Metal 2 The Masses // Semi Final III // Northern Ireland

I say it every year and I’ll say it again, how did we get here? It really is a blur by this stage; instead of making more sense, I usually have more questions than answers! But enough about my life, M2TM Semi Final III – bring it on!

The last opportunity for those who are about to rock to make one last statement and push themselves over the finish line and into the 2026 final. A real mix yet again of styles, experience and everything to play for, this will be a tasty one for sure.

Fulgurite is opening up proceedings, and it’s hard to tell what the crowd is like tonight. We had probably the nicest day of the year today here in glorious Costa Del Norn Iron, but as soon as the band kicks in, they appear out of the cracks like a scene from The Walking Dead. Fulgurite are heavy riff-meisters, a vastly experienced band, and it shows when you see them live, every bit of their being is poured into the live performance, they leave nothing behind, no doubt whatsoever that what you see is what you get, right between the eyes!

One thing I picked up again are the tasty bass runs, I usually don’t notice bass players too often, cos you know they’re not even in the fuckin Union, but this young whipper snapper might be worthy! The set is heft, from start to finish, twists and turns are dotted throughout and keeps you on your toes, but it’s all executed as Kenny Everette would say “In The Best Possible Taste” and rightly so!

Up next, Aphrill, tonight with a special guest, Hunter front-woman from Teras on bass. Now I’ve no idea what the craic is, but what I do know is that Hunter is a great front-woman and an excellent bass player, so the band can only be stronger with her presence on stage. As it is, the band are knocking it out of the park; they are a solid alt-rock band that, from memory, got heavier and crazier as their Heat set progressed. And there it is … tops aff! That’s out, and the heft kicks in. The second half of the set is defo where it’s at, like they have Helen off a mask and revealed their true self. A bit more of that, please.

Up next are Shortest Straw, now I cannot lie I canny remember their heat performance cos it was a while back but sweet baby Jesus, as soon as they launch into their set they command your attention. The riffage is absolutely savage! The vocals are killer, and the intensity of their set is off the charts, like an adrenaline jab to the aul beat, these guys are lethal! An unforgiving and relentless pace across the 30 min barrage on the senses, or should I say something more akin to a punishment beating, Norn Iron metal style! A complete deviation from the first two bands, Fulgurite bring the old school experience, Aphrill are groove-laden heft-meisters, but Shortest Straw have an agenda, a shock and awe campaign of music to make the sweet sweet love too! Love it!

Last but certainly not least, Merys. Now, these cats were new to M2TM for 2026 and took us by surprise in their heat with a curious and fascinating performance. So all eyes are on Merys tonight to see if that was a one-off or if these cats really do have the cream. So, as it is, they do indeed possess some cream and definitely have their own thing going on. Which is great to see, as we need as many bands as we can pushing out the envelope week by week. There was a time when it felt like every band coming through was either death or black metal, but not now; the diversity of the competition is huge, and it has helped bring new, crazier bands to the fore. Fulgurite, Merys, and Muted Tweed all stand out as being extroverted in an otherwise saturated market. And we all need a pallet cleanser from time to time to break the monotony that can occur with too much of the same shizzle.

But one man’s beauty can be like nails on a chalkboard to another, so what do I know? The room right now is fully immersed in Merys set, everyone is transfixed, wondering where it is going to go next. There is a real cinematic quality to their songwriting. You could imagine it as a backdrop to a dystopian nightmare, or as some would say, 2026, but I digress. This is crazy beautiful and scary at the same time. Hold me, Momma, hold me!

And there you have it, 2026 Heats, Semi-Finals are a wrap. I still can’t believe it myself, and the line-up for the final is as different and diverse as I have seen in many a year, and as the man, the myth, the leg-end Mr James Loveday, announced our glorious leader, Mr Simon Hall from Bloodstock HQ, will NOT be attending this year’s final #shockhorror

Photography: Mark McGrogan

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@flashartmark

“Congratulations to Shortest Straw and Merys on being the final 2 bands to go through from last night’s THIRD Metal 2 the Masses NI Semi-Final. They’ll join Arc Dakota, Airies Air, Microtonal and Muted Tweed in Voodoo Belfast on Friday 8th May for a 6-band mega-final! Doors 7pm, ticket link below. I thought all 4 bands from last night really were superb. The future of heavy music in Northern Ireland is in safe hands.”