Hails and Ales: Decibel Metal & Beer Fest Was Absolutely Historic

If you consider yourself a metalhead but weren’t at the Decibel Metal & Beer Fest this weekend, then you have a lot of explaining to do, especially if you fear losing serious street cred for missing out.

But don’t worry, we were at the Fillmore Auditorium, covering it high to low, moshing through all eleven bands between Friday, December 5, and Saturday, December 6, from Castrator’s brutal festival opener to Acid Bath’s historic comeback.

Let’s start at the end: After thirty years, once-dead-now-revived NOLA sludge gods Acid Bath returned to Denver, and the local legion let loose three decades of pent-up excitement Saturday night, erupting in euphoria as soon as vocalist Dax Riggs strolled to the mic clad in his signature black aviators.

Armed with a repertoire of equal parts When the Kite String Pops (1994) and Paegan Terrorism Tactics (1996) — the band’s only two albums, yet certified cult classics, released before abruptly calling it quits following the tragic death of bassist Audie Pitre in January 1997 — Acid Bath evoked a raw emotion not often experienced at extreme music concerts. At least three women openly wept during the second song of the set, “Bleed Me an Ocean,” while several sing-alongs — surprisingly audible above the ether — broke out, including during “Dead Girl.” Tough-looking denim demons, arms wrapped over their best bros, belted out “Paegan Love Song,” shoulder to shoulder, tall boys in tow. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and by “Dr. Seuss Is Dead,” the raging final song of not only the ten-song set but the entire fest, it was clear Acid Bath is officially back.

“This is fucking amazing,” guitarist-vocalist Sammy Pierre Duet, also of Goatwhore lore, said of the rosy reception. “I’m a hateful, evil bastard, but I love all of you.”

Since reuniting and reactivating last year, Acid Bath is more than making up for lost time in playing seemingly every major festival around the world. Here’s to hoping it won’t be so long until we hear such sonic suicide notes as “The Bones of Baby Dolls” again in the Rockies.

While Acid Bath carried a certain spiritual heaviness, Primitive Man, Denver’s own noise-doom trio, continues to defy any digestible classification, other than it’s seriously the heaviest, harshest fucking band you’ll ever witness live, as a pack house witnessed Saturday, so much so it’ll knock the wind out of you if you’re standing too close. Ear protection is rendered useless under Primitive Man’s relentless auditory assault that’s best described as a primal wail of agony and despair, amped up and ran through razor wire and reverb. Guitarist-vocalist Ethan Lee McCarthy possesses screams so agonizing that it’s frightening, but part of Primitive Man’s trademark misanthropy.

England barbarians Conan tenderized the masses properly, providing a double dose of doom, with its own low-and-slow, high-fantasy forays. NOLA sludge was also well represented Saturday, as Eyehategod warmed up the stage prior to Acid Bath, led by gutter poet frontman Mike IX Williams, whose death-rattle singing is always properly drenched in guitarist Jimmy Bower’s Southern syrup.

The Saturday six-pack started with Necrofier, Satan-worshipping black-thrash from Texas, and included New Jersey crossover kings Deadguy, which is celebrating a comeback of its own. And that was all following Friday’s massive metal display, when headliner Blood Incantation ended a successful year with its first proper hometown show in over two years.

Since dropping the critically acclaimed Absolute Elsewhere last October, the Denver crew’s popularity skyrocketed, so the five-piece has been busy. And that’s not going to change anytime soon — Blood Incantation recently landed on King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s 2026 Field of Vision lineup set for August in Buena Vista.

But Friday’s closing slot gave both the band and fans a chance to catch up. As Blood Incantation’s last ceremony of 2025 also served as the debut playthrough of Absolute Elsewhere in Denver.

Of course, no set would be complete without the absolute madness of a full-blown laser and light show befitting the crew’s Ancient Aliens-meets-death metal style. Naturally, paired with a thick veil of fog, mind-expanding backing videos and graphics, and giant obelisks that pulsated a red glow. Blood Incantation continues to do Denver proud.

The crowd showed up early Friday, too, for the first band of the weekend, Castrator. The all-woman U.S. five-piece didn’t just warm up the stage, but cooked it with a seven-song set of brutal death-thrash, mainly pulling from latest album Coronation of the Grotesque, released in August via Colorado Springs independent metal label Dark Descent. The group also teamed up with local hop heathens and fest sponsor Dark Sky Brewery to create the Catheter IPA, which was pouring all weekend, inspired by “Blood Bind’s Curse.” Black Sky also worked with Conan on the Cryptic Swig stout.

Friday continued when Panopticon took the stage for what could only be described as an unexpected immersive musical experience that left viewers hypnotized and mesmerized by the time closer “The Wind’s Farewell” waned. The Ely, Minnesota, black metallers performed Autumn Eternal in-full a decade after it altered the American underground with its combination of ethereal, folk-leaning, Laurentian Forest metal, complete with harmonic violin and guitars, soaring synths and frigid screams. And showed why it ultimately earned a Decibel Hall of Fame nod in October.

Project progenitor Austin Lunn shared that it would be the last time ever the record would be played live in its entirety, and the gratitude for the opportunity and occasion was evident, as the quintet played with a fiery reverence and focus.

“I want to remember this forever,” singer-guitarist Lunn said, before taking a picture from the stage to close out the appearance. Lunn is also the co-founder and head brewer of HammerHeart Brewing Company, another weekend sponsor.

Also on the first night, the Red Chord revived its sophomore game-changer Clients in celebrating two decades since the Massachusetts mathcore maniacs broke onto the scene behind Olympic-level guitar gymnastics and vertigo-inducing breakdowns.  In a sign of the season, vocalist Guy Kozowyk dressed as “Santa Koz,” until ripping off the red hat and white beard by the third song, “Black Santa,” the group’s chaotic Christmas carol. The Red Chord was also responsible for conjuring the first circle pits of the evening, when Koz Kringle asked, “Do you guys know geometry?”

Chat Pile, OKC’s biggest spaghetti noise-rock export, followed and reminded all in ear shot that everyone bleeds by bouncing and bashing through an eleven-song set comprised mostly of tracks from Cruel World, the four-piece’s 2024 album that spurred a Turnstile-type of mainstream trajectory.

Every act took a moment to shower the premier metal monthly and its editor-in-chief Albert Mudrian in praise for creating such a marquee event to celebrate everything alternative. This year marked the fourth Denver edition, an extension of the flagship Philly affair, and it’s firmly become a much-anticipated annual gathering out West. Even before the buzz of this event wears off, we’re already looking forward to what’ll be on tap next year.