Bangalore Open Air returns on 10 October 2026 at BITS Club Grounds, Hennur, Bengaluru.
There are eight bands in the announced lineup. So, the 14th edition of BOA brings together artists from six countries and spans a wide range of heavy music, from death metal and gothic doom to black metal, deathcore, thrash, post-metal, and Indian folk-infused metal. Here are the are the eight acts that you will catch at the BOA 2026. We have also added the records and songs that best introduce the sound of each of these bands.
1. Carcass
Carcass, originating in Liverpool, sits amongst the most influential names in extreme metal. The band started with a raw grindcore and goregrind attack before moving towards more technical death metal and, later, the melodic death metal sound.
Their essential releases include Necroticism – Descanting the Insalubrious (1991), Heartwork (1993), the comeback album Surgical Steel (2013), and Torn Arteries (2021). BOA 2026 also brings Carcass back to India after their appearance at Mumbai’s BIG69 festival in 2015. If you only have time for one track before the show, “Heartwork” gives you a clear entry point.
2. Paradise Lost
Originating in Halifax, England, in 1988, Paradise Lost helped establish the sound that became gothic metal. But, their music has moved through death-doom, gothic metal, heavier traditional metal, and more electronic territory without losing its dark, melancholic character. Gothic (1991), Icon (1993) and Draconian Times (1995) remain central albums in their catalogue.
Bangalore Open Air 2026 will mark the band’s first performance in India. For a concise introduction, “The Last Time” from Draconian Times captures the band’s balance of weight, melody and atmosphere.
3. Thy Art Is Murder
Thy Art Is Murder originated in Western Sydney in the year 2006. Their sound combines death-metal speed and blast beats with huge breakdowns, intense and heavy guitar work, and an aggressive rhythmic attack. Hate pushed the band onto the international stage, while Holy War, Human Target and Godlike expanded their catalogue without softening their approach.
The band released Godlike, their sixth studio album, in 2023. “Reign of Darkness,” the opening track from Hate, remains one of the most recognizable examples of their sound and makes an obvious pre-BOA listen.
4. 1349
1349, the Norwegian black metal band was formed in 1997. The band made its name around speed, heavy riffing and the intense soundscape of old-school black metal. Their 2003 debut album Liberation established that direction, while Beyond the Apocalypse (2004) and Hellfire (2005) strengthened their reputation. Later albums such as Demonoir (2010) broadened the atmosphere without abandoning the aggression of the band.
Their most recent full-length album, The Wolf & The King, arrived in 2024 and combines relentless black metal with flashes of thrash and heavier grooves. The song “Shadow Point” from that album offers a strong snapshot of their current sound.
5. Nervosa
Nervosa formed in Brazil in 2010 and built a global fanbase with fast, sharp-edged thrash metal compositions. Founding guitarist Prika Amaral took over lead vocals in 2023, beginning a new phase for the band with Jailbreak. Their catalogue also includes Victim of Yourself (2014), Agony (2016), Downfall of Mankind (2018) and Perpetual Chaos (2021).
In April 2026, Nervosa released their sixth album, Slave Machine, which combines old-school thrash speed with a modern, tightly produced attack. The title track makes the most current introduction to the version of Nervosa that BOA audiences will see in October.
6. The Ocean
Berlin-based band, The Ocean has spent more than two decades combining progressive metal, post-metal, sludge, electronics and large-scale concepts. While there have been several lineup changes, Guitarist and founder Robin Staps has remained the project’s creative center. Pelagial (2013) stands as one of their key records, followed by the two-part Phanerozoic cycle and 2023’s Holocene.
The band will release Solaris on 25 September 2026, only 15 days before Bangalore Open Air. Its first single, “Light Pollution,” introduces the band’s new lineup while retaining the slow-building dynamics, atmosphere, and heaviness that define their sound.
7. The Down Troddence
The Down Troddence originally came from Kannur, Kerala, and now operates from Bengaluru. The six-piece blends thrash and groove metal with Kerala folk traditions, including musical influences connected to Theyyam. Additionally, their lyrics often address caste discrimination, inequality, politics, and other social issues.
Their 2014 debut, How Are You? We Are Fine, Thank You, swept eight Rolling Stone India Metal Awards. Their recent second album, As You All Know, This Is How It Is, includes tracks such as “Maharani,” “Ejjathi” and “Monsoon in Kannur.” The latter makes a strong introduction to their current mix of regional musical identity and heavy metal.
8. Midhaven
Mumbai’s Midhaven formed in 2011 and works across progressive metal, sludge and heavy psychedelia. Their music moves between intense guitar riffs, clean and harsh vocals, atmospheric passages and Indian musical ideas rather than staying inside one metal subgenre.
The band released Spellbound in 2014 and followed it with the concept album Of the Lotus & the Thunderbolt in 2021. Their 2025 single “The Veiler” pushed their sound into heavier territory, and the band followed it with European dates in 2026. So, for a first listen, “Primal Song” shows the direct, riff-heavy side of Midhaven while retaining the progressive character that runs through their work.
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Also read: From Bangalore Open Air to Wacken – Salman U Syed on Building a Future for Indian Metal
