PREVIEW: Nu-Metal Has Its Moment At Inkcarceration
- By
Ramon Gonzales
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Along with a slate of reunion sets set for Mansfield, the summer celebration of all things heavy will showcase plenty of metallic nostalgia worth revisiting.
The annual congregation on the hallowed grounds of The Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield is set to take place this weekend with Inkcarceration 2025 nearly sold out.
Welcoming thousands of fans to the repurposed penitentiary brimming with lore, Inkcarceraiton has become one of the most celebrated heavy cultural events on the year for it's comprehensive line-up of talent and it's a live music destination that is second to none.
With no shortage of firepower for the 2025 installment, Inkcarceration's billing is more than loaded. Topped by the only domestic set of the year from the masked nine of Slipknot, in addition to headlining sets from Falling In Reverse and Five Finger Death Punch, the fest's top line showcases some of heavy music's most bankable names.
Among the many plotlines that can be sourced going into Inkcarceration 2025, one of the more interesting is the moment that nu-metal seems to be enjoying in real time. Known for pulling off rare appearances, reunion sets and exclusive performances, the team at Danny Wimmer has managed to assemble an impressive roster of Nu-aggression that manages to bridge a generational span - live and in-person.
With featured sets that include reunions and anniversaries from the greats of Y2k-era, modern aggressors are also in focus as the festival brings together the classics and contemporaries of NU edge.
Ahead of the retreat to the reformatory, here are the artists, both established and emerging, that are flying the flag for nu metal.
SPINESHANK
Back after a 13 year hiatus, Spineshank's appearance at Inkcarceration will feature original members Jonny Santos, Rob Garcia, and Tommy Decker, along with new cohorts in guitarists Tommy Decker Jr. and former Chimaira member, Jason Hager. The band is out to mark the 25th anniversary of The Height Of Callousness - a seminal release that helped to define nu-metal's early 2000's heyday.
DRY KILL LOGIC
Reconvening to celerbate the 20th anniversary of The Dead and Dreaming, Dry Kill Logic made their return to the stage for rhe first time in nearly two decades earlier this spring at Welcome to Rockville in Daytona Beach, FL. The performance was also bolstered by the first new release of material in more than five years with the launch of "Now You Belong With the Dead".
While there are no formal plans to specify any album during their set, it has been 25 years since Taproot dropped GIFT and cemented their rank as a cult favorite. Consistently putting out music and touring, having released a new album in SC/SSRS just two years ago, the Michigan vets have remained one of the more consistent bands from the era - and one that has plenty of sleeper hits for a rousing festival set.
SNOT
Resurfacing after more than a decade, SNOT is having a moment in 2025 with new singer Andy Knapp at the helm. Performing well-received reunion sets thus far, the band has also announced they are working on new music - the first offering in more than a generation. In much the same way Kittie finally received their flowers on the festival circuit the year prior, SNOT is back and eyeing the future while honoring their past.
ALPHA WOLF
Among the exciting crop of emerging voices in heavy culture flourishing in Australia, Alpha Wolf harkend to a time when hip hop bounce and bravado bolstered the crunch of nu-metal heft. The band's acclaimed 2024 LP, Half Living Things is bruising showcase of aggression loaded with swagger and punctuated by a guest feature from the legendary Ice-T. Alpha Wolf may not identify as nu-metal, but they embody everything that was progressive about the era and then some.
SWOLLEN TEETH
For better or for worse, much of what was filed under "NU" during the early 2000's was due in part to its unwillingness to file in line with more conventional genrelines. By that same criteria, Swollen Teeth are the modern wave all things NU. Aside from the instrumentation that includes programming, samples and turntables, the band's frenzied, metallic meld sources from various categories to become something powerfully unique. Swollen Teeth is NU for a new era.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
CROSSFADE - Back for some of their first shows in more than 13 years, the set wull feature founding members, Ed Sloan and Mitch James.
KITTIE - Legends. Pioneering ladies of metal are back to rip.
SLEEP THEORY - Coming off of massive tours supporting Falling In Reverse, Papa Roach and more, the band's most recent release Afterglow has propelled the band to new heights in what has been a breakout year.
THE UNION UNDERGROUND - The Texas vets are back and out to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the album, ...An Education in Rebellion.
See the complete line-up for Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival 2025 below. Get tickets and info - HERE
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