Festival season is well and truly back! After Florida's Welcome To Rockville kicked off the seasonal calendar – with a few weather hitches – it's delightful to report that Ohio’s Sonic Temple has no such issues...on day one, at least. Returning for its fifth instalment, 2026 looks to be ST’s biggest year yet, promising over 185,000 visitors over the weekend.
So how better to start than with a bunch of feral goblins? Before Nekrogoblikon even take to the stage there’s a giant inflatable goblin face, and things only get weirder from there. There’s a cognitive disconnect in seeing a singer in hardcore garb – black hoodie, trucker cap – unleashing hyperactive snarls and squeals like a, well, goblin, while the actual honest-to-god vocalist dressed as an actual goblin croons and belts out power metal style melodies. It all ultimately adds to a sense of surreal fun that takes us nicely into the weekend.
