Metal Station Vol. 4 lands in New Cairo on 11 April with a bill that puts Hathorious back at the top of a local poster for the first time in 12 years. Around them, Metal Over and Metal Station have pulled in four more Egyptian bands working across different corners of heavy music.
That return gives the show its centre. Hathorious have been part of the Egyptian metal underground since 2009, so their place here carries some history with it. More than a headliner slot, it brings an older band back into the room while putting them next to names that belong much more to the current moment.
Catharsis have been building their death-doom sound out of Cairo for years now, while Anemoya are one of the newer names coming through with a more gothic and progressive edge and a debut album already behind them. Obscured Violence and Infextion bring the more abrasive end of the lineup, which gives the bill a bit more range.
There is also something healthy in the way this bill is put together. It keeps the focus on original Egyptian bands, mixes older and newer names, and gives a clearer picture of a scene that is still pushing in different directions at once.
Metal Station Vol. 4 takes place on Saturday, 11 April at Room Art Space in Spot Mall, New Cairo. Doors open at 6pm and tickets are priced at 300 LE.
