Grind To Atmosphere To Longing

STP Metalweekend 2025 by Tales From The Moshpit    

Frei:Raum St. Pölten, Austria 20250926-27

Clouds are grey with sunbeams breaking through over St. Pölten this Friday. Few people are out at Domplatz or Rathausplatz, with the Festival Musica Sacra and Cinema Paradiso right next to it. A little bit down the street, the door of the Underground unfortunately is closed. But a poster announces the STP Metalweekend, where donations are collected. 

The yearly celebration of heavy music at the capital of Lower Austria is settled at the Freiraum, about 10 to 15 minutes from the train station in a parking deck. Outside the entrance is a catering and last year’s shirts list names like Küenring or Lowbau. Host Richard Metfan is the first to get on stage, joking with the winners of a raffle that he will 88.6 times mention Rock Antenne. 

Day 1: Friday 27th September

Opener of the festival weekend are Trembling Earth from St. Valentin, with the Hotel Kerschbaumer close to the railway. They hit in with brutal breakdowns and songs like „Shall We Die“ or „remain“, featuring all types of (Metal) singing. Sound engineer Nino (Ewïg Frost) gets the best out of it from the very first second and will until the two days are over. 

Then Richard Metfan recalls, how he presented a band contest with audience voting. There were bands with busses of fans, who all voted one band as second and so they won: Silius from Tyrol have a new line-up and perform with lifeblood. „Beneath the Flesh“, it smells some Pantera, as they „Eat the Priest“ – Groove Metal at its finest. 

Richard Metfan advertises the book „Reading Rock“ and that all proceeds will be donated to the Underground. Act III is Athiria with Dominique Heine (Catastrofear, Mastic Scum) on bass. Their name is destruction and the bloodstained dress and synchronous windmills catch the eye, as they aim „Into The Pit“ (from their new EP „Bash Of The Beast“). 

After a minute’s silence for Ozzy, Darkfall are up next. After Dome of Rock, it might be at least their third time at STP since their foundation in 1995. They keep an eye on their fans, presenting new material with „Only Death Is Real“ (reminding of „Satan Is Real“) next to „Tides of War“ from the split with Mortal Strike. 

Under the rumbling, even the microphone stands fall like on a „Crazy Train“ with „Alison Hell“ before Commander from Munich turn up. ‚You feel the terror in your soul‘ they go „Angstridden“. ‚Wir sind die guten Piefke aus Bayern‘, they assert and for „No Compulsion to Live“, they gather guests of the earlier bands and Bernhard on stage. 

Including covers of Iron Maiden’s „Moonchild“ and Motörhead’s „Iron Fist“, they prepare for the special late night act VxPxOxAxAxWxAxMxC. Those shows are a tradition, and Goregrind for sure is a perfect choice, as fans dance in circles and even do push-ups. And the night would still continue with an afterparty at Club 23 instead of the Underground. 

Day 2: Saturday 28th September 

The night gets late anyway, still the anticipation is high for the line-up of the second round. Like the evening before, it starts with: ‚Nino, das Intro bitte‘. Then Raging Void like the Sepultura track start with their NWODTHM and songs like „Sons Of Chaos“, „Temple Of Baahl“ and claiming ‚in hell are no borders‘. 

‚Do hots gröber wos, scheiß auf ois, wir spün jetzt afoch‘ – Richthammer face technical difficulties. But even without backing track, they sound brutal, with skulls and bones on stage. They have a new album in the making, including the single „Parasitismus“. Since they have to shorten the set, „Orgasmatron“ and „TNT“ shorten the changeover. 

Endonomos released their second album since their appearance at Doom Over Vienna. Bathed in red light, their Epic Doom of Death unfolds its irrepressible power and lays a fantastic atmosphere upon the Freiraum. The slowness and the bewitching solos do the rest. 

So the time is just right for a highlight of the Metal Escalation Festival: Anderwelt meanwhile published „Transanimalism“ and build up their own lights, all black and white. Hailing form the Mühlviertel, they perform „Pax“, and the number 2084 will echoe forever after another outstanding show of Atmospheric Dark Metal. 

Last act of the STP Metalweekend is Aeons Of Ashes, who have own lights as well, and a video introduction of the ‚wasteland collective 2570‘. The two singers Tim Sklenitzka and July Fellner yell at the top of their lungs, presenting new music as well as older like the „Ring of St0nes“. 

As the festival is over, the certain melancholy comes up, as the organizers, venue and everyone made it this marvelous experience. Still there are pictures by Gerald Weixelbraun, Klaus Klemens, Humaldo and more. If the last train at 01:06 am would have come, it would have been even better. 

But more Tales From The Moshpit like with Epsilon and the next STP Metalweekend make already think of a comeback, or 20 years of Freiraum with likes of Kreiml & Samurai.