Justin Nuoffer
Milwaukee Metal Fest 2025 was far and away the best one yet. I have covered all three of the Jasta-led versions of this festival for two outlets. The growth has been exponential. This year, though, was something special. I am a frequent guest at The Rave/Eagles Ballroom, so most of the staff already know who I am when I show up. It makes it easy to gather my credentials and whatnot. Walking into the venue is something special to me. It hits every time I stroll through the door. This, however, was something different. I was born and raised just a few miles away. I am a Milwaukeean at heart, and to have something like this in our neck of the woods is nice. My grandmother used to come to the Eagles Ballroom in the 1940s to dance at the USO events with her friends. It’s one of the few connections I have left with her. If you look on the wall next to the stairway leading to the ballroom, you would see multiple images hanging with the history of the building and a few from those events. The building is an integral part of the city’s history.
Fast-forward to 2025; the vibe was at an all-time high. No other festival can pull off what this one does. Built from the ground up and held indoors. No sunburn, cover from rain, and no running ungodly lengths to get to another stage. The lineup was killer. The midday parts of the days had the meat and potatoes of the festival. If there is anything Jasta and company does extremely well, it is pack the days with themes and strong name recognition. This isn’t a corporate money grab like those other festivals, and trust me, I attend them too. I get it. This is very much from the heart and built on the backs of those that give a shit about the music and a band’s success. People have to make money to keep it going, naturally, but it doesn’t feel like it is the priority. The food vendors in the courtyard aren’t raking you over the coals for food and beverages. There is a water stand right outside the front doors. The security hands out water bottles. Things are available. With the re-entry until 6pm, you could do what a lot of people do and pack a lunch and take a break outside. You won’t get that option anywhere else.
The vendor village is the first stop upon entering the building. Each day, the bands playing send their merch down, and it is set up along a room-length metal rack. Around the area are various vendors. From personal brands and homebuilt businesses to traveling merchants, they are all down in The Rave 2 basement room. I managed to buy a couple of bags of Concepts Cafe coffee, a few Martyr Store t-shirts, and a bunch of new patches. The guys at the Warm Beer stand had some hysterical bumper stickers and shirts. If you purchased meet and greets through Martyr Store, the actual stage is where they take place, with the check-in in the hallway that leads up to the main foyer. This year’s sponsor was Nuclear Blast, and they had the entire thing plastered in their branding. I personally had a couple, and to me it is worthwhile and not as badly priced as you would think. In a lot of cases you get a pretty decent swag bag with stuff as well. If you happened to be downstairs, you could watch the event take place behind the vendors. On occasion, bands would wave to fans watching and whatnot.
The vendor village is top-notch and easily one of the things that separates MMF from every other festival. Plus, it is also the first stop for band members. They all hit the booths and pick stuff up and talk with fans. I personally ran into members of Arch Enemy, Harms Way, Down, and Brat. People are people, and nothing is over the top. The merchandise attracts everyone.
I managed to talk to a lot of people because that is who I am. I genuinely enjoy conversation. I enjoy the experiences of others. The thing I found interesting is the fact that I met way more people from other states than I did from Wisconsin and Illinois. In the 3rd year, it is obvious this is an event. On Friday, I met a couple that came from Nebraska just to see Down. There were so many people hyped to see the S.O.D. tribute, it was insane, and after watching it, I can tell you that they should do more shows. It was pure energy, and every offensive thing about it was beautiful. Black Label Society was another massive draw. The battle jackets for BLS were everywhere. I met more folks who had never been to Milwaukee or Wisconsin before that flew in just for them. Plus, Zakk and crew were at the entire festival hanging out and watching bands. That seemed to be a common thread for a lot of the headliners. Devin Townsend, on what is his last tour for a while, was mind-blowing as always. I could go on and on about the incredible performances. I really didn’t see anything bad or off at all.
Perhaps the most exciting part of the entire festival is what happens in the barroom. This year it was sponsored by Copycats Media out of Minnesota. It is an old-school experience. A bar, a stage, and nothing else. The first year, Unearth pulverized that room. You couldn’t get in and could barely get out. It is about circle pits and stage divers. Year two saw absolute insanity with Havoc ripping it in there midday to a room over capacity. With an experience so unique for fans, the bookers of MMF built on that experience. Instead of one or two that would normally play The Rave, they packed it out and still had the young, growing bands fill the day. Gates to Hell, Brat, and No/Mas came in with a ton of fanfare behind them. Singaporean brutalizer Wormrot shook the walls more than any band I’ve ever seen in there. I mean, Nekrogoblikon had massive talk about them as one of the most wanted-to-see bands. I was in there waiting on END to start, and Gregory Thomas chatted about his pedals with a fan and me. It was cool to see how the band guys interact and give information away. That room during this festival is by far one of the coolest things that happens.
Hell, The Acacia Strain headlined, and it was utter chaos. Stage divers and Jasta singing and launching himself into the crowd. These are special moments. These are things that no one else can touch. The bands are in your face, and there is no one there to tell you to stop having fun. The fact that some of these bands should be on the big stage is why it is done this way. If you can get into the room, you are one of the lucky ones. The protip after being there for three of these is getting there 15-20 minutes before the band goes on, and you have a decent chance; otherwise, you can watch through the door in the hallway. You plan your entire experience around the barroom schedule and do not think twice about it.
