Sludge Underground Podcast

Ground Up is back for August! Nas and Marcel catch you up on everything that happened in the month of August as well as a bit of July to make up for what we missed talking about.

Marcel touches on his experience at that Winterfest and watching the skate community pull through to skate while bands perform, Emalyths July Jol across two stages, and finally getting to catch Man As Machine again after nearly a decade.

The ...

On this episode we take a look at what Shinesh has been up to since his departure from Lefokolodi. He also breaks down the reason behind his departure from the band and how things stand between him and his former band mates. Shinesh gives his honest take on South African artists uploading music on Spotify, and gives us a first hand look at two of his latest projects, Violent Frogs & Oversharingmusician.

#SludgeUndergroun...

They touch on their experiences with recent European tour as well as what they think it takes for a local South African band to make an international tour a reality.

There's also new music in the works, as the boys have been hard at work in the studio working on their new album, touching on the direction the bands taking their music, will there be physical media, and the debate as to what digital ownership actually means.&nb...

In this episode we sit down with Vince & Sean to unpack their latest single, The Omnificent. We look at the concept behind it, how it came together, and what the band was aiming for with the song. We also look at whether music videos  still matter in 2026.

The Omnificent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyw0VImHfEM&list=RDkyw0VImHfEM&start_radio=1

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This week on Sludge Underground  @Thorns_Of_Sludge shares his experience at Misty Waters Music Festival.

This festival was nothing short of a love letter to artist, festival goers, anda most importantly music lovers. Hired along as a second shooter he was front and center for all 27 bands who played seeing familiar faces but also a ton of new ones. This was one of the most diverse lineups imaginable from artists withi...

*Disclaimer: This episode is a little late and some of the events mentioned have already passed.

This week on Sludge we Introduce our newest host Rowan, joining Marcel for the first time on the May episode of GroundUp. They dive into the wave of AI generated posters, music, and art that has the Cape Town scene divided. 

We're also proud to introduce SAHARA, the South African Heavy/Alternative Release Archive, a p...

This is the story of one of South Africa's most promising hip-hop artists, filmed at the places that made him.

We start at PEGG's high school, where he found hip-hop, fell in love with drama, and met the late Simon of PosterBoy. We end off at Dropkick Murphy's, the venue where he won an open mic that led to a Cotton Fest mixtape feature and a life-changing performance.

PEGG breaks down:

• Why Glenwood's b...

Reegan (Facing The Gallows), Myke (Your Cynical Sanity) and Dwayne (Sunken State) open with mic technique, then dive into bands and albums that inspired them to become metal vocalists. The boys cite bands like Bring Me The Horizon, Slipknot, We Butter The Bread With Butter, Infant Annihilator, and more.

Later in the episode: Defending Nickelback, listing underrated bands, calling out overrated bands and vocalists, (Ronnie Ra...

Your monthly GroundUp for April is here!

The segment where Nasiphi and Marcel cover whats been happening within the local music scene.

From events like the  @GhastZA   National Breakdown tour or the  @WalkTheseSkiesOfficial Pray For Cyanide show at Railways to upcoming shows like Devilnest's Venom at The Werehouse and Misty Waters Music Festival.

They look over some of the new release's from ...

This week Marcel sits down with Vulvodynia guitarist Luke Haarhoff to chat about the band and where it's at.

Dropping into what's on everyones mind, the open auditons to be Vulvodynia's new vocalist. What are they looking for? Who will take the role and finally free Lwandile from his unending side quest?

We get into some tour stories and some of the wildest experiences the band has had, from a close call in Turkey to ...

From his involvement in the scene as far back as the early 2000s, his roots with prolific bands like The Overmind and Divine Affliction, and his present successes with Imperious Vision, Deven has solidified his place as a local scene legend, at a relatively young age.

On this episode we discuss:
South African Metal: Whether it's in a better place now than "back in the day"

Wacken Metal Battle: We break down Imperio...

Have you ever wondered where all the alternative Afrikaans music is?

This week Marcel does a deep dive into the new wave of Afrikaans alternative artists that have been popping up. Who are these artists, why Afrikaans, and what was the history leading up to this point? 

From the origins of Afrikaans Alt traced back to Koos Kombuis, the lasting impact made by Fokofpolisiekar, DJ's getting into fist fights over dem...

This week we're bringing you something new!

Introducing a new segment hosted by three of South Africa's best metal vocalists. Join in as they talk about their favourite gateway bands, backstage stories, best shows, and more!

Let us know what you think in the comments! Would you like to see more of Myke, Dwayne, and Reegan?

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March saw a bunch of releases and events across the country within the alternative and metal scene!

This month on Ground Up Marcel and Brynn touch on some of the interesting happenings within the scene: Orange County's IGNITE playing on South African shores for the first time, new releases from Moondaygun, The Fismits, The Medicine Dolls, And Sunken State, as well as chat in depth about bands and their output. 

V...

After two decades of silence, Plum made their comeback in 2025, and they’re louder, wiser, and ready to reclaim their place in South Africa’s alternative scene.

In this episode, Nasiphi sits down with Warren to unpack the band’s return, the underground legacy they left behind, and the fire that brought them back together. From wild 90s gigs to their current and future plans, this is Plum like you’ve n...

This week on Sludge Underground Marcel talks to Brett from ‪@igniteband‬  leading up to the bands debut appearance in South Africa. Join in as they chat about the band meeting Fuzigish's Malcom at Punk Rock Holiday in Slovenia, the bands over 30 year run, and stories from a band that's played in over 50 countries in its lifetime. 

Let us know who you'd like to see come to South Africa next! 

Edited by M...

February was jam packed full of highs and lows across the South African alternative and metal scene, we're breaking it all down!

On this episode, Marcel & Nasiphi recap the month's biggest stories: The cancellation of Calabash, the success of Emalyth Fest, and the latest releases from Sonder The Africanime, Mouse, and Lucy Kruger. We're also joined by Myke Taylor of Devilnest/Your Cynical Sanity, who gives us a recap of ...

Step into the mind of Sunken State frontman Dwayne Hees in this unfiltered episode of Sludge Underground.

We look at his journey, having grown up in an Afrikaans household in Rustenburg, starting out as a vocalist before even touching vocals, and his pre-Sunken State days with links to MoshMallow bassist Reinhardt. Dwayne talks about how he met Mat Swanepoel and how Sunken State's OG lineup was formed.

The episode a...

What really happens after Wacken Open Air? In this episode, we dive deep into the challenges South African bands face after representing the country in Germany, and why breaking out internationally isn’t as straightforward as it seems.

🎤 We put YOUR questions directly to Sash, giving you the answers you’ve been waiting for. Plus, we explore what Emalyth and the Wacken Metal Battle South Africa have lined up for ...