Sludge Underground Podcast

Ramfest 2025 was everything we’ve been waiting for. From Bongloard’s wild energy and Sunken State’s chaos (gorilla suit included), to Jack Parow proving he absolutely belongs on a heavy lineup, this festival was a full-on celebration of South African alternative and heavy music.

Not everything went smoothly, sound issues hit hard during Vulvodynia’s set, but The Narrow and Facing the Gallows brought things right back, sett...

From small dive bars and underground venues to the people keeping the alternative flame alive, this video dives into the heart of South Africa’s alternative and metal scene.

We explore the venues, promoters, content creators, and bands that make this community what it is. Whether you’re a fan, a musician, or just curious about the scene, this is your crash course into finding your own way into South Africa’s alternative mu...

This week we're catching up with Savannah Vermaak, A live sound engineer based in Cape Town South Africa. She Goes over experiences working within the scene, the educational content she's creating on her platform, and a behind the scenes look at one of the most important factors in live music, the sound. 

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This week we're chatting to Kavesh Vello, The organizer of Music For Palestine, Joined by Berty of the band Necklace. We dive into the motivations behind the event, the bands playing, and the organizations involved.


#punkrock #punk #palestine #fundraising #livemusic #giftofthegivers

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n this episode of Sludge Underground Marcel has a chat with Ken of DoomTrigger, one of Cape Towns most promising Metalcore bands. They dive into the bands formation, the impressive ground they've covered over the bands short time since exploding onto the scene, and the themes and messages behind their music.

#doomtrigger #bandinterview #metalcore #capetown #capetownmusic #southafricanmusic #southafricanmetal

We're having a chat with Devilnest's Myke Taylor & Brynn Huxtable about their upcoming Durban metal event, Recoil. The event sees Gauteng heavyweights Walk These Skies and Die Gemeente coming down to Durban for what promises to be South Africa's most explosive metal event!

#southafricanmetalmusic #sametal #durbanmetal #devilnest #metalevents

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Cape Town thrashers Halvar recently returned from playing one of the biggest metal festivals in the world, Wacken Open Air. Dolf and Daniel share some of their experiences from Germany and the future plans for Halvar. 

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Devilnest is a Durban-based entity that runs metal events. It comprises of Myke Taylor & Brynn Huxtable of South African Deathcore giants Your Cynical Sanity. In this video, they talk all things Devilnest and how they aim to get Durban metal events on the map again.

Explore our exclusive merch store for unique and high-quality items inspired by our podcast! From stylish t-shirts to snug beanies, there’s something for every liste...

On this episode we sit down with Sabretooth, South Africa's 80s-inspired band, to unpack their 12 year hiatus, and the moment that got them back together. We also touch on their first gig back in Cape Town, and whether or not they'll be releasing music on Spotify given the recent controversy surrounding the platform and other South African bands pulling their music off it. 

#sabretoothband #southafricanmusic #met...

"Have you ever heard of Mind Assault?" Is one of the most common questions you get when diving into the Cape Town metal scene. We had a sit down with guitarist Patrick and unpack over two decades of the bands history leading up to Nostalgia Indulgia. 

#mindassualt #bandinterview #metal #southafricanmusic 

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Cantrel are a father/son duo making music together. On this episode we touch on their upcoming EP, ties to Prime Circle, their upcoming South African tour, their music video hitting over 1million views, and a whole lot more.

#bandinterview #southafrica #cantrel #primecircle #southafricanband 

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Johannesburg boys Sunken State have a chat with Marcel about their highly anticipated EP Hunting Ghosts, Finding Demons dropping on the 18th of July. Join in as they dive into their process, the story behind the Ep, and the direction the band's moving in. We also touch on their inclusion for the 2025 Ramfest lineup and their thoughts abut sharing the stage with The Devil Wears Prada.

💬 Drop your thoughts on the band ...

In this explosive interview, we dive into how Alana Britz became the digital force behind Emalyth, Metal4Africa, and Wacken Metal Battle Sub-Saharan Africa, helping shape the online identity of Africa’s loudest metal festivals.

Lana opens up about:
- How she got into running social media for metal institutions  
- Emalyth’s approach to booking bands and scouting talent  
- Whether bands need a polished EPK to g...

Pretoria boys No Closure recently made it onto the Ramfest lineup consisting of headlining act The Devil Wears Prada in South Africa. We chat about the metalcore/hardcore scene in Pretoria, the diversity in South African live shows, and get their response on what was said about the members during the Lower Hollow episode. 

💬 Drop your thoughts on the band in the comments!
🔔 Remember to like, subscribe, and hit the be...

From a nearly disastrous trip to Germany for Wacken Open Air to sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in modern metal, Argentinian Deathcore band  @nvlometalofficial   are tearing up the scene.

Now, this entity is on it's way to bring their absolutely infectious energy to South Africa for two shows in Cape Town and Johannesburg! 

📢 How did nearly not being able to play in the Wacken Metal battle p...

From a high school drama studio to the heart of Durban’s underground scene, The Non Fiction has been active since 2018. Starting as a two-piece punk band, they honed their sound at Reverberate events, carving out a space in the local music scene.

Now, they're turning it up, taking that punk rock mentality and channeling it into bigger songs for bigger audiences. With raw energy and unstoppable drive, The Non Fiction s...

EP392: From the depths of Cape Town’s underground scene, Hi Anxious has emerged with a DIY ethos, a genre-blurring sound, and an uncompromising approach to music. In this episode, we dive into their creative process, the journey behind their debut EP, and what it means to curate every aspect of their art, from hand-crafted merch to carefully selected venues.

Blending psychedelia, grunge, emo, hardcore, metal, and prog, Hi ...

Marcel has a chat with Seb and Dylan of  ⁨@indiedogband⁩ Join in as they chat about the bands love of touring, the stories behind their music videos and their dream to become the best rock band in the world

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Suppo...

EP392: We're chatting to Ashley of Lower Hollow on this episode. We're looking at where the band started, band member departures, the future of the band, and more. 

#sludgeunderground #southafricanband #lowerhollow #southafricanmetalheads 

Explore our exclusive merch store for unique and high-quality items inspired by our podcast! From stylish t-shirts to snug beanies, there’s something for every li...