FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Winds of Agony 2025

In the past 15 years or so, there has been an impressive swell of multi-day, truly underground, extreme metal festivals encircling the globe. With so many options, it can be challenging for a fest organiser to curate a lineup that turns heads, especially as it feels like most permutations of bands have already been configured. This is where Winds of Agony steps in. The two-day event is in its inaugural year and takes place at Granollers, just outside Barcelona, Spain on 9th-10th May.

The lineup is nothing short of explosive. The first day is headlined by uncompromising Canadian war metal veterans BLASPHEMY. The four-piece has uncharacteristically toured a lot in the last few years, and anyone who has witnessed them knows the aural devastation they wreak on any stage. This performance will see them celebrating 35 years of the seminal Fallen Angel Of Doom album. You’d be a moron to miss this.

Also studding the Friday, fans of Finnish death metal get to experience old school death/doom metallers RIPPIKOLOU and modern Lovecraftian death metallers CORPSESSED crushing bones and skulls. If the headliners somehow weren’t enough for war metal maniacs, there’s the phenomenal death/black machinations of DEATH WORSHIP, led by Ryan Förester from BLASPHEMY. For more traditional, straight-up black metal, Germany’s STYGIAN TEMPLE is the cure, and for those wanting a brief respite from the harsher tones, the heavy metal legion BAD OMEN will provide a compelling palette cleanser.

Saturday delivers a truly delectable lineup, headlined by Finnish black metal deities BEHERIT. Finally playing live for the first time in their 35+ year existence these last year, they’re simply a must-see act with an indescribable live presence and a setlist that spans classic and fresher material. Enjoying a second wind is the black/thrash bastards in AURA NOIR. If you’ve fucked up bad by never seeing them live first time round, this is the perfect time to remedy that ridiculous mistake; simply one of the finest and first bands unleashing a black thrash attack.

Also on the bill is Greece’s premier death metal act, DEAD CONGREGATION, playing a special Graves Of The Archangels show for a hit of nostalgia for when they released this highlight of their career. Part of the Nidrosian black metal circle, DARVAZA will be supplying unbridled Satanic black metal, while the UK’s ABDUCTION will be promoting their new album of enthralling and majestic black metal Existentialismus. Also, absolutely don’t miss out on the local talent in BARBARIAN SWORDS, who will be playing all of their scathing, rebellious death metal Anti-Dogma Megaforce album in its entirety.

This is a star-spangled lineup with an excellent variety of extreme metal, old and new. There have already been significant sales to international visitors, a testament to the rare brilliance of this fest. Who knows if there will be a second edition! If you can make it, go grab a ticket now. Otherwise, Distorted Sound will be covering the event, so don’t miss our live report.

Winds Of Agony takes place at Sala Nau B1 and Granollers, Barcelona on May 9th – 10th, 2025. 

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