Every festival should have a band that reminds you why it’s worth paying attention to the smaller names on the poster, and Death Fury might just be that band on Thursday.

Formed as recently as 2022, the West Flanders outfit has wasted little time making a name for themselves with a bulldozer-like blend of death and thrash metal. Their relentless live energy didn’t go unnoticed either. After winning the Hell On Air semi-finals, they earned themselves a coveted place on this year’s Alcatraz line-up—a milestone that’s well deserved and another example of how the festival continues to support emerging Belgian talent.

If you’re the kind of festivalgoer who enjoys discovering tomorrow’s bands before everyone else catches on, we’d definitely recommend dropping by Death Fury‘s set.

If there’s one Belgian band that perfectly illustrates how Alcatraz likes to grow alongside promising talent, it’s Aeveris. When the band appeared at the festival a couple of years ago, they absolutely packed out La Morgue. The response was so overwhelming that a promotion almost felt inevitable, and this year they’ll return on the larger Helldorado stage—a well-earned step up that says plenty about how quickly they’ve been making their mark.

We’ve also had the pleasure of seeing that growth up close. Aeveris have become familiar faces at our own Asgaard venue over the years, and every visit seemed to show a band becoming tighter, more confident and increasingly ready for bigger stages.

This year’s appearance adds another interesting chapter to that story, as it’ll be the band’s first Alcatraz performance with their new vocalist. Combined with their early slot on Thursday, we have a feeling they’ll be determined to make an immediate statement and set the tone for the rest of the weekend. If you’re arriving early—and we’d certainly recommend that you do—Aeveris are one of the best reasons to make sure you’re already inside the festival grounds when the music kicks off.

Thrash metal has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence over the past decade, but long before the genre found a new generation of fans, Belgium already had one of its own cult representatives in Cyclone.

Originally emerging during the genre’s golden era in the ’80s, the band built a loyal following thanks to its uncompromising old-school thrash sound. While many younger festivalgoers may only know the name from stories or classic albums, Alcatraz offers a perfect opportunity to experience one of Belgium’s thrash veterans exactly where they belong: on a festival stage in front of an audience that appreciates the genre’s roots. And since their resurgence on the scene, fleshing out the line-up with some young blood, Cyclone has proven that their story is far from over, having played some major shows even outside Belgium and releasing some new music on top of that!

If razor-sharp riffs, high-speed solos and pure old-school aggression are your thing, Cyclone should be high on your Thursday schedule.

Alcatraz may primarily be known as a metal festival, but one of its strengths has always been that it occasionally colours outside the lines. Punk has always had a place behind the prison walls as well, and few Belgian bands represent that side of our scene better than Funeral Dress.

With their own description of “sing-along pogo punk since 1985”, Funeral Dress have been flying the flag for Belgian punk for four decades. Their energetic songs, infectious choruses and unmistakable live reputation have made them one of the country’s best-loved punk bands, proving time and again that you don’t need crushing breakdowns or blast beats to get an Alcatraz crowd moving.

Expect plenty of singalongs, bouncing crowds and exactly the kind of feel-good chaos that makes punk such a welcome addition to the festival. Last time they played the festival, it was an absolute party quite early on in the day and we expect nothing less this time around.

Belgium has quietly built a formidable reputation within the black metal scene over the years with at this point a very strong collection of bands, and few bands embody that legacy better than Enthroned.

For more than three decades, the band has remained one of the country’s best-known black metal exports, delivering relentless blasts, razor-edged riffs and an atmosphere that’s as dark as it is uncompromising. Trends have come and gone, but Enthroned have consistently stayed true to their own vision. Even last year they still released a brand-new album that was received really well!

La Morgue feels like the perfect stage for them to create something absolutely memorable, and fans of uncompromising black metal would do well to make the trip there on Thursday. But better be early, because we expect a crammed tent for them…

If there’s one Belgian metal band that hardly needs an introduction, it’s Channel Zero. Ever since the early ’90s, they’ve been one of the cornerstones of our national metal scene, inspiring countless musicians while continuing to prove that they can still level a festival field with seemingly effortless ease. We still vividly remember their previous appearance at Alcatraz. The energy in front of the Prison Stage was infectious, with the band feeding off the crowd and vice versa, resulting in one of those performances that sticks with you long after the festival is over.

That makes this year’s booking feel even more special. Following the announcement that Channel Zero will call it a day after one final farewell concert this December, this Thursday’s show will be their last-ever appearance at Alcatraz. If you’ve never witnessed one of Belgium’s most influential metal bands on home soil—or simply want to experience them one last time in Kortrijk—this is your chance.