Sludge Underground Podcast

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.

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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. 

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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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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 

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Next in line with catching up with each of the Wacken Metal Battle Sub-Saharan Africa Finalists Marcel has a chat with Die Gemeente's Francios Smith and Tyler Hattingh. Join in as they delve into the formation of the band, their respective histories as seasoned musicians, as well as their experiences working with Vulvodynia's Kris Xenopoulos.

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This weeks Wacken Metal Battle Finalist is Hiraeth. A modern melodic metal band from Johannesburg South Africa who are back from a hiatus and ready to take on the South African scene with a new lineup. Join in as we chat about their thoughts on the current skill level of new musicians, their plans moving forward, and delve into a bit of scene history.

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This week Marcel has a chat with Lenny of Irony Destroyed. A metalcore band hailing from Nairobi Kenya. Join in as they chat about the kenyan scene, the challenges they face as an extremely niche genre, as well as being so geographically isolated from the rest of the African metal community. 

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

Next up in our line of interviewing each of the Wacken Metal Battle Sub-Saharan Africa finalist we have Raven In Flesh. A Tswanian black metal band hailing from Botswana's legendary metal scene. Join in as Marcel dives into the origins of the band, the challenges they face and the prospect of coming to South Africa to perform at the biggest Pan-African metal event in Africa. 

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Wacken Metal Battle Finalists Halvar share their thoughts on having the chance to represent South Africa at Wacken Open Air in Germany along with the bands origins to get a bar tab at the Aandklas battle of the bands.

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Ep384: Dive into a chat with the winners of the Room 2 heat of the Wacken Metal Battle Sub-Saharren Africa. Find out how one conceptulizes a hillbilly slam band, How one makes a banjo guitar, and what their experiences have been within the scene. 

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 listener. Sho...

EP383: Cape Towns Ill System is often described as Linkin Park with bongo's. Join in as they dive into their Origins, style of music, and the manyu injuries their vocalist hass sustained over the course of the bands career. 

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 listener. Show your support and grab your favo...

EP382: It's not often that we as South Africans get insight into our neighbours scenes. Join in as we chat with Namibia's longest standing metal band about their journey leading up to the Wacken Metal Battle Sub-Saharan Africa finals, their thoughts on the competion bands so far, and their view on the state of African metal Overall.

#Asnightfades #wackenmetalbattle  #NamibianHeat #JohannesburgFinals #SouthAfrican...

EP381: Join us as we dive into the world of Nine Refrain, the Durban-based band that just won their Durban Heat and is headed to the Wacken Metal Battle finals in Johannesburg! 
️ In this exclusive interview, we explore what sets Nine Refrain apart as a unique Durban band, their thoughts on the dominance of Johannesburg's previous winners and how they see their provincial difference as an edge. We also get their views on t...

The 2025 Wacken Metal Battle South Africa is underway. Here Marcel catches up with the winners of the second heat Walk These Skies. They share their thoughts on their win, the show, and the prospects of potentially representing South African metal in Germany.

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 l...

EP379: In this engaging interview, Qü shares his thoughts on whether Johannesburg remains the entertainment capital of South Africa and discusses the impact of social media on emerging artists. We look at the challenges faced by event promoters in supporting South African musicians and the decline of live shows. Qü also reflects on the albums having a long life span and considers this a dying art. We end off with Qü's plans fo...