HMF 2025 Lineup Spotify Playlist - https://spoti.fi/3T4kU2p
Returning for its 6th edition after another year of crowd-pleasing epic fun in Vancouver, B.C., Canada's premier melodic and power metal festival HYPERSPACE METAL FEST announces the addition of Symphonic Metal Storytellers, Minneapolis' AfterTime to their 2025 lineup to replace the unfortunate cancelation of OwlBear.
Since their inception in 2011, AfterTime has been perfecting a potent blend of Symphonic Metal and orchestral film scores. Their songs are larger-than-life and unapologetically epic, with a special focus on adventurous storytelling and marvelous atmospheres. This past September, the band announced Narcissa as their new vocalist and released a version of their song "Sons of Fenrir" with her on vocals. The track is from their latest album “Arcane Horizons” released in May 2024.
Festival organizer Joey Hockin of Journeyman Productions adds:
"This time of year is always hectic for us, and this year is no exception. Owlbear has been forced to pull out of the lineup this year. For more info on that, watch for a statement from them on their page. In their place, we will have the epic AfterTime from Minneapolis! They'll be playing Vancouver for the very first time on day 3 of Hyperspace and we can't wait!"
Being hosted at The Cobalt (April 10 &11th) and the Rickshaw Theatre (April 12th), Hyperspace Metal Fest's 2025 lineup features headliners ENFORCER, PSYCHOSTICK, Greyhawkalong with Crimson Shadows, Lunar, AfterTime, Tower Hill, Solarus, Red Cain, Tylor Dory Trio, Serpent Rider, Luminator, The Astral Prophets and Crüzer.
Headlining Saturday, April 12th at The Rickshaw Theatre, Sweden's ENFORCER have proved themselves both live and on record, they stake their place amongst the world’s most renowned heavy metal bands since first forming in 2005. They have toured the world over, playing the biggest festivals and garnering a global fanbase. Their latest sixth studio album Nostalgia (released May 2023 - Nuclear Blast), features 13 heavy metal anthems and throws ENFORCER back to their speed metal roots. Fusing extreme guitar riffing with catchy stadium choruses, ENFORCER is out to conquer the world.
Supporting ENFORCER on the closing night lineup will be Comedy Metal Kings PSYCHOSTICK. These humorcore titans bring forth a nostalgic escapade of sing-alongs and moshing fun with iconic titles such as "Beer!", "Numbers (I Can Only Count to Four)", "Dogs Like Socks", "Obey The Beard!", "Boobs", and their latest single "Ultra Mega Fast".
Friday, April 11th, the second-night lineup will also witness the return of the formidable force that is Toronto's Crimson Shadows bringing forth tales of fantasy and warfare in their fierce melodic power and death metal-imbued sound. Thundering across the icy Canadian mountains, Crimson Shadows has awoken after five years away. The band has emerged from the dark and is preparing to forge its own path in this next stage of its journey. Across their defiant career stretching almost two decades, to date notable highlights of Crimson Shadows' journey include the band’s appearance at Wacken Open Air in Germany in mid-2013 and subsequent victory in obtaining the title of International Wacken Battle Champions. Alongside international performances, Crimson Shadows has ventured across the length and breadth of their homeland delivering brutality, technical prowess, and unyielding intensity in their melding of power and death. Music Video - Guardians - https://youtu.be/W9BKYvGYeCM
Headlining Friday, April 11th at The Cobalt and returning for their third time at HMF is Seattle's Greyhawk stepping in at the last minute to headline night 2 of Hyperspace this year. With new singer Anthony Corso, Greyhawk is ready to bring the power with what is sure to be their best performance at Hyperspace yet! Anyone who has seen this traditional heavy metal titan before knows that they are in for an incredible set. Their newest album "Thunderheart" released in April 2024 on Fighter Records, a division of Xtreem Music has been making waves across the heavy metal and power metal scenes worldwide.
