Live Review: Samhain Festival, Antwerp
4th-5th April 2026
Words : Oli Gonzalez
A new contender has emerged in the stacked European metal festival scene. A contender whose reputation is growing more and more locally and internationally, and is beginning to command some serious respect from lovers of extreme metal across the continent and even further afield.
Samhain Festival.
Despite the competition from Dark Easter Metal Meeting and Inferno Festival, the Antwerp edition of Samhain featured a stacked lineup which ensured the 1000 or so attendees were spending Easter weekend in the north of Belgium!
Would the other European festivals prove to be too much competition though?
Could a line up featuring the final ever Mysticum show and a Rotting Christ headline set recreate the same magic from a year prior at the festival? Let's find out...
Friday
Getting to Antwerp is fairly simple, whether it's a flight to Brussels/Charleroi airports and a bus transfer, or in my case getting the Eurostar from London and an extra train from Brussels to Antwerp. The city itself boasts excellent public transport links and fair hotel prices. As well as an abundance of glorious Flemish architecture that has been the source of many Instagram posts and stories over the years.
We arrived on Friday and after checking into the hotel, it was a case of a little sightseeing, indulging in the amazing local cuisine, and then making our way to a night of post rock hosted at local record store/music venue Djingel Djangel. This acted as an unofficial pre-show in the absence of any clear official pre-festival festivities, but this was enough to whet the appetite and ease us into the weekend.
Saturday
Trix would be the host for this weekend's festivities, and getting there was a breeze with the crazy efficient tram system in the city. Also the host for Desertfest, Trix was a splendid choice of venue with a main stage, as well as two stages (Cafe and Club) running in parallel when the main stage was not in use. A similar set up to Damnation as well as other European festivals.
The running of Samhain was more of a quality over quantity set up; longer indulgent sets to truly get to know a band as well as 10 minute changeovers between stages that created a more relaxed vibe. You feel that there could have been more bands, though that would create a more chaotic environment and not really adding value. So 15 bands today, 5 per stage, felt like the sweet spot. Speaking of sweet spots, many had arrived early to get a good vantage point in the mainstage for the opening act. Much like Damnation, Samhain festival often has solid turnouts even for the opening acts. With drinks in hand and after some time to soak in the atmosphere of the packed out main stage, it was time for the opening act of the weekend…
Thy Catafalque: The Hungarian avant-garde metal act were up first, and were a late addition to the lineup. They offer a unique genre fluid approach that features elements of black metal, traditional heavy metal, and even Europop that wouldn’t be out of place at the Eurovision song contest! Each song seemed to feature a new group of musicians to suit the dynamics of the song and to keep the set flowing and engaging. It’s a shame that some sound issues - namely the kick drum which was far too dominant and overpowering the mix - soured the experience and made it feel as though they had so much more to offer.
Esoteric: British funeral doom act Esoteric don't play live often. But when they do, they mean business. The wall of amplifiers on stage was a signal of intent, and being right at the barrier meant this could have spelt disaster, especially as they could shift some serious air. Though they provided the chest rattling low end, they also offered a warm and aesthetically pleasing undertone that felt more inviting than overwhelming. They sounded phenomenal and all the intricate details in their unfathomably complex compositions shone brightly! A major highlight for the weekend and their reputation as one of the elite in funeral doom was kept intact.
After getting my ears slammed by Esoteric, it was time for a quick food break. It's the small things that matter. There was a notable increase in food vendors as well as more seating with a canopy to provide protection against the elements. These speak to a promoter and festival that genuinely care about their attendees. A point to shall return to later. But for now, back to the main stage ...
Panopticon: Having seen Panopticon 2 days prior, this would make for an interesting comparison. Deep into their European tour, they were well oiled and in full flow. Another band who seemingly performs rarely, the few times they make it to the stage is special! Today was special as we witnessed something genuinely spellbinding and truly majestic! Everything Austin Lunn has written for the band is designed for maximal emotional impact. Whether they slow the pace right down and unleash the calming yet harrowing string segments, or unleash all hell with a relentlessly crushing atmospheric assault on the senses, a Panopticon performance will truly pull you in multiple directions! Like they did tonight. A live show that other bands in the genre should be compared to.
