Live Review : RADAR Festival on August 2nd 2026

Maebe start the Sunday off with their impressive brand of instrumental math-rock. It’s all from the brain of Michael Astley-Brown, dreamt up in lockdown as a solo act that has since transformed into a full five-piece onslaught. It’s intricately technical and surprisingly catchy as well.

Ihlo are a bit of an enigma to me. They dart from being a clear contender and stable mate of the sound of TesseracT to something a lot more mundane. There’s no doubting the vocal technicality and range of vocalist/keyboardist Andy Robison and the instrumental work is as intricate and progressive as the aforementioned genre leaders. But the songs seemed to drift at times and I’m not convinced there are the hooks just yet that are needed to really cement their place higher up the bill

I’ve been waiting to see Milan’s Benthos since I first heard their album ‘From Nothing’ last year. We ranked it 18th in the TOP 100 albums of the year, but it could easily have been number 1. We often say that bands are unpigeonholable and unique, but trust me when we say this about Benthos we mean it and more. Fans of The Dillinger Escape Plan and The Hirsch Effekt will love these guys - they do a bit of everything exceptionally well and mash it all together in a variety of elements within not only their set but each song as well. It sounds like it would be discombobulating and unpalatable, but whilst some do find it challenging even those people agree that the band deliver an exceptional end product. Check out our interview with them after their set (HERE) to understand their music more.

Elwood Stray are as slick and accessible as you could possibly want for a mainstage band at an alternative and technical metal festival. They do all the parts you want them to do well…well, and the fans enjoy every moment. They are not reinventing the wheel with any of their songs, but when you can do something so effectively then why would you play outside of your sandbox.

Luna Kills suffer from having their set later in the weekend than some of the other bands that they are very similar to. They are more than adept at what they are doing and seem to have plenty of hype behind them, but it is simply another band with accessible modern metalcore songs led by an albeit great female vocalist. There’s simply an irony that for a technical and alternative festival there isn't anything that technical or alternative about this offering by the time we get to this point of the weekend.

Einar Solberg on the other hand is as unique as they come, with his signature vocal style and sound he is a bona fide star in the scene. With a backing bank comprising of the best musicians he can source, including Harrison White on keyboards and the Benthos bass player, every note and vocal line is written and delivered to perfection. Interestingly, Einar’s solo offering is in many ways more vulnerable and classical yet also traditionally heavier at points than his band Leprous. The unexpected directions and technicality that Leprous take may be missing in his solo work, but everything that we love about his voice and style musically is apparent in bucket loads here. Stunning.

DALI are one of my favourites in the heavy end of technical metal and every chance I get to see them live I jump at. Previously known as Dali Thundering Concept the rebrand to simply DALI mirrors their evolution in sound - namely something less about simply challenging the crowd with technical endeavours, and rather using those elements in a much more groovy and holistic manner. It means that all the aspects that original fans love are now available in a delicious package of groove metal that you can listen to whilst driving and not expect to veer off the road. Today they are as fantastic as ever and to find out more about them check out our interview HERE.

Voyager are well known to everyone following a fine 9th place in Eurovision 2023, but to many of us they were already a known exceptional prog metal talent well before this. Always taking melodies and song crafting as a central virtue of their music, the signature sound of Danny Estrin’s vocals, keytar and overall vibe have never wavered. This is of course despite, and in the face of, the shocking cancer diagnosis he received three years ago. It means that every time we see Danny and Voyager perform live it is a special emotional moment, and that is no less apparent today. There is reflection but no melancholy, emotive meaning but no wallowing, in every song performed by the exceptional musicians of Voyager. The weekend has seen them deliver masterclasses as well as a masterclass on stage, and we must savour and cherish bands and artists such as this while we can.

Back on the second stage Employed to Serve are seemingly as gnarly and furious as ever, with a genuine fear that the pillars holding up the venue may melt under the fret board action and aggressive vocal delivery of both Justine and Sammy. We’ve seen these folks from Woking across numerous gigs and countries now, but they never let us down and always deliver their uniquely expansive modern metal in an engaging and impressive manner. The set today seems more cohesive than ever and we’re left with massive grins on our faces by the end of it.

The Pineapple Thief are an example of a band putting the alt into alternative at RADAR festival. Difficult to define beyond prog rock, but easy to listen to, they have those who are snagged by their sound and style in the palm of their hands. I often talk about technicality, but sometimes that shows itself in a performer delivering a set which has zero (and I mean) errors in their play despite the difficulty on show. Drummer Gavin Harrison (also of Porcupine Tree and King Crimson) does that tonight - and it doesn't go unnoticed with those fans who are drummers in the crowd. The rest of the band are equally as accomplished technically yet it is never self-indulgent or boring, with their almost easy listening progressive rock a nice change up too many of the bands playing this weekend.

ten56. on the other hand are as heavy as they come, and we wouldn’t want it any other way! I’m a massive fan of these guys from Paris, who started very much as a cathartic project led by Leicester-born Aaron Matts but are now a fully-fledged juggernaut of an technical modern extreme metal band. You could liken their sound to other bands, such as Emmure, but the reality is that what these guys are offering is more experimental and unique than any of those other bands out there. Matts’ vocals are distinctive, the guitar tone is deliciously weighty yet serrated, and some of the drumming  could be mistaken for drilling for oil. It’s aggressive, nasty and fantastic.

And so, to our final headliners in the instrumental powerhouse that are Animals As Leaders. Instrumental acts aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but for those who do enjoy the noodling and widdling of such an act then this band are the pinnacle. There’s always a balance between self-indulgence and playing cohesive songs, and I’m never convinced with this band that they strike that balance well, but maybe I’m not the target audience for this level of introspective performance. It feels more like a recital at times than a gig, but you can't fault their ability and pull as a headliner for an eclectic festival such as RADAR. With that in mind we draw a close to the festival and bid farewell until the next instalment to be held in Sheffield from next year. See you there!