Feast your eyes on the Brian Mercer poster below — oh golly, I hope they make t-shirts — and behold not only the art’s glory but also the know-your-shit gauntlet being thrown down by the initial lineup for Emissions From the Monolith 10, which will be the first edition of the festival in 19 years. And some of these bands are veterans of the event to be sure — Rebreather are the hometown staple, Solace, Stinking Lizaveta, Deadbird, The Brought Low, Disengage, Weedeater would’ve likely played, while Generation of Vipers and Telekinetic Yeti have come up in the interim. The message being delivered here lives up to what the returning festival said it would do in terms of blending the oldschool Emissions palette with newer incarnations of heavy.

I’m planning on going to this. I don’t know where I’m staying yet. I don’t know how I’m getting there — maybe a train? is that crazy? — but I knew damn well before this initial, more-to-come lineup was announced that I wanted to be there for Emissions 10. The bill thus far only makes me look forward to it more. No, it won’t be like it was at the Nyabinghi in 2006 when I got voted off the island (it was okay, I eventually got back on, but like a decade later) and the guys from SunnO))) were throwing hissyfits on the stage monitors. It’s been 19 years. But in addition to the reunion aspect of it, I can’t wait to see who else gets added, because Emissions From the Monolith‘s Greg Barratt has always had a very particular ear for sludge and heavy, and especially with the hints here in Telekinetic Yeti and Generation of Vipers, I’m curious to know who else makes the cut. Would Howling Giant be a fit? What about Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol?

Presumably it’ll be the New Year before the next announcement is made, but tickets are available if you want to come hang. We’ll sort out the details like travel and lodging later. Probably too late.

From social media:

Emissions From The Monolith 10

October 8–11, 2026
Westside Bowl — Youngstown, Ohio

Early Bird tickets
emissionsfromthemonolith.com

Deadbird
Disengage
Generation of Vipers
rebreather
Solace
Stinking Lizaveta
Sunrot
Telekinetic Yeti
The Brought Low
Weedeater

https://emissionsfromthemonolith.com/
https://www.instagram.com/emissionsfromthemonolith
https://www.facebook.com/emissionsfromthemonolith

Rebreather, The Line, its Width and the War Drone (2021)

Certainly I didn’t realize at the time just how formative an experience it would be for me as regards attending music festivals, but I was at Emissions From the Monolith 8 in 2006. I remember being too intimidated to give Greg Barratt, who’ll bring the event back in 2026 after a 19-year absence, a CD-R demo from my band at the time. The Nyabinghi is gone, but Westside Bowl will host the reincarnation, set for Oct. 8-11 in Youngstown, Ohio. I wanna go. I don’t even know who’s playing, but I wanna go. I hope Rebreather open.

The initial announcement for Emissions From the Monolith 10 follows here, as per the PR wire. There are no bands listed yet, which is fair enough with it being a year away. In any case, did I mention I wanna go? Road trip style. You should come too.

Here’s what they had to say about it:

Emissions from the Monolith Returns: Emissions 10 Comes Home to Youngstown

October 8-11, 2026 • Westside Bowl, Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown, OH — After a long silence, Emissions from the Monolith is rising again. October 8-11, 2026, Emissions from the Monolith 10 will reclaim its roots at Westside Bowl in Youngstown, Ohio, reviving a festival legacy that first took form in 1999 and ran through 2007, spotlighting metal, doom, sludge, stoner, and heavy underground music.

Emissions 10 is more than a concert weekend; it’s a homecoming. Expect a mix of legendary favorites from the original era alongside new faces pushing the boundaries, all sharing the same stage. Over four nights, we’ll gather the community we started building 25 years ago, reconnecting fans, bands, and friends as one family under heavy riffs.

HIGHLIGHTS & FEATURES

• Performances by multiple fan-favorite legacy acts
• Newer bands carrying forward the spirit of underground heaviness
• A tightly curated, fan-first atmosphere with limited ticket sales to eliminate festival burnout

WHY NOW?

We believe the time is right to bring Emissions back. The force that made the festival legendary, built on raw passion, deep connection, and fearless heaviness, still resonates in this community. Emissions 10 aims to bridge the old and the new, honoring the roots while embracing where underground music stands today.

TICKETS & INFO

Festival passes will go on sale soon via the official site: emissionsfromthemonolith.com.

More lineup and scheduling announcements will roll out in the coming months.

ABOUT EMISSIONS FROM THE MONOLITH

First launched around 1999 and active through 2007, Emissions from the Monolith held a vital place in the U.S. underground heavy music scene. Its influence continues to be felt in how bands connect with audiences, underground festival culture, and heavy-riffed community building.

https://emissionsfromthemonolith.com/
https://www.instagram.com/emissionsfromthemonolith
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556435942498

Colour Haze, Live at Emissions From the Monolith 8, May 27, 2006