Full Album Stream: Throwing Bricks & Ontaard –Something to Lose: Live at Roadburn 2025

Why It Matters

The release demonstrates how niche festivals can elevate underground acts, fostering genre‑defying collaborations that reshape the extreme‑metal landscape.

Key Takeaways

• Two Dutch extreme metal bands performed a commissioned set
• Set blended black metal, screamo, sludge, doom influences
• Guest musicians added electronic, acoustic, industrial textures
• Live album released vinyl and digital April 10
• Collaboration highlights festival support for experimental metal

Pulse Analysis

Roadburn Festival has long been a crucible for avant‑garde heavy music, and its decision to commission a joint piece from Throwing Bricks and Ontaard underscores that reputation. By inviting two relatively small Dutch acts to co‑create a seven‑track suite, the festival not only provided a platform for artistic risk‑taking but also signaled a shift toward nurturing collaborative works rather than merely showcasing individual performances. This approach aligns with Roadburn’s broader mission to push the boundaries of extreme music while preserving its underground ethos.

The resulting performance is a study in genre alchemy. Drawing from black metal’s bleak atmospheres, screamo’s raw emotional intensity, sludge’s crushing weight, and doom’s slow‑burning dread, the set weaves these elements together with guest contributions that add synth‑driven electronics, acoustic interludes, and industrial noise. The seamless integration of such disparate textures creates a dynamic listening experience that challenges traditional metal purism and invites fans to reconsider the limits of the genre. This kind of cross‑pollination reflects a growing appetite among listeners for hybrid sounds that defy categorization.

From a market perspective, the dual‑format release—vinyl and digital—taps into two powerful trends: the vinyl resurgence among collectors and the immediacy of streaming for global audiences. By self‑releasing, the bands retain creative control and a larger share of revenue, while the festival’s endorsement adds credibility that can drive pre‑orders and media coverage. The collaboration may inspire other festivals to commission similar projects, potentially reshaping how live recordings are produced and monetized within the metal community.