Top Metal Show in London - Sept 2025
September 2025 is shaping up to an epic month of gigs for all you Citadelians in London. If you’re looking for a festival of riffs, blast beats, and guttural growls, this is the month your calendar’s been waiting for. Death metal, black metal, thrash, it’s all converging on the capital in a glorious storm of distortion and sweat.
We at Heavy Metal Citadel have been tracking the announcements, and the ticket drops so you don’t have to. We’ve narrowed it down to the unmissable gigs. From underground club chaos to big-stage brutality, here’s your survival guide to London’s September of sonic devastation, complete with ticket links and the lowdown on what you can expect when the amps light up.
Cancer at The New Cross Inn - September 6
Buy tickets: Cancer at New Cross Inn
The month begins with a double-dose of nostalgia and neck-snapping aggression. Cancer are one of those bands whose name is whispered with respect among death metal historians.
Formed in the late ’80s, they cut their teeth alongside legends like Bolt Thrower and Carcass, delivering raw, thrash-infused death metal that hits like a steel-toed boot.
Expect the classics from To the Gory End and Death Shall Rise, played with the kind of ferocity that only comes from a band who never lost their edge. The New Cross Inn’s intimate, sweatbox atmosphere means you’re not just going to hear this show, you’re going to feel it in your bones. We’ve been to The New Cross Inn before to see Midnight live and it’s never disappointed us!
Torture at The New Cross In - September 10
Buy tickets: Torture at New Cross Inn
Just when you’ve recovered from Cancer’s assault, Torture rolls into town with a set that’s going to drag you back into the pit. These guys deal in pure, uncompromising death metal, no frills, no melodic breaks, just relentless riffing and blast beats that hit like a pneumatic drill to the skull.
The crowd here will be a mix of diehard London death metal heads and curious newcomers lured by the band’s reputation for chaos. The New Cross Inn will once again be transformed into a war zone, so wear something you don’t mind getting drenched in beer and sweat.
Portal at The Underworld - September 15
Buy tickets: Portal at The Underworld
Portal are the kind of band we love at the Citadel! Known for their suffocating, surreal approach to death metal, their live shows feel like brutal Lovecraftian rituals. Portal is sure to bring dissonance, labyrinthine guitar work, drums that feel like collapsing architecture, and a stage presence that borders on performance art horror.
The Underworld is a perfect venue for this, dark, cramped, subterranean. Sure that stupid middle pillar will be a pain as always, but it’s still pretty decent. It’s going to feel like being dragged into another dimension for an hour. If you’re new to Portal, don’t expect clear hooks or singalongs. This is about atmosphere, tension, and the kind of heaviness that makes your stomach drop.
Atheist at The Underworld - September 16
Buy tickets: Atheist at The Underworld
The very next night, the same venue will play host to Atheist, pioneers of technical death metal who blew minds in the early ’90s with their fusion of jazz-like complexity and death metal ferocity.
Their influence is woven into the DNA of countless modern bands, but seeing them live is still an experience like no other.
If the word on the streets is true they’ll be playing tracks from Piece of Time and Unquestionable Presence. The mosh will certainly be moshy with this one, so leave your glasses at home, dorks!
Cosmic Void Festival at the O2 Academy Islington - September 19-21
We saved the best for last, of course. Brace yourselves, mortals! The Cosmic Void Festival descends upon London's O2 Academy Islington from September 19-21, 2025, a black metal maelstrom of unholy sound and fury!
Witness the infernal rituals of Necrophobic, the spectral hauntings of The Kovenant, the relentless onslaught of Absu, and the dark incantations of Varathron. Your soul will be torn asunder by a lineup of blasphemous bands across three days of pure, undiluted chaos. The final tickets are on sale, do not miss your chance to be consumed by the void!
Friday, September 19th
The darkness descends with the searing sounds of Alkhemia, Dark Sonority, the wall shattering beats of Emyn Muil, Necrophobic, and Ritual Death.
Saturday, September 20th
The second day of chaos brings Argesk, Blood Countess, Darvaza, Ellende (who we’ve interviewed before), Imperial Demonic, Kall plays Lifelover, Lunar Mantra, Lychgate, Shardana, and the industrial black metal majesty of The Kovenant.
Sunday, September 21st
The final judgment arrives with the mythological might of Absu, Bewitched, Hexenbrenner, Horrenda, Lavinia Whateley, Necro Ritual, Negative Plane, Sacramentum, Splendidula, and the Hellenic black metal gods Varathron.
Prepare your soul for a three-day odyssey into the heart of the abyss!
Why September in London is a Metalhead’s Pilgrimage
London has always been a nexus for metal, but this September’s lineup feels special. It’s not just the variety, from old-school death to avant-garde blackened chaos, it’s the intimacy. These are shows where you can see the whites of the band’s eyes, feel the bass in your chest, and leave with a story to tell.
Each venue plays its part: the sweat and closeness of New Cross Inn, the cave-like intensity of The Underworld, the big-room punch of the O2 Academy Islington, It’s a month that proves extreme metal isn’t just alive in London, it’s thriving.
Written by: Chort the Crop Infestor
“Hi, I’m Chort I infest crops and listen to Black Metal!”
