Festival Chronicle: MetalEarth 2025

MetalEarth Festival 2025

Giving the waters of Brittany an extreme metal voice

La Carène, Brest 14-15 November 2025

Arriving at La Carène, the venue where MetalEarth Festival takes place, felt like stepping into a familiar story that has yet to be written. There was an immediate sense of safety and welcome, and, as oxymoronic as it may sound for a metal festival, the atmosphere was peaceful: a space and a community whose presence was powerful and energetic without being chaotic. Perhaps my impression was amplified by the warm reception from Pierre, Antoine, Vincent and other members of the festival staff.

MetalEarth Festival connects extreme music and ecological consciousness, promoting education, activism, and sustainability. This edition took place over two November evenings, in Brest, a city defined by water, on the Atlantic coast. It comes as no surprise that this year’s ecological theme was Water Apocalypse, with a particular focus on the waters of Brittany, especially Finistère.

Here, the ecological theme was being represented by two associations: Living Brittany SEPNB and Waters and rivers of Brittany dedicated to nature conservation and the protection of aquatic ecosystems. Two months after the event, and I still remember very clearly the video projections telling the story of the wild salmon and of the unique pearl mussel, now facing the risk of extinction. Very meaningful to me were also the conversations with members of the associations on sustainability and environmental issues, as well as the exhibition dedicated to aquatic fauna and flora.

The first night was dedicated to black metal, and each of the three acts was so unique and fascinating that, although I was initially planning on highlighting only one, it becomes impossible to leave the others out. The evening opened with Ǥứŕū, a local black-doom metal band, who set the bar high from the start with a very strong performance. A very intense act followed: Bliss of Flesh with a very powerful moment that felt like time had stopped when a warm light fell perfectly over the frontman making him appear as the sun at the center of stormy clouds. Truly powerful image! As this was not already enough, the mighty Necrowretch followed proposing a blackened-death metal of such ferocity that could break the gates of hell, as the vocalist promised. Focused, engaged and enraged, just as the festival’s motto suggests.

Another aspect that impressed me during the first night was the crowd’s sense of community. People were moving thoughtfully around each other, enjoying the concerts without losing control. I see this politeness as a cultural statement, a kind of reminder not to confuse extreme music with carelessness. 

While the first night was about atmosphere, introspection and ritual, the second night was more grounded, there was more physicality, and in the crowd, a sort of generational shift could be felt. The music invited people to move more directly just as the first act took the stage. March of Scylla left a vivid impression with the intense gaze of the vocalist and the strong post-metal presence of the band, creating a very magnetic energy on stage.

The metalcore band Revnoir followed with dynamic guitar riffs shifting from heavy breakdowns to melodic sections. Closing the festival, Gorod, the tech-death metal band from Bordeaux delivered an explosive final set that felt like a statement of strength; a farewell that inspired a sense of hope for the future. 

Interestingly enough, one could observe that on the second night, even the atmosphere in the hall became more animated; the people seemed to become more social than contemplative. La Carène itself plays an important role as well. The venue’s generous area offers personal space for everyone while the sound fills the room nicely. The bar is steady and ready to serve a variety of drinks. Comfort here is not to be seen as a betrayal of metal’s core, for it underlines that a festival concerned with environmental balance is aware also of the physical well-being of its audience.

As the second night begins to end, the lights turn on, goodbyes are said, and people begin to leave in small groups. The halls get slowly empty, but there is no rush. Outside, the air feels damp and salty, unmistakably coastal. The theme of water lingers...

MetalEarth Festival assumes that metal can be ecological and then proves the assumption right through practice. It creates a space for dialogue, supporting the local environmental causes through concrete actions, while keeping the energy of a metal music festival. What remains after these two evenings as a conclusion is an enriched way of listening and relating to Metal music AND to the Earth.