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From July 1st to 5th, the Czech city of Trutnov once again became the world capital of grindcore, death metal, hardcore, and every other extreme form of heavy music as it hosted the 27th edition of Obscene Extreme Festival. Unlike any other European festival, Obscene Extreme has spent nearly three decades building a truly unique identity of its own.
Founded by Miloslav "Curby" Urbanec, Obscene Extreme was created with the intention of offering something different: a festival dedicated exclusively to extreme music and built around a philosophy of equality, respect and a genuine sense of community. Year after year, it brings together fans from virtually every corner of the globe. Rather than growing into a massive commercial event, it has managed to preserve the close-knit atmosphere that makes both fans and bands feel like part of one big family.
The festival takes place at the now iconic Battlefield in Trutnov, a natural amphitheatre that offers an excellent view of the main stage from almost every point within the venue. It has become an essential part of the festival's identity, although its future now remains one of the biggest question marks following this year's edition. During the festival, it was confirmed that Obscene Extreme will return in 2027, with GWAR already announced as the first confirmed band. However, the organisers also explained that they still cannot guarantee the festival will remain in Trutnov, leaving its future location uncertain. From our point of view, we can only hope that Obscene Extreme continues to be held in such a special venue—one that would be incredibly difficult to replace.
As tradition dictates, the schedule once again proved to be absolutely relentless. Across six intense days—including both the pre-party and the after-party, where several bands from the main line-up also perform—the festival offered virtually non-stop live music from 10:00 a.m. until well into the early hours of the morning. It's a relentless pace that inevitably forces you to choose between concerts, take a break to eat, get some rest, or simply wander around the venue and soak up the atmosphere.
One of Obscene Extreme's defining characteristics continues to be its commitment to a predominantly vegan and vegetarian food offering, something that has been part of the festival's philosophy for many years. Even so, those looking for other options can find several restaurants just a short walk from the venue, along with a new restaurant located right next to the festival entrance that quickly became one of the favourite places to enjoy a hearty breakfast or recharge between concerts.
It is also becoming increasingly difficult to find a European festival that offers such excellent value for money. Beer still costs around €3 for half a litre, mixed drinks remain in the €7–8 range, and food continues to be very reasonably priced—a particularly remarkable achievement considering the significant rise in costs that has affected most major European festivals in recent years.
Accustomed to editions marked by endless mud and relentless rain, this year's weather finally gave everyone a break. Aside from a few brief showers, conditions remained favourable throughout almost the entire festival, allowing fans to enjoy the performances in far more comfortable conditions than usual.
Once again, the quality of the line-up was simply outstanding. More than a hundred bands took to the festival's single stage over the course of four days, delivering an uncompromising celebration of extreme music.
One of the biggest talking points of this year's edition came before the first band had even taken the stage. Following last year's incidents and complaints from local residents, Obscene Extreme officially said goodbye to its traditional afterparty. From now on, once the concerts finish, the venue closes and everyone has to leave the site. While the decision is understandable, it leaves a huge void for those of us who have been attending the festival for years. Those late-night gatherings were an essential part of the Obscene experience: hundreds of people singing rock and metal classics alongside the bar staff, dancing with a beer in hand, and sharing laughs with complete strangers from every corner of the world. It was impossible not to end every night there, and honestly, it is one of the traditions that will be missed the most.
Unfortunately, we were also unable to experience the festival from the very beginning. Like many attendees, work comes first, making it impossible to arrive on Wednesday morning. As a result, we missed the opening performances as well as the now legendary Freak Festival, one of Obscene Extreme's most iconic traditions. Thankfully, our friends quickly filled us in on everything we had missed. As always, the Freak Festival was complete madness: outrageous competitions, people attempting ridiculously spicy food until they threw up, races inside rubbish bins, whipping contests using different types of leather, and countless surreal situations that were as hilarious as they were bizarre. It is the kind of spectacle that probably only makes sense within the unique universe of Obscene Extreme, perfectly capturing the festival's spirit: nobody comes here to impress anyone—everyone simply comes to have a great time.
