The Overload Beer Fest showed from the start that it would be one of those nights that left you sweaty, hoarse, and satisfied. The Carioca Club was packed; the heat was almost unbearable, and yet nobody stood still. The dance floor turned into pandemonium from the first chords, with the audience eager to enjoy every minute. The sound, in general, was good and well-defined, with the only exception being DER , which suffered from mixing problems. Apart from that, everything went smoothly, including the schedule, which was followed with almost British punctuality. It was the perfect setting for a heavyweight marathon, which featured Cemitério , DER, Eskröta , Vulcano , and Obituary .
The night began with Cemitério , an old-school death metal band that evoked the spirit of classic horror films in their performance. Bassist and vocalist Hugo Golon , his guttural delivery and heavy bass playing reminiscent of a possessed zombie. The group performed a setlist inspired by slashers and horror films, including "The Return of the Living Dead," "Cropsy's Revenge," "Gang of Sadists," "Friday the 13th," "Cannibal Holocaust," "Diabolical Tara," "Bloody Christmas," and, to close, "Pay to Enter, Pray to Leave." It was a solid opening that warmed up the already large audience with dirty riffs and macabre themes that got the mosh pit going early.
Next, DER took the stage with their blend of thrash and grindcore, bringing a striking political and social intensity. Even with a slightly muffled sound, vocalist Thiago Nascimento stood out with furious screams and an incisive stage presence, driving the performance through the brutality of fast and corrosive songs. The performance was a direct impact, with compositions that transformed Carioca into utter chaos, reaffirming the group's place among the veterans of the São Paulo underground scene.
Eskröta , with their feminist and empowering thrash crossover, raised the bar with an attitude that captivated the audience. Vocalist and guitarist Yasmin Amaral stood out with a fierce drive and powerful riffs, leading an explosive setlist that included “A Bruxa”, “Playbosta”, “Mantra”, “Eticamente Questionável”, “Misery”, “Filha do Satanás”, “Grita” and “Mulheres”. The group not only performed the songs with intensity, but also conveyed powerful messages against sexism, leading the audience to sing along in the mosh pits that occupied the center of the dance floor.
Vulcano a pioneer of Brazilian black/death metal since the 1980s, delivered a true history lesson in extreme metal through their emblematic presence. Guitarist Zhema Rodero , founder and main figure of the band, impressed with striking riffs and an authentic satanic atmosphere, while the group performed a setlist composed of “Spirits of Evil”, “Witches' Sabbath”, “Incubus”, “Church at a Crossroads”, “Dominios of Death”, “Ready to Explode”, “Holocaust”, “Death Metal”, “Total Destruction” and “Warriors of Satan”. The latter featured the participation of the original vocalist, Angel . The performance was a journey through time, with timeless classics and a dark atmosphere that prepared the audience for the end of the night. It was evident that, even after decades on the road, Vulcano still provokes intense reactions in fans of old-school thrash and black metal.
Next up was Obituary , one of Florida's leading death metal bands, closing the night with a powerful performance. Starting with the intro “Snortin' Whiskey”, the band followed with “Redneck Stomp”, “Sentence Day”, “A Lesson in Vengeance”, and “The Wrong Time”. Vocalist John Tardy stood out with his deep guttural vocals, while Donald Tardy, on drums, maintained the rhythmic foundation with precision, accompanied by Trevor Peres on riffs. The group kept the Carioca Club in ecstasy by alternating newer tracks like “Infected” and “Body Bag” with classics such as “Dying” and “Cause of Death”.
In the second part of the show, the intensity increased with “Circle of the Tyrants” (a Celtic Frost cover), followed by “Chopped in Half” and “Turned Inside Out”. After a brief pause, the encore featured “I'm in Pain” and the final anthem “Slowly We Rot”. The audience, already exhausted after hours of intense movement, still found the energy for one more mosh pit. The performance was a demonstration of resilience and devotion to the American quintet, providing an expressive ending to the festival and reinforcing Obituary's relevance in the death metal scene. The prevailing feeling was that Overload Beer Fest 2026 solidified itself as a memorable event, cleansing the souls of fans of the genre.