Hellfest 2026. Clisson, France. The sun is starting to take its leave as A Perfect Circle follow Anthrax on the other Main Stage. Could this be more different from Anthrax, which my colleague Sean covered? Hardly. Does it work well? More or less.
I mean, there is a rainbow in the sky the instant they come on stage, and the playing is absolutely splendid. Josh Freese on drums could play nursery rhymes and still sound good doing it. Maynard James Keenan’s vocals are absolutely great.
The issue here is that they are sandwiched between Anthrax and Megadeth. And, honestly, context is as important as anything in this business. Well, said context does not work well here.
A Perfect Circle’s trippy tracks fall flat in the moment, and the very calm, for lack of a better word, setlist, certainly does not help. Pretty much everyone seems sleepy and waiting for this to end.
And the visuals, essentially, their logo throughout, with the occasional image of one of the guys on stage, do not help.
So Dave Mustaine & co. can resume normal programming. I doubt they would have ever imagined getting such a head start.
HELLFEST 2026
Prepare to be consumed by the relentless energy of the most influential bands in Heavy Metal as they ignite the Hellfest stages with blistering performances. The immersive atmosphere of Clisson will immerse you in a dark, captivating experience like no other.
With its unparalleled lineup and unwavering commitment to the spirit of metal, Hellfest 2026 promises an unforgettable journey into the depths of sonic mayhem. Read all the Heavy Metal News at MetalTalk.
MetalTalk Hellfest 2026 coverage can be found at https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2026.
This year’s MetalTalk team is:
Photography:
For Hellfest 2025, visit https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2025.
For Hellfest 2024, visit https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2024.
For Hellfest 2023, visit https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2023.
For Hellfest 2022, visit https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2022.
