At the ripe old age of 51, I’ve been to dozens of festivals and hundreds of metal gigs. After so long you think you’ve seen it all — it’ll just be “another” festival. But thoughts like that are fucking ridiculous, and that became very apparent as soon as you walked into Froth and Fury ’26 and were hit with “the vibe.”
A feeling you only get every so often. An excitement second to none. The common thread felt by the thousands upon thousands of metalheads and punk rockers who walked through the Adelaide Showgrounds gates. A community of friends — even if you didn’t know the guy standing next to you, that guy became a mate with one shared focus…
METAL.
The bands I saw were insanely tight, passionate, and raucous. I spent most of my day in The Compound, and let me tell you — this stage had some of the biggest premier acts from around the world, as well as some of the best bands Australia has to offer.
Reunited were local powerhouse Double Dragon, inviting ex-member Chris “Killer” Causby (Storm the Crown) and organiser/screamer-in-chief of Truth Corroded, Jason North, to the delight of everyone packed into The Compound.
From interstate, after a 15-year hiatus, the mighty Mortal Sin graced the stage with authority and intensity — a moment I’ve personally waited for since I was a teenager. I also got to meet and interview Mat Maurer (keep an eye on Insta, Facebook and soon Crannk for that one). It was my Wayne’s World moment — “We’re not worthy!” on repeat in my head. But Mat was forthright, honest, and one of the coolest people in Aussie metal. Their 40-minute set was a declaration: Mortal Sin are back and firing on all cylinders for their 40th anniversary. And it was glorious.
We then wandered outside to the Froth and Fury stages for the greatness of Big Noter and the wild punk antics of Where’s the Pope? Next-level entertainment from Australian artists drawing massive crowds.
Then back to The Compound for the moment I’d been waiting for.
Belgian bludgeoners Aborted and Canada’s fastest band, Archspire, were about to melt faces with their brutally technical death metal. And holy fucking shit — they did not disappoint. In fact, they left me stunned at just how good they are live. I’m still blown away.
The final run of bands approached, starting with a first-time Adelaide appearance from the inimitable Nailbomb, led by Max Cavalera and Zion Cavalera. Nailbomb delivered tracks never before heard live in our city, and not a single head stopped banging. They weren’t there to fuck spiders — they were there to slay. And slay they did.
After interviewing Mat Maurer, we rushed back to catch Max Cavalera’s second set of the day with Soulfly. Again, no disappointment. We got as close as possible, snapping photos while headbanging like lunatics — which probably explains the sketchy shots. But being in the presence of one of metal’s great frontmen? A dream realised.
Polaris closed out our day, doing a stellar job of sealing what will go down in Adelaide metal history as the day the Earth moved beneath the Showgrounds.
The bands.
The thousands of punters.
The staff serving drinks and selling out merch.
The security — catching crowd surfers like OBGYNs catch babies (seriously, those blokes deserve medals).
And then the organisers.
Jason, Anita, Cassie and Co deserve enormous credit for keeping South Australian metal and punk festivals alive and thriving. Without them, we’d all be flying east for every major event. Thank you. Don’t stop now. Froth and Fury deserves to grow even bigger.
The crowd built all day — like the Royal Show, but louder and better. Every single band drew their own massive audience from the first strum to the final breath. It was a day to behold. A story that must be told.
And if we’re lucky? Froth and Fury will return in full flight in 2027.
Also — side note — my mate found a pair of Apple AirPods near the front gate toilets. If you lost them, hit me up. I might even give them back.
Until next year, Frothers — I bid you adieu.
