Metal gigs in Bristol — Headfirst Bristol

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Bristol's Metal Scene

The wealth of metal events in Bristol is drawn from a rich metal heritage in the city, classic local bands include: Onslaught, Gonga, Jaguar and Evita. A lot of the best events are in underground pubs like the Gryphon and Mother's Ruin where you can hear big riffs and roared vocals most nights of the week - with strong support from the metal scene elsewhere in the West of England.

As well as older cover-style bands at German boozer Bierkeller, you can see larger international acts at Bristol's bigger venues like O2 Academy and Colston Hall. The city's Old Market area is full of old biker-gang hangouts like the Packhorse - with various shops selling metal memorabilia and records - perfect for the morning after a big gig.

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Our recent metal recommendations

Misfits on the margins, unite! At least Margin Forever gets you, dialling in an all-dayer of unruly sonic rule breaking with no-wave electro-trash yelpers Fashion Tips (ft. Esmé from Penance Stare), grungy twerk-breaks from Bambi Redux, Milkweed’s mystical tape-damaged anti-folk + much much more. Margin Forever: All Dayer Launch Party

Sell out warning! Torpor sit at the unearthly apex of post-metal, doom and sludge - seismic bass rumbles, melancholic ambience, bleak spoken word, crushing noise, monumental riffs moving at a glacial pace. This is music for watching planets implode. For fans of: Conan, Neurosis, Aerosol Jesus, Thou, Divide and Dissolve. TORPOR + HOST BODY live at The Louisiana.

Industrial doom meets cerebral shimmering darkwave! Khost sound like Godflesh summoning Ragnorak from a Birmingham steel mill furnace, while Deep Cross are a subaquatic Lycia kept alive by glitching plankton. Where else but Dark Alchemy? Post-Industrial Doom & Post Punk Double Headliner

Bandulu’s dread overlord in rare-as-dragon’s-teeth live mode collabing with EBM acid-dub punkster Autumns!? Can En Masse read the collective Bristol unconscious or something? The cybergoth On U Sound hardware showdown's preluded by Vanessa Bedoret’s avant trip-hop bliss, all totally lost in live AV wonderment. Transforming the depths of Loco Klub into a place of revel.

What our editors say

“Saxon’s groundbreaking album Wheels of Steel has been heavily cited by numerous journalists as one of those classic albums that every metal fan should own. Jam-packed with seminal songs and chunky riffs from the opening high octane belting riff of “Motorcycle Man”, Wheels of Steel packs a punch from start to finish. From the infectious and arguably the biggest riff of hit single “747 (Strangers in the Night)” through to the more stripped-down crunchy tour de force of title track “Wheels of Steel”. This is a one-off not to be missed opportunity to see one of metal’s best albums played from start to finish in all its glory for the very last time.”
From: Saxon - Hell, Fire And Steel Tour

“So while you will certainly find a good deal of metal on the bill, let's not let "genre" get in the way of a good time. Monochrome is a broad church, welcoming folks that might not necessarily feel at home at a conventional "metalfest".”
From: Monochrome Festival of Ugly Music 2025

“Tyronne Hill, known better by his stage name, Kid Bookie, is the raucous, genre-splicing standout charging at the frontline of rock and metal’s next wave of fresh faces, lashing out riff-heavy anthems and getting his daily kicks from sending internet trolls into a frenzy. Accumulating his devout cult following from an unapologetic, transparent attitude paired with his rage-fuelled nu-metal/trap-metal blend, above all, his strive for raw artistic integrity will always be the beating heart that keeps his music thriving.”
From: KID BOOKIE

“Raging Speedhorn were forged in 1998, in the steel town of Corby, Northamptonshire. The band brought together members of Box and Soulcellar. The music they wrote was influenced by Iron Monkey, Black Sabbath and bands that ranged from the heavy rock of the 70s through to the metal, punk and grunge scenes of the 90s. Two original bands resulted in two vocalists, and the growling bass-notes of John Loughlin contrasted with the angry lyrical style of Frank Regan. The band also included Gareth Smith and Tony Loughlin on guitars, Darren Smith on bass and Gordon Morison on pounding drums.”
From: RAGING SPEEDHORN

“Miracle of Sound is the project of Gavin Dunne, an independent producer/songwriter and singer from Ireland. He has over a billion completely grassroots cross platform streams, the songs span a vast range of genres and styles, form dark folk to symphonic metal to sea shanties, cultivating a wide and varied audience over the last decade.”
From: Miracle of Sound