Review by Kayla Hamilton (@kaylazomboid)

RAMPAGE FEST
The Street Hall, Ratchada, Bangkok Thailand
March 22nd 2025

Festival coverage is always a curious beast to slay. When bands are playing back to back, it can be hard to keep tabs on every act and with every act that played RAMPAGE FEST over the weekend in Bangkok, there are a plethora of things to talk about. If I write about every single moment that had me wowed and every single band that graced the stage, this review would be thousands of words. 

But I know attention spans are short- so let me condense in a way that maximises impact.

RAMPAGE FEST boasted a lineup that was about Asian metal pride- and to put it simply; it delivered across many fronts. The venue hall was on top of a shopping centre, which meant not only was the air conditioning great- there were plenty of facilities, making it an ideal place to host a nine-hour event.

Being the first band to the stage, Thai idolcore band DEADKAT had the task of breaking in the audience that had arrived early. While capacity was nowhere near reached, the DEADKAT supporters were vocal and passionate enough to make up for it. In typical idolcore fashion, the members embodied true stage presence. Choreography on point, outfits absolutely stunning and vocal talent definitely there. A few technical issues did impact the sound a little, but the DEADKAT members seemed unphased and continued in true professional fashion. I will admit, I am not the biggest fan of idolcore bands- I don’t know if it’s just they trigger some internalised metal elitism- but I will honestly say I enjoyed their performance more than any other idolcore band I’ve seen. Endearing, professional and with time, I’m sure they will become a full force- they will definitely pick up more supporters and have a long career ahead of them. 

Much to my surprise, hidden in the darkness, there was actually a second stage set-up that I did not notice until the lights went on. The ‘Bloody Stage’ as it was dubbed, was the location for some of the hardcore acts and in typical hardcore, the lights when on and the breakdowns soon followed. Crusher, another Thai act, were the ones getting the floor moving this time and boy, did they move. Embodying that classic 90’s hardcore sound- this band is relentless. While there was some hesitation to start throwing down- once the first person jumped in- it was game on. A little crowd killing between friends is always a vibe- and while there was again, a few tech issues- this is to be expected when shows are held in venues like this. Teething issues aside, Crusher put on a heck of a set and had me feeling the pit itch to jump in myself.

Back to a little stage switching, deathcore/djent up and comers The Creation Of Adam followed straight after. Any of the previous sound issues seemed to be rectified and the mix was sounding damn near perfect. After seeing this band a few times- it was quite obvious that they are really starting to find their groove, as this was the tightest and most comfortable set of theirs I’ve ever witnessed. Plus, you always know it’s going to be mayhem when the guitarist has no shoes on. The band has boundless energy and frontman Tonger never lets anything phase him. While the audience was not participating in way that this band deserves, he did not for a second drop his confidence. Ripping out some hectic gutturals, it was damn impressive.

Just when you were about to catch your breath, Fordecision took to the Bloody Stage and honestly, this was one of the sets of the day for me. With no time to lose and nowhere safe to stand (I haven’t had to throw dudes back into the pit like this in awhile)- not even speakers could escape the pit. Honestly, I should’ve guessed this was going to happen when I saw a guy in the pit with a mouthguard in. The guitarist blew me away and their sound was just nasty in the best way. Thai Hardcore really is setting the standard in the region at the moment and Fordecision are close to being at the forefront of it. Honestly, excuse the language, but it was fucking brilliant.

After their set, I did need a quick breather so unfortunately I did only catch a little bit of Depressed and Ugoslabier. Both bands though, the bits I did catch were hectic. Depressed are the kind of band that pulls you in when you hear them from outside and Ugoslabier– well if you have never seen them live, you must. You really must. 

