Metal Threat Fest 2025 is scheduled for 2–5 October in Chicago. Over the past few weeks the festival has lost a large number of artists from the bill—so many, in fact, that in its latest update the organiser couldn’t be bothered to list who had cancelled, only who remained. There are several reasons for the cancellations, but chiefly visa issues. Many are now asking whether this is a sign of the “new” USA we’re witnessing.
On 22 July the festival announced the full line-up. In that announcement the organiser wrote: “Everyone is concerned with visas getting approved and they will be announced as they are approved starting next week, to rest everyone’s precious little hearts.” That statement aged badly.
Four days earlier the festival had already said that Bewitched and Krieg were out, without further explanation.
On 5 September came the first post naming bands cancelled for various reasons: Acheron/Vincent Crowley, At War, Kawir, Ritual Combat, Schizo, Weltmacht and White Death. In the same post the organiser made it clear he wasn’t interested in swapping them for “a bunch of irrelevant US bands.”
The next major update arrived on 12 September, listing And Oceans, Desaster, Destroyer 666, Grave Desecrator and Satanic Warmaster— with all except Desaster reportedly denied visas.
After that, things truly snowballed, with band after band announcing on their own channels that they too had been refused visas. Sargeist, Horna, Chamber of Unlight, Ancient Rites, Hecate Enthroned, Sinister, Ghennah, Venefixion, Agressor, Sextrash, Skyforger, Bulldozer, Acherontas, Inferno, Eurynomos, Nocturnal, Adversarial, and Whoredom Rife are all out. At this point it’s hard to say exactly who is still playing and who isn’t, since the festival itself hasn’t provided a clear breakdown.
This isn’t the first time Metal Threat Fest has run into major trouble. Metal Threat 2024 was postponed to this year—the very edition that’s about to take place—after Brauer House, the intended venue, refused to host two of the billed bands. Metal Threat has a habit of booking sketchy acts. This year, for instance, Grand Belial’s Key and Graveland are scheduled—both widely known as NSBM (Nazi black metal). In addition, Inquisition are on the bill; bandleader Dagon pleaded guilty in 2009 to possession of child pornography. That alone should make anyone with a shred of moral compass raise an eyebrow.
The festival has stated that the only reason for ticket refunds will be a full cancellation. That said, the last remaining tickets are now half-price for those who still want to attend.
Exactly how many bands will actually play will likely only become clear this weekend once the festival starts. The big question is whether this is the future facing international bands hoping to perform in the United States.
Update: also Adversarial and Pig’s Blood are out.
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