Also featured on the Friday night lineup is the first-ever live performance from Lunar, a progressive metal project from California that features members from Helion Prime, Beholder, Vis Mystica, Mokili Wa, Nordic Frost, Outloud, and Double Vision. Founded by drummer Alex Bosson (Helion Prime, Planeswalker) and Ryan Erwin who passed away in 2018, LUNAR continues in his memory. Their fourth full-length "Tempora Mutantur" was released on January 31st via Saibot Reigns Records to follow 2023's "The Illusionist" and features a fresh lineup with the addition of guitarists Carlos Alvarez and Connor McCray (Vis Mystica) along with keyboardist Anthony Stahl plus album guests Wayne Ingram (Wildrun), Joe Gullace (Thank You Scientist) and Sam Vallen (Caligula's Horse).
Meant to perform on the 2024 lineup, but forced to cancel, Tylor Dory Trio returns for 2025, they are a monstrous progressive metal unit and beloved by many in Western Canada. This live performance on Friday, April 11th, will be their first following a nearly seven-year layoff.
Also added to the Friday lineup and opening that night is The Astral Prophets, a psychedelic rock/metal band from Calgary, AB featuring Apprentice, Lycanthro, and Scythia members. This is the band's first time on the fest although some members have played the fest before in previous groups. They will be supporting their latest 2023 EP "Anywhere But Here".
Opening night of the festival, Thursday, April 10th at The Cobalt, will showcase the Pacific Northwest's Glyph, which is not just a heavy metal band, they are a crew of intergalactic mercenaries escaping a dying planet in their spaceship, the VSS Dragonlord. Clearly, Glyph isn’t just writing songs, they’re building worlds and they bring it forth in their latest album "Honor, Power, Glory" released this past March.
Traveling from Edmonton, AB, Tower Hill delivers premium old-school heavy metal inspired by bands like Running Wild, Riot, Judas Priest, early Blind Guardian, and Helloween. Forging the best of the late 80s and early 90s German, British, and US metal scenes into a new blend of shimmering steel, Tower Hill’s riff-driven, hook-laden traditional metal will have you banging your head and singing along.
Replacing the originally announced Lost Nebula, Calgary's RED CAIN has been imported to perform their power-prog storytelling with Eastern European roots for the masses. They have been making waves since their first release in 2016, with award-winning music videos and concept albums “Kindred: Act I”, “Kindred: Act II” and "NÄE'BLISS". The albums contained a ton of genre inspirations, from gothic rock to ambient electronica, power, black, and death metal, and were universally lauded for their inventiveness, variety, and strong conceptual content. They continue this momentum with the latest singles "Firestarter" and "Demons II".
Hyperspace Metal Festival VI - April 10th - 12th.
One-day passes and three-day passes are available at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/hyperspace-metal-festival-vi-tickets-1000996957847
Facebook Event - https://www.facebook.com/events/1637280440385808
Thursday, April 10th - The Cobalt
Glyph
Tower Hill
Red Cain
Serpent Rider
Crüzer
Friday, April 11th - The Cobalt
Greyhawk
Lunar
Solarus
Tylor Dory Trio
The Astral Prophets
Saturday, April 12th - The Rickshaw Theatre
Enforcer
Psychostick
Crimson Shadows
AfterTime
Luminator
To follow updates for Hyperspace Metal Festival 2024, please visit the following links:
Facebook.com/HyperspaceMetalFestival
Instagram.com/HyperspaceMetalFestival
Over the five editions of Hyperspace Metal Festival, bands from all over the world have come to play power, prog, melodic death, and speed metal on the Canadian West Coast. The festival has presented lineups that have included performances by Týr, Flotsam and Jetsam, Skelator, Trollfest, Aether Realm, Exmortus, Striker, Riot City, Into Eternity, Witherfall, Planeswalker, Iron Kingdom, Helion Prime, Ravenous, Crimson Shadows, West of Hell, Judicator, Odinfist, Tanagra, Scythia, Greyhawk, The Order of Chaos, Red Cain, and many more.
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