The Moshville Times - Ripcord Fest 2026 Preview

Is there anything better than an all-dayer? You, your pals, some pints, and the most stacked line-up of underground post-metal/post-rock you could possibly want. Glasgow’s Ripcord Records have hand picked nine of the best bands going for the inaugural Ripcord Fest, and on March 21^st will take over Nice N Sleazy for what will no doubt be one of the gigs of the year. If you haven’t secured a ticket already then you’ve missed your chance as it’s sold out (what else did you expect with such a line-up?). At a time when the independent scene – from bands, to labels, to venues are all struggling, it’s good to see something like this sell out and well in advance of the day as well. Hopefully it’s the start of something special and a regular event in the alternative music calendar for Glasgow; it’s something that we could be doing with.

The line-up really does speak for itself, but if you’ll indulge me I can also do some speaking on its behalf, spotlighting the bands on the bill and why you should see them. If you managed to get a ticket then you already know your stuff, but maybe something here will get your attention and get you in-front of a new band on the day. For those that missed out you can commiserate by sticking on my expertly curated Ripcord Fest playlist, linked at the end of the article.

My Must Not Miss

While I don’t plan on missing any of the bands there are three that are nailed on, “don’t get caught in a bar queue and miss a second of” bands. The first of these is Edinburgh’s finest Codespeaker. Having seen them at ArcTanGent last year I can vouch for their relentlessly crushing live show, which will be turned all the way up in the more up-close-and personal surroundings of Sleazy’s. Get tore into their 2024 album Scavenger to get you in the mood, “Usud” and “Recission” both real highlights from that release. Indifferent Engine are next on my list, a band I’ve been keen to see live for a while as by all accounts their live shows are a sensory experience as well as a musical one. Be interesting to see if they bring all their old TV sets with them. I’ve had their 2021 EP “Canis” on heavy rotation recently, full of emotion, energy, and experimentation. Finally, it’s Beneath A Steel Sky who put out one of the best albums of 2025 with “Cleave”. If you’ve not heard them, they’re like a nightmare fuel version of Mogwai – mixing light atmospheric parts with Armageddon-esque heavy breakdowns, clean vocals which move seamlessly into guttural growls, emotional builds laced with tension to draw you in before they level the place. Sleazy’s won’t know what hit it. Check out “The infinite silence that follows the absolute truth” if you’re looking for an in.

A Little Something Different

Looking through the line-up, there’s a few acts that stand out as dark horses – left-field bands that offer a breather (of sorts) from the post-metal weight. This in itself makes them unmissable. Wolves are set to open the festival so you’ll want to get down nice and early when doors open at 2pm to make sure you catch them, don’t be messing about in Spoons. Their music is raw, cathartic, and uncompromising in who and what it takes aim at – see their brilliant single “Reformed (Try Love)” for more on that front. These guys will put on one hell of a show; so make sure you bring the energy to match theirs, cause they’ll certainly set the standard right from the start. Solars fit in with the post-metal crowd but where they stand out is their play with light and dark in the music; there’s dark and brooding lows but there’s also joyous and uplifting highs and the interplay between the two, songs like “Inertia” for example, really sets them apart from the others on the bill. Make sure you catch them for your fill of cathartic joy.

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The Potential Show Stealers

We know Hundred Year Old Man are going to put on a show, but some of the best gigs or festival sets come from the bands you didn’t set out to see or didn’t expect to hit you like they did. The drawn out doom of HELVE is equal parts atmospheric and heavy as fuck. Their songs draw you in as they build, with the sparse use of vocals adding a brutal punctuation to captivating, uncompromising music. Their near 20 minute song“Teeth” is a real standout, would probably take up half a set if they play it but would be well worth it. Manchester’s Civil Service cinematic scope – a blend of sci-fi, samples, and grooves will be quite something to behold live in a venue like Sleazy’s. With three albums to pull from, including the two recent releases ///Light and Dark/// which contrast the optimism of the former and impending doom of the latter, song like “Black Giraffe” from 2025 release Dark /// would go down a treat, fully immersing everything in the Civil Service live experience. Million Moons’ music is deep and at times heartbreaking given the concepts both their albums explore. They have an ability to tell a story better with their music and instruments than most could using word. For a band with such few members, they at times sound orchestral and will no doubt have the room captivated and hanging on every note.

The Headliner

The last band of the night following the days journey across the spectrum of post-metal with a few detours here and there, we’ll end the night with the mighty Hundred Year Old Man. A band that don’t deal in half measures, their live set will be no different. Drawn-out epics that build from deathly atmospheric to a brutal wall of sound – moving through the many layers of post-metal, and twisting into doom and sludge along the way. There really could be no better headliner for this festival, what a band to close the night out and bring that final release of the day with their massive monolithic slabs of sound.

Whether you’ve got you ticket because you love Hundred Year Old Man, or maybe you fancy seeing some great Scottish talent in Codespeaker and Beneath a Steel Sky. If you like all the bands, or have never heard any of the bands and are being dragged along by your pals – it doesn’t matter. Do yourself favour and see as many of these acts as you can. There’s not a band on the line-up that is anything less than great and they all deserve your support. Get in early and stay late. I’ll see you in there!

Ripcord Fest will take place on 21^st March 2026 at Nice N Sleazy

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Check out my Ripcord Fest playlist

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