Meh Suff! Review: Switzerland’s Finest Weekend of Metal
Hüttikerberg, Hüttikon - September 4-5, 2026
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Hüttikerberg, Hüttikon - September 4-5, 2026 〰️
Hellooooo once again from your favourite putrid pustule, Chernoglav! This time I found myself far from the Citadel in Hüttikon, Switzerland… probably one of the most Swiss sounding places in Switzerland (they all end in -kon for some reason), and getting ready for another edition of Meh Suff! Metal Festival. You know, the festival with the name that is something you say after being offered another pint of Feldschlösschen at 2am AKA “Drink More”. And honestly? It is one of the best little metal festivals knocking about.
Cows, Cervelat and a Fine Forest
Now granted, getting there is not exactly free but the trains are plenty and somewhat cheap. HOWEVER! The bus fee was outrageous. I mean, we already live in the country where buying a sandwich can require a loan so why should the festival shuttle be any different? But whatever! You get on, hear some poor Germans saying “Willkommen aus Switzerland” and suddenly you’re all in it together. A bus full of foreigners, Swiss metalheads and probably at least one guy who has never washed his battle vest since 2009 (maybe that was me), all heading into the countryside to get their ears gaped.
And as you arrive, you see the forest, the green hills and literal cows just chilling around the festival grounds. Proper cows. Not some logo, or an ironic cow-themed art installation, but ACTUAL Swiss cows staring at metalheads as if they have seen all this before. Maybe they have. Maybe one of them is secretly the organiser. Would explain why the festival is an UDDER DELIGHT.
Like most Swiss things, Meh Suff! was organised down to the minute. Stage times were on point, the staff knew what was going on and the bartenders were so quick and efficient that I barely had time to mentally prepare myself for spending seven francs on a beer which is not even that bad (somehow cheaper than fests in London for example). Seven francs for a BEER at a Swiss festival is almost charity. That is what, like six Euros? (For the Europoors).
There is also camping, which makes the whole thing feel like a proper little metal holiday. You are not forced to run for the last train after the headliner - unless you’re me. You can just stumble back to your tent, eat something questionable and wake up the next day ready to see another twenty bands while farting up a storm from the Alpenkase wedge you’ve been eating.
But the main thing here is the vibe. Meh Suff! has that proper family atmosphere. Not in the annoying “we are all one big family” corporate-slop way where someone says that before charging you 14 bux for fries, but in the real sense. Loads of people volunteer every year which just shows what a dedicated following there is. We ran into a few new friends familiar with Heavy Metal Citadel doing their thing at the bar and around the site, which is always nice because it means the Citadel is slowly spreading across Switzerland like a particularly handsome and drunk fungus.
Also backstage was super chill. Good food. Delicious pork stew. Bands hanging about, no weird VIP nonsense. Got to say hello to P.G. from Groza and Andy from Saor. All very lovely people. I did not embarrass myself that much, which is a personal victory. Well, not that I remember anyway. And who did I spot next?? He’s immediately recognisable thanks to the fiery mane and a rad Canadian tuxedo. It’s Mikael Stanne from Dark Tranquillity! Mikael is one of those people who somehow manages to look friendly, stylish and like he has spent thirty years screaming about existential dread in Sweden (check out Cemetery Skyline if you haven’t already). He also seemed properly impressed by it all and said of the fest:
“First time here... great to see level of passion for this festival. It’s a family vibe and amazing to see dedication of the locals volunteering together. You can tell It’s a festival people really care about, it’s a communal experience.”
Day One - Blast Beats, Beer and Bad Decisions
SAOR
First big highlight, having just recently done a great interview with them (with brilliant questions like “Scottish Macaroon or Deep Fried Mars Bar?”). Now Saor are one of those bands that make you want to stare out across a misty mountain valley, even if you are actually standing in a field beside a bloke eating sloppy raclette. The sylvan vibes were epic, which is probably the minimum you expect when they are playing in Switzerland surrounded by hills. The set was heavy on the new album which is good becasue it’s my favourite and by ‘heavy’ I mean like 2 out of the 4 songs. I wanted MORE!
DESTRUCTION
I know people say this all the time about old-school thrash bands. “Still got it!”“They haven’t lost a step!”“They are like a fine chianti!” Usually this means they played three classics while standing fairly still and then disappeared backstage to have a nice sit down.
Not Destruction. They still had the energy and the attitude. There were some falsettos, there were riffs, there was much headbanging and “Curse the Gods” went down exactly how you would expect it to. Check out our review from London for the full experience!
DARK TRANQUILLITY
Mikael Stanne is such a good frontman. He’s all over the place, throwing himself into the songs, getting the crowd going and somehow still looking like he is having the time of his life, along with one of the guitarists who had a permanent smile on his face, like the movie! (only beaten by the Korpiklaani drummer in the happiness department).
