The festival lineup is boasting of big word-class metal names coming to Lithuania from beyond the Atlantic. Rest assured, the upcoming midsummer will be one of the best in KILKIM ŽAIBU history. Moreover, the list will get even longer with high-calibre stars of the metal scene. Lithuanian metal fans are already well-acquainted with ROTTING CHRIST that have visited the country countless times. However, the Greek metal titans, led by the brothers Sakis and Themis Tolis, deliver an excellent musical experience and warm communication both on and off stage. No doubt the audience will be enchanted by their charisma and artistry once again. And there’s also room for surprises – ROTTING CHRIST is planning to release a new album soon, so KILKIM ŽAIBU audience will be among the first to listen to their latest works. Meanwhile, the cult band CARPATHIAN FOREST from Norway will be visiting both KILKIM ŽAIBU and Lithuania for the first time. Mesmerizing the world with their gloom and cold since 1992, the band doesn’t have many albums with the latest released back in 2006. Yet this definitely does not keep them from headlining the largest metal festivals around the world and could even be referred to as an example of quality – their music is timeless. Yet another big name on the festival lineup this year is MOONSPELL. 

Hailing from Portugal, this band has a rich history of setting the standard for gothic and doom metal since 1992. In 2021, they released "Hermitage", their most recent effort, which was acclaimed by the fans and the press, as one of the best albums of the year. In late 2022 the band also released an extraordinary live album/DVD/BluRay, recorded 80 meters below surface, in a natural cave in Portugal. From the depths of Portugal, this time MOONSPELL will emerge to the coast of a beautiful Lithuanian lake. KILKIM ŽAIBU festival is well known also for its folk side – there is always a big name representing folk or pagan metal. This year this place is filled by ENSIFERUM – a pillar in the realm of folk metal, hailing from Finland. During their active years, the band has carved out a distinct niche with their fusion of melodic death metal and folk influences, creating a sound that is as intense as it is evocative. Medical staff may think of GUTALAX as a laxative. Metal fans know a completely different story. You may get the impression that the Czech gore grind metal band, coming to Lithuania, look like some infantile goofballs. You wouldn’t be wrong – after all, all their songs are closely-related to the effect of the medicine they’re using as the band’s name. Yet music does not have to be serious all the time. Its point is to bring out some emotion. And this Czech band will do just that. Another first-time visitor to Lithuania, is the BLACKBRAID black metal solo project. Throughout his short musical career (a little more than a year), this musician, paying tribute to his ancestors – the Mohawk tribe – has already released two albums, full of rage, sadness and Native American spirituality. 

Other bands coming to celebrate Midsummer in Lithuania from beyond the Atlantic are the Canadian black metal stars PANZERFAUST and the American death metal band JUNGLE ROT. KILKIM ŽAIBU will also feature the emerging death metal all-female star CRYPTA, Swedish death metal band NECROPHOBIC, Celtic folk inspired SKILTRON, the German Gothic darkwave team (DOLCH), the Portuguese black metal discovery GAEREA, the atmospheric folk/black metal creators from England SAOR, the Norwegian metal avant-garde VULTURE INDUSTRIES, the black/speed metal band BÜTCHER from Belgium, the German heavy metalheads ALL FOR METAL, and the Czech black metal band INFERNO, Latvian groove metal band MĀRA, and others. Lithuanian scene will be represented by the black metal titans LUCTUS, legendary rock band BIX, and other metal, rock and folk bands. However, attendees are not only treated to a feast of music – an integral part of the KILKIM ŽAIBU experience is living history, featuring medieval warrior combat and unconventional sporting events. The medieval warrior and crafts town, which sprouts anew at the festival every year, embodies the idea that this festival is also a Baltic cultural event. It wouldn't be possible without individuals dedicated to the patriotic preservation of ancient culture, who gather in clubs and collectively delve into the historical way of life of our ancestral tribes. 

KILKIM ŽAIBU 2024 team invites you to the festival on 21-23 June at the historical Manor of the President Antanas Smetona near Lake Lėnas in Ukmergė district. (Press-Info from KZ-portals)