Egyptian black metal act Dashiem has been removed from the Metal Station III bill on 13 February 2026 at Room Art Space (Garden City), Cairo, Egypt, after organisers raised “concerns/fears” about the band’s theme and style.
Dashiem addressed the situation in a short Instagram post, saying: “Unfortunately, we will no longer be performing at Metal Station III due to concerns from the organisers about our theme and style. We were excited to play for the people who wanted to see us live, but this was out of our hands. Thank you for your continued support and understanding.”
“They asked me to change some of my content due to their concerns, but I refused.”
Approached by AFRICA.ROCKS for more detail, Dashiem starts by putting the situation in context: “First of all, I should mention that the organisers have been my friends for a long time. They raised concerns about my social media content – short videos and photos – even though none of it is related to Satanism. They were also uneasy about how I describe the band, because I talk about witchcraft. They asked me to change some of my content due to their concerns, but I refused.”
As for what, exactly, set off that reaction, he says it was never spelled out in a way he could point to. “Honestly, I’m not sure what triggered it. Dashiem is a black metal band, and I write about demonology and witchcraft from the perspective of historical knowledge, or from accounts of real paranormal events. Most of my lyrics are inspired by research into dark legends and real paranormal events connected to witchcraft, so the atmosphere has to be dark and eerie.”
When a band gets removed from a bill, the outside story is usually the loud one. On his side, it was just time, work, and momentum that had already been spent. “The real cost was the time we put into rehearsals, and the effort I put into finishing the demo for one of the tracks from the upcoming album, which will be released soon.”
“If that content causes panic, then it simply isn’t for you.”
He also thinks the “dark themes” shortcut misses the point. “I want people to understand that Dashiem’s theme is like a horror film or a dark novel. Just like a film poster has to match the film, my imagery matches the music. If that content causes panic, then it simply isn’t for you.”
And if the people booking the show are worried, he’d rather they make that call before anyone commits. “That applies to organisers too. If they have concerns about my theme, they shouldn’t work with me. Organisers should properly research a band’s aesthetic before confirming it for a live show.”
There’s no scorched-earth ending here. “As I said, the organisers are still my friends, and I’m looking forward to playing the show with my other band, Hëllridër.”
AFRICA.ROCKS also tried to reach Room Art Space for their side of the situation, but no reply was received in time for publication.
That 13 February night at Room Art Space (Garden City) is still happening, backed by Darkside Records Europe, with Hëllridër leading the bill alongside Obscured Violence and Infextion.
Event details:
13 February, 6–10 PM
Room Art Space, Garden City
Tickets: 250 EGP
Tickets link: https://www.easykash.net/HUF8375
Support: Darkside Records Europe