From that moment on, the real musical marathon began. From early in the morning until well after midnight, the festival's main stage welcomed bands from virtually every corner of the globe, showcasing a line-up that embraced grindcore, death metal, hardcore, crust, thrash, powerviolence, and just about every other imaginable branch of extreme music.
The opening day immediately demonstrated just how impressive this year's line-up really was. The Accüsed AD, Eyehategod, Dwarves, Hideous Divinity, and above all, Converge, were among the day's undisputed highlights.
Converge delivered what can only be described as an absolutely phenomenal performance. An explosion of intensity from beginning to end, built around a sound that seamlessly blends metalcore, hardcore punk, mathcore, noise, and extreme metal into something as natural as it is devastating. The band put on a flawless, ferocious performance overflowing with energy, once again proving why, after more than three decades, they remain one of the most influential and respected names in both extreme music and the underground scene. Without a doubt, one of the standout performances of the entire festival.
As is usually the case at Obscene Extreme, the standard never dropped throughout the rest of the festival. Hardcore played a major role this year, with memorable performances from Pro-Pain, true veterans who continue to deliver an astonishing amount of power on stage, and Insanity Alert, a band capable of turning every show into a party thanks to their unique, tongue-in-cheek approach to thrash metal. Their carefree attitude, packed with absurd humour and hilarious moments, fits the spirit of the festival perfectly, where having fun is almost as important as the music itself.
Another of the most eagerly awaited performances came from Malignant Tumour, a band that holds a very special place in the history of Obscene Extreme. Their vocalist, Bilos, is also Curby's right-hand man, making every one of the band's appearances feel almost like a family celebration. Their unmistakable rock 'n' roll once again proved irresistible, with the crowd completely engaged from the very first song.
Necrot also stood out as one of the highlights of the weekend. One of the fastest-rising names in today's death metal scene, the Californian trio continue to go from strength to strength with every tour. Once again, they delivered a flawless performance—heavy, technical and absolutely crushing—making it abundantly clear why they have become one of the essential bands in contemporary extreme metal.
And that is precisely one of Obscene Extreme's greatest strengths. It doesn't matter what time of day it is or whose name appears on the timetable: almost every band has earned its place on this stage. The booking policy remains exceptional, making it genuinely difficult to find a disappointing performance. More than just a festival, Obscene Extreme continues to be a true celebration of extreme music in all its forms.
The quality never faltered throughout the remainder of the festival. Among the biggest surprises was Phantom, the young speed metal outfit from Mexico, who continue to establish themselves as one of the genre's most exciting rising acts. Sharing part of their European tour with Poison the Preacher, the Mexicans impressed with an explosive stage presence and blistering speed that quickly won over the Obscene Extreme crowd.
The stage continued to welcome essential names such as the ever-crushing Bodyfarm, Sweden's Demonical, the veteran Warcollapse, the unstoppable Isacaarum, and Germany's Fleshcrawl—bands that never fail to deliver first-class death metal performances.
A special mention must go to Macabre, one of those truly unique bands that have preserved an unmistakable identity within extreme metal. Their peculiar blend of death metal, dark humour and songs inspired by serial killers remains just as entertaining today as it was decades ago. Much of the credit belongs to Corporate Death, an outstanding frontman whose remarkable facial expressions and theatrical delivery transform every song into a miniature stage performance. Between his introductions, vocal changes and brilliant acting, he elevates the show far beyond the music itself, aided by the regular appearances of costumed characters on stage that complete a performance as bizarre as it is entertaining.
Fans of old-school death metal also had plenty to enjoy thanks to crushing performances from bands such as Jungle Rot, while acts like Vulvectomy, Razorrape, and Svaveldioxid kept the bar exceptionally high throughout a day that left virtually no time to catch your breath.
