HEALTH, VOWWS und DOODSESKADER

In the organizer's words:

The more absurd the world becomes, the less dystopian Health's music seems and the more it appears to be a sensible reaction to reality. Their acclaimed album "Rat Wars" from 2023 merged various genres into an overwhelming hybrid, which now also provides the framework for their follow-up "Conflict DLC". It delivers twelve industrial metal bangers with full power - dark and unflinchingly honest, finding connection in alienation and solace in darkness.

Their uncompromisingly heavy sound ranges from their beginnings with harsh electronic noise to stormy industrial pop to the half-joking classification as "cum metal" on their previous album "Rat Wars" - but what unites Health's music is its depressive heaviness and maximalist aesthetic intensity. Heavy riffs and slamming snares come crashing down like boulders on singles "Ordinary Loss" and "Vibe Cop", while the danceable beat of "Shred Envy" and the yearning swing of "Thought Leader" demonstrate a newfound fondness for switching between different styles within a single track. Pop jams segue into heavy breakdowns, which in turn lead into floating moods - a sonic reflection of the chaos of modern life.

On this new album, Health aim to speak directly to their fanbase, which they describe as a "coalition of subcultures" - from memelords to hardcore fans of hard music to the gloriously perverse and generally obsessed with pop culture - and for all its existential tension, it's ultimately meant to be enjoyable.

Health have unleashed their apocalyptic energy on stages, turning every show into a visceral, physical experience. Known for turning chaos into catharsis, their performances fuse crushing riffs, sweeping electronics and an intensity so overwhelming that it feels more like a ritual than a concert.

The world of Vowws has always been shrouded in mystery and darkness. That's simply the mindset of Australian-born, LA-based duo Matt James and Rizz. So it's no surprise that their new album, I'll Fill Your House With An Army, is suitably dark. There have always been rays of light in their songs, be it on their self-titled first EP from 2013, their debut album "The Great Sun" from 2015 or "Under The World" from 2018, but the shadows have always been quite impenetrable, making it difficult for that light to break through. It also struggles with this on this album. At the same time, however, it seems to flicker a little brighter and a little longer.

Doodseskader have clearly not had enough of redefining boundaries - they have only just begun. Tim De Gieter and Sigfried Burroughs return with their third album "The Change Is Me", a rollercoaster ride that can only be described as the unsteady child of witch house, hip-hop, industrial dream pop and stadium rock. Their combination of grungy 90s melodies with distorted synthesizers, sludgy bass, hard-edged vocals, rapping, singing and explosions of unadulterated rage at the current state of the world pulls you into the chaos before you can say yes or no.