Saturday, 04th April 2026
The second day of Heavy Psych Sounds Fest Athens 2026 featured even more bands—ten in total—and for that reason, it started an hour earlier. A little after five, we were already at the festival venue, notebooks and cameras in hand, fully ready to enjoy each band one by one.
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
photos by Iro Kalligeri (@irokalligeriphotography)
Kidney Black: The first band to take the stage was Kidney Black. They are a Greek band that has created some buzz in the local scene, so I was curious to finally see and hear them live. Musically, their heavy rock carries touches of indie, alternative rock, and grunge. From a technical point of view, they were at a solid level, and their sound was definitely respectable. However, their songs left me somewhat indifferent. They were by no means bad, and they certainly show potential, but I feel they need to dig deeper compositionally if they want to truly stand out and draw more attention. If they really believe in it, they can absolutely make it happen.
The Clamps: Based in Bergamo, The Clamps describe their sound as speed stoner rock ’n’ roll… and they absolutely mean it! From my side, I’d especially point out their strong Motörhead influences. That’s exactly what we witnessed that afternoon at Rox—the three Italians hit full throttle and gave us a wild, nonstop ride. The Clamps don’t really offer anything new or particularly unique, but they appeal to die-hard heavy rock ’n’ roll fans because they feel genuine and authentic. So yes, we welcomed them warmly. Nothing more, nothing less.
Weedpecker: The third band of the festival’s second day was Weedpecker from Poland. Their psychedelic stoner rock was a bit challenging for me at first, but it was clear that the crowd at Arch Club was really into their songs. In any case, Weedpecker performed more than respectably and gave us some beautiful moments with their atmospheric, dreamy stoner rock ideas. I definitely want to see them live again, because I know that if I dive deeper into their music, I’ll find plenty of things to love. Until then, I’ll keep the memory of a band with real character—different, distinctive, and fully committed on stage, giving everything they have during their live performances.
Dismiss: It was finally time to enjoy the former Bad Habits, now known as Dismiss. They are easily one of the wildest, most reckless, and most explosive rock ’n’ roll bands on the international scene! Their live shows are like a sinful rock ’n’ roll party, their music is pure dynamite, and they themselves are rock ’n’ roll stars in full-blown ecstasy. Whatever you say about their aesthetic, their songs, their passion, their stage presence—it’s never enough. They’ve got the whole package. A pure gold band, the kind you simply love to watch. And of course, their performance at the festival was just as explosive. They completely blew our minds! Real rock ’n’ roll outlaws—they absolutely killed it once again.
Tons: Next on the day’s schedule were Tons. Another band from Italy, this time from Turin, Tons play sludge/doom metal and… honestly, they were pretty mediocre. It’s not that they played badly from a technical standpoint, but their songs sounded, at best, rather indifferent to me. A few good riffs weren’t enough to save the set, and those blackened vocals were, to put it kindly, quite awful. That said, I did notice quite a few people in the crowd who seemed to be genuinely enjoying the… art of Tons. What can I say? Everyone has their own taste. For me, it was a performance I’ll remember mostly for historical reasons—and not much more.
1782: Another Italian group? Yes—and let’s not forget that Heavy Psych Sounds Records is an Italian label. 1782 move within the realm of occult stoner rock (sic), and they’ve built a solid reputation within their scene. That makes perfect sense, since they have strong riffs, epic arrangements, and truly captivating atmospheres. I experienced all of that that night, and it definitely left me with a positive impression of their performance. The Italians clearly have something special, but they need to keep pushing and continue the good work if they want to reach the next level. Everything is in their hands.
Void Droid: After 1782, we rushed to Arch Club to catch the Greek heavy rock giants, Void Droid! Void Droid have changed quite a bit since the last time I saw them at AN Club about two years ago, as they have now added a stronger progressive element to their music. What hasn’t changed? They remain incredibly powerful live and just as high in quality—if not even better now. Void Droid absolutely destroyed the place, and I can honestly say they handled their more demanding new songs flawlessly. It was a fantastic performance, plain and simple!
