And there’s still a little bit left to cover about the final day—Sunday, June 7—of Metalfest 2026. Once again, the weather forecast promised a nice, sunny day with no rain at all. Simply perfect for an open-air festival like this one. The venue opened fairly early in the morning again, and this time I skipped the opening and even the first band.
Spanish pirates Sovengar and Darkness: Season In Black
But what I definitely didn’t want to miss was the performance by the band Sovengar from Spain. I knew almost nothing about them beforehand, which made me all the more surprised by the energy and enthusiasm they brought to their performance. I don’t think I was the only one who was captivated and pleasantly surprised by them so early in the morning. If you missed them, be sure to check them out. They have several very funny, even parodic songs. I recommend them to all Alestorm fans.
Season In Black is a very experienced band from Germany, and their fans pretty much filled the amphitheater after noon. Although their music isn’t my favorite genre, I still enjoyed listening to a few of their songs, which were performed with great professionalism.
Brazilian thrash with Crypta and some serious power from Crematory
I know a lot of people won’t agree with me, but if there’s one thing I don’t like, it’s thrash metal. Unfortunately, not even a group of charismatic Brazilian women can convince me that it’s any good. Crypta has a large fan base in the Czech Republic as well, and they were thrilled by the band’s performance, but I really don’t count among them.
On the other hand, Crematory are masters of their genre. I’ve seen them several times at various festivals, and I always enjoy listening to them. Over the years, they’ve gained a lot of experience, and they know how to put it to good use during their performances. Frontman Felix’s charisma is very compelling and draws you in. This is simply a band you don’t want to miss when they’re at a festival.
Hard Rock Segment with Eclipse and Gotthard
Next on the list of performers were Eclipse from Sweden. Although they don’t play metal, they still fit perfectly into the whole line-up. Their songs radiate very positive energy and are, overall, very melodic and catchy. This was probably the third time I’ve seen them, and I hope it won’t be the last. They played just about all of my favorite songs, including “Twilight,” “Saturday Night,” and, of course, the closing track “Viva La Victoria.”
On the other hand, I saw the Swiss band Gotthard for the very first time in my life, and I was definitely not disappointed. I may not be a huge fan, but I was looking forward to finally hearing them live. I only know a few of their songs, but the way the audience sang along and reacted to their performance really drew me in and, above all, entertained me. Probably the most interesting moment was when the frontman walked right into the mosh pit on the back of one of his crew members. Not many people were expecting that, and they were happy to see that kind of interaction.
A powerful Battle Beast and Sepultura's finale?
The big unknown was Battle Beast with their new singer, Marina La Torraca. It was actually their big European debut with her, and opinions on their performance varied quite a bit. Honestly, you could sense a lot of nervousness, especially from Marina, but that made their effort to impress all the greater. I don’t want to make any comparisons—it’s not even possible. On the contrary, I’m glad the band is moving forward and has added a great new member to their lineup, and I hope it works out for them. As for the setlist, they built it primarily around newer songs, including two they’d never played live before: “Riders of the Storm” and “The Burning Within.” Classic tracks like “Bastard Son of Odin” and “Straight to the Heart” were also included.
Brazilian Sepultura announced their final tour, and the only Czech stop was Metalfest in Pilsen. Honestly, I expected a slightly larger turnout for a band of this significance. Nevertheless, there were still plenty of people, and the support from the audience was considerable. Again, it wasn’t the experience of a lifetime for me, but I at least wanted to hear part of it, especially since it was probably the last time. An interesting moment was when all the Brazilian acts performing that day appeared on stage—and surprisingly, there were quite a few of them. The setlist was a diverse cross-section of their discography, taking us back to various periods in the band’s history.
Of course, without the fans who came out, the festival would be nothing, so we’re dedicating this photo gallery of the best shots to all of you who were part of it. You can find more on our social media pages as well.
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Photos by Lenka Machuldová
Report by Kerry Lynx