Terzij De Horde: As well as huge internationally recognised acts and major bucket list bands, Samhain Festival always unearths gems in the Benelux underground scene. Terzij De Horde are an example of this and truth be told, I only watched them because of a friend's recommendation. They clearly has good taste as Terzij De Horde were fantastic! Black metal mixed with hardcore characterised their sound, and was played at a truly relentless pace throughout the set! Playing at such a blistering tempo can quickly become a muddy mess with even a slight note out of place. Though they remained mechanically tight and proved to be a major discovery for the weekend.
Triumph Of Death (Hellhammer set): Whilst the festival featured many bands with exciting and fresh states on extreme metal, Samhain also featured one of the bands that started it all off! Tommy 'Warrior' Gabriel formed Hellhammer way back in 1982 and before most in attendance were even born! So to get to see his band Triumph Of Death play a classic set of songs from Hellhammer was a genuine privilege! Whereas the weekend featured bands with more modern progressive approaches to metal, Triumph Of Death were all about stripping things back down to primitive basics with chunky bludgeoning distorted riffs to snap your neck back and forth to in approval! Simple yet devastatingly effective.
Let's face it. Festivals are getting harder on us as we age. Time to take advantage of the extra seating. This also provided a chance to mix with the locals and also other attendees from different parts of Europe. Having been to a few European festivals, it feels as though there's a genuine international community with a welcoming inclusive feeling. Something promoter Ben Beutels has worked very hard to instil here. He was very visible throughout the festival too and seemed to genuinely care about people's experiences. Something you wouldn't get at the bigger festivals.
A little adventure to the merch stand afforded the opportunity to speak to Austin Lunn, frontman and creative force behind Panopticon. He spoke in a lot of detail about the inspirations behind his music, and did so with a genuine conviction and passion that means now that every Panopticon song holds so much more intrigue knowing what they represent. Personally, I've never had interactions like this with musicians at other festivals, making this year's Antwerp feel more special. After saying our goodbyes and acquiring merch, back to the main stage for a special headline set...
Mysticum: Bittersweet given that this would be the first and last time that many here would get to see Mysticum. Now, there's building tension and intrigue, and then there's leaving your audience bored. Nearly 10 minutes of being left in darkness with the faint hum of the backing track resulted in some leaving before the musicians had even taken to the stage. A bad start. Though when they finally emerged, they were greeted with a superstar's welcome. Seamlessly blending industrial electronics and good old fashioned black metal, they laid down a blend of extreme metal seldom seen by the Antwerp collective! No drummer, no problem, as the rhythm was held down by a savage industrial barrage that shook Trix to the core and rattled the internal organs of everybody in the building. Visually, this was absolutely stunning with a captivating light show that provided an immersive feast for the eyes! The full package.
Mysticum, you'll be missed.
Hulder: Hulder would close out the Club stage and judging from the last few moments of their sound check, it was clear they're particular about details. If you're going to be picky, you'd better be good! They were good. Very good. They made all that extra attention to detail count as they sounded phenomenal, evoking an old school Norwegian black metal sound with modern production. Exponentially better than what I had seen on a headline show a few years prior!
After Party: Whilst people had asked for an after party, for me 12pm was enough and after a chat with Ben (and him dropping some hints about the next year's lineup), it was time to head back to our hotel to rest up for the next day.
Sunday
We arrived at Trix feeling surprisingly fresh despite the late night prior, and compared thoughts on the lineup for the day. Samhain has a reputation for black metal and whilst many bands of this genre were on the card, today’s lineup would feature bands from more experimental ends of the spectrum. The night would be closed by Rotting Christ; the irony of a band of that name playing on Easter Sunday is not lost. It would be a marathon and definitely not a sprint, indulging in fewer sets rather than yo-yoing between stages all day, prioritising quality over quantity. Polish punk-metal crossover act opened up the festival in the Cafe stage, though my day would begin on the main stage…
Wolvennest: After Wolvennest’s last Manchester date was cancelled, this felt like a chance for redemption for me. Before they had even played a note, the stage was filled with an aroma and olfactory stimulation from the candles and burning incense. When the sextet took to the stage, the vibe was slow, mellow and austere. Tension was mounting, building towards something bigger. Not before long, this bigger something would come in the form of a doom-infused psychedelic-spiced raging inferno! Genuinely, the energy was palpable and the energy electrifying, best showcased in perhaps their biggest hit ‘Ritual Lovers’ which represented the peak and highlight of their set!