Godsleep: The Athenian band Godsleep have been around since 2010, and they came to this year’s Heavy Psych Sounds Fest ready to make sure everyone knew their name! Blending stoner/heavy rock with alternative rock, grunge, and electronic elements, Godsleep were absolutely devastating live. They had attitude, power, and a contagious energy that they passed directly to the crowd, who responded with loud cheers and total enthusiasm. Above all, though, they had Amie—a phenomenal frontwoman with endless energy, commanding stage presence, and undeniable charisma. She completely owned the stage. We stepped into the world of Godsleep and honestly didn’t want to leave. They are a solid, talented band, already touring all over the world, and it feels like only a matter of time before absolutely everyone knows who they are.
Greenleaf: We all know how exceptional the Swedish stoner/heavy rock scene is, and Greenleaf were perfect representatives of that tradition at Heavy Psych Sounds Festival Athens 2026. This Swedish band, which has played in Greece before, stepped on stage and gave absolutely everything. Experienced musicians with confidence and real skill, Greenleaf delivered a masterclass in stoner/heavy rock, strongly emphasizing the ’70s blues and boogie elements of their sound. They played for more than an hour, and every single minute of their live show was worth it. The audience fully appreciated the treasure that is Greenleaf, and the band once again proved that they are a truly great act.
Planet of Zeus: With all that behind us, the time finally came for the big closing of the second day of the festival, with Planet of Zeus as headliners. No introduction is really needed here, as we’re talking about one of the biggest names in the Greek stoner/heavy rock scene, with a strong international presence. Still fresh in memory from their recent anniversary show at Lycabettus Theater, Planet of Zeus delivered yet another outstanding performance, even if that previous show remains something truly unique for obvious reasons. As Babis himself put it, Planet of Zeus came to “tear everything apart”—and that’s exactly what they did. They left nothing standing, absolutely tearing through the stage with their top-tier, high-energy stoner heavy rock. One riff followed the next, one song flowed into another, and wave after wave of heavy sound kept crashing down on us. We watched a band in total fire mode, a crowd screaming and chanting, and an atmosphere that constantly rose and fell like a storm. It was a textbook rock ’n’ roll riot and the perfect ending to a highly successful festival. In pure chaos and adrenaline, Planet of Zeus triumphed and exited the stage like true heroes after a powerful encore.
And just like that, the festival came to an end and we headed home—both exhausted and genuinely happy. Looking back, the second day of the festival, which for me felt slightly weaker than the first, still had its highlights. Planet of Zeus stood out as the best band of the day, while Godsleep were the real surprise package. Now… I’ve got one question at this point: when are Dismiss playing live again?!
Just as we started with observations, so we’ll also end—with observations.
I’d also like to point out that the overall sound of the festival was extremely loud. To be honest, I ended up wearing earplugs for the entire event just to cope with it. In my opinion, the volume was unnecessarily high, to the point where it became uncomfortable and quite harsh on the ears. Of course, a live show should have a strong and powerful sound, but that doesn’t mean it needs to push things to the point of discomfort. It made me wonder—what would I have done without earplugs? Would I have had to leave early? So, a suggestion for the sound engineer: it would be good to balance things more carefully and aim for a level that feels natural and enjoyable for everyone, without pushing it into excessive loudness.
Also, even though the venues were indoor spaces, a lot of people in the crowd were smoking. This is simply unacceptable, especially when it comes to health and also the performance conditions for the musicians. We went to a festival, not to end up breathing smoke—even for those of us who don’t smoke at all. And that’s without even getting into the issue of cannabis use, which unfortunately was also present. Everyone knows that smoking in enclosed public spaces is prohibited, and the use of illegal substances is against the law and can lead to criminal consequences. Musicians are no exception to this either—they are not above the law, especially when it comes to anything that could be seen as encouraging illegal behavior. It’s something that really needs more awareness and respect from everyone involved. Live shows should be safe environments for everyone—audience included—and they certainly shouldn’t feel inappropriate or unsafe for younger attendees either.
