Sil Khannaz There are moments when you pause and say to yourself, “Is this really happening?” One such moment occurred recently at the phenomenally successful Metal 2 the Masses Merseyside Grand Final. As I wandered around BOXPARK Liverpool and ARC:HIVE marvelling at the sheer number of talented musicians and passionate scene members taking part in that event it almost felt surreal just how healthy a state the Merseyside scene is in. Another such moment occurred when our friends in Black...

Black Fire performing at Zanzibar, April 2025 From brand new festivals to the emergence of new venues and cutting-edge bands, 2025 has been an unforgettable one for Merseyside heavy rock and metal. As we start 2026, we reflect on last year’s highlights and look forward to what is to come. Events and partnerships One of the core elements of our mission statement was to be outward-facing and to engage where possible with global partners to benefit the Merseyside scene. Thanks to our evolving...

Metal on Merseyside has developed an exciting new collaborative partnership with Black Label Production , a Kuala Lumpur based music promotions company. Earlier this year, Black Label Production brought Black Fire , an extreme metal band originating from Perlis, Malaysia, to Liverpool as the first stop on their inaugural UK tour – a tour supported by the Malaysian government. Widely regarded as the first band in Asia to perform Black/Thrash/Doom Metal in the Malay language, Black Fire ’s...