Hi Everyone, The Brutal Commander here, i hope your 2025 has been full of amazing metal madness! Plenty more time left of the year to get down to your local show and indulge in some lovely metal shenanigans. We’ve certainly been diving deep into the metal this year spreading our support around the country and now we’ve ventured across the sea to mainland Europe!

Gioia, our newest Death Dealer agent based in France, headed out to Desertfest in Antwerp a few weeks ago and represented UKDD proudly. Thank You so much Gioia!!

Below is Gioia’s experience and review for Desertfest Antwerp 2025. Will you make the pilgrimage next year?? We’re certainly convinced 😀 Ps. peep the UK band mention \m/ 

A review by Gioia –

The Venue Experience

Desertfest Antwerp has truly mastered the festival format. Unlike other Desertfest editions where you’re constantly shuttling between venues, this Belgian iteration keeps all three stages under one roof. The convenience alone is worth the trip, but the venue delivers so much more. Belgian beers flow at reasonable prices, while the outdoor patio buzzes with energy from various food stands, cocktail bars, and well equipped chill-out areas. Inside, a metal market sprawls with merch from both performing and non-performing bands. 

The downstairs lockers are a stroke of genius. Drop €2, claim your locker, pocket the key, and you’re free to rage all day without dealing with cloakroom chaos.

The Standout Discoveries

The festival introduced me to three bands that absolutely stole the show. Requiem Blues from Liverpool was the best discovery of the weekend – a UK band playing their first gig outside their hometown, delivering bluesy stoner grooves that somehow make you want to boogie and headbang at the same time. Then there was Messa from Italy, a band that defies expectations with angelic, saint-like vocals layered over riffs so heavy they hit you in the chest. They’re amazing and hypnotic in every sense. I also caught a glimpse of Gros Coeur from Belgium, whose psychedelic sound was so different from everything else on the lineup that they immediately stood out as something special.

The Familiar Favourites

The bands I already knew didn’t disappoint either. Orange Goblin brought one of the best vibe and pit of the festival, made even more special knowing they’re on their final tour. YOB from the USA was incredible – so packed that people had to listen from outside the venue, delivering their signature groovy, doomy sound like no one else can. Acid Mammoth from Greece proved that doom is truly in their blood, with killer riffs and the best pit of Sunday. It was a joy to see them after so many years, and they were easily the best of the fest.

Lowrider from Sweden kept things vibey throughout their set, though some songs were a bit more low-key. Graveyard, also from Sweden, had such an American desert rock sound and aesthetic that you’d swear you were actually in the Mojave. Their vibe and sound were spot-on from start to finish.

Overall, the whole festival was brutally well-organized, and the line-up was absolutely crushing – a relentless assault of groove, doom, and psychedelic heaviness. This is a pilgrimage I’ll be making again, no question.

This festival it’s absolutely a 10/10