The sounds. The powerful, melodic, angelic, brutal, soft, and unrelenting sounds. The taste of a bead of sweat on your lip, and the serenity between sets. Welcome to Oblivion Access Festival, where everything is a perfect contrast of itself. The heavy tunes grinding by, complimented by orchestral soundscapes. Mosh pits coinciding with smiles and hugs. Cold drinks and colder riffs clashing with the Texas heat. Some shows you see at a bar, while other performances took place in church. Juxtaposing all the parallels leaves you with a solid understanding of what this festival has to offer, not only the fans, but also Austin as well, transforming the downtown into a buzzing haven for metal heads, punks, and lovers of all things noisy.

With the opening processions taking place Thursday, and only being able to fly in Saturday, there was already a buzz in the air, and also a small feeling of FOMO. Lil Ugly Mane, TR/ST, Have A Nice Life, and Yellow Swans had all graced the stage Friday, (with Yellow Swans playing a reunion show, their first since 2008). However, Saturday had quite the excellent bag of tricks for those in attendance. Fuck Money was intense and such a treat, and was definitely a “welcome to Texas!” moment, with the Austin based punks demolishing the stage at Mohawk bar. But, without a doubt, Empire Bar held the line steady with a slew of insane performances. Thor & Friends, (the project of multi instrumentalist Thor Harris) was a breathtaking show, with the band creating a cozy, meditative vibe, setting their instruments on the floor, rather than the stage. The ensuing act was something relative to Balinese gamelan, with several xylophones and a brass section blending together to create beautiful soundscapes. After taking a small walk to watch Clams Casino’s highly anticipated set, Empire hosted Brighton’s one and only Beak>, who were not only majestic performers, but also cool guys, heckling the crowd (and each other) every chance they got. This was followed by Krautrock legends Faust, who proved just  why they are Krautrock legends. Besides having two women onstage reading the newspaper, they also had a cement mixer, which was incorporated into the act, and a die grinder. (If this isn’t the heart and soul of experimental music and performance art, then I don’t know what is.) Rounding off the evening was solo artist Jarboe, formerly of Swans, whose brand of poetic mantras was complimented by the musical collaboration of Thor Harris, once again taking to the stage.

Sunday came around and so did the noise. Downtown Austin’s Central Presbyterian Church was home to two epic performances of the day. Stepping into the church was so vastly different compared to the other shows. Church pews replaced standing area, cold water and air conditioning replaced the mugginess of Austin, and thick fog enveloped all those inside the church, as everything was set in place for the first show, an atmosphere of noise and sounds curated by Final. Afterwards, those in attendance were treated to Tim Hecker, who arguably may have had the biggest buzz amongst festival goers. His set was everything one would expect, complete with the emotion, colours, and the various peaks and troughs of a cinematic experience. Although it was the same time as Drain, who have been on the must-see list for quite a while now, the need to stay and experience the eerie and ethereal experience of Tim Hecker in this low lit, massive cathedral. Catching the women-fronted black metal outfit Ludicra was a no brainer. Everything about their show was visceral, especially considering they were returning to the stage after a 11 year hiatus last year in 2022. Afterwards, Godflesh took to the stage and their brand of industrial metal had everyone outside banging their heads, with members Justin Broadrick and BC Green creating a massive wall of sound for just two dudes. Inside the venue, Pallbearer had a breathtaking performance, playing all the classics while also previewing some new material off their next album. Although the vocals in Pallbearer sometimes feel overshadowed by the heavy instrumentation, a look around the crowd saw everyone singing the lyrics in unison, with smiles turning into tears of joy, because thats just what Pallbearer does. No one in doom metal can evoke the same emotions and feelings as these guys, and perhaps it could be argued that they had one of the best shows of the weekend.

With all Oblivion Access Fest has to offer, it almost makes you wish it was a week long affair, rather than just a weekend! As most people in attendance come to see a particular act, one of best parts about a festival like this is seeing bands that you’ve never heard of, making new friends, and having the whole experience blindside you. Without a question, Oblivion Access Festival will continue to grow and expand their ecosystem of heavy, eclectic, noisy and orchestral musicians and performers, keeping true to their ethos of keeping Austin weird. They definitely did just that, while also having some surprises in store for fans. More noise. More surprises. More bands we love, and more bands we have yet to fall in love with. When Oblivion Access comes back around in 2024, you guys can go to hell, but I’m going to Texas.

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