Der Weg Einer Freiheit (DWEF): Having seen Der Weg Einer Freiheit (DWEF) perform two years prior, I couldn't help but feel underwhelmed that day and wanted to see something that lived up to the band’s reputation for having a fierce live show. The set was filled heavily with tracks from their latest album “Innern”, all of which are fantastically complex compositions that will test the skills of most sound engineers. Though their multi-faceted and densely layered sound shone brilliantly throughout the arena, with the German avant-garde metal act providing one of the highlights of the weekend! ‘Aufbruch’ remains arguably the band’s finest song that captures this complex sound with the blistering intensity and primitive emotion that drips from every vocal utterance and every single note struck. They usually end their set with this, though on this afternoon, they ensured this emotional rollercoaster had one more rise with another sentimentally charged hit; ‘Forlorn’. This left some visibly weeping summing up the impact DWEF had, a performance streets ahead of what they had showcased the last time I saw them!
Full Of Hell: Now Samhain don’t often book power-violence or death metal bands, but Full Of Hell rolling into Europe was an opportunity too good to pass up for this years lineup. Perhaps the band with the most aggressive and heaviest sound of the weekend, this was the catalyst to open up the pits and to send bodies over the barrier for the first time for the day! No room for fluff or fancy introductions, each song lasted just as long it would take the read this paragraph, packing maximum carnage and fury into each short testosterone fuelled burst!
Now, my plan was to check out the highly rated Predatory Void on the Café stage. Though one of the festival’s problems was highlighted here, albeit one without a solution. Being maybe 15-20% the size of the main stage, this means it’s paramount to get in their early if you’re keen to see a band in there. With the room packed to the brim, it was better to sit it out, refuel, and get ready for the next band.
Blackbraid: One of the most exciting prospects in the world of black metal, Blackbraid were one of the main draws for many this weekend. Their reputation was held in tact with a blistering aggressive set this evening that took full advantage of the amazing sound offered by the main stage. Straying from the cliches of corpse paint and overused satanic references, the band lean into the Native American roots of frontman and founder Sgah'gahsowáh. With song themes centred around nature and Native American folklore, they were packaged up in a thunderous raw infused black metal style that really has made Blackbraid stand out amongst the crowded black metal scene, and for all the right reasons.
The Body: The left field choice for the festival, The Body represented the experimental edge of metal like nothing else on the card. Looking at the band’s set up on stage, there was something primitive and minimalistic; a simple drum kit, one guitar, and three effects pedals. Though the colossal amplifiers - including a bass cab the size of a fridge - was enough to induce terror. Like a lamb being led to the slaughter, I was positioned right at the front blissfully unaware of what was to come. Now, try to imagine being stood next to an aeroplane’s engine as it’s beginning to take off. In the middle of a thunderstorm. During an earthquake. This is probably the best (albeit abstract) analogy possible to try and sum up the sheer unfiltered blistering assault on the senses I experienced at the hands of The Body! I’ve seen some heavy and loud acts over the years but The Body made them all look like pop punk covers band by comparison! Legitimately, this was a physical and sonic experience like no other and one that won’t be forgotten easily!
Rotting Christ: It was getting late. It had been a long day. Time for the final furlong and the sense of melancholy that came with it knowing that such a phenomenal weekend was coming to an end. They always have been a force of nature on stage, and tonight was no exception! Almost 40 years as a band means that they know how to entertain an audience and how to put on a blinding show! Through huge anthems, blistering lead guitars, and good old fashioned blunt force heaviness, they presented a package that made them very worthy headliners. Whilst some were throwing their bodies into the pit, and others were making an early dart, Rotting Christ ensured that Samhain Festival ended on a thunderous high!
Closing Thoughts: Biases. We all have them. Samhain is a pretty special festival to me, so it’s hard not to be bias. But objectively speaking, it’s growing in international respect and beginning to challenge the established order for a seat at the table of top tier festivals, and a badge of honour for bands touring mainland Europe. Antwerp is a world class city that must be on every single person’s bucket list, whether it’s for lovers of history, foodies, or now, lovers of extreme metal music. It’s hard to know what’s in store for 2027 but it’ll take very little to persuade me to make my way to the northern Belgium next April!
