Top 10 bands you must watch at Fortress Festival 2025

May 27, 2025 James Weaver

Having a hugely successful 2024, Fortress Festival is carving its own place in the wider festival circuit and for good reason. 2024’s event, spread across two days at the iconic Scarborough Spa on England’s North Sea coast welcomed a staggeringly good lineup that celebrated the best black metal has to offer and 2025’s event looks to do one better with the long-awaited return of AGALLOCH. But across the festival’s expertly curated bill, there’s a fest of quality on offer. Here’s ten bands you cannot miss if you’re attending Fortress Festival 2025!

AGALLOCH – Main Stage, Sunday – June 1st

Well, there was only one place to start wasn’t there? headlining this year’s Fortress Festival, and billed as an European exclusive for 2025, it’s bound to be special. Portland, Oregon’s AGALLOCH are one of the finest bands to grace the black metal scene, and since first reunitin in 2023, European fans have clamored for the band to grace our shores once more. At Fortress Festival this year, that wish is fulfilled as the band return armed with a gorgeous back catalogue with recent sets in the US suggesting a heavily leaning set of material from 2006’s Ashes Against The Grain and sprinklings of other material from the likes of The Mantle and The Serpent & The Sphere. Whatever they deploy at Fortress, expect it to be a masterclass in one of the finest bands within modern black metal.

THE GREAT OLD ONES – Main Stage, Saturday – May 31st

It’s fitting that Fortress Festival has the backdrop of the North Sea but with THE GREAT OLD ONES, expect rough seas and the summoning of the Old Ones. The French black metallers’ adoration of Lovecraftian lore bleeds through the band’s DNA, from their expansive black metal and adorning stage imagery. Armed with their excellent new record, Kadath, and a strong back catalogue of Lovecraftian tomes from 2017’s E.O.D. (A Tale Of Dark Legacy) and 2019’s Cosmicism, expect their set at Fortress Festival to invoke the summoning of Cthulhu.

SYLVAINE – Theatre, Saturday – May 31st

Fortress Festival has a habit of splattering the lineup with artists that push the boundaries of black metal, with plenty of folk and post stylings to discover deep within the lineup. For 2025, none encapsulates that better than SYLVAINE. The brain child of Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Kathrine Shepard, the project has captured the attention of many with her superb approach to folk-inspired post-black metal. With material from 2022’s Nova and 2016’s Wistful in her repetoire, and against the gorgeous backdrop of Scarborough Spa‘s Theatre, SYLVAINE will give a captivating and reflective performance at this year’s festival.

MOONLIGHT SORCERY – Main Stage, Sunday – June 1st

Finland has a reputation for producing top tier black metal and since their emergence in 2018, MOONLIGHT SORCERY have been bubbling under the surface with 2023’s debut, Horned Lord Of The Thorned Castle, cementing them as one to watch. Their symphonic black metal is as threatic as it is ferocious and it is poised to sound magnficient in the live environment. And what makes this particularly special is that Fortress marks the band’s first ever live show. There’s a lot riding on this performance, and if it lives up to expectations, expect MOONLIGHT SORCERY to make one hell of a lasting impression.

FORTERESSE – Main Stage, Sunday – June 1st

After a seven year slumber, Canadian black metallers FORTERESSE are back. Responsible for helming the black metal scene in their native Québec, the band make a UK exclusive performance on the main stage at this year’s festival. Likely to benefit from the festival’s grand main stage, material from 2011’s Crépuscule d’octobre or 2006’s triumphant debut Métal noir québécois, FORTERESSE at Fortress Festival will be something special indeed.

AKHLYS – Ocean Room, Saturday – May 31st

The US has a habit of producing top tier black metal and just as we have the likes of AGALLOCH headlining this year, and WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM‘s epic appearance last year, AKHLYS looks to continue this trend in ferocious fashion. Billed to close the festival’s smaller Ocean Room – the perfect backdrop for the band’s primal and caustic black metal – their UK debut will be one for the history books. With thundering and harrowing renditions of cuts from 2020’s Melinoë and last year’s House Of The Black Geminus, AKHLYS at Fortress Festival is set to be one of the weekend’s standout highlights.

ULCERATE – Main Stage, Sunday – June 1st

New Zealand’s ULCERATE have carved a unique place in the death metal world. Their unorthodox approach to crafting elborately technical songs whilst maintaining harrowing atmospheric dread has made them an absolute juggernaut in modern extreme metal. Billed as a UK exclusive performance at this year’s Fortress Festival, with material from last year’s Cutting The Throat Of God, 2020’s Stare Into Death And Be Still and 2016’s Shrines Of Paralysis all offering spectators a trip into the weird and bleak abyss. There aren’t any bands quite like ULCERATE and given one of the last times the band graced the North they were confined to the intimate confines of The Star & Garter in Manchester, with the backdrop of Fortress‘ grand main stage, their placement on the bill acts as a perfect palette cleanser amidst all the black metal. This is going to be exceptional.

DÖDSRIT – Main Stage, Sunday – June 1st

Having to withdraw at the eleventh hour at last year’s festival, Sweden’s DÖDSRIT are back to make up for lost time with their long-awaited UK debut at this year’s Fortress Festival. The Swedes have mixed a wicked blend of black metal and curst flourishes, and their studio material speaks volumes, with last year’s Nocturnal Will being one of the year’s highlights. At Fortress, expect a bucketload of catchy blackened riffs, excellent shredding leads and a captivating good time from one of our scene’s hidden gems.

SULDUSK – Ocean Room, Saturday – May 31st

Hailing from the sunny kissed streets of Melbourne, Australia, SULDUSK fly to our corner of the world to grace Fortress with their splendid mix of neofolk infused black metal. Initially formed to operate as the project of Emily Highgield, since evolving into a fully fledged band, SULDUSK are carving a special place in the black metal world, alongside the likes of GRIMA, AQUILUS and DARKHER, the latter two both performing at this year’s festival. Fresh from the release of last year’s Anthesis, expect a captivating and inviting performance from one of the more explorative bands on the lineup this year.

ABDUCTION – Main Stage, Sunday – June 1st

For nine years, ABDUCTION have quietly and incessantly carved their way into a leading position within UK black metal. Their quality and potential has been on show since day one, but recent records – this year’s Existentialismus and 2022’s Black Blood – showed a different side to ABDUCTION, one that cemented that ABDUCTION are bound to be a genuine heavyweight. Tasked with opening the main stage on day two at this year’s Fortress Festival, expect a highly atmospheric, eye-striking and aurally powerful performance from one of the UK’s finest offerings.