| Festival: | Party.San Metal Open Air |
| Date: | 7th – 9th August 2025 |
| Location: | Schlotheim, Germany |
The Party.San Metal Open Air went down between the 7th and 9th of August 2025 in Schlotheim, and once again proved why it’s one of the biggest extreme metal festivals in Europe. Three days of nonstop madness, maniacs everywhere, and the perfect balance between underground gems and some of the most legendary names in the scene.
Thursday, August 7th
I rolled up just in time, got my tent sorted, and went straight to the main stage to catch the opener Rotpit. First ever show in Germany, featuring members of Revel in Flesh, Wombbath, and Heads for the Dead. Their raw Swedish-death metal sound hit perfectly songs like “Eat or Be Eaten” and “Long Live the Rot” woke up the crowd instantly. A solid opener, and a filthy way to start the festival.
Next up was Extermination Dismemberment. Total chaos. Their vocalist Vladislav demanded pits, walls of death, pure brutal behavior and the crowd delivered. They even finished with an awesome “Babykiller” cover from Devourment. Slam carnage.
Grand Magus may have felt like outsiders between all the death and black metal, but holy shit, their set was pure fire. Despite some technical issues at the start, tracks like “Steel Versus Steel” and “Hammer of the North” had the whole crowd singing goosebumps moment right there.
My first real highlight of the festival was Napalm Death. I’ve seen them countless times, but for fuck’s sake – it’s Napalm Death! Sadly, Shane Embury wasn’t there, but they still crushed. “Silence is Deafening”, “Suffer the Children”, “Scum” all bangers. Barney was on point as always. Also talking about the current state of the world and finding the right words is why I love this band so much. Grindcore legends, no debate.
Thursday headliner Dark Angel played Darkness Descends in full if I’m not mistaken. I love that record, but honestly while the instruments were tight, I couldn’t stand the vocals. For me, a small letdown, but no big deal plenty of fire still to come.
Friday, August 8th
Friday started with Hyperdontia. Rotten to the core OSDM straight out of Denmark. No bullshit, just riffs for days, keeping the Incantation-vibe alive. Exactly the brutal wake-up I needed.
Wayfarer were up next, and holy smokes their performance blew me away. Introducing themselves with “Are you ready for some cowboy shit?” is already iconic. Their mix of black metal and folk, drenched in atmosphere, was the biggest surprise of the festival for me. Absolutely killer set.
Then came the kings – Suffocation. New York death metal at its finest. Circle pits, chaos and brutality. Classics like “Catatonia”, “Pierced from Within”, and “Funeral Inception” showed why they’re still one of the best in the game.
Later on, Imperial Triumphant closed the tent stage in their unique way. Their show felt more like some occult art film than a metal gig. Unsettling, bizarre, inspiring. A dystopian fever dream, and one of the most unforgettable moments of the fest.
I Am Morbid gave us the closest thing to a proper Morbid Angel show these days. Sound was solid, and of course, Chapel of Ghouls and Maze of Torment never disappoint. But David Vincent talking nonsense between songs? Yeah, I could’ve done without that. Still, the crowd was stacked, and they delivered musically.
Saturday, August 9th
Saturday began early with Scalpture and hell yes, it was worth waking up for. Their latest record Landkrieg is one of my favorite death metal releases this year, and hearing “Into Catastrophe” and “Til Jeret Undergang” live was fantastic. The German death metal tank rolled hard, and the crowd was into it despite the blazing heat. Feingeistig my ass.
Skeletal Remains followed later, proving once again they’re one of the most underrated bands around. Tight performance, riff city, and brutality nonstop. “To Conquer the Devout” and “Unmerciful” hit especially hard.
The tent was packed to the brim for Dödsrit so packed I had to move around just to see better. Their mix of black metal, crust, and atmosphere hit like a storm, with Nocturnal Will tracks taking everyone on an emotional ride. Amazing performance from a band that started as a one-man project and evolved into this underground juggernaut.
Then came Pig Destroyer… and holy shit, they sounded like a wall of noise in the best way. Not everyone seemed to get it. I saw some confused faces who might not felt the same way I felt while watching them. Absolutely devastating. Grind chaos at its finest. What took you so long Party.San to get these guys play at your festival?
Grave took over with a very special set with songs from their first three records. With the refreshed or some would say OG lineup, they sounded as strong as ever. Classics like “Into the Grave” and “You’ll Never See” had the entire crowd shouting along. Pure old-school death metal, and one of the best sets of the festival.
Fulci closed out the tent stage with a set that felt like a brutal cinematic experience. With their visuals in the back in full force, tracks like “Tropical Sun” and “Eye Full of Maggots” hit even harder. Death metal inspired by Lucio Fulci horror films what more could you want? A brutal, fun, and unforgettable way to end the night.
And just like that, Party.San 2025 was over. Three days of heat, dust, pits, and some of the best performances extreme metal has to offer. The sound was solid throughout, food and drink prices stayed fair, and the overall vibe was just unbeatable. Already looking forward to next year – see you in Schlotheim!
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