The wait is nearly over. Blacken Open Air – to be held from September 19 to 22 – Australia’s most unique heavy music festival, has dropped its full line-up for 2025, featuring an electrifying mix of international icons, exclusive reunions, and homegrown heavyweights.
This is not a rehashed, derivative or template event; it is a reinvention. Organisers are building on what they’ve done in the past, while reinterpreting the reason for doing it. In 2025, they searched the globe for artists that bring the extreme, the inspiring, the outrageous and the absurd, representing the real diversity of voices in the heavy music space. Not just across Australia and New Zealand, but from America, Europe and Asia as well.
And what better way for you to know what to expect from the bands than a personal, up close Q & A session? Today, we get to know Snake Mountain.
BAND NAME: Snake Mountain
BRIEF HISTORY: Formed in 2015, Snake Mountain draws inspiration from 80s/90s cartoons, action films, and the darker corners of pop culture. Over the years, the band’s sound evolved, landing on a blistering, high-energy blend of Melodic Technical Death Metal by 2022.
LATEST RELEASE: The Revenant
GENRE: Melodic Technical Death Metal
WHY PEOPLE SHOULD CHECK YOU OUT AT BLACKEN OPEN AIR: Our shows are high-energy, fun, and interactive—we want the crowd to be part of the chaos!
THREE THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT SNAKE MOUNTAIN: Jaymes loves Kit Kat Chunky share bars and White Monster energy drinks (He will be your best friend if you have some), Nev‘s pre show vocal warm-up involves a shot of Fireball and listening to Van Halen, Our in-ear/live rig’s name is Salma.
HEAVY: BLACKEN OPEN AIR 2025 is approaching fast. Are the nerves kicking in yet?
SM: Yes! We cannot wait to get on that damn plane and hang out with so many great bands and friends—like Nicolas Cage Fighter, The Black Swamp, Alarum, and Hidden Intent!
What does it mean to you to be playing at BLACKEN?
It’s been on our bucket list for a long time. Being included this year means so much to us—not just for the chance to play, but also to experience the culture and meet the incredible community we’ve heard so much about.
BLACKEN has been called Australia’s most unique music festival. Do you agree?
Absolutely. There’s a reason people travel from far and wide to be there. Jackson has been before and only had amazing things to say about the experience.
Who are you most looking forward to playing with and why?
Frenzal Rhomb! They’re national treasures who should be on a postage stamp—or a coin. Plus, they’re one of the best live bands on the planet.
It’s a long day of music. How will you make sure you’re still standing come your set time?
We’ll keep it light on the beers until after our set—we take our performance seriously. After that? It’s what we call ‘Side Quest’ time
Top 3 Festival Survival Tips:
Drink plenty of water. Don’t smash a million beers before the gates even open, you don’t want to miss out do ya? Slip, slop, slap because sunburn sucks!
Which band—other than yourselves—will get up to the most mischief?
Bunny Racket. We’ve heard King Bunny goes pretty hard after a few carrot juices!
What song do you think the crowd will want you to finish your set with?
We’ll be closing with a new track called A Portalis Infernum, which ends with a huge slamming riff we can’t wait to throw down with.
What’s in the setlist?
No spoilers—but expect a mix of our heaviest hitters and a couple of brand-new ones.
Which one song should people check out before seeing you live?
The Revenant—it’s got an epic solo and is a blast to play live.
What’s next for Snake Mountain after BLACKEN?
We’ll be opening for Gutalax in Brisbane just a few days after the festival, with more shows to announce before we head back into the studio to work on our next release.
