoming even more violent and restless. “Awaiting the Blast of Death” was chosen to close the Dutch band’s set. There was no stone left unturned after this apocalyptic show! It was originally supposed to be Bölzer’s turn to take the stage, but due to health issues the performance could not take place. They were replaced by the “French occultists” Aluk Todolo, who delivered a performance steeped in a dark and oppressive atmosphere, taking the audience on a journey into the world of the occult through instrumentation. This show showed the band’s influences that are as vast as going from Pink Floyd to Imperial Triumphant. With members from Norway and Italy, Darvaza returned to the SWR main stage after nine years and was also one of the festival’s major attractions. “Holy Blood”, from the album Wings of Antichrist (2025), opened their set, while older tracks such as “The Hanging Sword” from The Downward Descent (2015) also made an appearance. Coldness may define their music and aesthetic, but certainly not their performance; Darvaza won over the audience with an unusually engaging stage presence for a black metal band.
Darvaza | photo by André Henriques (@ahphoto_gigs)
The Swedish band Century brought their heavy/speed metal to the secondary stage, delivering sharp solos and traditional heavy metal riffs. Exhumed headlined the festival’s second day and were undoubtedly one of the biggest attractions of this year’s edition. With nearly thirty years of career behind them, the Americans brought the true weight of death metal to the stage. The crowd was already chanting their name before they even appeared. As soon as they stepped onto the stage, they launched into “Unsafe at Any Speed” from Red Asphalt, released in February 2026. Matt Harvey still displayed incredible energy, having already performed the previous day with Gruesome. Inflatable balls flew above the audience, the mosh pit never stopped, and of course, there was no shortage of the classic stage dives. After the cardio workout provided by Exhumed, there was still no time to relax. The strangely-named American band -16- closed the second night with their crushing sludge sound. People were dancing, jumping, and constantly crowdsurfing — it was absolute chaos.
Day 3
Sadly, all good things come to an end, and this was the last day of this year’s edition of the SWR Barroselas Metalfest. The Portuguese band Undersave opened the concerts on the festival’s final day. The Lisbon quartet once again delivered an impeccable performance, bringing their complex and dissonant death metal sound to the stage. The quality of their music certainly deserved a higher slot on the day’s lineup. The band also showcased their excellent new 2025 album, Merged in Abstract Perdition, with pristine precision and unexpected brutality. After a devastating performance, Undersave once again proved why they are considered one of the most innovative and refreshing forces in the Portuguese underground death metal scene. Next to take over the secondary stage were Vizir, returning after eleven years. A trio that leaves no one indifferent, the band — dressed in leopard-print shirts — is well known for their parody-driven black/grindcore. Even those unfamiliar with the group could not hold back their laughter. After 25 years of existence, they finally released their debut album “Caralhograma”, so this show was a celebration of the past quarter of a century of Vizir. Songs such as “Fui à Missa com a Mão na Piça” and “Rambo Fodas” guaranteed plenty of amusement, and of course, the set had to end with a true classic: “Punheta com o Braço Partido”. The mysterious Portuguese band The Ominous Circle opened the main stage on the festival’s final day, delivering a black/death metal performance deeply connected to occult themes — something clearly reflected in the garments covering their faces and the stage backdrop. It was a crushing concert, driven by the musicians’ intense stage presence and expressions, easily winning over the audience with a performance that could remind some people of the band Portal, aesthetically speaking.
The Ominous Circle | photo by Filipe Gomes (@filipegomes.photo)
We then moved into hardcore-infused death metal with the Swedish band Obstruktion, who left the crowd restless with their contagious energy. Also note-worthy was the presence of their guitarist E who completely took the stage hostage with his stage presence. Back at the Abyss Stage, the Portuguese pioneers Genocide took the stage. One of the earliest death metal bands in Portugal, founded in 1990, the group recalled their first appearance at the festival back in 1997. The crowd responded with loud applause before chaos erupted: constant mosh pits, stage diving, and crowdsurfing took over the venue in a celebration of the connection between such an influential band in the underground scene and the oldschool fans. Next came the Spanish band Aversio Humanitatis, whose black metal transported the audience into a universe of nihilism. Not everyone was prepared for the dense and oppressive atmosphere created during this show. Totally lit by backlights, the dark figures on stage unleashed one of the most impressive sets of the day, dividing their performance between the fantastic “Behold the Silent Dwellers” record and the recently released “To Become the Endless Static” album.
Three years later, the American band Mortiferum returned to SWR for their second appearance at the exact same stage and were also one of the acts that drew the largest crowds. With deep vocals and slower tempos, the concert opened with “Incubus of Bloodstained Visions”. It became a true journey of emotions: slow passages shattered by bursts of speed, alongside crushing riffs that sent countless heads banging. Mortiferum are a great example that heaviness is not always related to speed. Fantastic show by this band. We returned to the Arena Stage for the debut performance by Thy Light, a Brazilian DSBM trio with a cult following despite their relatively short discography. Long, hypnotic compositions shaped their first-ever concert in Portugal. Welcomed by a packed venue on the secondary stage, decorated with countless black candles, not a single person moved away — and there were even tears shed among the audience. The Italian band Bulldozer ABSOLUTELY conquered the SWR main stage. They performed classics such as “Don’t Trust the Saints” and brought the unmistakable thrash/speed metal sound characteristic of the 80’s wave. The audience loved every moment, reacting with overwhelming enthusiasm and euphoria. The Finnish band Beherit — the biggest attraction of the 2026 edition and a long-awaited debut — finally took to the stage. Comments such as “I never thought I would witness this live” could be heard throughout the crowd, but the truth is that it happened: a dream shared by many fans became reality. The Finnish cult band stepped onto the stage and completely hypnotised everyone watching, bringing their raw, atmospheric black metal sound with somewhat industrialised ingredients to the festival. The performance was memorable not only for its haunting and chaotic wall of sound but also for the band’s commanding stage presence. It was not only the audience observing them — Nuclear H. Vengeance, armed with a flashlight, also turned his gaze toward the crowd. Their legendary album Drawing Down the Moon (1993) formed the backbone of the setlist, with songs like “Salomon’s Gate”, “Nocturnal Evil” and “The Gate of Nanna” prompting loud screams from the audience, while the classic “Pagan Moon”, from Engram (2009), closed the concert amid tremendous cheering. Gravekult were entrusted with closing the festival. Their black/speed metal proved to be a perfect choice to end the event, and they were warmly received by the crowd. If anyone was tired by that point, it certainly did not show — the audience never stopped moving and completely unleashed their energy.
The 26th edition of the SWR Barroselas Metalfest did not disappoint, delivering both long-awaited debuts and moments of nostalgia. Another successful edition of the festival came to a close.
Special thanks to the SWR Barroselas Metalfest organizers.
Text: Lara Brito | Photo: Filipe Gomes
Comments are closed.