Festival Review: Desertfest - London // May 2025
Desertfest takes over Camden’s metal scene for a stoner/prog rock weekend of the best of that scene in the best independent venues in London.
Situated between multiple venues in Camden and making the Black Heart its centrepiece, featuring a street takeover that includes unique, Desertfest-branded Bristol beer, ready-to-go permanent tattoos and plenty of merch, the metal culture that perpetuates Camden has never been more vibrant and varied. This three-day affair showcases the best of the scene – and the best venues, and the best of the culture.
Whilst there were earlier acts in the day on the Friday, including The Devil & The Almighty Blues, a band I really wanted to see, work meant that I couldn’t make it down before Lowrider. I also missed out on 10,000 Years, playing over at the Black Heart. You can’t catch them all, sadly.
But it was worth the wait – they were superb at their craft – Desertfest regulars who have been returning since 2013 and preaching how they love the festival and make it their home. You can see why it’s won them a fandom – the Swedish stoner rock band have been around since the mid-1990s and it reflects the older nature of today’s crowd. Ola Hellquist’s lead guitars and vocals make him a confident frontman with incredible stage presence, and the crowd more than obliged, getting involved from the first song and crowd-surfing throughout. It was respectful, energetic and lively – and you couldn’t have wished for a better first act of the festival. These are stoner-rock pioneers, preeminent in the late 90s post-Kyuss wake and they live up to every bit of their reputation. Hellquist encourages the audience to let their anger out on And The Horse You Rode In On, and it goes down a storm. If the crowd wasn’t moshing before And The Horse You Rode In On, it was after – a song that will get you out of the saddle and into the mosh pit with incredible intensity. Ode to Ganymede and Convoy V are also favourites – and they soar across the board.
Ukrainian band Stoned Jesus were up next. They overcame a slow start to get the crowd firmly on their side, capable of having a bit – a lot – of fun when they wanted to but also using the spotlight to highlight the attention of the war in Ukraine and how serious an issue it was to them. Hailing from Kyiv they have a history of performing at metal scenes like Hellfest, and their doomer nature made them perfect candidates for the pre-headline slot at the Electric Ballroom. Their hour-long set ate up the crowd – literally and figuratively; frontman Igor Sydorenko jumped into the crowd towards the end and they ate up his every word. The wartime expats combine the new and the old songs – Porcelain into Thessalia into Black Woods was a banger start.
It’s hard not to love Bright Like the Morning. For me, thanks to Sydorenko’s raw, unfiltered stage presence, this was the best set of night one. I’d be surprised if anything beats it for the whole festival.
Headliners Elder came on at the Ballroom and the energy was electric. They’re festival mainstays and landing the coveted Friday slot; they more than stepped up the energy with a full playthrough of 2015’s Lore and several elements from their back catalogue. This was a delight, a dovetail into progressive nature that really fires on all cylinders.
Saturday was an all-day affair and I got to explore more of the Camden scene and try the Desertfest-branded Lost & Grounded Helles larger when poured from the tap and a non-music highlight of the festival; a breath of fresh air from the welcome offerings of the Ballroom/Roundhouse. So much so that I ordered some cans from the brewery as a result – and worthy of a mention in the review. A real Desertfest treat! I made it down for the second act at the Roundhouse, Conan, who like Amenra, I’d caught at Arctangent in 2024 and it made me an instant fan of their music.
Their records are dirtier, grungier and full of sound that compliment Jon Davis’ higher pitched vocals with an air of precision. The song mix was eclectic and they make the most out of the big stage that the Roundhouse has to offer with some stellar visuals that adorn the wallspace, giving audiences a taste of their new album, Violence Dimension, playing a track Frozen Edges of the Wound with all the doom nature that establishes the audience as the horror as much as the band; arriving on an angry outburst of rage. There are shades of Electric Wizard here, and their relatively uplifting doom is a nice touch that feels incredibly sprawling in scope but effective all the same. This is heavy, loud and ear-plug breaking sound that needs to be seen.
Pallbearer came next. The sound was a bit rough to start with but for good reason; they were delayed at customs and only got in fifteen minutes before they were due to start – talk about cutting it close. Eventually things started smoothly, and the crowd obliged – coming onto Silver Wings and delivering The Ghost I Used to Be, Signals, Given to the Grave and Worlds Apart among their number. The finale’s hulking riffs were emotional, and the doom metal really demonstrated that they needed more crowd to be in the audience for them – the Roundhouse felt noticeably empty which was a real shame considering how good they are. There was a lot pulled from Mind Burns Alive, immersive in all its glory.
Amenra are one of my favourite live acts and they always put on a show. Raw, unhinged and just utterly terrific, I’ll see them any chance I get and they’re playing at Rock Werchter in the summer so that will be the third go around, for me. They’re worth all of it – able to capture emotions and violence at once on a grand scale; grown men have cried at their shows and watching an Amenra live gig is an experience. Salve Meter, Razoreater, Plus pres de toi (Closer to You) were all delights one after the other and the sound was off-the-charts good for this, live, vicious and uncut. Most of Mass VI was played, audiences got a real treat and the Roundhouse made the most of being an escape from the sweltering heat outside. Watching the mysterious steady buildup of Amenra is like nothing else – and the raw force of the band is a delight. They’re playing at Rock Werchter in Belgium in the summer and you bet I’ll be there as well.
The closure of Saturday was Zeal & Ardor; who are headlining Radar festival in Manchester in the summer and if I wasn’t already busy with plans, I’d be very excited about going to see them live. Their fusion of blues, black metal, soul and gospel is fascinating and offers a unique descent into the avant-garde that is unrivalled at any show, let alone a Desertfest gig. Zeal & Ardor make the most out of their headline status with ferocious tenacity. The Bird, The Lion and the Wild is a belter, and the choppy riffs echo Metallica and other heavyweights of the scene. Manuel Gagneux is a gifted frontman and he’s able to take centre stage, making the most out of the Roundhouse’s excellent sound. You’ll never have a bad time at the Roundhouse and this night at Desertfest was no exception, making the most out of the bigger stage afforded to it.
Sunday saw us back at the Ballroom for a quieter, but no less memorable evening. The straight run-through of Divide and Dissolve, Slift and Earth made sure that day three hit all the notes. Their sonic vocabulary may have changed from their early years, but they’re still a titanic force of nature of a live band.
It’s hard to pick a favourite act of the festival that isn’t Amenra, but they really delivered and are worthy of the name. They’re just next level good – emotional with a touch of unrivalled confidence and swagger. If any of these bands sound like they could be your sort of thing you’ll want to make it down next year; it’s such a vital component of Camden’s metal scene that often goes overlooked among the louder summer festivals and has every ability to rival them.
Words by Miles Milton Jefferies
Photo Credit: Jessy Lotti
