Necrosonic Festival returns to Mansfield Tavern on Saturday, August 22 2026, and the full lineup has been revealed to the masses! With dual headliners Rivers of Nihil (USA) and our very own Psycroptic, alongside exclusive reunions, one-off performances and long-awaited resurrections ~ this year’s ritual is the most formidable yet.
With a massive deference to Australian talent, this year’s line-up is: Rivers of Nihil, Psycroptic, Gravemind, Lynchmada (Exclusive ‘One Last Time’), Segression (30 Year Reunion), Minus Life (Resurrected – Exclusive), Pestilential Shadows, Five Star Prison Cell (Resurrected), Wxrldfxcker, Witchskull, Dreamkillers (Special EP Set), Helm (Resurrected – One-Off Show), M.S.B.I. (Resurrected – One-Off Show), Barriers, Meth Leppard, Permafog, Destruktor, Gutless, F.U.C, RUN, John Lee Spider, The Matador, Body Prison, Growth, Grotesque Bliss, Vyrion, Neomantra, Nembutolik, Slaughtercult and Bruxa.
HEAVY has thrown down the challenge and sent a Q & A sheet out to all bands, with any that don’t return one completed having to buy us a beer at Necrosonic. So while we are quietly hoping we get minimal replies, a couple have gotten back to us already, and today we feature SEGRESSION.
Tickets and more information: https://necrosonicfestival.com/
Segression is an Australian heavy metal band from Wollongong, New South Wales, originally formed in 1990 under the moniker Eezee. Heavily blending thrash and groove metal, the group is fronted by founding vocalist and bassist Chris Rand.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Segression established themselves as an enduring force within the domestic heavy music scene. They secured coveted national support slots for touring global heavyweights, sharing stages with the likes of Pantera, Slipknot, and Ozzy Osbourne. Their landmark 2000 release, Smile, remains one of the highest-selling domestic metal albums in Australian history. Following a hiatus, the group officially reformed in 2026 to celebrate their 30th anniversary, introducing guitarist Damon Bishop and launching their retrospective compilation, Best of Segression.
Q & A
HEAVY: NECROSONIC 2026 is almost upon us. How far out from August 22 will you allow yourself to get excited?
SEGRESSION: I was truly excited from the moment Kent kindly offered to put us on the bill.
H: What does it mean to your band to be playing NECROSONIC?
SEGRESSION: We are really honoured the band is pumped. This is such a strong lineup. I’m proud to be a part of it.
H: How important are festivals like NECROSONIC for the Australian music scene?
SEGRESSION: I think they are the lifeblood of the Australian Metal community, something for established bands to be proud of and for young bands to strive towards.
H: It’s a long day of music. What will you be doing to make sure you will still be standing come your set time?
SEGRESSION: Staying relaxed, calm, enjoying the company of friends that I haven’t seen in a long time. And of course, watching some killer bands.
H: Give me your Top 3 Festival survival tips.
SEGRESSION: Comfy shoes, a planned-out timetable, and a full wallet helps.
H: Which band – other than yourself – do you think will get up to the most mischief on the day?
SEGRESSION: Dreamkillers for sure.
H: What one song of yours would you tell festival-goers to listen to if they haven’t heard you play before?
SEGRESSION: Fifth of the Fifth.
H: Will you be taking requests on the day?
SEGRESSION: Of course we will.
H: Run us through your typical live show and what punters can expect.
SEGRESSION: An unrelenting, segregated, aggressive onslaught that will not let up the whole time we play.
H: What’s your latest release?
SEGRESSION: The Best of Segression album.
H: Finally, what plans does your band have for the rest of 2026 and into 2027?
SEGRESSION: We have a bunch of dates that’ll take us all down the east coast and across to Adelaide and possibly Perth before we begin writing for a new Segression in 27. December, we are playing a totally free show with PistonFist in our hometown of Wollongong, so we think that’ll be pretty interesting considering our last show completely sold out two months in advance.
