Ten Bands You Must See at Mangata Festival 2024

Taking place on Saturday 13th July in the centre of Nottingham and across four iconic venues (Rescue Rooms, Red Rooms, Ghost Nightclub, and Tap n Tumbler), Mangata Festival 2024 has shaped up to be a very tasty festival indeed. The brainchild of Mangata Music, a collective of event professionals and heavy music enthusiasts, the festival is a showcase of the best talent alternative music has to offer in this country.

We’re going. For the first time and we couldn’t be more excited as it features one of the strongest line-ups we’ve ever seen. We will either not stop to eat, drink, use the bathroom, or find a way to duplicate ourselves to see everyone.

Sadly, this isn’t possible, so we’re going to have to make some tough decisions. As will you, no doubt. Which is where this article comes in. We’ve chosen ten bands (five from Carl and five from Brendan) that we think you must check out if you’re at the festival.

Find out more about Mangata Festival here, and pick up your tickets here.

Syncolima – Ghost (Brendan’s Choice)

I have been a fan of Syncolima since listening to their debut album, ‘Where the End Meets the Beginning’ back in 2021 and love the follow up, ‘Wavelengths‘. I really enjoy the style of the band with its heavy focus on delivering catchy music, driven by big booming riffs. They deliver groove, booming drums, strong vocals and big choruses and are just immensely comfortable and satisfying to listen to on record. I haven’t had a chance to see them yet – I missed them at Bloodstock when they played due to interview commitments, so this is my first chance, and I am expecting to have a blast and get a sore neck.

Hidden Mothers – Ghost (Carl’s Choice)

With no hyperbole at all, you’ve not lived until you’ve experienced Hidden Mothers live, and whenever I have seen them, I’m mesmerised. When I’m not banging my head hard. The haunting post-hardcore and screamo band have become such a bankable name on the live circuit and I suspect they could be one of the entire show stealing bands of the day.

Kryptess – Red Rooms (Brendan’s Choice)

A band that I didn’t really know much about until building a playlist to familiarise myself with some of the bands, and I really love what Kryptess are doing. Their blackened death metal style may not be game changing, but they deliver a damn good example of it. Heavy bass lines, punchy riffs and filthy vocals – they deliver aggression by the truck load but still have enough groove and catchiness to get heads banging in the moments where the pit isn’t going to be circling frantically.

Street Soldier – Rescue Rooms (Carl’s Choice)

Are you ready to get well and truly f**ked up? All with the biggest smile on your face? It’s the hardcore antics of Street Soldier and they are one of the best in the country doing it today. Heads will be banged, bodies will be bruised, faces will be filled with an inordinate amount of joy as the heavyweight hardcore unit spread positivity through some of the most intense heavy music you’ll hear all day.

Ghosts of Atlantis – Rescue Rooms (Brendan’s Choice)

No surprise here from me. I think Ghosts of Atlantis are a phenomenal band, capturing my attention straight away with the release of their debut album, ‘3.6.2.4‘ and holding onto it ever since with the follow up, ‘Riddles of the Sycophants‘. Then, through the many times I have had the pleasure of seeing them live, they have backed up their studio recordings with powerful live performances mixing plenty of crushing heaviness with waves of dark beauty. These guys don’t play poorly, and they have grown in confidence and presence massively since the first time I saw them, a man short and a last-minute stage change, at Bloodstock Festival. I expect this to be yet another phenomenal showing from one of the very best the UK has to offer.

El Moono – Red Rooms (Carl’s Choice)

Sitting uncomfortably in the post-hardcore/alternative metal camp, El Moono really do defy genre terms. Having released one of the best albums of the year in May, they have become a must-see band, and I cannot wait to hear how this music translates to the live environment. I have no doubts that it will be suitable spectacular.

Blight Town – Ghost (Brendan’s Choice)

Blight town aren’t a band I am familiar with in any way until recently. Listening to some of the bands I didn’t know playing Mangata Festival, I added a few tracks from these guys to the playlist and it turns out I really liked what I have been hearing. An eclectic mix of genres with post hardcore, pop, and more, all making it into their sound but really, for my simple mind, it has a pop punk, rock vibe to it all. At least with the songs I have been listening to. They are high energy, fun and bouncy and that is perfect festival music for me.

Boss Keloid – Rescue Rooms (Carl’s Choice)

Is anyone really surprised? If you know me, you know how much I love this band and consider them to be the pinnacle of a live experience. I’ve never seen anything below ‘amazing’ when it comes to Boss Keloid live, which is crazy when you consider how complex and odd their psych-prog sound is. They take hugely compelling studio music, and make it sound bigger, better, and bolder. Likely to be my band of the day, already.

Veiled – Red Rooms (Brendan’s Choice)

Veiled are a top band delivering brutal blackened metal with a deathcore punch and a symphonic tinge. Unrelenting in their delivery, they offer high energy, riffs upon riffs, big breakdowns, powerful vocals and plenty of melody. It all creates an impressive and sometimes suffocating soundscape where you can’t help but be impressed by the sheer force of the band. Expect aggressive pits and vicious music from a band quickly and deservedly rising up through the ranks.

Pijn – Red Rooms (Carl’s Choice)

Are you ready to feel? Are you ready to experience a cacophony of emotion? To feel ecstatic highs and morose lows? If the answer to all of that is a resounding yes, then you already know that the post-rock collective Pijn is a must-see at this festival. Riding the high of their new album ‘From Low Beams of Hope’, this promises to be a deeply affecting set and I’m all in on the feels.