The first international act to take the stage though was Saigon’s DISTRICT 105. After just dropping a new EP, the band was more than ready to prove to the Thai crowd that they are a force to be reckoned with. It was one of those sets that felt like it way too quickly. They are honestly such a tight band and are really starting to level up in their sound. Vocally, Huy delivers such a raw, and honest performance and the rest of the band stands just as tall- proving they belong on the stage. Hitting us with some of their new material, like ‘A Broken Symbol’ and ‘Sad Melody’ plus some of their older tracks like ‘The Beginning of Hate’– definitely a band to keep an eye on and one we are following very closely. 

The next international act I caught was MakeMake from Taiwan. This is the third time I’ve been lucky enough to catch these ladies at a festival. They win hearts everywhere they go and the Bangkok crowd was no different. It was their first time in Thailand, but you wouldn’t know it. Always charismatic and always impressive, they even debuted a new song for the Thai audience. As they announced they only had a few songs to go, a ‘10 more songs’ chant erupted from the crowd, showing just how loved they are. I’m sure they will make it back to Thailand very soon.

Unfortunately, I did miss Stray Wolves and Adora- but that tends to happen at music festivals right? Because if you have spent more than a second in the Thai music scene, even as a foreigner, you are sure to make new friends. The scene is one of the most welcoming scenes I’ve ever encountered. Sharing food, beverages and conversation- the vibe here in Bangkok at music festivals is unmatched, and it was no different at RAMPAGE FEST.

It was then time for the two Japanese bands, the first being the mathcore, progressive metal cult favourites Cyclamen. While I had seen their name around for years, this was the first time that I had been able to witness this band in action and oh boy, am I a new fan. They got a warm reception from the Bangkok scene, and for good reason. Riffs on riffs on riffs, they were so ridiculously polished. Technical mastery, but still possessing so much soul in their music. Groove? Unmatched. Frontman Hayato was a beacon of light and had me constantly smiling between songs, while also wowing me throughout. In a veteran move, he got down into the crowd almost straight away, forcing the audience to follow suit thus creating an expectation of them straight away. That mathcore complexity on full display, but also the prettiness of their music permeating through even the most stubborn watchers in the room- it was a sight and sound to behold. When Hayato said “We are having so much fun”, you could tell he genuinely meant that and it also was a sentiment being felt across the room.

After that stellar performance, it was always going to be a difficult task for a band to follow, but luckily our headliners were more than up to the task. “Half from Japan, Half from Korea”- the Tokyo metalcore magnets PROMPTS were ready to bring down the curtain.

And that they did.

Taking to their stage with last year’s release ‘Sun Eater’ their first time performing started with a bang. With a new look, it is clear that this band is really coming into their own. My mind went blank for a second and I don’t remember how I got from near the back of the room to almost right at the front of the stage- that’s just the power of PROMPTS. It felt like being hit with a wave of sound, taking over your senses and drawing you into their world. It was their stage now. The Thai punters were also lucky enough to be first to hear their latest single ‘Stranger’ live- and my gosh, does it go hard. I think my body felt it on a cellular level, with frontman PK delivering a gut-wrenching performance- one you felt that came from the depths of his soul.

Guitarist Matsuno did not stop moving, relishing in the energy of the show and it just encouraged the crowd to up the ante. It was not an organised chaos like their shows in Japan, it felt an honest spattering of shell shocked moshers that were so overwhelmed by seeing this band for the first time and not having control over their movements. In a message to the crowd, PK gave props to the organisers and shouted a sense of pride about headlining a festival with only Asian bands- something that needs to be celebrated across the board. But we will touch on that in a minute. There was to be no encore, only the crowd needing to really leave everything on the floor during their final song ‘Empty Sandglass’. Finishing a wall of death, the impact of their set was felt by every person in attendance. 

Overall, RAMPAGE FEST hit us with a lineup of future greats. While many bands have cult-followings, they may not be as known outside these regions- but it doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to receive the success that other bands have. Every single act has worldwide potential and this festival, hopefully it continues to bring together to highlight such great bands from the region. The vibes were amazing, the venue was great and all in all, it is a festival that I will be putting on my calendar to attend every year from here on out.

Thank you so much to Loudly Prefer for having us. We will be back next time. 

And we think everybody else should too.