Brutal Assault is boldly expanding its musical catalogue, inviting an increasingly diverse selection of interesting artists to the Josefov Fortress. At the same time, the festival has managed to enlist some of its older staples, resulting in a killer lineup. There were multiple clashes to contend with, unfortunately, but that is to be expected with such a strong bill.
We started the day with Hungarian avant-garde project THY CATAFALQUE, the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Tamás Kátai. Originally conceived as a studio-only project never intended to be performed live, Kátai eventually decided to take his extensive repertoire on the road, much to our benefit. His music draws from a wide range of influences, incorporating elements of Hungarian folklore, guttural metal vocals, clean female singing, groovy basslines, and string arrangements, all wrapped in an eerie atmosphere that is unmistakably his own. How do all these seemingly tangled elements work on stage? The short answer is: excellently. Every component serves a specific purpose, and everything comes together in a cohesive whole without a hint of randomness. And somehow, it is catchy, too. Mr Kátai, we tip our hats to you! THY CATAFALQUE released their latest album, “XII: A gyönyörű álmok ezután jönnek,” in 2024.
Death metal under a scorching sun is an unusual sight, but what can you do? Rock ‘n’ roll ain’t a piece of cake. While their fellow Danes from BAEST, who played the previous day, are particularly fond of Scandinavian death metal, CHAOTIAN seem to draw a little more inspiration from their American counterparts. Regardless of their influences, these lads know exactly what they are doing and seem to have the genre running through their veins, despite being a relatively young band. Their death metal is gnarly and perfectly suited to ripping a crowd apart, even in the middle of a heatwave. Which, honestly, is exactly what you want. CHAOTIAN released their debut album, “Effigies of Obsolescence,” in 2022.
Arthur Brown was unable to perform at the previous year’s Brutal Assault, so bringing him back in 2026 was only fair. And what a spectacle it was! The eccentric antics of THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN are as bonkers as ever, with the legendary frontman still setting his helmet on fire at the ripe old age of 84. Some things simply never change, and thankfully, Brown has no intention of toning things down. His theatrical performance was a welcome reminder that rock ‘n’ roll has never been exclusively about the music. THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN released “Gypsy Voodoo” in 2019, proving that the flame is still very much alive, quite literally.
Despite having formed only in 2017, PALEFACE SWISS have already taken the deathcore community by storm. And it is not difficult to understand why. Their stage energy seems practically infinite, while their repertoire is as heavy as it is catchy. The breakdowns could probably rip the very fabric of reality apart. Their high-energy performance proved contagious, spreading through the crowd, who responded immediately with an enthusiasm that matched the band’s own. We came in without any particular expectations and walked away with far more than we had bargained for. A great show and an excellent replacement for coffee! PALEFACE SWISS released their latest album, “Cursed,” in 2025.
CLAWFINGER are not exactly the first band one would expect to encounter at an extreme metal festival, but they ended up delivering one of the most entertaining performances of Brutal Assault. Despite technical difficulties, the band made the most of the situation when their guitar decided to cause trouble. As one might reasonably ask: “Oh great, we travel to an extreme metal festival, and what fucks up first during the show? Not the electronics, oh no, the bloody guitar!” While the issue was being sorted out, Jocke and Zak kept the audience entertained with a bit of impromptu stand-up comedy. The crowd was thoroughly amused, proving that a little technical mishap can occasionally turn into an unexpected highlight. Although the band repeatedly referred to themselves as nu-metal dinosaurs, their performance was absolutely killer. CLAWFINGER released their latest album, “Before We All Die,” in February 2026.
We would be lying if we said PRIMUS were not among our most anticipated performances of the entire festival. Musically, the show was an absolute treat, which is hardly surprising given that Les Claypool and the rest of the band are true virtuosos. Their musicianship was impeccable, and watching them weave their wonderfully unconventional compositions together was a delight. However, the performance leaned more towards a treat for groove aficionados than a full-blown spectacle. While we would have appreciated a little more in the show department, there is certainly nothing wrong with letting the music speak for itself. PRIMUS released their latest studio album, “The Desaturating Seven,” in 2017.
We blinked, and suddenly BEHEMOTH‘s debut full-length album, “Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic),” turned 30. To celebrate the occasion, Nergal came up with a rather fitting idea. Instead of taking BEHEMOTH on tour to perform the album in its entirety, which would have created an obvious scheduling conflict with the band’s promotion of their latest release, he invited Icelandic black metal outfit MISÞYRMING to bring the record to life on stage. It turned out to be one of the best decisions imaginable, as MISÞYRMING possess precisely the kind of raw fury needed to capture the spirit of “Sventevith.”
Seriously, this union was a match made in hell. The performance was absolutely killer, Nergal was in top shape, and MISÞYRMING delivered far more than we could have hoped for. Their ferocious sound was a perfect fit for the material, giving the anniversary performance an intensity that felt both authentic and utterly devastating. Hands down, one of the best performances of the day.
To wrap up the day, we opted for something a little more subtle with Sweden’s KATATONIA. The band have long been pillars of melancholic death-doom, instantly recognisable thanks to Jonas Renkse’s unmistakable voice. Over the years, they have reinvented themselves several times, incorporating influences from various other genres, yet the core of their sound has remained remarkably consistent: dark, moody, evocative, and deeply personal. This emotional depth resonates with a wide range of listeners, so it was hardly surprising to see a substantial crowd gathered for their performance. KATATONIA released their latest album, “Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State,” in 2025, continuing their long tradition of crafting music that lingers long after the final notes fade away.
Photos by Maria Sawicka
