Belgian death/thrash ragers Schizophrenia are set to kick off the craziness that will be La Morgue on Alcatraz Saturday in style. The young guns have released their debut full-length album last year to much acclaim, and surprised us all with the EP ‘Chants of the Abyss‘ on which they pay homage by covering songs from some of their influences and bands they grew up with like Slayer, Morbid Angel, Misfits, Exodus and GBH. These guys know how to absolutely destroy, and we expect nothing less of them early in the day at Alcatraz! Talk about a shock to the system to get into fighting shape for the 2nd day of the fest…

The deathcore outfit Brand Of Sacrifice can easily be named as one of the bands that are responsible for the huge boost the genre has experienced in the past couple of years, among bands like Lorna Shore or Slaughter To Prevail. Where Lorna Shore has a distinct symphonic touch to their deathcore, Brand Of Sacrifice adds a hefty amount of groove and mixes in electronic samples to perfection. This band is where you need to be when you need a rough awakening with some slamming music. Those breakdowns will shake you to the core!

Roll a D20 and make a saving throw against over the top fantasy metal. Sorry you failed. At the sight of Twilight Force, your head will start banging uncontrollably, and you cannot resist putting your fists up into the air and sing along to their infectious choruses, sweeping synths and solos. If you’re going to sing about dragons, paladins, and princesses. You have to do it like these guys and go all in. Yes, it’s silly, but this rollercoaster is even more fun than a ride at the Efteling or Disney amusement parks.

The Portuguese black metal outfit Gaerea is quite the sight to behold live. Besides being a rising name in the contemporary black metal scene with last year’s new album ‘Mirage‘, when putting them on a stage things really become special. The masked band every time plays like there is no tomorrow, and the desperation is almost palpable when the vocalist throws himself on the floor and his whole being into the performance. Gaerea live is cathartic, special, immersive, really quite the experience.

You’re in the market for some filthy blackened speed metal? This day in the late afternoon, the Helldorado Stage is the place to be! The masked misfits of Midnight will set up shop there and are going to blast you away with their uptempo blackened metal creations that at times almost have a black ‘n’ roll feel. We know now already that this is going to be one hell of a dark and demented party, and we’re all for it!

How could we not mention these guys in a list of shows that are a must-see at this year’s Alcatraz? Biohazard is an absolute legend in the metal and hardcore scene, having been a major influence to many bands. And they’ve been dormant for almost a decade, with each member focusing on their own projects. But suddenly they’re back and are touring the world with the original line-up! For the youngsters under us: if you don’t know these guys, you need to go see their show, a whole new world might open. And for the older generations under us: have fun with what most likely will be an hour of old school fun that you might not have experienced in a long time. We’re ready to go shout along to some of their biggest tracks like ‘Sellout‘ and ‘Punishment‘!

Yet another highly influential and legendary band within its own scene, are the guys from Godflesh. Get ready for industrial metal, as pure and straightforward as you can get it. We’ve been able to catch them live several times in the past years, and they’re quite the experience. There simply is nothing the same as the way they pummel you with their harsh tones and beats, crushing bass, and relentless vocals. If you’re unfamiliar with them, but like some industrial metal, this is a band you don’t want to miss out on! And they actually just recently released a killer new album with ‘Purge‘, we’re looking forward to hearing some of those new tracks live!

You like your metal old school, but need it to have a bit more of a kick and higher tempo than what is being played on the Prison Stage by KK’s Priest? Get your ass to La Morgue for the speed metal of Exciter! The band has been around for over 4 decades and shows no signs of slowing down even a little bit. Last year we saw them in Helsinki in a club, giving us one of the most intense and energetic shows of the year. And with La Morgue’s more club setting, this is the perfect place for them to do it all over again. We’re all heavy metal maniacs and this is the time and place to let it all out!

After over 30 years in the business, Amorphis have long made a name for themselves and don’t really need an introduction. But we still wanted to include them in this list, because there’s just something about their live shows that hit differently. And as Finland is our second home, how could we not talk about the one and only band on this year’s line-up? Even after seeing them live many times, the atmosphere at their live shows still gives you goosebumps. Tomi‘s voice never misses, touching even the deepest, the darkest spots of our souls. You just haven’t experienced them completely until you see them live.