30. Open Air Gränichen 2026

Performers

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  Signs of the Swarm

  Deathcore was once dismissed as a trend, so it’s ironic that it now has trends within itself. Downtempo, slamming and now blackened variants of the style have dominated its scene at various points, with many bands jumping ship.

  Pittsburgh’s Signs of the Swarm aren’t just any band, though. They’re a once-a-generation beacon that radiates the sounds that surrounded them, preserving history by reframing it. On fourth LP Absolvere, they’re bleak without being blackened, smashing without being slam, and downtempo as a choice rather than a stylistic confine. And as many of their deathcore peers experiment with adding singing, often gruff in tone, they add a more ethereal style that soothes on “Dreaming Desecration” and “Death Whistle.”

  The band contrasts that with some of the most brutal moments in their eight-year career, with riffs more punishing than pensive and a rhythm section that frames them in creatively cacophonic ways. Above it all, they’re utilizing vocalist David Simonich monstrous range in a much fuller capacity than on his debut, 2019’s Vital Deprivation.

  That transitional album found the band experimenting to re-find their footing, which here lands on solid ground through the addition of guitarist Jeff Russo, a former bandmate of Simonich’s fin Improvidence. The proof is in the placing, with Absolvere landing at #15 on “Current Hard Music Albums,” #21 on “Top New Artist Albums” and #139 on “Heatseekers.”

  Behind the cohesive crusher is drummer-turned-bassist-turned-drummer Bobby Crow, who acted as de facto producer, arranging the riffs written across Skype to make the songs more than the sum of their parts.

  This gave Simonich a lofty platform from which to roar about the real (loved ones struggling with addiction, submitting one’s self wholly to art despite negativity swirling about) and the surreal; he or his characters beg for the release of death only to be denied. “Nameless” centers around a character collecting souls marked by death to receive its blessing, while “Blood Seal” follows a ritual to summon it. “Dreaming Desecration” and “Hollow Prison” are two sides of the same coin. When one finds themselves trapped in a meaningless existence, they can either attempt to escape through murderous hallucinations or succumb to the grave, respectively.

  “Death Whistle” is the penultimate song, closing the album and the writing sessions for Absolvere with a tale concluding in sweet release. The piercing screech of the titular whistle contrasts with a subtle serenade.

  Indeed, sometimes contrast can be a perfect complement, but more often that effect is achieved when paired with something more in-line. So it is when Ben Duerr (Shadow of Intent) and Alex Erian (Despised Icon) join the band for growls and shouts, where Signs of the Swarm filter their guests’ bands through their own sound. Instead of taking away from their identity, it expands it.

  They’re steadily expanding their global reach, too. In the few short months since Absolvere’s release, Signs of the Swarm have toured with the likes of Fit for an Autopsy, Born of Osiris and Shadow of Intent. Forthcoming domination campaigns of Europe and Australia will be added to their tenure with Aborted, Lorna Shore, Brand of Sacrifice and more. Forget the signs, the swarm is already here, and it’s growing larger and louder every day.

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  Bad Cop/Bad Cop
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  Laura Jane Grace

  Dritte Wahl ("third choice") is a German hardcore punk band.
  
  In 1988 Gunnar Gunnar (voc/g), Busch'n (voc/bg) und Krel (dr) played their first gig in their hometown Rostock (North/East Germany).
  
  In January 2005 Busch'n died of cancer.
  Stefan (voc, bg) became his worthy replacement.
  
  They finished their 7th album "Fortschritt" in September 2005.
  
  The first live-dvd of Dritte Wahl is planned to be released in the 4th quarter of 2006.
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  Slomosa

  Hailing from the west of Norway, the four-piece Slomosa has been making waves across borders. With their heavy sound the band coined their own genre - Tundra Rock - inspired by the American Desert scenes of the '90s. Influenced by bands such as Kyuss, Elder and Black Sabbath, their music is both heavy and groovy at the same time, with raw vocals and thunderous guitars.

  Growing up in a part of the country where high mountains and wild nature surrounds one, the group eventually came together in Bergen – coined by many as “the music capital of Norway”. After their debut concert late 2017, the band got signed despite not having released any music.

  After building a following through extensive gigging in their hometown, the band started working on their debut album. In October 2019 their first single, Horses, was released on all platforms, to much acclaim. The song premiered on national radio in Norway, with a notable Norwegian music journalist claiming it to be “...some of the best rock he’d heard the last years”.

  Their two following singles - There is Nothing New Under the Sun and In My Mind's Desert - further contributed to the band's growing hype, with Spotify listing their music on their official Stoner Rock playlist. Both singles further showcased Slomosa's unique ability to merge heavy riffs with catchy songwriting, catching the attention of rock fans all over the world.

  In late August '20 the band released their much anticipated self-titled debut album.

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  Madball

  MORE POWER. MORE PAIN.

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  Agnostic Front

  Agnostic Front (formed in 1980) is an American hardcore punk and crossover thrash band, hailing from New York City, New York, U.S.

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  Xoxo
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  HATHORS

  HATHORS is a power trio based in Winterthur!

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  Pulley

  Pulley is a Southern California punk outfit that made its debut in 1996. The band is known for straight-forward, hard-edged melodic punk. Pulley was formed upon vocalist Scott Radinsky's departure from Ten Foot Pole, brought about by that band's desire for a singer with a full-time focus on music (Radinsky is also a major-league relief pitcher and has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, among others).
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  Deez Nuts

  A HEDONISTIC HARDCORE/PUNK ROCK BAND WITH MEMBERS FROM MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA, NYC USA, TORONTO CANADA & QRT PORTUGAL.
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  Less Than Jake

  Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida, formed in 1992 and currently consists of Chris Demakes, Roger Lima, Vinnie Fiorello, Buddy Schaub and Peter "JR" Wasilewski.

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  The Ghost Inside

  New album ‘Searching For Solace’ out now on @epitaphrecords Fall Tour Tickets Now on Sale at theghostinside.com

• Metal Cervelat
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  Swiss & Die Andern
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  Bad Cop Bad Cop
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  Rantanplan

  German Ska punk...The Band was founded by Meissner and Bustorff in autumn 1995 modelled on Bands like Operation Ivy and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. They immediately decided to sing only in German because Bustorffs English was not that good and he had problems pronouncing the "th". Shortly before that Schottstedt and Meissner played in a Hardcore-Band which kind of emulated the New York style of some bands (like Pantera) at that time. They basically had a yelling singer and some hard guitars. There were other bands like Pitbull, Bullterrier and many more which all named themselves after "aggressive" dogs. To show that this band would be something different the name "Rantanplan" was selected, after the dog from Lucky Luke, which is "sillier than his shadow" and is mostly thinking about getting food.