They played “Punish My Heaven” and “Cathode Ray Sunshine,” both of which are among my favourite tunes, yeah sue me I’m an oldhead! There were some annoying tech issues that messed with the set sadly. Bit of stage banter later and back to enjoying themselves. Total professionals.
GROZA
Groza came out clad in black and looking very imposing - I mean imagine if they came out in Hawaiian shirts or like dentist smocks. But they had a proper presence. It was all very dark, very intense and very cool. One of the best bands at Meh Suff!, I was right up front and the sound was massive. P.G.’s vocals were especially good and I enjoyed them even more than on record (already good). A bit more shouty…. with a bite and rawness. More like “this man is about to yell directly into my soul.” “The Redemptive End” and “Elegance of Irony” were both great, and it was one of those sets where the band just felt super tight. ALSO! I’m glad P.G. totally admitted that they and other bands have copied the HMC black hood style (we’ve been doing it since 2020 but we had idea was like waaaay before that I swear).
“[Meh Suff] has always put on really great festivals and the lineups are always cool and with lots of variety. Gets better every year!!”
Day 2 - No Neck Left Behind
BRYMIR
THE FISH PIT.
Brymir threw plush fish into the crowd and suddenly there were soft toy fish flying around the festival like someone had opened a portal to a unhinged Scandinavian market. Everyone was having a great time. It was ridiculous and somewhat wholesome. It was honestly one of the best things I have seen at a festival this year. If you have never heard Brymir, go listen to “Voices in the Sky.” Top-tier.
DEADSQUAD
Then we got DeadSquad (no space!!), and Jesus Christ. These Indonesian tech-death wild-men had the crowd moving immediately. The post-lunch sleepiness was over. Gone. Destroyed. There were wall of deaths, circle pits, sit-down bits, jump-the-fuck-up bits and various other activities that are probably not medically recommended after eating a bucket of alpine Mac N Cheese. And WOW… the bass player’s hair had the silky smoothness of a Pantene ad, I was hypnotized. Also there were multiple feral children absolutely ripping up the pit. Proper little maniacs, you love to see it.
HELLBUTCHER
Ahhh the semi-supergroup of Swedish veterans. Chatting with a friend she’s like “where’s the singer for the soundcheck” but I totally knew it was allllll about the mystique, and second later Hellbutcher himself popped out with a spooky hood, took a sweet goblin stance and unleashed hell for the next hour. The set was pure speedblack heaven, and the performance was memorable as true veterans of the scene. Their album is so good so they played most of that plus a racuous cover of “Black Metal” at the end.
DEMOLITION HAMMER
Another one I was looking forward to! “Human Dissection” went down brilliantly and then “Neanderthal” opened up the pit properly. I think the only other time you will hear someone say “this song is about a slouching dimwit brute” is when they are talking about Chort after he has three beers and decided sitting down is for cowards. Proper oldhead metal with stage banter with about twelve million F-bombs in it, like true New Yorkians.
Not so Meh, Suff!
Ahhh well what a blast that was, I’m nice and cozy back at the Citadel. Next time you’re in the cheese and chocolate country no doubt you’ll be only a few months away from SOME event put on by Meh Suff! This fest stands as their highlight each year, and unlike some other festivals *cough cough*, it is a perfect mix of black, death, thrash, folk and probably other great non-metalcore genres by established and underground artists alike. KUDOS to everyone involved, all the bands, the volunteers, the savage pit children, and especially the cows for letting us use their field for another year.
TOTAL SUPPORT!!
Learn more about Meh Suff! here including the next shows they’re putting on!
DAY 1
| Time | Band | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 13:05–13:50 | T.2.B. | Switzerland |
| 14:20–15:05 | Hurakan | France |
| 15:35–16:20 | Tyrmfar | Switzerland |
| 16:50–17:35 | Jasad | Indonesia |
| 18:05–18:55 | Dödsrit | Sweden |
| 19:25–20:15 | Saor | United Kingdom |
| 20:45–21:45 | Destruction | Germany |
| 22:15–23:15 | Dark Tranquillity | Sweden |
| 23:45–00:45 | Groza | Germany |
| 01:15–02:00 | Total Annihilation | Switzerland |
DAY 2
| Time | Band | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 13:05–13:50 | Apolaustic | Switzerland |
| 14:20–15:05 | Brymir | Finland |
| 15:35–16:20 | Lucifer’s Child | Greece |
| 16:50–17:35 | DeadSquad | Indonesia |
| 18:05–18:55 | Hellbutcher | Sweden |
| 19:25–20:15 | Wolfheart | Finland |
| 20:45–21:45 | Demolition Hammer | United States |
| 22:15–23:15 | Korpiklaani | Finland |
| 23:45–00:45 | Benediction | United Kingdom |
| 01:15–02:00 | Death Vomit | Indonesia |