The Rave is one of the raddest venues around. The all-wood decor inside the actual room, the glass doors opening to the hallway, and a corridor that wraps around the main floor and the upper deck with VIP seating. It is a fantastic place to watch your favorite bands destroy and rattle your soul. This year was beyond stacked. I do not know how it could’ve been better. Exodus put on a performance for the ages. A wall of death in that room is impossible, but with Rob Dukes back in the band, they found a way and made it happen. They were far and away the best performance in that room and possibly the entire weekend. They ripped classics with a new fire lit underneath them. The Dillinger Escape Plan playing every track from Calculating Infinity with the original vocalist was another incredible performance. If you knew anything about TDEP, they are pure chaos in human form. SPEED brought that pure Sydney hardcore and unapologetically punched you in the throat. Scour and their black metal mastery made a rare live appearance and surprised the unknowing. Hell, Amigo the Devil and his smart-assery on an acoustic guitar had a full room. Metalheads showed out for the oddball on the billing, and it was worth the watch.
Death Angel was incredible and even better than the last time I saw them on the same stage. 3 Inches of Blood had crowd surfers on top of crowd surfers. They were one of the bands that people repeatedly talked about. Repentance, who played extremely early, had a full room and opened minds. I have a feeling they will be moving up the billing in a few years. Let’s not forget how ridiculously good the first day was too. Pentagram, fresh off of meme glory, ripped their way through a set and perhaps had the best sound mix of the weekend. Hell, three bands that never come to Wisconsin went back-to-back-to-back. Wolves in the Throne Room, Paradise Lost, and Enslaved brought folks out just for them. Also, Fugitive made an appearance. Separating himself from his past in Powertrip, Blake Ibanez and his band whipped the crowd up in a frenzy. I keep notes of things that happen and occur, and the only thing I had in big, bold letters was “BUY FUGITIVE EP,” and I didn’t even unpack before I went to their Bandcamp.
The Eagles Ballroom is a beautiful space and fantastic music venue. The lighting and spotlights always hit, and the sound has drastically improved over the years. As I mentioned above, Down, Townsend, S.O.D., and Black Label Society brought in a ton of people and crushed it. However, the return of Chimaira was an S-tier experience. They looked as good as when I saw them twenty years ago. The Eagles Ballroom was electric. It was everything you could’ve hoped for them and more. There was so much buzz around the building about them it was crazy.
Another returnee was Oppressor. They came back with three original members and brought along a ton of Chicago fans. It was a triumphant appearance. The pit raged so fracking hard. Revocation, oh man, Revocation does what they always do. Deliver tasty guitar riffs and stank-faced tunes. Gross, just gross. There is absolutely no one like Between The Buried and Me, and it was once again an honor to watch them play. The band is just so good at what they do. Demolition Hammer by far had the craziest fan experience. I got absolutely clobbered by a crowd surfer and wound up with a concussion. Yeah, it sucks. However, the band was great, and they far and away had the biggest circle pit of the festival. Me? I sat my ass on the balcony after getting smashed.
The final day had the ballroom in all sorts of insanity. Frozen Soul is that band that is heavy as hell and will tell you exactly what to do, and you do it. Their stage presence and command of the crowd are more fun than a hell of a lot of others out there. If you knew anything about Arch Enemy, you would know that it’s a relentless assault from the first note. Their stage setup has bright lights and stands that the band walks along and maneuvers with ease. They’ve mastered a stage show. The final band of the festival was GWAR. Do I really need to say anything? GWAR are every bit as awesome as could be. The fake blood and splooge flew all around the historic building. The humor was off the charts. Without a doubt, when it was all said and done, the laughter and smiles said it all.
Wearing cameras on your hips is a sign for people to simply start talking to you, and I enjoy it. The conversations with folks from around the country coming to Milwaukee and exploring the city and state are wonderful business. I love Wisconsin. I’ve lived around the country and toured. There is nothing like this state. Having the most unique and honest music festival right here is special. The number of people telling me how they walked around downtown just to get a picture with the Bronze Fonz was countless. The best part was they discovered all of the riverwalk and the breweries that filled the area. Milwaukee isn’t called Sud City for nothing. I will say, there were so many of the younger generation showing up to tear up the bar and hit a circle pit to the OG bands. It was impressive. The kids are showing up. That right there is impressive considering there are a billion other things happening for them. Families also were showing up in droves. Kids danced on the famed hardwood of the Eagles Ballroom. Hell, Scott Ian played with his son on stage for S.O.D. His son’s band played the pre-party and closed it for DOWN.
I’ve said it before, and I will say it again. It’s a different feeling. This is about the music, friends, and family. Bands collaborate with each other live during each other’s sets. People from all walks of life showed up for a good time and shared the same experiences. The real world stopped at the doors. All of that noise and nonsense happening within the country right now didn’t matter. Your sexual preference, political leanings, race, and religion meant absolutely nothing, as it should. The music mattered. The friends and family mattered. The collective experience mattered. That is why Milwaukee Metal Fest is levels above the competition, and I will continue to go to it no matter what. Thank you, Jasta and crew.
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