The final day was no less intense. Bands including Devangelic, Keitzer, Murder Squad, and Assassin once again demonstrated the outstanding quality of this year's line-up. One of the day's most powerful performances came from Bonded, featuring former Sodom guitarist Bernd "Bernemann" Kost, who spent more than twenty years with the legendary German thrash outfit. Their relentless thrash metal assault was nothing short of devastating, reaching its peak when they closed their set with "City of God" by Sodom, sending the crowd into absolute chaos.
If there was one performance destined to become the biggest party of the festival, it was undoubtedly Rectal Smegma. Inflatable rings, oversized toys, costumes, confetti, and a crowd fully committed to the madness transformed the venue into one giant celebration. Their fun-loving approach to grindcore perfectly embodies the spirit of Obscene Extreme, creating one of the funniest and most unforgettable moments of the entire weekend.
Another band that steamrolled everything in its path was Benighted. The French outfit delivered a savage performance packed with brutal intensity, reminding everyone why they remain one of the leading names in European brutal death metal. Very few bands managed to project such an overwhelming feeling of perfectly controlled violence on stage.
Macabre returned later with an unusual half-hour acoustic set that once again brought plenty of smiles to the audience before making way for one of the weekend's most eagerly awaited performances: Dismember. The pioneers of Swedish death metal proved once again why they remain true legends of the genre, paving the way for Rotten Sound, whose devastating grindcore assault was, as always, simply relentless.
Closing the festival were Germany's Despondency, who delivered a remarkably solid performance despite the obvious fatigue that had built up after five intense days of music. Rain made one final appearance during the closing moments of the festival, but not even that could overshadow such an emotional and fitting farewell. With no afterparty this year, the final notes also marked the definitive end of another unforgettable edition of Obscene Extreme.
As always, the festival treated us to countless moments that simply can't be found anywhere else. Near-constant mosh pits, dozens of people climbing onto the stage only to launch themselves into the crowd, every kind of costume imaginable, wonderfully bizarre characters wandering around the venue and, of course, the occasional unexpected naked person—something that, whether anyone asked for it or not, has somehow become part of the festival's long-standing tradition.
And so another Obscene Extreme Festival came to an end. Another unforgettable edition, packed with outstanding performances, new discoveries, and reunions with friends from every corner of the world. A festival that continues to preserve its unique identity, where extreme music remains the undisputed star of the show, but where the real reason so many people return every summer remains exactly the same: the atmosphere. Very few places are capable of creating the genuine sense of community that can be felt throughout Trutnov. We sincerely hope to return next year, wherever the festival's new home may ultimately be, to celebrate once again one of the most special events on the European extreme metal calendar.
Before signing off, we would like to express our deepest thanks to Curby, his entire family, and the incredible Obscene Extreme crew for the remarkable work they do year after year. Very few festivals manage to create such a genuine feeling of togetherness. It never feels like an organisation simply running an event for thousands of people; instead, it feels as though one big family opens the doors of its home for a few days to share what they love most. You can feel that warmth, enthusiasm, and contagious passion in every single member of the team, from the first thing in the morning until the very last band leaves the stage.
We truly hope to meet again next year, whether it is at Battlefield in Trutnov or wherever the future takes Obscene Extreme. Because festivals are made by the bands, the fans, and the stages, but they are also made possible by the countless people working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure everything runs smoothly and to allow thousands of us to keep experiencing moments like these.
Above all, we hope we never lose that passion. That almost childlike excitement of waiting for the next concert, the thrill of discovering a new band, the sparkle in your eyes when the opening notes of one of your favourite songs ring out, or the simple joy of sharing a beer with friends from all over the world. There is nothing sadder than losing the ability to be moved by the things you truly love.
May that flame never fade. May we continue to experience music with the same intensity, the same curiosity, and the same passion that first led us to a festival. Because, in the end, places like Obscene Extreme remind us exactly why we're still here after all these years: for the music, for the people, and for that indescribable feeling of happiness that can only be found when you're exactly where you belong.
Until next time, Obscene Extreme. We hope to see you again very soon.
