I don’t remember when I first heard about Roadburn festival in the Netherlands, but I remember the first thought I had when I did. “I wish we had a cool festival like that here.”
Now, before you come at me with “Canada has great festivals, what are you talking about?” understand that I’m not knocking any of those said festivals. But Roadburn does things differently and is far more aligned with my personal taste in music.
Since travelling to The Netherlands isn’t in the cards for me at the moment, I view that festival as more of a bucket list item. Something I hope to attend one day.
Then, in 2024, Toronto promoters Denholm Whale and KW Campol (also of Mythos & the Perpetual Flame Ministries) created something entirely unique. A festival called Prepare the Ground (named after the Yob song). I attended for the first time in 2025, and as soon as it ended, I knew this would be a festival I’d attend every year.
The 2026 edition only reinforced that feeling. And this time, I’m going to write about it. So, let’s get into it!
Day One – The Church of Ra is in Session
With a Prepare the Ground beer in hand, brewed by the awesome Woodhouse Brewing, I started my day at the Dance Cave with Lowheaven. It’s hard to describe their sound, so I’m taking this from their Bandcamp page, but they sit somewhere between post-hardcore, screamo, blackened noise, and metal. Years ago, I saw them here in Montreal with another amazing band, Spotlights, so I knew their set would kick ass. And it did.
I’d then see Blood Ceremony perform their signature witchy-rock, but acoustically. It was a special set, and one I’m glad I was there for. Then I saw Mizmor, and was drenched in the wall of black and doom metal, juxtaposed by dark green lighting that set the mood perfectly for their set.
At 9:15pm at the Trinity St-Paul’s church, my most anticipated set of the day (and honestly, the entire festival) was about to begin. Amenra took the stage in what could only be described as pure ritual. Rarely do I attend shows where every single person in the room is silent as the band plays, but without fail, this is the case every time I see Amenra, and this set was no different. Opening with “Boden,” the weight of the music was instantly palpable in the air of the church. It was the perfect backdrop for an Amenra show. The set continued with “Razoreater,” “Plus près de toi,” “De evenmens” and other staples of any Amenra show. Honestly, I wish I had better words to describe their set, but you just had to be there.
Day Two – Equal Parts Beautiful & Devastating
Day two was a day of tough decisions, as is the nature of any festival. The venues that host the various bands and artists are smaller settings, which is by design as it allows you to have more of an intimate experience. It also means that if a venue reaches capacity and you get there too late, you risk being unable to get in.
That’s why I spent the entire day in Lee’s Palace for this one. Starting early at 5:30 was a special acoustic set from Amenra. I don’t know how this band does it, but their acoustic performance carried the same emotional weight as the night before at Trinity-St. Paul’s. Peppered into their setlist were covers of “Kathleen” by Townes Van Zandt and “Song of the Siren” by Tim Buckley, which only added to the atmosphere they created.
As the venue emptied and people started moving to other venues for other shows, I realized I was in a fantastic, close-up spot. If I stayed there, I’d have amazing views for Svalbard, Portrayal of Guilt, and Oathbreaker (who, along with Amenra, were “cannot miss” sets for me). So, I made the tough call to miss Pallbearer and Oranssi Pazuzu. Devastating, but that’s festival life sometimes.
But it was all worth it as I stood near the front row and Oathbreaker got on stage. As Caro, lead singer of Oathbreaker, began to sing the opening of “10.56,” the entire room fell silent. Entranced by her vocals, that moment wouldn’t last too long before the band launched into the atmospheric, wall-of-obliterating-sound that is “The Second Son of R.” From there, they played the rest of Rheia in full, an album that still feels and sounds as emotionally raw as it did when it was released in 2016.
Day Three – A Glorious End
The 3rd day was an interesting one for me, because it was the day that had the most bands/artists I was unfamiliar with. Which, in a way, made day three the quintessential Prepare the Ground experience. Discovering new music was the name of the game, and there was plenty to discover.
I managed to catch my first secret set of the festival on day three – Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean. I knew this band by name only, and knew their sound would be mostly rooted in sludge and doom, but what I didn’t expect was the absolutely suffocating massiveness of their riffs, layered with brutal vocals that almost felt more death metal in nature, rather than the usual stylings of doom metal. But it worked, and what an awesome way to start the final day of the festival.
Wiegedood was my most anticipated set for the day. I had watched Unholy Altar (a more traditional leaning black metal band hailing from Pennsylvania) at the Dance Cave upstairs from Lee’s Palace, so by the time I went downstairs, the venue was absolutely packed. I found a spot at the back, where I thankfully had a good view.
To lump Wiegedood into the black metal category would be accurate, but that doesn’t really tell you what their full sound comprises. While they definitely have all the characteristics (blast beats, fast riffs, shrieked vocals), something about the way they play with overwhelming intensity feels almost meditative in nature. It was easy to see why the venue reached capacity so quickly for this set.
Everything You Could Hope For
By the time Sunday evening ended, and I walked back to my hotel, I was already thinking about next year. I was exhausted, and my feet and back were in absolute pain. And all I could think about is how I wish it wasn’t over. Prepare the Ground was three days of intensity, discovery and I’m so grateful to have experienced it all.
As soon as early bird weekend passes went on sale, I made the easiest decision ever when I bought them. See you for PtG2027!
Dom Goes to Shows 